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Money matters:
Graham Macdonald MBMG International Ltd.
The efficient market hypothesis … forget it
The efficient market hypothesis has decreasingly few
adherents, rightly so in our view as even investment theorists would find it
hard to make sense of the huge indiscriminate price movements in financial
markets over recent months. Our favoured fund managers, Miton Asset Management,
are passionate believers in active fund management, and the results of their
range of funds have shown the substantial value that can be added over time by
spotting and taking advantage of inefficiencies in financial markets.
The best opportunities for active managers are those in the byways of global
markets. Large companies tend to have hundreds of analysts and investors closely
following their fortunes, each competing to take a different view from accepted
wisdom. Although it is possible to add value following well-researched large
companies’ shares it is naturally easier to do so in those areas where
comparatively few investors are focusing their attention.
All asset classes, like most areas of financial markets, have their own cycle.
It is always nerve-racking holding investments when they go through periods when
they are out of favour although these are normally the very best periods to
invest. Certainly this has proved to be the case for the Miton Asset Management
who believe that now, more than ever before, is the time when the men will be
sorted from the boys.
However, to understand why this is so it is necessary to understand why issues
that most investors are regarding as problems in connection with a potential
investment are in fact opportunities. Exploiting these opportunities requires an
in-depth understanding of the unique attributes of the market, what drives a
certain given asset, and the continual evolution of the sector in question.
Please remember that evolution does also require death as well as life.
Despite the negativity in the market at the moment there are still great
opportunities to be had. Just look for companies with a low rating, i.e. a low
P/E ratio and high dividend yield (you cannot go far wrong if you look for
utility companies with a P/E ratio of 8 to 14 returning a dividend yield of
5%+). Of course, all companies’ share prices fluctuate in the short-term, driven
by the supply and demand for their shares, but ultimately the share price is a
judgement of investors’ expectations of the future performance of that company.
Part of that judgement will be an assessment of the quality of the company’s
management and part will be the attractions of its business. This is where a
good fund manager will show his true colours as he will be able to choose the
what will be good for the fund he/she runs and what will not. This is what will
set the manager ABOVE the benchmark indices.
What has further confused things at this time is the detrimental affect that
investment trusts have had on the market. There have been a large number of
specialist funds listed on AIM (the Alternative Investment Market) over the past
two years, predominately investing in hedge funds, overseas property and
emerging markets. Many of these funds are poorly understood, and because they
were launched with a few large founder shareholders they have attracted little
following from analysts. With difficult market conditions some of the founder
shareholders have become indiscriminate sellers in recent weeks. This has meant
that even when the performance of the funds has lived up to expectations their
share prices have tended not to, falling to steep discounts to their net asset
value. The same has been true of many traditional investment trusts listed on
the main London market, and there are now lots of investment trusts whose share
prices stand at discount levels not seen since the depths of the bear market in
early 2003.
In the same way as fund managers specialising in direct equities need to
carefully research companies prior to buying their shares, investors in
investment trusts also need to fully understand the unique characteristics of
the funds they invest in. Often investment trusts can appear superficially
expensive or cheap at a headline discount level, but analysis shows there to be
a good reason for the existing rating.
This is one of the reasons we prefer Unit Trusts as clients are not subject to
the idiosyncrasies of this kind of fund. Is the market in a downward phase at
the moment? Absolutely! But remember what we said above, it is also the perfect
moment for opportunity IF you nous and cajones for it.
The current liquidity crisis, which is a result of the credit crisis started by
the problems of sub-prime which emanated from the ridiculously easy credit
conditions given by lenders over the last ten to fifteen years, has suddenly
thrown up a great opportunity for liquidity providers. Given all the reporting
in the press, you would think that we might as well all pack up and go home.
However, despite what has gone on with Bear Stearns etc, these tragedies should
not be confused with funds themselves. Just because there may be problems with
one or two funds and it should be noted that these are related to banks and not
fund management companies per se, it does not mean that every fund manager has
lost his marbles and gone gaga. In the UK, if one looks beyond the ABS market,
there is only one company that is indicating it will give zero returns to its
investors and this is probably due to regulatory problems rather than
incompetence or the withdrawal of leverage by prime brokers.
Whilst there are obviously detailed analyses that we do not know about, if one
looks at the overall scheme of things then the funds that have been in the brown
stuff are the ones tied in with the credit markets - especially the on-balance
sheet rather than the off-balance sheet credit instruments as these have kept
liquidity in the current markets. Those funds which are feeling the pinch have
elected to gate redemptions. Whilst this may be inconvenient for the customer it
does seem to be the best solution when we are seeing incomprehensible
withdrawals of liquidity. However, the important thing is that there is no
indication that that the fundamentals underlying these funds’ investments have
been compromised. Therefore, this has to be seen as a good buying opportunity.
However, I believe there is still the panic factor in the marketplace which will
mean there are still more losses to be seen here so I would hold off a bit
longer.
Also, it must be remembered that the prime brokers are not taking out leverage
across each and every asset class. Equity, futures and OTC currency funds have
not seen big increases in margin requirements. Nonetheless, repo terms and
margining terms for on-balance sheet credit instruments have been a lot more
cautious in recent times. This again is a big buying signal.
Yet again, it must be emphasized that not all asset classes have done badly.
Gold has gone over USD1,000 per ounce and oil is over USD130 per barrel. Whilst
there may be some profit taking over the short term many think that gold will
continue to heading north. Long/short equity has also done well as have many
multi-asset class funds. For the more cautious it may well be an idea to use
these as a haven.
Despite all the nervousness and worry, the current problems and volatility gives
people a great opportunity. Without doubt, the credit markets will come back to
rational behaviour. It is then that good risk adjusted returns will be available
to those investors that have kept their “powder dry”. And finally, as Rothschild
once famously said: “Buy on the sound of cannons and sell on the sound of
trumpets.
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The above data and research was compiled from sources
believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its
officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above
article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any
actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For
more information please contact Graham Macdonald on
[email protected]@mbmg-international.com.com
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Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman
Professional Portraits - with minimal equipment
 Taking
great portraits of people is thought of as one of the harder aspects of
amateur photography, but this can be done using a minimal amount of
equipment. You don’t need a battery of floodlights, the on-camera flash
will do, and the only extra equipment you need is a chair, two meters of
black velvet and a large mirror.
As I’ve said before - great pictures don’t just happen. Great pictures
are ‘made’. So let’s look at some pro tricks that can be adapted for use
by the amateur.
To start with, we’ll get some of the techo bits out of the way. You
should choose a lens of around 100 mm focal length (135 mm is my
preferred “portrait” lens) or set your zoom to around that focal length.
If you are using a wide angle lens (anything numerically less than 50
mm), then the end result will be disappointing, no matter what you do.
Unless you like making people look distorted with big noses!
The second important technical bit is to set your lens aperture to
around f 5.6. At that aperture you will get the face in focus and the
background will gently melt away - provided that you actually do focus
on the eyes!
Perhaps a word or two about focus here as it is very important in
portrait photos. I always use a split image focus screen and focus on
the lower eyelid. This makes sure that the eyes will be exactly in
focus. If you are using Autofocus (AF), then again you should make sure
you focus on the eyes and use the ‘focus lock’ function so you will not
lose it.
Next item is the pose itself. For some reason known only to the village
headmen, Thai people like to stand rigidly to attention when having
their photos taken. Do not do it! Please, please do not even have your
subject sitting directly square on to the camera. This is not a passport
photograph we are going to take. It is to be a flattering portrait.
Here’s what to do. Sit the subject in a chair and turn the chair at 45
degrees to the camera, so the subject is not facing directly at the
photographer. Now when you want to take the shot you get the subject to
slowly look towards you and take the shot that way. You can also get a
shot with them looking away from you. You should also position the chair
about three or four meters in front of any wall, so you don’t get harsh
shadows.
Now let’s get down to the most important part - the lighting. We need to
do two things with our lighting. Firstly light the face and secondly
light the hair. The answer is the mirror and a large piece of black
velvet.
Take the black velvet first. You will need a piece around 2 meters
square and the idea is to place the velvet close to one side of the
subject, but not actually in the photograph. You get as close as
possible and the black will absorb much of the light and allow no
reflection of light back onto that side of the subject’s face. Hang the
velvet over a clothes drying stand or similar to make life easy for
yourself.
Now the mirror. This device will give you the power of having a second
light source for no cost! Now since you are firing light into the
subject from the top of your camera, you position the mirror at about
30-45 degrees tilted downwards, placed behind and to the side of the
subject, pointing basically at the sitters ear. The side you choose is
the side opposite the black velvet. Again, you must make sure that the
mirror is not in the viewfinder.
You now have a primary light source (the on-camera flash), a secondary
light source and a light absorber to give a gradation of light across
the subject’s face.
Experiment with the positions of each, but you will be surprised at how
much life this will give your portraits. Takes a little setting up, but
it is worth it.
Modern Medicine:
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
Death and Taxes
I have for you a 100 percent guarantee this week, and it is
normally very difficult to get a 100 percent assurance in medicine. However,
stay here long enough and the tax man will catch you up, and stay here long
enough and you are going to die here. Yes, we are all going to die someday.
Even me, though I will let you know when I find the elixir of life, and I’ll
sell you a bottle.
I think we are all agreed that Thailand is a great place to live (or
otherwise we wouldn’t be here). However, it may not be such a great place to
die.
Let me explain a little. Living in Thailand, we are subject to Thai law.
What can or may happen in other countries may not be the norm in this
country. We are also living in a society that is predominantly Buddhist, so
there is a greater importance given on “life” than in the West. If you don’t
believe me, have you ever tried to have your cat or dog put down
(euthanized)? What is done in every veterinary clinic in the West is not
done here. We are living in the mystic East, and don’t forget it.
Now let’s look a little at our own impending demise (it’s coming, so better
get ready for it). Most countries do not allow euthanasia, though it is not
too difficult to have aggressive treatment withheld in the terminal
situation. This is not the same in Thailand. Thai law and Thai medical
ethics place an equally high importance on the maintenance of life, even
with terminal cases. Where we might say, “Why resuscitate someone with
terminal cancer?” that goes against the Thai medical perception of what
should happen in the terminal situation.
Now I am not, in this column, going to debate the rights and wrongs of
either side of the argument. The medical and legal philosophies are
divergent, but I know what I want to happen to me in such a terminal
situation. Or I should say, what I don’t want to happen to me in the
terminal situation. And I sure as Hell don’t want someone leaping on my
chest and restarting my heart if I am terminal. I don’t want to live for
another week, or month, or whatever, with tubes in every available orifice,
a respirator breathing for me and nutrition being delivered via an
intravenous line, while I am unable to communicate with the world. However,
if you do not let people know before you are inexorably terminal, the above
scenario is what will happen.
What you have to do is to make what is called a “Living Will” (even though
it is really a “dying will”). Now this is a medico-legal document, so you
need to run it by your own legal person, and to be legal in Thailand, it
must also be written in Thai, remember.
The legality of requesting no aggressive intervention in your terminal phase
lies in a universal Patient’s Bill of Rights, which does allow for patients
to refuse medical treatment - but this has to be done whilst of sound mind.
When you arrive in ICU it is a little late, and it can be argued that by
that stage your soundness of mind can be queried.
So you should have your Living Will made out while you are not in the
terminal phase of life. In my hospital here, this document can be attached
to your hospital notes, with a ‘pop-up’ advising the physicians that this
document exists. If nothing else, this does state your wishes, and
(hopefully) the medical system will give it the requisite importance, even
though it may take a little persuading, being contrary to usual situation in
the Thai society.
Please note, this Living Will is not a request for personal euthanasia, but
a statement requesting the right to die as naturally as possible, and with
dignity. Think about this. Research this via the internet. But do something
before you are terminal and unable to express your wishes coherently.
And so endeth the lesson for this week.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
Is there something wrong with me? Every night I go out, and that’s most nights,
I meet some of the most beautiful girls in the world and I fall in love again
and again and again. This would be OK if I could remember which bar and which
girl, but when I go back the next day there’s even more beauties and I go
through it all again. Is this something that happens to all holidaymakers, or am
I just lucky (or unlucky)? I say unlucky because it all seems to be costing me a
lot of money, and Thailand is supposed to be a cheap place to come to for your
holidays.
Confused
Dear Confused,
You certainly are a confused holidaymaker, aren’t you, my Petal. However,
Thailand is still cheap, provided you don’t eat rice or drink petrol, but it is
your ‘kid in the candy store’ approach to life that is draining your wallet. I
am also sure that you are drinking Love Potion Number 9, which in Thailand is
generally sold in green bottles and the lovely ladies in the bar will be making
sure you get enough for maximum effect. Do you remember the gorgeous young
thing, with her hand on your leg, saying, “Wun moah beeyah?” That is neither
Thai nor Isaan dialect, but is the universal bar girl’s approach to ensuring
intoxication in their “lub you for ebber tee rak” of the evening. Not only does
Love Potion Number 9 affect your vision, but it also aids in the opening of your
wallet and causes large denominations of money to fall out. If you are very
lucky, your credit card will not fall out as well, because Love Potion Number 9
also aids in helping you reciting PIN numbers after several bottles are
consumed. My advice is to only drink at the bar within 50 meters of your hotel
(there will be at least two within that radius) and to only have 1,000 baht in
your wallet before going out.
Dear Hillary,
Where do all the dozeys come from that write in for help? Every week they bob up
with another ridiculous problem, including that Mister Singha, though he has
been quiet for a couple of months (thank goodness). Thailand is the easiest
place in the world to live in, so why do they have so many problems? They should
thank their lucky stars they are able to live here, instead of moaning all the
time. I live here and do everything here and I don’t have any problems.
Living and Loving It
Dear Living and Loving It,
I am so pleased you are so pleased with yourself, Petal. I take it that
‘humility’ is your middle name. Really, it is time that you learned that not
everyone is as fortunate as yourself, and for many, Thailand is not such an easy
place, with strange customs, language problems and many distractions and traps
for the unwary. Have you never bought a buffalo, or bought a young lady a drink?
You should thank your lucky stars you have come through it all so easily.
Dear Hillary,
I am 45 years old and I consider myself to be a fairly normal person. Married
with a couple of kids and ask anybody and they would say I’m a happy person, but
I’m not. It sounds stupid, but I have got the hots for the maid at work. We
smile every day, but it’s got no closer than that, but I feel that she is
returning my smiles with more than just being polite. I have not been game
enough to speak to her or even touch her as I have a good, well paid,
responsible position at work and I would not want to lose that. The other thing
is my husband also works for the same company, and I wouldn’t want to hurt him,
even though life at home is pretty boring these days. What should I do, Hillary?
I can’t ask anyone else, and sorry if I haven’t signed this letter, but I am
sure you understand why.
(No Name)
Dear No Name,
You already know what to do, my Petal. This whole thing is just a flight of
fancy. Many women at your age wonder what it would be like to have an affair
(with either sex) and you are beginning to imagine something out of the
ordinary, and transferring your emotions to this poor maid at work, who you have
not even spoken to. Does this sound the logical way a woman in a “responsible
position at work” would carry on? Mrs. No Name, stop daydreaming, let the maid
carry on her job without being jeopardized by you, and just realize that this is
a passing phase in your life. If things have become boring in the family home,
then start making life less boring. Take time to go to the movies or a picnic on
the beach, or a drive to the zoo. There is plenty for you to do, responsibly,
that will not hurt your own job, or your husband’s. Take heart in the fact that
you are not abnormal, you are just reacting foolishly to what are some of the
normal things in life.
Learn to Live to Learn: with Andrew Watson
Getting visually tactile
I had, quite consciously, aroused the competitive instinct in
Chris Skøjtt, http://www.skjott-design.com one of Europe’s
leading young furniture designers. In cross-examining him over
his assertion that a chair can be “more than just a chair” and
“can contain a deeper meaning” I had adopted the position of
healthy sceptic. Never a cynic, I might add - a cynic violates
the laws of applied intelligence - something I can’t abide.
Skøjtt had answered from the user end of things, talking
passionately about furniture that can “hold memories for you
that it doesn’t hold for anybody else.”
 A
Chris Skøjtt recliner; real or imagined?
But Skøjtt’s a designer who, at some point or other, has to deal
with the impossible dream of creating “personalised” or
“individualised” furniture for the mass market. Surely there’s
an insoluble paradox at hand? If you’re designing a chair, how
is it possible to incorporate an “individualised” component into
it? His steely eyes glinted, resolutely; “Well, it depends
whether you’re designing for mass production or for a one-off.
It is of course, harder to design a personalised connection into
mass production because you have to consider so many things, but
if it’s a one off, then you can tailor fit the piece to the
individual, so that every little detail is thought of and fitted
to this person; choice of material, construction method, colour,
shape, treatment. The thing about crafted furniture is that it
becomes better with age, like leather when the oil has seeped
out of it; the colour changes. That’s why they stain wood - to
give it colour, personality and character.”
I was beginning to understand. In fact, it was almost as if he
demanded that I understand. But I’m not sure he had succeeding
in convincing me, yet. I repeated the question; “Is it possible
to have a mass produced chair that is also ‘personalised’? Are
there any examples?”
As it happened, the example Chris enthusiastically gave is a
chair I know extremely well; I have one myself. “The Le
Corbusier lounge chair, because it’s a crafted piece and
individuals buy it because of how it’s made. They buy it
because of the choice of materials and what it symbolises; the
consumer has made a choice on the basis that they agree with the
ethos behind the chair. Price is not a factor.”
Well, yes, I can see all that, even if the last part might be
contentious. But isn’t Skøjtt imbuing the consumer with far more
interest, and indeed knowledge, about a subject in which he
happens to be an expert? After all, isn’t it true that if people
are out looking for a chair, the bottom line is that all they
want is a chair? Or is that patronising?
Skøjtt, unflappable and without prejudice, responded, “Consumers
of IKEA products for example, probably just want a chair or
another piece of furniture that will suit their short or medium
term needs, whereas other consumers, such as many in Denmark
where there is a rich culture and tradition of creating
furniture (he speaks from experience of course) have a greater
understanding of furniture design and so can be expected to make
their choices based on the design itself.”
Talking with Chris amidst a multitude of fans at Milan’s
“Interni,” the biggest furniture exhibition in the world, there
is an un-missable irony. In Skøjtt’s show, there isn’t actually
any furniture. Whilst every other exhibitor’s space contains
physical manifestations of their creativity, at Skøjtt’s there
are no seats to sit on. Whilst I appreciate the irony, it seems
bizarre. Instead, we are surrounded by a panoramic stage set of
blurred monochromatic images of an interior, filled with a rich
variety of furniture, touched with orange and blue piping in
places. On a simple contemporary low coffee table with gentle
radius edges, rests a familiar interactive object, a pair of 3D
glasses. Ok, so what’s the deal?
“The concept is to challenge the very idea of the Milan
furniture fair, which is full of examples of predominantly mass
produced furniture that the public might not be able to discern
much difference between; you might think that a lot of it looks
pretty much the same. So as not to get lost in this forest of
furniture, we decided to exhibit three dimensional images of our
work, which requires the observer to put on a pair of 3D
glasses. The images pop out at you and of course, it seems like
there are 3D objects after all.”
Ingenious and I have to say, a very impressive illusion, but a
virtual chair? We’re talking about a chair! Isn’t it all about
being tactile? “Yes,” uttered Skøjtt, curtly. “Well, I can’t
feel it, can I?” “No,” he confirmed, monosyllabic. Pause. “So in
what sense is it tactile?” I pressed. “Visually tactile?”
suggested Skøjtt. “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” I persisted. “You’re
an oxymoron!” he laughed. He’d been stringing me along.
“You see,” he explained, illustrating his point, “a lot of
people try to grab and feel it. You know what they say; ‘that
man’s reach should exceed his grasp’. Aim for the sky, dream of
the stars! Leave them wanting more…” Interrupting, getting it, I
finished his poetry for him; “…or what’s a heaven for?” Then,
throwing in another oxymoron, I suggested, “It’s a literal
metaphor, then?” Now we were getting to the crux of the matter.
Skøjtt continued, “It’s a medium more consistent with people’s
imaginations. I think that at an exhibition, you have a duty to
excite, to engage, to begin a dialogue with the audience, to
show some respect to the notion that people might want to have
some fun here. So they come and look at it and it’s a bit
blurry, then the glasses come on and they understand and they
smile, even more so when the objects seem to move around; it
comes alive and it’s surprising. It’s a happy surprise. The 3D
images invite you to engage in a way that is different and
unexpected. It’s an experience that you’ll remember.”
Skøjtt smiled a winning smile and handed me a glass of
champagne. The argument was his. “Are you as generous in defeat
as you are in victory?” I asked. “I wouldn’t know,” he laughed,
without any trace of arrogance, “I’ve never lost”. No, I
thought, smiling back, I don’t suppose you ever have.
Next week: “Searching for truths: Dialogue with a painting.”
DOC ENGLISH Teaching your kids how to learn English:
English + Thai
= Thinglish?
Hello! Welcome back to the regular column for parents
teaching their kids (or each other) to use English at home.
Often Thai speakers make fundamental errors when speaking or writing
English. These are sometimes a result of ‘Language Interference’.
Language interference occurs when students transfer the rules of their
native language into the new language that they are learning. It’s a
good strategy (to use background knowledge of your native language), but
it does not always work. It can sometimes lead to communication
problems.
These errors are easier to correct in younger learners, but older
students may find it harder because the errors have become ‘engrained’,
or ‘fossilised’. One could accuse the Thai media of reinforcing language
errors by mispronouncing English words (on the TV for example),
effectively creating new ‘Thinglish’ words that are undecipherable to a
native English speaker (such as ‘sat-or-belli’ for ‘strawberry’).
Sometimes it is the meaning that is changed (eg. ‘Gik’ = boyfriend /
girlfriend in Thai, for ‘gigolo’? but who knows where it comes from!).
It’s sad to see English words treated so brutally by the Thai media, but
on the other hand you could argue that this is normal - English is
evolving every day with new words being created as fast as old ones die
out. The Thai language is evolving also, borrowing words from other
languages, re-packaging them and consigning old words and phrases (and
customs) to the scrap heap.
Pronunciation Errors
The number of speech sounds in English varies from
dialect to dialect, but the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary by John C.
Wells, for example, uses symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet
to denote 24 consonants and 23 vowels used in Received Pronunciation.
In contrast, the Thai alphabet uses 44 consonants and 15 vowel
characters. With more consonant sounds at their disposal (and less
vowels to choose from), Thai speakers can become confused as to which
consonant or vowel to adopt when pronouncing a particular word. In Thai
consonants are rarely sounded at the end of a word and are generally not
sounded together, so Thais often insert a vowel between two consonants
(‘sa-wim’) and fail to pronounce an end consonant (‘going ow’ for ‘going
out’). These errors can be corrected as long as you have the patience,
but don’t be tempted to ‘echo’ the mistake or let it slide. Try to
repeat the word a few times and show the difference by modeling the
‘incorrect’ and ‘correct’ way to say the word. Point out the error in a
friendly and polite way; offer an alternative way of saying the word. L
and r sounds can become missed up also. Again, model and point out the
difference. Show how to use your teeth and tongue to pronounce the word.
Say each syllable slowly and clearly.
Often we foreigners have problems mastering the Thai tones. It’s very
hard to pick them up and it takes a good ear and lots of practice.
Similarly, Thais often have problems picking up stress and sentence
intonation, such as the way we often raise or lower our voice in a
musical fashion when asking or answering questions. To correct this, you
can write a sentence and show your child how to raise and lower their
voice by drawing a line that rises and falls over the sentence. Again,
model and gently correct.
Stress can be difficult for Thai students to master. Often they will
reverse the stress on a word (“birthday” instead of “birthday”).
Students need to be shown which particular syllables to stress. You can
do this by writing the word and drawing small or large circles above
each syllable to show which ones have more stress.
Grammar
There is hardly any grammar at all in the Thai
language. There are no plurals, future tense or past tense. Generally
Thais indicate future tense and past tense by the addition of extra
words, such as the Thai word for ‘yesterday’ (meau-wun). You know that
the action occurred yesterday if the sentence contains this ‘time’ word.
The Thai language has no “a” ,”an”, “the”, “some” or “any”; Thai grammar
is simpler than English and the complexity of English grammar makes it
difficult for Thais to learn. This tends to lead to simplistic
sentences. You can encourage your child to expand and experiment with
their grammar and writing and to try and extend their sentences - they
will be very hesitant at first. Focusing on discrete grammar points and
providing lots of input (reading and speaking) and modeling (showing
them how to do it) will provide enough examples for your child to follow
in order for them to improve their grammar.
Writing
When writing, more errors may occur due to the
unique differences between the Thai and English languages. In Thai there
are no spaces and very limited punctuation, so you will have to teach
punctuation and spacing. The Thai language does not use capitals, so use
of correct capitalization should be emphasised. It’s common to see Thai
kids mixing upper and lower case letters, especially when they write
their name. This is perfectly normal and is another example of language
interference.
I don’t claim to be an expert on either the English language or the Thai
language by the way (or anything for that matter), so if you disagree
with any of the above please feel free to email me and point out my
mistakes (or ‘errors’). I’m just attempting to explain some fundamental
differences between the Thai and English languages in order for us to
know better how to teach our young learners. I am sure you can find more
examples and logical reasons why these errors occur.
That’s all for this week mums and dads. If you want more information on
teaching your kids at home you can email me at: doceng
[email protected]
Enjoy spending time with your kids.
Let’s go to the movies:
by Mark Gernpy
Now playing in Pattaya
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: UK/US
Adventure/Family/Fantasy - The kids are spoiled brats to my mind, and so
English upper-class! When the four finally get to a beach in Narnia, and
decide to go swimming, they take off their shoes before taking the
plunge, but leave the rest of their clothes on! Edmund even keeps his
tie on! Really, isn’t that carrying British modesty a bit too far?
But what you really have to watch out for is the message of the movie.
Author C.S. Lewis, who became a convert to Christianity late in his
life, is interested in bending young minds towards Christ with his
series of seven Narnia tales. He has to jump through some intellectual
hoops to explain what satyrs and minotaurs are doing in his Christian
stories (Santa Claus even showed up in the first episode), but the
author is a classical scholar and he just can’t help including in his
books much of what he knows.
Many religious people sense in this film a strong echo of the “Acts of
the Apostles” and the faith of the early believers after Christ’s
ascension. The absence of the Christ figure (Aslan, the lion) is the
core of this story: everyone talks about him and his absence, whether he
is real or not, will he come again, will he answer everyone’s prayers.
For most of the story only Lucy sees Aslan and believes he will
eventually come to their aid. Generally favorable reviews.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: US
Adventure/Action - I really like Cate! As Irina Spalko, a “Stalin’s
favorite” Soviet scientist and KGB agent, Cate Blanchett is marvelous.
With a Russian accent as thick as caviar, it seems that Blanchett’s
portrayal didn’t sit well with the real-life Russians. They are calling
for a boycott of the film and even told Harrison Ford not to visit their
country, warning him, “You will be beaten and despised.” My
recommendation: If you enjoyed the previous Indy films, or if you just
like good adventure films, go see this. Generally favorable reviews.
Good Morning, Luang Prabang: Thai/Lao Drama/Romance - With Thai
superstar Ananda Everingham, who is part Laotian himself, playing a
party-Laotian Thai photographer who is given an assignment to do a photo
shoot in Laos. He is reluctant to return to his homeland, which he left
many years before, as he feels estranged from his country. This is a
Thai-Lao co-production and marks the first Laotian feature film in
nearly 20 years.
Iron Man: US Action/Adventure - Superb popular entertainment. A
huge hit around the world. You’ll like it. Robert Downey Jr. plays a
wealthy weapons manufacturer who builds an armored suit in order to
escape his terrorist kidnappers, and ultimately decides to use its
technology to fight evil. The intense and powerful Downey is brilliant
in the role. Generally favorable reviews.
Somtum: Thai Action/Comedy - Stars the giant Australian wrestler
and strongman Nathan Jones, who was widely popular as a martial arts
fighter in previous Thai films such as Tom Yum Goong. Here he plays a
fighter of immense bulk, but of equally immense timidity, and with a
heart of gold, as he and a bunch of Thai children befriend each other.
Never Back Down: US Action/Drama/Sport - A
pugilism-and-perspiration epic that glorifies violence and rationalizes
revenge. At his new high school, a rebellious teen is lured into an
underground fight club, where he finds a mentor in a mixed-martial-arts
veteran. Generally negative reviews.
Sex and the City: The Movie: Fans of the television show and
Sarah Jessica Parker should be very happy indeed with this film
incarnation, on the melancholy theme that fairy-tale endings don’t
necessarily mean happily ever after. Mixed or average reviews. Rated R
in the US for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language
Scheduled
for June 12/13
Kung Fu Panda: US Animation/Comedy - An animated comedy set
in the legendary world of ancient China, about a lazy panda who must
somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save his valley from a
villainous snow leopard. Jackie Chan voices one of the characters.
The Incredible Hulk: US Action/Sci-Fi - Starring Edward Norton.
Not a sequel to the 2003 movie. Not an alternate origins story either.
Sort of ignores everything that went before. It’s the second film with
Marvel Comics as producers, after the very successful Iron Man.
The Happening: US/India Drama/Sci-Fi - M. Night Shyamalan wanted
his new film to open on Friday the 13th, and the world is going along
with his wishes one more time, hoping he is at last back on track with a
movie worthy of his early promise (The Sixth Sense). Mark Wahlberg plays
a science teacher who tries to figure out why the world has suddenly
gone crazy. Rated R in the US for violent and disturbing images.
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