Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

Hahaha!

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......TTS, the last word has two meanings ..... only one I think you intended ...:D

I'm a fluent Nepali speaker and have only ever found it used in the primary meaning. The Google ref to a second meaning is unattributed.

But I'm embarrassed to admit that after spending 3 years with the gurkhas I'm not short of synonyms for that second meaning. ;)

It gave me a laugh.

Thanks for that.

But it also pointed out how the meanings of words can be taken so many ways.

Especially in a flat surface like email or a blog or forum such as this.

It lacks inflection and expression and depth leaving so much open for interpretation.

It gave me a laugh.

Thanks for that.

 

But it also pointed out how the meanings of words can be taken so many ways.

Especially in a flat surface like email or a blog or forum such as this.

It lacks inflection and expression and depth leaving so much open for interpretation.

Especially when a language is short on vocabuary. Nepali only has a core of about 2500 words but slight differences in pronunciation, sentence structure and inflection make it as expressive, orally, as any other. In some ways that makes it easy to learn - although there is an importnat difference in use between transitive and intransitive verbs and the honorific and natural conjugation of verbs - but also makes it hard for people like us who use many words but are used to limited inflection. It is also subject to more regional variation.

It is quite similar to Hindi but although I can follow a conversation in Hindi, it's different enough that I wouldn't be able to join in and can easily miss the meaning entirely if the speaker is very accented or rapid. And as for the Nepali writing - Nagri script - it is, to me, completely indecipherable.

Good morning:D...got my E Docs this morning:D....Cruise Ticket and Flight Information/Confirmations.

50 days to go:D

Greetings Coolers.......

Lois, so pleased that all now looks set for your cruise....l always think this is the most exciting part of going...the very lead up to it.

TTS.......your language skills are impressive.....hope you are all well over there in Lincs....😊

Spins.....what a clever lady you are producing that delicious looking bombe......👏

Even though it's still hot here I again craved spice so have just made a chilli for lunch.....quite don't know why l have such a hot tongue these days...😉

S 😊

 

TTS.......your language skills are impressive.....hope you are all well over there in Lincs....😊

 

Not that impressive. If you go to Kathmandu even the 5-year-olds can speak Nepali.

'Sfunny but before being thrust into the position of having to speak another language, I was always a language dunce and assumed that there were people who had an ear for language, and the rest of us. But almost all my patients were actually the families of the soldiers and rarely spoke a word of English and that prompted me to have a go. As far as I know I am the only RAF officer ever to have passed the NLQC (Nepali Language Qualification Course) which all British Army officers posted permanently to a Gurkha Regt have to pass. I'm actually prouder of that than things that might seem more valuable.

Then we lived 11 years in Gemany and 5 in France where the same rule applied. I've lost some of the Nepali now after 25 years away from the Gurkhas and can no longer earwig Hindi conversations as easily as I could but can still pass for a Bressanne and get along in German, which, surprisingly when you consider that English is just a version of German, I find harder to speak with the same fluency.

I think the secret is to think in the language that you are trying to master and definitely do not get hung up on grammar (most French and German people are as grammatically challenged with their languages as the British can be with English); that will come with practice.. It sounds hard but isn't really once you get a bit of confidence. Trying to constantly translate really slows you up and you miss things.

I have the utmost respect for simultaneous translators. I went to a conference one time where a German Dr was giving a talk that was being translated on-the-go in my earphones by a simultaneous translator. When you think how different word order is in German that's very difficult. Hugely impressive.

Now my one real bugbear when discussing language is that by some mystical method learning Latin helps to make learning the Romantic languages easier. No it doesn't - it just doesn't. Someone once said to me that because I have a smattering of Latin from school, learning French would be easier. No - having a smattering of French makes learning French easier!

And, thank you, we are fine here in the Saharan fens. 'Kin hot out there!

Well, took me a bit, but I finally got caught up! So many posts. So much sadness and so much joy also in these posts.

Jeff, you have to get a good fatty piece of brisket to smoked. Use a (smoked) paprika based dry rub, give it a good 11-13 hours, and the wifey will think you are a genius!

Lois, I loved getting my first Silver box for my first SS cruise. 256 days until we sail again!

Tonight's dinner: Nachos with slow simmered spicy pulled chicken on top. A treat for my Husband, who loves him some nachos.

I've been forgetting to take food pictures lately, but I captured this one tonight.

My ta has been hassling me to fill out our cruise details on the Silversea site, because the documents have to come from Monaco!!

They are sending our silver box from Monaco the Brisvegas ? really ?…..….

In a wired up digital world, one might have hoped they could just print them out in Sydney or even in the ta Brisbane office.

This is the strangest most anachronistic Italianate company.. a bit like Ferrari or Alfa Romeo .. very romantic but hopelessly dysfunctional...

Oh Shots, your nachos look scrumptious! My mouth is watering, and it's not yet 7:30am in this neck of the woods. Good morning all Coolers!

We had an Alfa Romeo once...beginning of mid-life crisis?....in winter, it used to dance from lane to lane. But it was regal!

Hello All 😊

Agree about the nachos offering from Shots....delish....

tgh.....l would be having words with your TA and asking why they are not dealing with this on your behalf as mine always do....a good and efficient travel agent should be well ahead of the game as at times it can be very difficult to access My Silversea.....

Never had an Alfa Romeo....sounds wonderfully romantic though...😉 had an old MG Midget once and also a Sunbeam Alpine if that counts.....even though the brakes failed on me one time when negotiating a rather nasty bend in the MG.....far less traffic on the roads in those days which helped me survive l guess......

Very humid today here with storms forecast later.......the usual spare lighting in place in case we get a power cut......but in the meantime still enjoying watching the nature in my garden.....

Happy Day

S 😊

Good Afternoon Coolers, from a very hot day here in the homeland.

May I just gently remind members that annual subs are due on 4th July when Americans celebrate being rid of us, and we celebrate their joy with them. It's expensive sending out reminders, so I ask all coolers on July 4th to pay their dues by posting what they do on that day with piccies to illuminate.

The Establishment Committee send their apologies for the recent failure of their air conditioning in the club room and suggest that there will be a temporary slackening of the normal strict dress code ie Cooler Constitution clause 8.92 subsection 5 "all members must be clothed at all times" to read " all members must be clothed at all times but can be unclothed if the temperature exceeds 34c". We expect all members to comply with the unclothing rule when temperatures exceed 34c and posti piccies to prove their compliance with the non-compliance temporary order.

There has been some lovely posts during the last few days whilst I have been absent. We are so lucky to have so many interesting members ( I hasten to add that this observation has nothing to do with the recent clothing rule change) and that they take time to share their stories. And lovely foody posts as well.

Interesting all the car stuff. When I was extremely young and playing records, I did a few bits where I gave up a fee and took a slice of the nightly door take and the consequence of that was a brand new orange MGB GT 3.5. I hadn't checked the insurance rates for a teenage disc-jocky with a high performance sports un-garaged car in central London and so had it for just the year. I still have a picture of my eldest son who was a babe pretending to drive it.

We're planning to head on down the The Balcony next week Helga being willing for some sun, sea and snacks on the balcony.

Today I made Wifey #1 some fresh sea bream in my famous lemony butter with pan fried charlottes and far too many petit peas.

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Greetings Coolers!

The slackening of Cooler Constitution clause 8.92 subsection 5 may cause some consternation. Will an alternative for the bashful souls among us be provided? :)

We will celebrate Canada Day on July 1. Not an "independence day" per se. It used to be called Dominion Day (until 1982) as a matter of fact. Are we still required to pay dues? If so I will need to factor the expense into my spreadsheets. :)

Have a great day all!

Good afternoon M,

Yes ... you will be relieved to hear that the committee, largely softened by après lunch lubricants have agreed to a special dispense to Canadians called The Trudeau Variant. Your day is 1st July!

We were up to 37 today so I decided to up the outside canopy awning and fire up Big Bertha.

We cannot hear television but we are cool!

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Thank you to the Committee for the dispense (and cheers to the lubricants). Canadians everywhere are thrilled! :)

Enjoy the seaside J!

Thank you to the Committee for the dispense (and cheers to the lubricants). Canadians everywhere are thrilled! :)

 

Enjoy the seaside J!

Wifey bought some Magnums today ..... so that's supper.

Little Bertha will be fired up in the bedroom tonight as I think wifey is over familiair with me au naturel.

ps. ........

Your seat is still here at the Cooler, Les, so pleas don't feel you need be a stranger and can't pop in and post amongst the friends you made here!

:)

Magnums and a ménage à trois? Your place sounds like fun J! :)

They are.

Berkerly Homes are selling them at cost price a total of around £10m for the whole lot. Each is worth several million.

By a strange coincidence, our house was one of the first built by Berkerly Homes, as an individual house. Tony Pidgely mentioned in the article built it. He is an extremely interesting man. Cannot read or write, and born of gypsy/Romany stock. He is probably the most successful UK housebuilder.

We had to sue him as they didn't complete our home satisfactorily. It was a high court claim. Three nights before the hearing he telephoned me at home late at night to tell me that we were going to lose our home and that he had solicitors and barristers on a contingency basis ie he couldn't lose. This arrangement was illegal then for barristers and solicitors. The following day I called my solicitor to tell them to call their solicitors and tell them unless they dropped their client we would complain to the Law Society and Bar. I told him that if they refused I would seek to introduce a record of the conversation into court. They dropped him and he had no representation the day before the hearing. They conceded and paid up in full.

He called me and spent twenty minutes swearing at me. He asked me if I had actually recorded the conversation and I said, " 'course I didn't, never said I did, I said "record" not "recording"' and it was all bluff" he then laughed and said that I was the first person that had ever "beat him" said that I was clearly a "street fighter" like him and asked me to work for him. I declined.

Bullies really do not fair well with you J! And it seems you've dealt with a number of them. Is there some form of Defense Against Bully training available? I think I could use a course like that!

Let's just say that my "early years" left me with an unusually acute sense and extreme need for immediate self-preservation. ;)

I have always felt that if you think hard enough there is normally a way through even if that seam of gold is something that it is pretty invisible to most. He kept in touch for a year or two, but clearly he wasn't someone I wished to be with.

He sold 68 flats for the £10m which is a great gesture. They are probably worth around £200m at a guess. Shows how profitable house building is.

Busy week here with both of us working on-call but have had a little time here and there to cook. Welcome back to Shots with her food pics. We've tried a few new recipes.

Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) baked with mushrooms and lemon slices until nicely browned. Then served with a "parsley sauce" (olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, parsley). The description sounds weird but the dish was yummy.

Then some poached cod fillets, simply served with beurre blanc. Always good for a hot summer day.

Cheers all. Off to work.

Greetings Coolers! Sunshine again today! Glorious!

JP...Those dishes look like amazing fare! Yum, yum, yum!

Enjoy your day all!

Hello all!

Jeff,

My bad...I didn't mention that swath of peas on the plate. Green river of petit pois!

JP,

Appetizing to say the least, delish food fotos!

Sophia,

Cruise is in 91 days! Tomorrow one may make excursion reservations.

:-)

Yard work day if the weather holds.

Otherwise ?

Seize the day all...

Some interesting banter going on....threesomes and membership rules...😳

Great food pics JP.....well done for still producing after long shifts...!

Great that Mysty is enjoying some sunshine...it's been a tad cooler here today but still no storms....

Spins.....just filled my diary in today with the 12 weekish countdown!! Nothing appealing for the excursions for me but then I'm a lazy lady and will do my usual walk about ashore and return to the ship for my noon cocktail 🍸

Read today that the Ritz-Carlton group are launching their first cruise ship in 2019.....should be interesting.

Have been invited out to the Costa Del Sol in January to join family celebrating 60 years of marriage....haven't done a bucket and spade trip in years so it could be rather fun for a change.

Off to the outlet mall tomorrow to assist DD with her holiday shopping and then lunch out with a dear friend on Saturday......looks like I'm being kept busy as its five years since losing DH this weekend.

S 😊