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smb

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Everything posted by smb

  1. smb

    EXOTIC FOODS

    smb commented on Lois's gallery image in Members Albums - Index Page

    EXOTIC FOODS
    Excellent design work! With regards to the content... I will quite happily go for the haggis and the balut any day. But you can keep the rest of it!!
  2. smb
    OK, here's the tip: When you have learned a few words of the Thai language and you want to start trying them out on a Thai-speaking person, please don't get upset when they look at you all blank and they obviously haven't understood a word that you have said... Or, more likely, they are completely and utterly confused by what you actually did just say! You just need to work on those tones... For anyone literally just starting out with learning Thai - the sooner you can get your head around the fact that Thai, (like Mandarin and other Chinese languages,) is a tonal language - the better! The Thai language uses five different tones. Each syllable in any one word has one of the following tones: Lòw, mid, hígh, fȃlling and rǐsing Note the tone marks above. These are the most commonly used ones that you will come across when looking at Thai words that have been transliterated into the Roman alphabet - mostly in the 'Learn Thai in Five Minutes' type of textbooks. These tone marks are easy enough to produce in a Microsoft Word document but other than copying and pasting from Word, I haven't figured out how to insert them here on my own website! So I will use the following colour-coding to indicate the tones, for the purpose of this article: Low, mid, high, falling and rising This is based on a "traffic light" system. (The red is usually on top and the green is at the bottom of the three lights. Pink is "falling" from red - and light green is "rising from green - if that makes any sense?!!) Now you know why the Thai alphabet contains about three times as many letters as the Roman alphabet! In very simple terms, it is one of the ways that the different tones are indicated. The extended alphabet, in conjunction with some tone marks, (in some words but, by no means all) - and some rather complicated "tone rules" enables any Thai language script to be read phonetically, including the tones. The important thing to realize here is that if you transliterate any single syllable Thai word into the Roman alphabet, then that same group of letters can have up to five different and totally unrelated meanings when spoken back to a Thai person - depending on which tone you use... For words of more than one syllable, the problem does not go away! So it is best to: a) Take note of the tone marks, if you are reading a "Learn Thai in Five Minutes" type of text book. b) Whenever you learn a new word, make sure that you learn it together with the correct tone. Otherwise you could end up in an embarrassing situation! (More on this, later...) c) If you decide to make a list of new (transliterated into the roman alphabet) words - or better still, your own flashcards - you will need to indicate the tone, somehow. If you don't like the commonly used tone marks for transliterated Roman alphabet text, you can use your own colour-scheme or, for example, underline low-tone syllables, put a line above high-tone syllables - and a sweeping downwards curve for falling tones with an upward sweeping curve for rising tones. Just use whatever works for you. But indicate the tones and learn the correct tones together with the pronunciation of any new word that you come across. Here's why: Khun suay - all mid tones - ( คุณซวย ) - can be translated as: "You are unlucky, unfortunate - or even bad!" You probably meant to say: Khun suay - rising tone on the second syllable of the second word - ( คุณสวย ) - which means "You are beautiful!" Some more: Mai wai - falling then rising tone - ( ไม่ไหว ) - Unable to... cannot... Mai wai - rising then high tone - ( หมายไว้ ) - To expect, anticipate, predict Mai wai - falling then mid tone - ( ไม่วาย ) - Always, constantly, to keep on repeating or doing the same thing Enough said? So the different tones don't just change a word slightly - to mean something similar. There are absolutely no similarities in meaning between any of the above examples. They are completely different words and it's no wonder that a Thai person cannot understand you if you don't at least try to pay attention to the tones of each and every syllable that you speak. It sounds quite daunting but, really, it isn't - just as long as you learn the correct tones for each new word, every time you come across one. Your Thai friends will definitely help you with this... Pay attention!!!
  3. smb
    Alpha Legion Warband Sniper
    Thanks for the detailed descriptions and all of the keywords. I really appreciate that! I also made your link clickable.
  4. smb
    1934 (ish) Red Ford Roadster
    Thanks Jim!
  5. smb
    Portrait of a sunset
    Beautiful winter sunset!
  6. smb
    Crimson Fists Primaris Captain
    Crikey!! That is small!!
  7. smb
    Black Legion: Terminator
    Very good! I see that you have been keeping yourself busy!! Now... you have always been far-and-away the best member when it comes to image descriptions and keywords. And over a hundred images in one album would be a bit of a Herculean task... I am sure that you will do what you can - when you have the time!
  8. smb
    Google are always changing things!! That's how they stay in front...
  9. smb
    Further to the above, I would definitely advise against using a flash - unless you can bounce it off one of those big umbrella-shaped light diffusers, or something. More on this in the Articles section at: https://www.artfreaks.com/articles.html/top-tips-for-photographers/photographing-pastels-r29/
  10. smb
    1934 (ish) Red Ford Roadster
    Hi Jim. 'Any description for this? Location? Make, model of car? Is that a customized VW Beetle, or what?!
  11. smb

    A day at the sea.

    smb commented on Lois's gallery image in Members Albums - Index Page

    A day at the sea.
    Very nice!! 'Saan ba ito? Subic Bay, ba?
  12. smb
    DAY 2 ALGOMA SPIRIT - showing search lights and ship's name plate on the Monkey Island - (the Deck above the Navigation Bridge)
    I can't quiet make-out the former name of the ship, under the name plate? 'Any idea what it was?
  13. smb
    DAY 2 -- ALGOMA SPIRIT
    Nice one!
  14. smb
    DAY 2 -- ALGOMA CONVEYOR
    'Looking forward to seeing them, Jim!
  15. smb
    Mike Herrera painting - signature
    Welcome to artfreaks.com! You are now in the Full Members group, so any posting restrictions as a New Member have now been lifted. One way of finding out how much your painting is worth would be to make some enquiries in some of the Manila art galleries. Or, hopefully, someone viewing your painting here on artfreaks.com could give you an idea? (Guest visitors to the site can post comments and replies - no problem! They just need to wait for a moderator or the site Admin. to approve the comment before it will show-up...)
  16. smb
    DAY 2 ALGOMA SPIRIT - showing search lights and ship's name plate on the Monkey Island - (the Deck above the Navigation Bridge)
    Close-up!! I like it.
  17. smb
    DAY 2 -- ALGOMA CONVEYOR
    Now... That's a nice photo!
  18. smb
    DAY 2 -- ALGOMA CONVEYOR
    55!! I know you don't like me liking your photos Jim. So I am definitely going to do it anyway!! ?
  19. smb
    Drinking beer and smoking fine La Birhen de Filipinas cigars at Tap Station
    We are business partners and Sael is free to post as many links as he likes to his fine Maduro leaf tobacco (cigars) as he likes! I like it!!
  20. smb
    Do you want to know where you can enjoy a quiet beer in Manila without being constantly hassled by hookers, hawkers, swindlers, beggars and others? Try Tap Station - Adriatico Street... Corner of Padre Faura in Ermita, Manila. 'Good food too, if you have time to eat!! ?
  21. smb

    CSL WELLAND

    smb commented on Jim Winsor's gallery image in Members Albums - Index Page

    CSL WELLAND
    55! Ayaw mo sa akin... E di wag!! ??
  22. smb
    Drinking beer and smoking fine La Birhen de Filipinas cigars at Tap Station
    Ito yung kasayahan namin sa Tap Station!! May tobako na maduro pa!!
  23. smb
    Sunset reflecting off the railway lines at Surbiton
    Excellent! Thank you for that!!
  24. smb
    Sunset reflecting off the railway lines at Surbiton
    Very nice! ...And the location?
  25. smb
    Thank you Ivo! It's nice to know that all of my work over the last few weeks wasn't completely wasted! We just need a few more Member reactions and some feedback to recently posted images in the Gallery... Then we will be cooking on gas!!

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