Which landmarks are your favourites in each country? The places everybody researches?

Someone has searched for the place we search for on the internet. Not necessarily the same as the places people actually visit.

THE AMERICAS

The places everybody researches are the unsurprising Niagara Falls in Canada. Yes they are also in the USA, but all the excitement of walking behind the falls and the museums is on the Canadian side.  

EUROPE  & UK

In Europe, the Eiffel Tower in France is another place searched for.. 

In the UK Stonehenge was a bit of a surprise. Not so easily accessible. I have been to Stonehenge. (I must admit that blank stones don't inspire me much. 

ASIA

I was more impressed by the faces in Cambodia.Ankor Wat is there most searched for place.

THE MIDDLE EAST

 Petra in Jordan is a firm favourite. Hasn't it been in numerous films!  I took a camel ride to see it. Jordan has lots of Roman ruins too. Column after column. But if you want columns, so do Rome and Greece. And a few other countries. Petra is unique, another culture.

Useful Websites

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12539567/What-world-wants-VISIT-Fascinating-map-shows-popular-landmarks-country-Stonehenge-Statue-Liberty.html#comments

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Taiwan's national bird, the blue magpie

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I like the blue wings, the red beak, and the red feet. This charming picture appears in the huge advertisement for Taiwan along the walls of the Linkway in Bugis station, Singapore. The blue magpie is in the mural on both sides, so you see it on your outward journey and on the return. the blue magpie eats snakes. That meets with my approval.

Wiki says

The Taiwan blue magpie^[2] (Urocissa caerulea), also called the Taiwan magpie, Formosan blue magpie

 (Chinese: 臺灣藍鵲; pinyin: Táiwān lán què), or 

the "long-tailed mountain lady" (Chinese: 長尾山娘; pinyin: 

Chángwěi shānniáng; Taiwanese Hokkien: Tn̂g-boé soaⁿ-niû), is a bird species in the crow family. It is endemic to Taiwan.

I can recognize the Chinese symbol for mountain in the bird name, Shan, a pitchfork pointing up ith no handle, reperesenting a mountain peak in the middle.

I have always wanted to visit Taiwan and to see the gold treasures in their national musuem. Let's look at Taiwan, starting with the flag.

The flag of Taipei has the blue sky, white sun, and red earth.

 "Blue Sky with a White Sun flag" (青天白日旗; qīngtiān báirì qí)

qīng blue

tiān sky

bái white

rì Sun

qí)

The central characters, sky, white, and sun, are common, frequently used signs,  known as radicals.

If you are tempted to plan to visit Taiwan, the capital, Taipei, is in the north.

The foods which I look forward to eating in Taiwan include

eggs stewed in soy sauce.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_blue_magpie

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Coconut Palms - Watch Out! Dropping coconuts!

 Coconut palms look delightful. But don't sit under them, a guard warned me. 

In Singapore, the awnings have gone up for the celebration dinner for the Autumn harvest festival, also called the mooncake festival. Workers from Malaysia are in Singapore cutting down the coconuts, for safety.

The cocnuts are yellow or brown.

In a previous year my family asked for a spare coconut. But it was very difficult to cut it open. This year we were more canny. We asked one of the workers to cut one open.

It took him longer than I expeced. I thought he would chop it in one blow. However, he chopped bits off in all directions with a machete.

The white inside was soft enough to be cut with a normal fruit knife.

The resulting milk is transparent and not very flavourful.  But fresh. Fun. 

The coconuts when cut open and left on the work surface immediately attracted little fruit flies. So we put the cocnut in the fridge for a minute or two until we were ready to drink.

I am sorry we didn't leave the coconut in the fridge for longer. I wondered whether the coconut juice or milk would taste better, and be more refreshing, if it wwere cold. We had two half glasses full from one coconut.

Coconuts on the ground in a condo in Singapore, brought down by workers. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Cut coconut. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Cocnut juice to drink with fresh coconut. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright. 

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Hanging Bikes

 You can buy devices for hanging bikes in bike shops. Why would you want to hang up a bike? 

If you want to work on it to repair it. Easier to see. Less likely to roll away from you if is secured.

To protect your bike, you might want to buy a bike cover.

No longer need a bike? Sell it or hang it as decoration.

Love bikes? Visit handlebar in Singapore where you can drive through for drinks and food.

Useful Websites

https://www.facebook.com/HandlebarSGGillmanBarracks/

https://www.instagram.com/handlebaroriginal/?hl=en

https://www.amazon.sg/FAVOMOTO-Storage-Mountain-Bicycle-Display/dp/B096KK9CT5/ref=asc_df_B096KK9CT5/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=606349408013&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3586585188852099241&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062510&hvtargid=pla-1965390241426&psc=1

https://www.amazon.sg/FAVOMOTO-Storage-Mountain-Bicycle-Display/dp/B096KK9CT5/ref=asc_df_B096KK9CT5/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=606349408013&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3586585188852099241&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062510&hvtargid=pla-1965390241426&psc=1

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How To Hang Plants, Pictures and Bicycles, Indoors And Outside - Lesson Learned From The UK and Singapore

Hanging plants and bicycles in a residential block of flats in Singapore.

UK Picture Hanging Joys

In London, England, we have brick walls and indoors they are often covered with plaster so it is easy to hang plants and pictures. Just pick up a hammer and with a trio of sharp taps you can knock in a nail.

Numbers, signs, house names, bells, are all easily added.

Singapore Tasks & Solutions 

Alas, this is not the case in Singapore. Most people like in blocks of flats or condos, built of impenetrable concrete.  Indoors, to hang a picture, you don't buy a long thin nail but a white plastic button with three tiny thick points on the back.

At the HDB black above in Singapore, I asked a Singaporean, 'How you get the nails into concrete walls?'

He replied, 'You need a drill'.

'A hand operated drill?'

'No. An electric drill.'

"I don't have one. If I did, I would be afraid to operate it and injure myself or damage the wall.'

'An electrician will do it for you. If you have called him for something else. It only takes him a minute to do each one. So get the whole lot done at once.'

'What will it cost?'

'If you live in an HDB (Housing Development Board, subsidized public housing in which most Singaporeans live) about 50 dollars. (Singapore dollars.) But if you live in a condo (rented or privately owned private housing for permanent residents from overseas) the price will be double. If you live in a bungalow (detached house, also called landed property) the price will be triple!'

Hanging Bicycles

Bicycles are often left outside the doors of flats. (In Singapore they are called units.)

The management might ban the parking of bicycles on the public corridor. Why? They claim that bikes obstruct wheelchairs and prams or strollers and prevent cleaners from washing the floor. Plants can attract insects  breed mosquitos in water collecting in saucers. One solution for the home owner is to make use of space overhead

The latest trend, encouraged by the Singapore government is to grow edible plants, fruit and vegetables and herbs. You can use the ground level, walls and overhead space.when it comes to plants and pictures  the more, the merrier.

Read more of my posts about people and places, scenery and statues, trails and tales, what is handy and dandy. After reading my travel posts, look at my blogs Dress of the day with Angela, and comic poetry with Hazel nutter.

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White delight of homes in Singapore

Housing in Hougang, north-east Singapore. The bright white is so fresh and clean. Contrast with the green and graceful curves of the palm trees. The white wall in the centre of the picture is enhanced by the six undulating vertical lines. 

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What Is In Nasi Lemak, A favourite Malay dish in Singapore?

Nasi Lemak boxed meal. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

Nasi means rice. Lemak means fat. 

To the Chinese who love pork it might mean lard. But I was bought a halal nasi lemak. The rice was cooked with tasty coconut. This meal had a bit of everything. Egg, chicken wing, anchovies (called ikan bilis) and peanuts. Ayam is Malay for chicken.

Nask Lemak meal. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You can see the coconut rice, white on the left,  I started with the rice. It was delicious. I loved the coconut.

The tiny curved anchovies lower left corner. To their right are the peanuts. 

In the tub I was told was chilli sauce so I did not eat that. But next time I shall try a tiny sip. 

The white in the centre is a fried egg. The yolk was just right. Like toothpaste. Soft enough to suck and savour but not so runny as to make mess.  

The chicken wing was top right. 

A slab of fish cake was on top. I did not touch that because I am allergic to shellfish. When i opened the box it had a pungent smell which I recognized. It reminded me of fish soup containing king prawns and other shellfish. I did not want to risk it, although people say that fish cakes often contain mock shellfish, just not worth the risk. The smell soon evaporated. Even without that, I had plenty to eat. 

The meal contained plenty of protein. What a generous mixture of eggs, chicken and fish. 

I left the other items.  One piece of cucumber. A thick slice.  Local dishes are not big on vegetables. You have to order a vegetarian dish to compensate. 

A few handy words of Malay

Malay - English

ayam - chicken

lemak - fat

nasi - rice

English - Malay

chicken - ayam

fat - lemak

rice - nasi

We also had spinach pizza and fruit salad.

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