How Intellectually Stimulated Do You Feel

[Neeranam]

Don't believe everthing Mary says - many of these words are interchangeable. She isn't a native speaker of English or Thai!

[Neeranam]

The Thai language

Let's do an experiment. Please translate the ten words below...

It's a relief that you do accept you could be wrong, otherwise you could be accused of being quite the ignoramus. Since you admit to not being fluent in Thai but then claim expert knowledge in the limitedness of the language you are not proficient in because you've listened to some phone conversations is slightly arrogant from my point of view.

The Thai equivalent (without being poetic) to your list:

Beautiful - สวย

Elegant - มารยาทดี

Exquisite - งดงาม

Gorgeous - หรูหรา

Pretty - เก๋

Ravishing - ปลื้ม

Resplendent - เปล่งปลั่ง

Splendid - โอ่โถง

Stunning - น่าตลึง

Sublime - งามเลิศ

You will note that only the first word involves สวย because that is literally 'beautiful'. You could do a similar list in Thai language and ask for the English translation for such things as emotions. There is no exact translation for a lot of Thai words as English perhaps uses only basic words such as happy or sad (bad example off the top of my head ) whereas Thai may have a dozen or more words. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong , because my Thai is limited …

Although this is becoming off-topic and the discussion is not really going anywhere, I did look up and learn your words last night as promised, then discussed them with two Thai friends this morning to obtain a consensus. Because there’s a danger of your list being taken by others as definitive translations, and by inference a complete destruction of my hypothesis, here’s what I discovered:

Beautiful - สวย Of course. Even I won’t argue with that.

Elegant - มารยาทดี No. มารยาท is ‘manners’ or ‘etiquette’. The appended ดี of course giving a positive meaning. A pleasant, useful and widely-used word, but not a translation for elegant.

Exquisite - งดงาม ที่รุนแรง Yes, near enough, but better as a translation for pretty. Mary Haas has it as ‘pretty, beautiful, splendid’.

Gorgeous - หรูหรา โอ่อ่า No. Mary has it as ‘Luxurious, sumptuous, splendid, gorgeous’. So looking it up in an English-Thai dictionary might make it appear a correct translation, but that’s the danger of dictionaries. (cf. instructions on Chinese products ).

หรูหรา could never be used as a description of or compliment to a woman without sounding absurd. It only works for say clothing, buildings, and other inanimate objects.

Pretty - เก๋ Yup, OK, Mary says ‘chic, gay smart’. This word can apply to males as well as females.

Ravishing - ปลื้ม สวยงามมาก No! Mary has it as ‘to be glad, delighted, overjoyed’. It is a verb. Modern usage is to have pride in another, eg in one’s child who has won a prize.

Resplendent – เปล่งปลั่ง สุกสว่าง Yes, this one I agree. ‘To glow (with health), be radiant (of looks)’.

Splendid – โอ่โถง แจ่มจรัส Again, as with หรูหรา , a dangerous dictionary definition: ‘to be splendid, magnificent, luxurious’. But this can only be applied to buildings, for example to describe a huge room ready for a wedding party. To use this as a synonym (albeit a hyperbolic, tongue-in-cheek synonym) for female beauty would be either absurd or insulting.

Stunning – น่าตลึง not sure An interesting one. An almost literal translation, ตลึง has a sense of unexpected delight. To use with a woman would be very dangerous – implying that you never though she could look so good, because she usually doesn’t! Fun between friends though.

Sublime – งามเลิศ สูงส่ง OK, agreed. A difficult one, and not a good choice on my part. Implies someone who is perfect – in looks as well as intellect etc. Used I believe in the translation of Snow White’ – Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most งามเลิศ of them all?

Thanks for your second post by the way.

I did shoot myself in the foot here by choosing beauty words, a subject in which the Thai language is particularly richly endowed. As it is with emotion words, as many have pointed out.

I chose not to challenge the forum with eclectic, synergy, and other egregious esoterica, lest I be accused of being a pretentious twit as well as an ignoramus

I’m bored with this now and am going to paint my bathroom walls. It’s much more intellectually satisfying.

Sorry made a mess of the colours but the bigger ones in blue are the words I and the wife suggest - she speaks fluent Thai and me fluent Scottish.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Neeranam

[Jingjok]

Don't believe everthing Mary says - many of these words are interchangeable. She isn't a native speaker of English or Thai!

I absolutely agree - that's why I said dictionaries could be 'dangerous', and cross-checked with two native speakers.

[Neeranam]

Don't believe everthing Mary says - many of these words are interchangeable. She isn't a native speaker of English or Thai!

I absolutely agree - that's why I said dictionaries could be 'dangerous', and cross-checked with two native speakers.

Quite - the best people to ask are native English speakers who have lived in Thailand 10+ years or native Thai speakers who have lived in UK(West) for 10 + years. Experience in living in the language beats education, IMHO.

[seonai]

CMSally must have a really dull life if he/she thinks that life in the UK consists of 'reading the Sun, East Enders and a mind numbing job'... what a tw**

[nidge]

CMSally must have a really dull life if he/she thinks that life in the UK consists of 'reading the Sun, East Enders and a mind numbing job'... what a tw**

I totally agree. What about coronation street, i almost miss watching that.

[PeaceBlondie]

Life consists in what you make of the opportunities you have. I think that generally, many Thais may not value or have the same things that we consider intellectually stimulating. Some farang have come to Thailand to be stimulated by Buddhist thought. Some are stimulated by nature and sunsets. Some farang just ain't intellectual.

This topic is titled, "How Intellectually Stimulated Do You Feel, in Thailand?" As stimulated as I take advantages of the opportunity.

[GuestHouse]

Life consists in what you make of the opportunities you have. I think that generally, many Thais may not value or have the same things that we consider intellectually stimulating. Some farang have come to Thailand to be stimulated by Buddhist thought. Some are stimulated by nature and sunsets. Some farang just ain't intellectual.

This topic is titled, "How Intellectually Stimulated Do You Feel, in Thailand?" As stimulated as I take advantages of the opportunity.

Precisely that PeaceBlondie.

Thing is some folks are not able to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist.

Perhaps we ought to have another thread entitled 'How Intelectually Challenged do you feel in Thailand' .. just so that such folk don't feel left out.

[freitag1]

Life consists in what you make of the opportunities you have. I think that generally, many Thais may not value or have the same things that we consider intellectually stimulating. Some farang have come to Thailand to be stimulated by Buddhist thought. Some are stimulated by nature and sunsets. Some farang just ain't intellectual.

This topic is titled, "How Intellectually Stimulated Do You Feel, in Thailand?" As stimulated as I take advantages of the opportunity.

True, but there are just fewer opportunities here then back in europe in my opinion.

[cmsally]

CMSally must have a really dull life if he/she thinks that life in the UK consists of 'reading the Sun, East Enders and a mind numbing job'... what a tw**

My point was that it only consists of that, if you should choose it to do so.

Which can be a similar situation to wherever you should find yourself located.

Apologies if not clear ; English is not my first language.

[seonai]

CMSally must have a really dull life if he/she thinks that life in the UK consists of 'reading the Sun, East Enders and a mind numbing job'... what a tw**

My point was that it only consists of that, if you should choose it to do so.

Which can be a similar situation to wherever you should find yourself located.

Apologies if not clear ; English is not my first language.

True CMSally, living on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere doesn't help. Bangkok was far more stimulating

[Jingjok]

Something has just occurred to me.

I suspect this forum is so popular precisely because of the lack of intellectual stimulation here.

Much of the input (but by no means all ) is from people who can write, and argue cogently, and so are clearly not sad losers with little else to do. Some can even spell and use apostrophe's; nowadays that is rare anywhere.

Look at the evidence: there are many here who have made thousands of posts for God’s sake. That’s a not insubstantial number of hours interacting via a computer, instead of in person with local friends and neighbours. Why?

[Ulysses G.]

Look at the evidence: there are many here who have made thousands of posts for God’s sake. That’s a not insubstantial number of hours interacting via a computer, instead of in person with local friends and neighbours. Why?

Many of us are using Thai Visa while we work to make our workday more fun. It is easy to look at TV and post when things are slow on the job and switch to work mode when it gets busy there.

I don't think that I could stand working 7 days a week with no TV!

Edited March 5, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[PeaceBlondie]

There are many levels of 'intellectual discourse. I am no sports fan, but discussing team techniques, coaching methods, the probability of winning a championship, etc., is not just idle gossip. In spite of what our parents advised, some of us enjoy discussing religion and politics, at the same time.

We may not be discussing lofty principles like the Greek philosophers on the Aeropagus, but we can talk with Gus about asparagus.

[GuestHouse]

Look at the evidence: there are many here who have made thousands of posts for God’s sake. That’s a not insubstantial number of hours interacting via a computer, instead of in person with local friends and neighbours. Why?

Well, I can only speak form myself … maybe because there is a razor wire fence between me and my neighbours replete with guards instructed to shoot anyone crossing the wire .. in either direction.

Or maybe because people want to come here to discuss the experience of living in Thailand with other people who share the same life experience - of having moved to live in Thailand (or planning to do just that).

So not so much evidence of a lack of intellectual stimulation but certainly evidence of an active Forum that is relevant to the lives of the people who use it.

[jasreeve17]

Look at the evidence: there are many here who have made thousands of posts for God's sake. That's a not insubstantial number of hours interacting via a computer, instead of in person with local friends and neighbours. Why?

Well, I can only speak form myself … maybe because there is a razor wire fence between me and my neighbours replete with guards instructed to shoot anyone crossing the wire .. in either direction.

I thought you were in Italy GH. Is it that dangerous there now, or have you moved on?

[Naam]

Look at the evidence: there are many here who have made thousands of posts for God’s sake. That’s a not insubstantial number of hours interacting via a computer, instead of in person with local friends and neighbours. Why?

perhaps they are not interested to have local friends or contact with the neighbours. it's easy to join a forum for a given time and easy to leave it. a meeting with friends or neighbours cannot be terminated from one minute to the other.

[GuestHouse]

I thought you were in Italy GH. Is it that dangerous there now, or have you moved on?

I'm currently in Saudi Arabia completing the construction phase of the project I was working on in Italy.

[bendix]

I'm not sure what someone's location has to do with being intellectually stimulated or not. People are either innately intellectually curious, or they're not. How complicated does it have to be.

I work. I travel. I have a large and high quality library of books in my apartment. I have the internet. I watch good movies. I can keep up with world events very easily. There is also a good range of art galleries, museums etc in Bangkok to visit if the mood fits.

Life is what you make it.

[Jingthing]

I'm not sure what someone's location has to do with being intellectually stimulated or not. People are either innately intellectually curious, or they're not. How complicated does it have to be.

I work. I travel. I have a large and high quality library of books in my apartment. I have the internet. I watch good movies. I can keep up with world events very easily. There is also a good range of art galleries, museums etc in Bangkok to visit if the mood fits.

Life is what you make it.

Oh My God. Mark the date. I totally agree with you.

[egg6447]

I don't know where this is going anymore....

Seonai, in reality, I doubt many farangs go to Thailand for intellectual stimulation..................yeah, I know the posters here will say they did, but in reality, I don't think so.

I did, cos I'm different.

i,m with you again M. by the way my wife is educated doesn,t no where pattaya is, has her own income. blahblahblah.

[egg6447]

I knew a retired PhD who spent his evenings playing connect four with his wife who couldn't speak English and he couldn't speak Thai(apart from"poong" and "sanook".

Some people had a life of intellectualism and want to be silly in Thailand.

Opposites attract too - my wife is short, fat, ugly and stupid.

Anyone here with a beauiful, intelligent wife?

nice one N this is what attracts me to tv . by the way are you sure the phd said retired, not retarded.lol

[xsplat]

Do thought police actually help anybody? That's not a rhetorical question, and I don't claim to have the answer to it. But I'll trust my thought processes over those of the thought crime detection unit.

And a "bigoted" opinion would be a thought crime. Don't think about cultural differences, and don't discuss them, if it paints one group in a bad light.

Ah a defence of bigotry .... please tell us more. We are discussing intellect here, It would be nice to see some evidence of it.

I enjoy hearing other people's thoughts - particularly when they are based on some actual knowledge and understanding.

[EDIT] Let's just take a look at this xsplat and where his opinions on Political Correctness are coming from: Speak that I might know thee.

He's been a member less than a month and has started three threads.

Is It Bad To Have "racist" Thoughts? - Closed by the Moderators

Is Talking About Cultural Differences Taboo?

Do Locals Bore You?

I enjoy hearing surprising thoughts also. As I'm human, cognitive dissonance isn't something I can eat like popcorn. No one wants to be too intellectually challenged - not even an Enstein would enjoy that. You might want to wikipedia "cognitive dissonance"

The cognitive dissonance machine for a lot of people is the race and class issue. It's a very fertile discussion, but it gives us headaches.

Yup, I want to talk about it. Not even though it is uncomfortable, but because it is uncomfortable. Cognitive dissonance, and taboos, and things that make us uneasy are usually the cutting edge for what could be a very new and different way to experience the world. Art is all about that. Most of the good things have a lot of that in them. It is not being a troll to talk about things that make people uncomfortable.

I think I have something to say, and tenderly try to broach the subject.

I get it that you are trying to talk about my character. I'm not sure if you can also stay on topic and talk about an idea.

I disagree that it's a priority to fit in. I think we have higher priorities.

Edited March 5, 2008 by xsplat

[GuestHouse]

I think I have something to say, and tenderly try to broach the subject.

Well I'm sure you have something to say, but with a one in three post deletion rate you need to either improve your delivery or improve what it is you have to say.

But you have spoken and it would seem spoken enough that we might indeed know thee.

If it quacks its more than likely a duck....

[Naam]

I enjoy hearing surprising thoughts also. As I'm human, cognitive dissonance isn't something I can eat like popcorn. No one wants to be too intellectually challenged - not even an Enstein would enjoy that. You might want to wikipedia "cognitive dissonance"

The cognitive dissonance machine for a lot of people is the race and class issue. It's a very fertile discussion, but it gives us headaches.

Yup, I want to talk about it. Not even though it is uncomfortable, but because it is uncomfortable. Cognitive dissonance, and taboos, and things that make us uneasy are usually the cutting edge for what could be a very new and different way to experience the world. Art is all about that. Most of the good things have a lot of that in them. It is not being a troll to talk about things that make people uncomfortable.

I think I have something to say, and tenderly try to broach the subject.

I get it that you are trying to talk about my character. I'm not sure if you can also stay on topic and talk about an idea.

I disagree that it's a priority to fit in. I think we have higher priorities.

well, why don't you say it? ...if possible in a language most of us can understand. plain english will do, wikipedia takes too long to load. tenderness not necessarily required

[xsplat]

If a viewpoint is offensive, we are defended against it. We would feel nothing unless we needed some mental defense. We would never feel offended or affronted at the ignorance of a harmless child.

As for intellectual stimulation, yes, location matters. Being stimulated by greenery requires a forest. Internet helps, but it doesn't give the body cues that a face to face converstation gives. The full frontal monty is not the same as hearing about it. Intellect requires bodily accompaniment for the full effect of all channells of communication open. You have to be there, to get the joke.

[xsplat]

I think I have something to say, and tenderly try to broach the subject.

Well I'm sure you have something to say, but with a one in three post deletion rate you need to either improve your delivery or improve what it is you have to say.

But you have spoken and it would seem spoken enough that we might indeed know thee.

If it quacks its more than likely a duck....

Ok, I concede, I'm a duck. Whatever you might like to say about my character, I concede.

If you care to talk about anything other than character, I'd be interested. Otherwise, not so much.

[xsplat]

I think I have something to say, and tenderly try to broach the subject.

well, why don't you say it? ...if possible in a language most of us can understand. plain english will do, wikipedia takes too long to load. tenderness not necessarily required

Guesthouse mentioned some of my other posts, to try to imply that my character was so flawed that everything else that I might say or do must also be flawed. I mentioned that my posts are perfectly sensible. If you want to follow my argument further, your Internet-Potatoliness, you'd have to research. It would be off topic to cut and paste that here for your couch potato enjoyment.

I suppose I have two options here. Work the group, or work you. Insult you at the groups pleasure, or flatter you, so you will come around to my point of view.

I love it when I can do both at the same time - flatter you, and make you look like a total dick.

I don't mind a few self-depracating remarks, if it helps to further my cause.

A language most of us can understand? Most of us, meaning... Ok, I'm stopping here. Define your own class and TV shows, I'll stop assuming.

Edited March 5, 2008 by xsplat

[GuestHouse]

Intellect requires bodily accompaniment for the full effect of all channells of communication open

(Which might be true if there were not so many obvious examples of intellectual stimulation which are not at all reliant upon the presence of another person – much less ‘Body cues’)

Guesthouse mentioned some of my other posts, to try to imply that my character was so flawed that everything else that I might say or do must also be flawed.

I actually did not say why he mentioned all of your other Topics – I simply stated ‘Speak that I might know thee’ and then gave the titles of the Topics you chose to post – That they have a common theme may be a measure of your character, it may be a measure of your agenda – but I don’t need to imply anything with what you have chose to post – What you have posted speaks for itself (yourself). We can all of us judge you on that as we please.

I suppose I have two options here

I think you have three.

Edited March 5, 2008 by GuestHouse

[bendix]

Guesthouse mentioned some of my other posts, to try to imply that my character was so flawed that everything else that I might say or do must also be flawed. I mentioned that my posts are perfectly sensible. If you want to follow my argument further, your Internet-Potatoliness, you'd have to research. It would be off topic to cut and paste that here for your couch potato enjoyment.

I suppose I have two options here. Work the group, or work you. Insult you at the groups pleasure, or flatter you, so you will come around to my point of view.

I love it when I can do both at the same time - flatter you, and make you look like a total dick.

I don't mind a few self-depracating remarks, if it helps to further my cause.

A language most of us can understand? Most of us, meaning... Ok, I'm stopping here. Define your own class and TV shows, I'll stop assuming.

At the risk of being the pot that called the kettle black, you don't half like the sound of your own voice, huh?

You're borderline funny. Borderline. No more.

Here's a tip. Stop writing what is floating in your head as if it makes as much sense to us as it does to you, and try writing as if someone else is reading it.