Plants For Tropical Balconies In Singapore

A vine on a balcony in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
What can you plant on a Singapore balcony and how will you water it?

Answers
Look around at the balcony of nearby blocks or go to the allotments or simply chat to other people you meet.

ANTI-MOSQUITO
My first contact at an allotment told me about flowers which repel mosquitoes. A local garden centre sold us an anti-mosquito plant.

VINES
We didn't think vines would grow in warm Singapore, as they are mostly on cool hillsides. However, to our surprise we found a vine growing on a neighbour's balcony.

Our UK wine education expert told her that to get the best vine produced fruit, you prune a vine like a rose bush.

I queried this. I have seen rampant vines growing bunches of fruit over back walls of a house in back gardens.

The wine expert replied:
The grapevine plant puts its effort into woody branches and quantity rather than quality.

AVOCADO AND FRUIT
You can also grow:
Avocado plants from avocado stones. No need to fiddle around with the stone balanced on top of a bottle between two horizontal toothpicks over water, waiting for the roots to appear, like my mother in law recommended for growing a plant from a stone on a windowsill in the UK. Just stick the stone in water in a potting trough, water it once and wait for the regular rains to water it and it will grow.

Rosemary, which is rampant in London, England, also grows well on balconies in Singapore.

Papaya plants.
Mangoes.

MIDNIGHT PERFUME IN YOUR ROOM
Midnight flower
They open at midnight with a lovely aroma which lasts about two hours.

FREE DELIVERY OF POTTING COMPOST
Top Tip
No need to go to the garden centre and pay large sums for a small pack of compost. Order by phone, two packs of organic compost, and get the heavyweight sacks of potting compost delivered to your door for free. No need to feel guilty about making them take a special trip. They have vans circling the area.
regularly especially to a large condo.

Useful Websites
Before ordering compare prices.
www.Ogreenliving.com
https://www.qoo10.sg/shop/greenspade

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Mooncake Festival - after the party was over - the red lanterns and the white chairs must go

Saturday night Chinese autumn harvest festival with mooncakes and red lanterns at a condo in Singapore.

The chairs are stacked up and loaded onto the back of an open top lorry (Americans say truck).

The tables and tablecloths are packed up.

The awnings and poles and red lanterns are still to do to go.

Amazing the way the electric fans were fixed.

The pots of plants around the base of the stage are removed. Flat balloons lie on the ground. i dare say I could ask for a balloon. Later blow it up. But I haven't the cheek or the energy. A balloon already blown up is mesmerising. A flat balloon, no.

All photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

See The London Bridge at Lake Havasu in Arizona in the USA - and the statue of the man who bought and moved it

London Bridge at Lake Havasu, USA. Photo from Wikipedia. Public domain.

Problem
I keep reading self-improvement speeches and articles and books about imagining things and then making them happen. But is it possible?

Answer
Yes. I remember the story of the man who imagined the city of Tel Aviv and drew a mark on the sandy beach. When asked by journalists where the city would be, he said, 'Here!'

Now I've read another similar story about a visionary. The man who bought London Bridge. Millionaire McCulloch with his business partner Wood.

The weirdest thing is not that McCulloch brought a bridge all the way over from London, England, to America, nor even that he looked out at the view and imagined a city which he started building. The weirdest thing was that he bought a bridge when he did not have a river to put the bridge across.

He had to get to see the President Lyndon Johnson of the USA and persuade the man to grant permission to divert a river. People were opposed to to idea of allowing a river to be diverted. I mean, you don't want to set a precedent, do you! Allow one person to divert a river, then everybody will want to do it.

You often hear the question, which came first, the thicken or the egg. you don't normally hear the question, which came first, the river or the bridge.

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of what the tourist can see. The city of Lake Havusu, which was created in the middle of nowhere. (Doesn't that apply to everywhere in the USA? For example: New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas.)

Apparently it is a myth that the bridge was bought by mistake. They buyer knew which bridge he was buying.
UK
If you want to see Tower Bridge in London, England, it is still there and you can take tours.
USA
London Bridge in Lake Havasu city in the USA. The city has a museum. Several hotels including one, Heat Hotel, with views of the bridge.

What to see:
London Bridge in Lake Havasu, USA.
The statues of McCulloch and Wood together at the end of the bridge.
Tower bridge, London, England

Useful Websites
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the_bridge_that_crossed_an_ocean
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lake_Havasu_City
https://golakehavasu.com/activities/attractions/london-bridge/
https://golakehavasu.com/activities/attractions/london-bridge/london-bridge-fun-facts/
visittheusa.co.uk
virginatlantic.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

More Durian McFlurry At Anchorvale Community Club In An Inspiring Building With A Swimming Pool Please Copy

Durian McFlurry ice cream in a pot with a handy plastic spoon from McDonalds at Anchorvale Community Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
Where was I going to find my next Durian McFlurry?

Answer
In the new Anchorvale Community Club near Changi Airport.  Our driver was busy parking and a friend and I were waiting in the large void deck. I ran over to take a picture of the super swimming pool which had coloured slides. My friend told me, "All the new Community Clubs in Singapore have swimming pools."

I am so pleased. Private condos have had swimming pools for years for expats and the better paid. The HDB flats which house the majority don't have swimming pools. the residents are expected to use the public swimming pools, most of which have simply oblong conventional swimming pools. As the newly-built condos have added water slides, curves and water features, so the public pools have now caught up.

Not only does this provide families with entertainment and exercise, it makes the community clubs more of an attraction, which provides more cohesiveness in the community, and makes the community club more profitable, so that other activities such as small meetings for minorities in meeting rooms can be subsidised by the paid for swimming pool.

The Anchorvale Community Club was a great success, if you were to judge by numbers of people. Parking places were in short supply. The McDonalds was thriving and had a busy indoor seating area and a quick-service window in the main hall.

At the quick window I saw a sign for a card to sign up for. I decided I should do this, as it was my second day running visiting a McDonalds. Their choice of foods is much greater than in the old days: fish, vegetarian - and durian (fruit) ice cream.

Unfortunately, downloading the app was a problem. I never made it.

However, I can tell you that the swimming pool in Anchorvale looks great. If you are anywhere else in the world (such as Asia, the UK now that global warming will be making longer summers) and the southern area of the USA, look at the Singaporean Community Centres which are built in every government housing estate, a model for the world to copy.

Please Copy Community Centres
The community centres provide central parks watched by the surrounding buildings. Ground floor shops and doctors and dentists and pre-school so the elderly and pregnant women and young mothers and fathers don't need to travel with low budgets and toddlers. Schemes offer housing swaps so that the elderly on high floors oe people with inclined to climb children can swap with those on ground or lower floors (who get kudos and/or awards, or rewards).

Community Housing
 The housing estates, built and maintained by the governments Housing Development Board (HDB) to provide affordable housing for all citizens.  Basic upgrades such as repainting outside walls and repairing paths and installing covered walkways to keep off the sunshine and rain are funded by the government.

Upgrades To Housing
Extras such as designing and installing gardens, gazebos, fountains and fish pools and sculpture and arches and more shops are chosen and half-funded by residents. Their ideas and imput of money means that they feel responsible for keeping the new facilities in good condition.

Anchorvale Community Centre is already up and running successfully. Next year we anticipate that the new MRT (mass transit) underground railway station will be completed.
(photos and websites being added shortly)

Useful Websites
SINGAPORE TOURISM
visitsingapore.com
singaporeair.com
HDB

McDONALDS
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald
mcdonalds.com.sg/locate-us
mcdelivery.com.sg

To view this website post:

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/09/more-durian-mcflurry-at-anchorvale.html

Previous post on durian:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/09/durian-delight-at-macdonalds.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Plants To Repel Mosquitos - How To Remember Them

🤦‍♂️�‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Citronella From Corona Florist and Nursery 388F Clementi Road, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot.

Problem
I want plants to repel mosquitos on the balcony in Singapore and now that we have global warming, even in London, UK, in the house and garden.

I keep learning the plants which repel mosquitos. How can I remember them if I want to replant part of an existing plant from a garden or balcony, ask a friend for a cutting, buy from a gardening shop, advise another person?

Answer
Start with the lemons, acidic plants, which the mosquitos won't want to suck?
citronella (citron - Ella)
lemon balm (lemon on a balmy night)
lemon thyme (time for a third lemon plant)

What else is strong smelling?

garlic - keeps away your friends but keeps away your enemies - those mosquitoes. Frightens off the devil and witches and also mosquitoes.

More food plants:
mint (no time - just a minute, time is money, mint it). Make a mint drink, mint tea.

Lavendar - lovely lavendar has a lovely aroma
marigold - golden colour - will Mary marry you?

Rosemary and Basil (Romantic girl Rosemary, smells sweet as a Rose, and her boyfriend Basil)

Catnip
Last but not least, Rosemary is cuddling her cat and I hope it won't nip her

I can now reconstruct the list using my memory aids:

citronella
lemon balm
lemon thyme
rosemary
basil
garlic
catnip
lavendar
marigold
mint
thyme

Let's put them in alphabetical order:
basil
catnip
citronella
garlic
lavendar
lemon balm
lemon thyme
marigold
mint
rosemary
thyme

Garden Centres
Singapore
Corona Florist and Nursery, 388F, Clementi Road, Singapore. (We bought a citronella plant, also balls to put on compost in pots and troughs to stop the sandy stuff blowing away.)
Goodwood Florist , 565 Thomson Road, Singapore. We bought balcony pots and compost.)

UK
Squires, Stanmore and other locations. Huge garden shop with gardening gloves, books, toys, cafe and outdoor area with plants and mini-trees and fencing and amusing plaques for the garden wall or outdoor house wall.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages. See my other posts on plants, gardens, garden centres and destinations.

Moon cake festival dinner in Singapore - what are you missing?

Singapore flag.

Problem
I am either away the night of the moon cake festival dinner or away at the time they are selling advance tickets. So every year I miss it and vow, next year I will attend.

Awnings around the swimming pool. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 I see the awnings going up around the swimming pool for days in advance. The tickets are not sold by the swimming pool attendant but in the office. Residents are allowed to invite guests, eg visiting grandparents from overseas, former residents who have moved away, friends who live in the same street or nearby.

The tickets this year were modestly priced, about $5, but it was a pot luck supper. I love pot luck. (Apparently pot luck started in the USA with native americans who threw all their vegetables into a big pot for everybody to share. What you pulled out to fill your bowl was pot luck. At least that's one story. I'm sure there are several others.

I spoke to some friends from the complex (which has about six skyscrapers around the pool, 598 flats, with at least two people on average that is 1000 potential people). I reckon it means at least 1001, because the guests of honour is a government minister. I could go to the office and ask, or phone or email. Never mind. You get the picture. This will be happening all over Singapore.

Toastmasters Meeting Comments
At Toastmasters International evenings for several weeks we were starting the evening going around everybody answering the question,' what will you do for Chinese moon cake festival?'' or, 'what does it mean to you? Many people answered, 'It's for family and friends to gather together'.

Big Events
So, if it's a festival for families to gather together, why go to the big events? Firstly, to save organizing at home.

Secondly, the more the merrier. Convivial.

Thirdly, as an additional event. Your overseas visitors or returning family can have one family meal, another out meeting neighbours, distant friends, making new friends.

Children's Festivals
My Chinese Singaporeans also said, 'The Autumn Harvest Festival party is for children'. Like Halloween and Christmas: games, guessing games, contests and gifts.

Sound in Singapore
Finally, the sound of these large events echoes around the voids between the skyscrapers. All around the complex, the public arena, the HDB (Housing Development Board - Singapore equivalent of the UK's council housing), and the private estates. You listen to the cheers and laughter and wonder what you are missing.

You can't hear exactly what they are saying. But you can hear them all evening. Any other activity, such as reading or watching TV or talking, is punctuated by the sounds.

Notting Hill Carnival Sounds
It's a bit like the Notting Hill Carnival in London, as I learned from somebody who lived alongside. For many years she joined in. Then when she got older she went away for the weekend. She told me that if you live alongside, no point staying home trying to read or sleep with all that racket outside or bands, applause, cheering, announcements. Either go and join in or go away for the weekend.

Singapore's Mooncake Festival Prices
In Singapore at this year's Mooncake festival, or Autumn Festival, I was told,
your ticket either includes the price of a piece of mooncake or just the table and chairs (according to whether you bought a ticket in advance or just bought on the night. Presumably they need to know numbers in advance for catering, but you can turn up with an extra guest on the night so long as they only occupy a chair and don't need the free food included in the other price. The advance ticket will include a voucher for a slice of mooncake or other food.

Some places it's the other way round. At many Toastmasters events, paying in advance means a reduction.

Stalls around offer snacks you can buy.

Regrets and Plans
This year my family heard the sound of the festival and instead of regretting not going, my family, members, who are into classical music and singing in tune and vocal variety at Toastmasters, grumbled, "Dreadful noise. Nonstop cheerleading and shouting into the microphone. You couldn't talk to anybody. Glad we didn't go."

All the same, next year, I must go to the mooncake festival! I love mooncakes!

Mooncake for the Chinese autumn harvest festival in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Free taste of mooncake and reduced price mooncakes - last chance

Singapore flag.

Problem
Where can you taste mooncakes - so expensive, la!

Answer
La is Singlish, just an exclamation.
Two Chinese Singaporeans advised me:

"Go to Takashimaya basement. Lots of stalls selling mooncakes offer a free taste. Try tomorrow, Sunday (September 23rd 2018). The last day is Monday (September 24th 2018). If you can still find them, the stalls will probably reduce their prices.

Uh-huh. A bit like Christmas cake and Christmas pudding in London, UK prices come down a day or two afterwards.

I wonder whether the same applies to Taiwan department stores and Chinese supermarkets in Chinatowns worldwide.

Useful Websites
takashimaya - gives redemption vouchers of S$5 (five Singapore dollars).

Mooncakes

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.