The Vent and Rant Thread

[Rumpelteazer]

Good luck covingtoncat!

My rant of the day:

Yesterday I read an interview with Jo Nesbo about his latest Harry Hole book (which has been translated to Dutch). I've been wanting to read this series for a while now but couldn't remember why I haven't started yet. After checking the availability of his books I remember: not all of them are published in English yet. The first book is translated, the third through ninth books are also translated but the second and tenth aren't.

That the latest book isn't out in English yet I can understand, but I just can't understand why a publisher would choose to translate and publish a series out of order. From what I can gather the latest will be published in English in September and the second one in December (!). I'll give the first one a try and if I like it I'll either have to wait until December to continue or, if I really like it, read the second book in (shudder) Dutch.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I'll give the first one a try and if I like it I'll either have to wait until December to continue or, if I really like it, read the second book in (shudder) Dutch.

Why's that a shudder? Are the translations not very good, or is it something inherent in the Dutch language? I know, through living in South Africa, that Afrikaans (based on the Dutch language) never moved on from the days of the early Dutch settlers, and makes Dutch visitors laugh when they read the Afrikaans newspapers, but I thought modern Dutch had developed.

An I'd like to add my best wishes to covingtoncat - good luck!

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by orlok

Why's that a shudder? Are the translations not very good, or is it something inherent in the Dutch language? I know, through living in South Africa, that Afrikaans (based on the Dutch language) never moved on from the days of the early Dutch settlers, and makes Dutch visitors laugh when they read the Afrikaans newspapers, but I thought modern Dutch had developed.

An I'd like to add my best wishes to covingtoncat - good luck!

You might be right...
Their legal system is still based on the Roman codex iuris civilis - not really much of innovative spirit it seems.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by orlok

Why's that a shudder? Are the translations not very good, or is it something inherent in the Dutch language? I know, through living in South Africa, that Afrikaans (based on the Dutch language) never moved on from the days of the early Dutch settlers, and makes Dutch visitors laugh when they read the Afrikaans newspapers, but I thought modern Dutch had developed.

An I'd like to add my best wishes to covingtoncat - good luck!

It's two-fold. First of all I don't like translations in general and prefer to read in the original language, but since I don't speak all languages that's impossible. In prefer to read English translations over Dutch translations, in my opinion they're better, but that might be personal preference. My mother and I have similar tastes in books and when we discuss a book we've both read, me in English and she's read it in Dutch, it sometimes seems we've read two different books.

Second, the Dutch ebook is more expensive than the ones on Amazon.

I also like to read a series in one language, if names are changed (which sometimes happens in Dutch translations) I can't get confused.

The Dutch language has indeed changed. Even in the past 100 years it's changed a lot, I've got some children's books from that 20s, 30s and 40s (e.g. Dik Trom) from my grandfather and it's great to see how language has changed.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

It's two-fold. First of all I don't like translations in general and prefer to read in the original language, but since I don't speak all languages that's impossible. In prefer to read English translations over Dutch translations, in my opinion they're better, but that might be personal preference. My mother and I have similar tastes in books and when we discuss a book we've both read, me in English and she's read it in Dutch, it sometimes seems we've read two different books.
(...).

yes, I agree with you. I dislike translations and if possible, will read in the original language or I try to get the best translation. English has more words to describe a mood, an atmosphere than Dutch, I find.
And often or not; the Dutch translations aren't that good, but that's a matter of taste perhaps.

[orlok]

Thanks both for the explanations. Only being able to speak English I don't have such problems - it's English or nothing...(I used to speak fluent Afrikaans, or ancient Dutch as it is better known , but that's not much help to me now).

[kindlekitten]

Good luck covingtoncat! Santa Fe is fantastic, spendy but incredible!

[cromag]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

We're busy cleaning the store at the moment, which isn't going as fast a we'd hoped. The outside door is open to create a draft. A couple of times an hour someone comes up and says something like "I know you're closed and I'm so sorry for what happened but I only need a [item]". Don't they see we're busy and have more important things to do than see if we can find them a fitting ring or a battery for their remote?!

After several days of this I've become very short with those types of people and if they keep pushing I can get rude (although my father says I'm still nicer than he would be).

Today we had parked the trailer right in front of the door, so you could only get in and out by climbing over it and you have customers who actually do that!

Here in the States we civilians can buy a roll of yellow "CAUTION" tape. Is that available to you? A couple straps across the open doorway might deter all but the densest would-be customers.

Failing that, can you get some brightly colored duct tape? Put a few straps across the doorway with a hand printed sign saying "Cleaning crew only?"

Still, best of luck in the near and long terms!

[PeterT]

Or a big sign, saying Volunteers for Store Cleanup, please enter here.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Or a big sign, saying Volunteers for Store Cleanup, please enter here.

This would be perfect! Good thinking!


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Rant Mode: On

My rant for Thailand:
It's very common for older single men to retire here. It really is a society that caters to 'all' the wants and needs of single men, especially those with some money. And it doesn't have to be a lot of money. If a Thai college grad working in an office earns $30-$40 US dollars a week it's considered a good salary. A young uneducated woman is lucky to earn $20 USD a week working in a shop.

There is also no cultural stigma about December/May marriages here, so it very easy for an older Western (read: rich by local standards) man to hook up with a young Thai (read: poor) woman who needs to find a way to feed her parents and grandparents as well as herself. Hooking up with a western man is better than becoming (or continuing to work) as a bar girl. Somebody in the family has to earn enough for rice.

So an unspoken contract is made; she treats him like a King, and he provides the rice... for everybody in the extended family unable to provide their own. This might mean paying school tuition to keep younger sisters and brothers in school after age 16, pay for a new water buffalo for her father if the old one dies and they have to eat him, as well as maintaining a home for the two of them... until she get's pregnant, (then it's for the three or four of them) which they both try to do as quickly as possible because there is nothing quite as important to a Thai as family, (it's the first question asked when meeting new people socially; how many children do you have?) and to the old man's sense of masculinity. "See? I can't still make babies!"

No problem so far...
But... the guy is 65-75 years old. By the time the child is 10 years old, the father is usually getting ready to shuffle off this mortal coil. Children don't get to grow up 'playing' with their fathers. Dad's too old to run and play 'tag,' or often even play 'Catch' with a ball. Can't throw because of the arthritis in the shoulder...

I see so many children growing up without fathers here. It's very uncommon for a child of mixed parentage to have a father by the time they reach 15. Yet every time I go out, I see another December/May couple, with a proud papa pushing the baby carriage because he's too old to carry the baby in his arms. It's certainly their right to do so, but personally I don't think it's fair to the children.

Rant Mode: Off

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by cromag

Here in the States we civilians can buy a roll of yellow "CAUTION" tape. Is that available to you? A couple straps across the open doorway might deter all but the densest would-be customers.

Failing that, can you get some brightly colored duct tape? Put a few straps across the doorway with a hand printed sign saying "Cleaning crew only?"

Still, best of luck in the near and long terms!

Unfortunately we're in and out of the door ourselves often, either to throw something in the trailer, hose something down (we haven't got a garden to do so) or to put out something to dry.

Yesterday we did wedge a metal rack in the doorway and I stuck some red and white tape to it but people just start yelling, asking us when the store's going to be opened again or which other store's sells the lightbulbs they want.

Yesterday we had planned to keep cleaning until 3 or 4pm but at noon we gave up because we were interrupted so often. I'm about to make a sign with the expected date we want to partially open the store again and our store's Facebook address.

Originally Posted by PeterT

Or a big sign, saying Volunteers for Store Cleanup, please enter here.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

This would be perfect! Good thinking!

LOL.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

There is also no cultural stigma about December/May marriages here

First time that I see this expression, It's nicely said
I agree with you, it's unfair for the child.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Unfortunately we're in and out of the door ourselves often, either to throw something in the trailer, hose something down (we haven't got a garden to do so) or to put out something to dry.

Yesterday we did wedge a metal rack in the doorway and I stuck some red and white tape to it but people just start yelling, asking us when the store's going to be opened again or which other store's sells the lightbulbs they want.

Yesterday we had planned to keep cleaning until 3 or 4pm but at noon we gave up because we were interrupted so often. I'm about to make a sign with the expected date we want to partially open the store again and our store's Facebook address.





LOL.

Rumble...it could be worse, there could be a WalMart. Don't count your blessings kiddo

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Rant Mode: On

My rant for Thailand:
It's very common for older single men to retire here. It really is a society that caters to 'all' the wants and needs of single men, especially those with some money. And it doesn't have to be a lot of money. If a Thai college grad working in an office earns $30-$40 US dollars a week it's considered a good salary. A young uneducated woman is lucky to earn $20 USD a week working in a shop.

There is also no cultural stigma about December/May marriages here, so it very easy for an older Western (read: rich by local standards) man to hook up with a young Thai (read: poor) woman who needs to find a way to feed her parents and grandparents as well as herself. Hooking up with a western man is better than becoming (or continuing to work) as a bar girl. Somebody in the family has to earn enough for rice.

So an unspoken contract is made; she treats him like a King, and he provides the rice... for everybody in the extended family unable to provide their own. This might mean paying school tuition to keep younger sisters and brothers in school after age 16, pay for a new water buffalo for her father if the old one dies and they have to eat him, as well as maintaining a home for the two of them... until she get's pregnant, (then it's for the three or four of them) which they both try to do as quickly as possible because there is nothing quite as important to a Thai as family, (it's the first question asked when meeting new people socially; how many children do you have?) and to the old man's sense of masculinity. "See? I can't still make babies!"

No problem so far...
But... the guy is 65-75 years old. By the time the child is 10 years old, the father is usually getting ready to shuffle off this mortal coil. Children don't get to grow up 'playing' with their fathers. Dad's too old to run and play 'tag,' or often even play 'Catch' with a ball. Can't throw because of the arthritis in the shoulder...

I see so many children growing up without fathers here. It's very uncommon for a child of mixed parentage to have a father by the time they reach 15. Yet every time I go out, I see another December/May couple, with a proud papa pushing the baby carriage because he's too old to carry the baby in his arms. It's certainly their right to do so, but personally I don't think it's fair to the children.

Rant Mode: Off

There are some celebrity couples like that in the U.S. but I guess those families would have less trouble with support after the father dies than the ones you're talking about. Actually a good friend of mine, who is a year older than me, had a risky in vitro at 39 and had a little girl. Well and good but her husband, who is fifteen years older than her, was starting to think about retirement. She, herself, is not that young and has the same medical condition I do (and which necessitated the in vitro and made it risky). There are worse conditions and she takes care of herself but she is now 41, the child 2. There is a good possibility the little girl will lose both parents by 25. Anyway, not as bad as what you are talking about