Ten Unusual Words to Add to Your Vocabulary-Part 2

This a continuation of my blog series on Unusual words to spice up your writings or add to your vocabulary. Enjoy!  

Transmogrify trans-MAH-ɡrə-fai Part of Speech verb Unknown, mid-17th century Find out how to use "Transmogrify" in a sentence.... Definition: Transmogrify Transform in a surprising or magical manner.   Chartreuse shar-TROOS Part of Speech noun French, late 19th century Find out how to use "Chartreuse" in a sentence.... Definition: Chartreuse A pale green or yellow liqueur made from brandy and aromatic herbs.   Stochastic stə-KAS-tik Part of Speech adjective Greek, mid-17th century Find out how to use "Stochastic" in a sentence.... Definition: Stochastic Randomly determined; having a random probability distribution or pattern that may be analyzed statistically but may not be predicted precisely.   Glyptic GLIP-tik Part of Speech adjective French, early 19th century Find out how to use "Glyptic" in a sentence.... Definition: Glyptic Of or concerning carving or engraving.   Sprezzatura sprets-ə-TYOOR-ə Part of Speech noun Italian, early 15th century Find out how to use "Sprezzatura" in a sentence.... Definition: Sprezzatura Studied carelessness, especially as a characteristic quality or style of art or literature.   Rupestrian roo-PES-tree-ən Part of Speech adjective Latin, late 18th century Find out how to use "Rupestrian" in a sentence....

A Miracle if My Potted Pineapple Will Bear Fruit This Year

My Potted Pineapple with Fruit in Front Patio of MY House in Fair Oaks. June, 2022

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2019/06/my-potted-pineapple-plant-is-starting.html

When I moved from Fair Oaks to THD last year, I was able to bring with me, one of my potted pineapple plant. After almost over a year in my patio, here at THD ( see photo below), It had not recovered from the move. Currently, it is only getting about 2 to 3 hours of afternoon sun in my patio. It will be a miracle if it will bear fruit this year. But if it does, I will consider it a miracle.  

MY THD Patio is perfect for shade-loving plants but not for tropical plants like the pineapple that required a lot of sun to thrive well.    

My sickly Potted Pineapple Plant, one year after my downsizing move.  Here are recent photos of my patio after my weekly cleaning service and the transplanted pineapple. The pineapple still looks sickly, 

My Jade Plants are Doing Well as well as my cacti and Succulent Collections

I transplanted my potted Christmas Poinsettia Outside. Hopefully it will grow and blooms( red leaves) this December.  Guarded with plastic so Batman and Robin will leave the plant alone.  

Potted Pineapple is still looking sickly-Need more hours of sunlight daily.... 

How I feel in Love with the Philippines and Its People

I found this article on my FaceBook page today. I am delighted to share it with you.

By Malcolm Conlan

I have always had a passion for the Philippines and Filipino people. I guess this started when I was around 19 years old.

I had never actually heard of the Philippines until then to be honest. Geography was not my strongest subject at school and I guess the Philippines was a distant place with no real connection to my life.

Then it all changed in 1989 when I first went to watch what has become my favourite musical ever, #MissSaigon. These were the days before you could google where a place was or look at street view or anything like that. In fact in those days, calling abroad would cost you £2 a minute and we posted this thing called ‘a letter’.

Joking apart, I bought a souvenir brochure at the show and quickly discovered that many of the incredible talented actors from the show originated from the Philippines, including Lea Salonga, Miguel Diaz, Robert Sena, Monique Wilson and Cocoy Laurel.

I decided to travel the 7,000 Miles or so in what was one of my first ever trips abroad and venture to the place I now call home. When I arrived, I was captivated by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. Everyone was helpful, smiling and interested in why I went there.

Yes, in those days, there was the occasional area you might not want to visit and the occasional scammer etc. However I have to say in all of my some 60 trips I have found the country to be very safe and welcoming. Every time I go home, I continue to be impressed by the continual improvements in the country.

As there was no #Facebook back then, when you wanted to stay in touch with people, you wrote them a letter or sent a FEDEX or similar and waited an age for a reply. Calling people of course was even more difficult and expensive.

So having fallen in love with the country, I decided to somehow dedicate a part of my life to the #Philippines. Strange coincidence, but I ended up working with a filipino guy for a few years at London Buses, so through that, I got into Filipino culture, parties and a new circle of friends.

My friend and his wife, then introduced me to my future wife, Susan, only recently we celebrated our 25th year of marriage. First time I met her family, around 26 years ago, I ended up staying with them and sleeping in a little Bahay Kubo, which was a little funny as I ended up banging my head every time I got up. Those were the days, remembered fondly haha.

Thing is, some people say why am I so interested in Filipino culture, events, people, politics and of course tourism, I guess it stems from my first impressions of the Filipino people from way back nearly 30 years ago, I hope and pray that other foreigners like myself, fall in love with the culture and people, I now regard as my extended family.

Maybe I was a Filipino in a former life, whatever it is, I am just at my happiest when I am either in the Philippines or with Filipinos. I am very fortunate that through that passion, I have got to meet some very famous Filipino actors, (some even follow me on Instagram lol) Ambassadors, politicians and even 4 Philippine Presidents!!!

Please follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok and X as well as my YouTube channel, Pusong Pinoy with Malcolm Conlan, Maraming Salamat po sa inyong lahat!! For the authors articles about the Philippines. read…

https://malcolmconlan.blogspot.com/

Now for some Good News: As of today, my blog, Becoming American, http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com has now 1,033,888  page views. It reached the 1 million viewers worldwide last December.   

My second most popular blog, The Intellectual Migrants, http://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com has now 922, 504 page views.  I expect it to reach a million page views worldwide by the end of 2024.   

Please continue reading my blogs. Your comments is highly appreciated.