Foreign Personalities, From Stage, Screen, Politics And Life

[gcreptile 10,970]

Booo! Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream is dead at 70:

 

http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/rip_tangerine_dreams_edgar_froese

 

I love his solo album "Epsilon in Malaysian Pale", and the Tangerine Dream albums are classics, of course.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

"When Forever Has Gone": Demis Roussous has died at age 68.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-27/greek-singer-demis-roussos-dies-aged-68/6047666

[CaptainChorizo 1,980]

Mala Aravindan One of the most popular people in Malayalam cinema is dead at 76 from a heart attack.

[CaptainChorizo 1,980]

Muzeyyen Senar The Turkish Classical Music performer known as "The Diva Of The Republic" is dead at 97

[Predictor 1,018]

Ebbe Grimsland (June 11, 1915): Swedish musician, mainly as a violin and mandolin player. He's made more than 200 compositions. Don't know his current health status.

Hmm...Considering that he died on January 26, I'd say that his current health status was probably not that great at the time...Oh well, I'll substitute with another 1915:er who was born just 4 days after Ebbe.

 

The Indonesian-born Danish-French ballet dancer Nini Theilade is still alive at age 99. What does she have to do with Sweden? Well, in 1934, she appeared in a Swedish film called Sången till henne. She only played a dancer, though, and already next year, she would travel to Hollywood and be in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Along with Olivia, she's the only surviving person from that film. Unless the weirdo Kenneth Anger's claim is accurate.

 

Video from 2011:

[Predictor 1,018]

 

Predictor, do you anything about the state of Lisbet Palme's health? ,

 

Sorry for the late reply. I don't know the current health of Lisbet Palme. But I reckon she was devastated back in 1986, for what it's worth...

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

[Predictor 1,018]

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

 

The same for us Australians. I am ashamed that I am mono-lingual.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

I agree that the difference in intonation is remarkable. My mother spoke a dialect (Twents) that's essentially Low Saxon strongly influenced by Dutch¹. When she told a story in it, she sounded much like mrs Theilade, the difference being that I could understand her. Standard Dutch is accented more sharply, but in a more restricted tonal range. Danish sounds to me as if it doesn't use voiceless stops, sounds both German and Dutch are rather fond of, they use 't' a lot to conjugate verbs. Danish doesn't bother with that.

 

I can read the Nordic languages, Icelandic excepted, with a dictionary at hand. My knowledge of Dutch, English and German and, to a moderate extent, Frisian is a great help. I do have some basic knowledge of Danish grammar and vocabulary, but only in writing. The spoken versions I understand poorly.

 

I picked up one word from the interview, what sounded like German Mitarbeiter and may or may not have been Danish medarbejder, that sent me on a train of thought. German Mitarbeiter translates to English employee. Dutch has a word of similar meaning, medewerker. The most used Dutch word for worker is arbeider. Does this sound familiar in Swedish ears?

 

¹Here's a sample of a conversation in Twents. The subject is eye-wateringly dull: toponymy.

 

regards,

Hein

[Handrejka 1,903]

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

 

 

Quite. I am a linguist and I wouldn't be able to post on a forum in German as intelligently and wittily as Hein does on here. To be honest, I can't post in English as intelligently and wittily as Hein and it's my native language.

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Joseph Luns, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1952 to 1971, once remarked, when asked about the importance of his job: "being a small nation, we have a lot of foreign affairs." Dutch, with some 25 million speakers, isn't a small language, but the idea that to be able to trade with foreign nations it helps to speak some Foreign was not lost on the Dutch. We put real effort in teaching languages at school. All Dutch pupils are taught English and German, most also some French. Some schools teach more exotic languages like Russian, Spanish and nowadays Turkish and Arabic.

 

At secondary school I spent at least 10 hours a week (out of 32) in English, German and French classes. I was also taught some Latin and classic Greek. I didn't do well in foreign languages and sat exams in Dutch and English only. I blamed my lack of talent. When I went to uni and had to read English a lot, I soon learned that I do have a talent for languages. It turned out that the way they're taught doesn't work for me.

 

A few months of work in London made me fluent in English. I never became fluent in German. I can survive in French, but conversation in it is quite difficult. Those damn French talk to quickly.

 

regards,

Hein

[Predictor 1,018]

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

I agree that the difference in intonation is remarkable. My mother spoke a dialect (Twents) that's essentially Low Saxon strongly influenced by Dutch¹. When she told a story in it, she sounded much like mrs Theilade, the difference being that I could understand her. Standard Dutch is accented more sharply, but in a more restricted tonal range. Danish sounds to me as if it doesn't use voiceless stops, sounds both German and Dutch are rather fond of, they use 't' a lot to conjugate verbs. Danish doesn't bother with that.

 

I can read the Nordic languages, Icelandic excepted, with a dictionary at hand. My knowledge of Dutch, English and German and, to a moderate extent, Frisian is a great help. I do have some basic knowledge of Danish grammar and vocabulary, but only in writing. The spoken versions I understand poorly.

 

I picked up one word from the interview, what sounded like German Mitarbeiter and may or may not have been Danish medarbejder, that sent me on a train of thought. German Mitarbeiter translates to English employee. Dutch has a word of similar meaning, medewerker. The most used Dutch word for worker is arbeider. Does this sound familiar in Swedish ears?

 

¹Here's a sample of a conversation in Twents. The subject is eye-wateringly dull: toponymy.

 

regards,

Hein

 

Yes, we say "medarbetare" here, which means "co-worker", someone you work with (med = with). Now that you bring up regional dialects, it's possible that I'd understand Danish more if I lived down South and spoke Skånska. As a root admin, I think you have already a good estimate of my whereabouts.

 

I listened to the audio file and I can definitely see its closeness to German. Lol, yes, toponomy can be boring...at least until you become famous and start demanding to have a street named after you.

[Predictor 1,018]

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

 

Thanks, the main credit is due to the education system here. In 3rd grade, it's mandatory to learn English. In 6th grade, every student gets to pick one foreign language. Normally it's either French, Spanish or German, but in my case, I couldn't pick the one I wanted: Spanish. Why? Well, the teacher quit and they couldn't find a new one.

 

In the end, I went with French in the hopes of being served French cuisine every now and then during class; You know, stuff like baguette and French fries.

[Bibliogryphon 9,579]

 

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

 

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

 

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

 

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

 

Thanks, the main credit is due to the education system here. In 3rd grade, it's mandatory to learn English. In 6th grade, every student gets to pick one foreign language. Normally it's either French, Spanish or German, but in my case, I couldn't pick the one I wanted: Spanish. Why? Well, the teacher quit and they couldn't find a new one.

 

In the end, I went with French in the hopes of being served French cuisine every now and then during class; You know, stuff like baguette and French fries.

 

I am ashamed at my poor language skills. I have a CSE in German but gave it up as soon as possible.

 

I now attend a number of European meetings in a professional capacity (and even chair one) something I would not be able to do unless all the meetings were held in English. It does also give me a little bit more influence because as the English delegate I tend to be the arbiter of the wording used on communications.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

 

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

regards,

Hein

 

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

Thanks, the main credit is due to the education system here. In 3rd grade, it's mandatory to learn English. In 6th grade, every student gets to pick one foreign language. Normally it's either French, Spanish or German, but in my case, I couldn't pick the one I wanted: Spanish. Why? Well, the teacher quit and they couldn't find a new one.

 

In the end, I went with French in the hopes of being served French cuisine every now and then during class; You know, stuff like baguette and French fries.

Yeah we suck here in arrogant America re: learning another language. It isn't even offered in schools until at least 9th grade, or at least when I was in it (read 1975 or so). Options were German Spanish French. In the opposite result of yours, I really wanted to learn French, but my mean parents said no you're taking Spanish. Chinga mi familia! Lol anyway 7 years later my sister says she wants to take French and they're like 'go for it'. Grrrr!! So where do I move to 30 years later? Cajun French southern Louisiana. Don't know a damn thing they're saying tyvm and I can't read the French Canadian genealogy documents from churches in 1700 where part of my tree came from. I'm a victim of circumstance lol. American arrogance any goofball parental units.

Sir C

[Sir Creep 7,070]

 

 

 

 

Predictor, that Nini Theilade thingy is in Danish, isn't it?

Can you understand it? I can parse fragments, but not much.

regards,

Hein

Same here, I pick up a few words here and there, but I think it's much harder to understand Danish when hearing it as opposed to reading it. I think of German when I hear it, it has the same type of vocal/intonation "style". Norwegian is much easier for me.

 

You can think of the three languages as a spectrum where Swedish and Danish are at both ends with Norwegian being in the middle. So, a person from Norway has it easier to understand both other languages than we and the Danes do.

If only we Brits were to put so much emphasis on foreign languages as your guys' countries do. I salute you gentlemen.

Thanks, the main credit is due to the education system here. In 3rd grade, it's mandatory to learn English. In 6th grade, every student gets to pick one foreign language. Normally it's either French, Spanish or German, but in my case, I couldn't pick the one I wanted: Spanish. Why? Well, the teacher quit and they couldn't find a new one.

 

In the end, I went with French in the hopes of being served French cuisine every now and then during class; You know, stuff like baguette and French fries.

Yeah we suck here in arrogant America re: learning another language. It isn't even offered in schools until at least 9th grade, or at least when I was in it (read 1975 or so). Options were German Spanish French. In the opposite result of yours, I really wanted to learn French, but my mean parents said no you're taking Spanish. Chinga mi familia! Lol anyway 7 years later my sister says she wants to take French and they're like 'go for it'. Grrrr!! So where do I move to 30 years later? Cajun French southern Louisiana. Don't know a damn thing they're saying tyvm and I can't read the French Canadian genealogy documents from churches in 1700 where part of my tree came from. I'm a victim of circumstance lol. American arrogance any goofball parental units.

Sir C

Forgot to say it's also a matter of wealth. My nephews are 12 and living middle class (we were blue collar when I grew up) and my one nephew learning....CHINESE (smart choice!). That wouldn't have happened in 1975.

SC

[Magere Hein 1,400]

Yeah we suck here in arrogant America re: learning another language. It isn't even offered in schools until at least 9th grade, or at least when I was in it (read 1975 or so). Options were German Spanish French. In the opposite result of yours, I really wanted to learn French, but my mean parents said no you're taking Spanish. Chinga mi familia! Lol anyway 7 years later my sister says she wants to take French and they're like 'go for it'. Grrrr!! So where do I move to 30 years later? Cajun French southern Louisiana. Don't know a damn thing they're saying tyvm and I can't read the French Canadian genealogy documents from churches in 1700 where part of my tree came from. I'm a victim of circumstance lol. American arrogance any goofball parental units.

 

Forgot to say it's also a matter of wealth. My nephews are 12 and living middle class (we were blue collar when I grew up) and my one nephew learning....CHINESE (smart choice!). That wouldn't have happened in 1975.

Chinese is indeed a smart choice, and an admirably difficult one. Learning a tonal language isn't easy when your first language doesn't know that. Learning some 2500 common characters to get basic literacy is quite a job. As the joke goes: learning Chinese is much easier when you know Chinese.

 

A colleague of mine of Chinese ancestry (but Dutch upbringing) speaks Chinese. Last year he paid a visit to China and soon experienced that what he learned from his parents didn't work in Peking. He can't read Chinese, so he often used English. I suppose your nephew learns Mandarin.

 

Apart from the UK (and perhaps Ireland), things have changed in Europe. Even in large nations with a tradition of language chauvinism, say France, Germany, Italy or Spain, the majority know one or more foreign languages at a useful level. In the 90s I went to France for business a few times, and without some French one was fucked there and then. In 2013 I was in Paris and Normandy for hols and was pleasantly surprised by the number of locals whose English was better than my French.

 

The Americans I meet are not average yankee Joes and Janes, after all they moved here at some time. Their language skills vary. I met a 23-ish student (at some business school) from Lansing, Michigan, in the pub last year. She'd learned German in high school and had been learning Dutch by trial and error for a month. She asked me what I was reading (a novel by W.F. Hermans) and she read out loud a passage -in an unusual accent- and translated it almost perfectly. I was much impressed.

 

Of course the same pub is full of Americans, Australians and New Zealanders who don't even try.

 

regards,

Hein

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

 

Yeah we suck here in arrogant America re: learning another language. It isn't even offered in schools until at least 9th grade, or at least when I was in it (read 1975 or so). Options were German Spanish French. In the opposite result of yours, I really wanted to learn French, but my mean parents said no you're taking Spanish. Chinga mi familia! Lol anyway 7 years later my sister says she wants to take French and they're like 'go for it'. Grrrr!! So where do I move to 30 years later? Cajun French southern Louisiana. Don't know a damn thing they're saying tyvm and I can't read the French Canadian genealogy documents from churches in 1700 where part of my tree came from. I'm a victim of circumstance lol. American arrogance any goofball parental units.

 

Forgot to say it's also a matter of wealth. My nephews are 12 and living middle class (we were blue collar when I grew up) and my one nephew learning....CHINESE (smart choice!). That wouldn't have happened in 1975.

Chinese is indeed a smart choice, and an admirably difficult one. Learning a tonal language isn't easy when your first language doesn't know that. Learning some 2500 common characters to get basic literacy is quite a job. As the joke goes: learning Chinese is much easier when you know Chinese.

 

A colleague of mine of Chinese ancestry (but Dutch upbringing) speaks Chinese. Last year he paid a visit to China and soon experienced that what he learned from his parents didn't work in Peking. He can't read Chinese, so he often used English. I suppose your nephew learns Mandarin.

 

Apart from the UK (and perhaps Ireland), things have changed in Europe. Even in large nations with a tradition of language chauvinism, say France, Germany, Italy or Spain, the majority know one or more foreign languages at a useful level. In the 90s I went to France for business a few times, and without some French one was fucked there and then. In 2013 I was in Paris and Normandy for hols and was pleasantly surprised by the number of locals whose English was better than my French.

 

The Americans I meet are not average yankee Joes and Janes, after all they moved here at some time. Their language skills vary. I met a 23-ish student (at some business school) from Lansing, Michigan, in the pub last year. She'd learned German in high school and had been learning Dutch by trial and error for a month. She asked me what I was reading (a novel by W.F. Hermans) and she read out loud a passage -in an unusual accent- and translated it almost perfectly. I was much impressed.

 

Of course the same pub is full of Americans, Australians and New Zealanders who don't even try.

 

regards,

Hein

 

Of course old Zealanders don't have to.

[CaptainChorizo 1,980]

Lorena Rojas Mexican Telenovela Star who is fairly well known in Latin America is dead at 44 from liver cancer

[charon 4,943]

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/actress-movita-castaneda-dies/story-e6frfkui-1227223437613

 

Movita Castaneda at 98.

 

Ex Mrs Brando.

 

Edit, dammit. Already posted but missed amongst the bickering

[Handrejka 1,903]

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/actress-movita-castaneda-dies/story-e6frfkui-1227223437613

 

Movita Castaneda at 98.

 

Ex Mrs Brando.

 

Edit, dammit. Already posted but missed amongst the bickering

 

Finally a hit for my alternative 50

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

 

 

Yeah we suck here in arrogant America re: learning another language. It isn't even offered in schools until at least 9th grade, or at least when I was in it (read 1975 or so). Options were German Spanish French. In the opposite result of yours, I really wanted to learn French, but my mean parents said no you're taking Spanish. Chinga mi familia! Lol anyway 7 years later my sister says she wants to take French and they're like 'go for it'. Grrrr!! So where do I move to 30 years later? Cajun French southern Louisiana. Don't know a damn thing they're saying tyvm and I can't read the French Canadian genealogy documents from churches in 1700 where part of my tree came from. I'm a victim of circumstance lol. American arrogance any goofball parental units.

 

Forgot to say it's also a matter of wealth. My nephews are 12 and living middle class (we were blue collar when I grew up) and my one nephew learning....CHINESE (smart choice!). That wouldn't have happened in 1975.

Chinese is indeed a smart choice, and an admirably difficult one. Learning a tonal language isn't easy when your first language doesn't know that. Learning some 2500 common characters to get basic literacy is quite a job. As the joke goes: learning Chinese is much easier when you know Chinese.

 

A colleague of mine of Chinese ancestry (but Dutch upbringing) speaks Chinese. Last year he paid a visit to China and soon experienced that what he learned from his parents didn't work in Peking. He can't read Chinese, so he often used English. I suppose your nephew learns Mandarin.

 

Apart from the UK (and perhaps Ireland), things have changed in Europe. Even in large nations with a tradition of language chauvinism, say France, Germany, Italy or Spain, the majority know one or more foreign languages at a useful level. In the 90s I went to France for business a few times, and without some French one was fucked there and then. In 2013 I was in Paris and Normandy for hols and was pleasantly surprised by the number of locals whose English was better than my French.

 

The Americans I meet are not average yankee Joes and Janes, after all they moved here at some time. Their language skills vary. I met a 23-ish student (at some business school) from Lansing, Michigan, in the pub last year. She'd learned German in high school and had been learning Dutch by trial and error for a month. She asked me what I was reading (a novel by W.F. Hermans) and she read out loud a passage -in an unusual accent- and translated it almost perfectly. I was much impressed.

 

Of course the same pub is full of Americans, Australians and New Zealanders who don't even try.

 

regards,

Hein

 

Of course old Zealanders don't have to.

 

It is all sex uf win and half a dizen of the ither to New Zealanders.

[gcreptile 10,970]

German policeman Karl-Heinz Kurras is dead:

 

http://panteres.com/2015/02/18/benno-ohnesorg-murder-ex-stasi-agent-karl-heinz-kurras-dead/

 

He shot the student Benno Ohnesorg in 1967 and triggered the student revolts of Germany in that period. It was later revealed that he also worked for the Stasi, the surveillance organistion of East Germany. The precise sequence of events has always been a controversial issue, mostly because the case serves as an ideological battlefield.

 

It's really a quite significant death for Germany, and it's apparently a year full of important german deaths.