CHINESE JEWS KAIFENG Shi Lei / MENSCHlife interview part 1

Children's Chugging Train Poem For Adults too, by Polish poet Tuwim

YouTube has an exiting reading of rhythmically chugging poem about a train, rivals Robert Louis Stevenson's From A Railway Carriage (Faster than fairies, faster than witches, Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches ..) and Auden's Night Mail (This is the Night Mail crossing the border, Bringing the cheque and the postal order). I found Julian Tuwim, Polish Jewish poet in Wikipedia (Researching Lodz for my book of Travel TalesJ, tracked to the English of his poem on the site Old Poetry, and a reader's comment led me to the You Tube of the poem in the original Polish where you can hear it. Enjoy!

Lokomotywa

Picture of Polish Poet Julian Tuwim in Poland's third largest city, Lodz, on the street with street art

Trip Advisor Reviews

I can get several views on the same place. A hotel's publicity material is obviously biased and says only good things. I can check the latest reviews - place could have got worse or better. Can also check back to see whether they just had an off day or whether they've been bad for years and never improved. The old reviews, and numerous reviews are essential because many people just say good or bad based on one bedroom or one meal, but if you read a lot you can find useful information, such as whether parking is free, and other facilities which most reviewers don't mention but maybe somebody a year ago knows of a seasonal event you'd otherwise miss.

Children At Risk

Yet another neglected child dies, despite numerous complaints from worried people.

Each complaint is dealt with separately, and nobody notices a pattern of constant neglect, or in other cases escalation of neglect.

First, there should be a central register of all complaints concerning a child.

Second a child who is at risk should be seen on a daily basis, if only by a next door neighbour or volunteer, to check the child is alive and well.

Thirdly, an alcoholic should be phoned daily so that if they are not sober it's immediately discovered.

Fourthly a specific person in social services should be responsible for each child and co-ordinating actions.

Fifthly a regular report should be made by and to a responsible relative, or two. Often the granny and/ or ex-husband complains nobody told them. Forget patient confidentiality. Safety first. Once the child is dead, everybody knows and then it's too late.

The same applies in hospitals. What happens in hospitals is that one person sees the patient's feet, another notes he's had no food, the consultant calls in once a day and sees the patient so depressed he wants to die and nobody tells relatives that poor Dad or grandad is dying.

Funny Photos

Few self-portraits are genuinely funny but many are funny peculiar and sometimes these raise a slight smile. Facebook and other applications often email me to say that people who I don't know want to meet up, possibly with me but mostly with just about anybody. I look at their photo and what they say about themselves and the discrepancy often amazes me. People write that they are are easy going, humorous, jolly and fun-loving but they put up photos of themselves glowering or looking downright depressed. A little effort, just about three minutes, taking photos, with a good friend, or even a friendly waiter in a restaurant, would enable the subject to produce a smile for a photo. I want to meet people who look happy. Perhaps I should be grateful that the photo reveals the truth and saves me from meeting a manic depressive. You feel like sending them the number of the Samaritans. They need professional help. I would give professional help if I had proper training and was paid to do so. All I can offer a total stranger is insights and a smile and a laugh. I want to meet people like myself, smiling, happy, and with a photo to prove it.

Airport Chaos solutions

Airports take money from passengers and planes in taxes. They should have contingency plans for delays involving people sleeping overnight, whether its a plane crash or cancellations caused by weather. It doesn't need to be 5 star accommodation, just something better than sleeping on

the floor.

For example, an underground bunker village with bunk beds, dormitories in a hangar, converted coaches containing bunk beds or simply sleeper seats - or old planes and couchette trains, even army troop carriers.

Get all schools and universities to enter a competition to come up with ideas. In good weather get volunteers to build the facilities - paid with free off-peak flights.

More thoughts for travellers, too. outfits zipped so that make warm clothes which look like ski outfits but convert into sleeping bags. Get the fashion students and art students onto this.