NotW #96 - Uniltìrantokx te Skxawng

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

Who are you?

Spoiler

Tell us about yourself! Where are you coming from, what languages do you speak, what do you do, how old are you, tell us a few words about your family, work etc. This is the job interview part.

I'm Uniltìrantokx te Skxawng, and my real name is Eric Dong (董宇豪). I'm from Beijing, China, I'm 14 years old, and both of my parents are Chinese. I lived in Canada from ages 2.5 to 8 and I'm a Canadian citizen. Anyway, that's me 

Why are you here?

Spoiler

What brought you here to the Learn Na'vi forum in the first place? Did you fall in love with the language? With Pandora? With a character? Did someone invite you? Or did you stumble upon this site? Once here, why did you decide to stay? How much time do you spend here every day?

Well, I actually went here in December 2009 but I thought, "oh well there's just a few hundred words and all grammar are guesses!" and went away and forgot about it. It was in July 2011 when I re-watched the Avatar Blu-ray that I took notice of the Na'vi language spoken and remembered the funny site called LN. I thought, "hey what's their progress now?" and was astonished to discover that it was even more active than before and the site was still up! Plus the grammar and vocab are much more learnable  I joined immediately without 1 day of lurking.

Where do your alias and profile pic come from?

Spoiler

Do they have a special significance? Is you alias a translation of your real name, or just a bunch of random letters thrown together? Is that you on your profile pic?

My alias used to be Quantum1423 for a couple of days, because I use that alias a lot at other forums. I chose my current alias because at the time I created it the only two Na'vi nouns I knew were "uniltìrantokx" and "skxawng"

Srak nga tsun nìna'vi pivlltxe?

Spoiler

How well? Why did you start to learn it? What is your ultimate goal with the language? Do you have specific methods/tools you use in learning the language? How did your friends, family, or colleagues react to your interest in learning Na'vi? Have you told them at all? Have you converted any of them?

Srane! Oe plltxe nìNa'vi! Oe narmume akrrta July 2011 slä oe plltxe nìltsan nì'it 
Most of my friends know about my Na'vi speaking. They want to learn but they think the pronunciation is too hard

What's you favorite Na'vi word? Did you incorporate it (or others) into your everyday vocab?

Well, it is probably "wiya". I say it a lot!

In your opinion, what are the top three user-created content on the LN website?

Spoiler

Anything from the main site, the wiki, or the forum including language docs, threads, quotes, literary works, images, etc.

NiaN, Horen Lì'fyayä leNa'vi, and the PNgN prezis.

Have you made any contributions to the LN community that you're particularly proud of?

Spoiler

What made you make those? Do you plan on contributing (again) in the future? How?

Well, that would probably be the NiaN in Chinese project (though I'm too busy to work on it at the moment), the web-based name generator, and most of all the Famrel font  . We used to have a Latin/'Eoio monopoly 

What is it that you liked/hated the most about Avatar ?

Spoiler

How many times have you seen it? How big of an Avatard are you? Prove it!

I loved Avatar's Na'vi language best, though that is probably obvious. I hated the bad Na'vi of Grace and the unrealistic scenes before Hometree fell. Neytiri seemed like a baby with her obvious fake crying etc. And I also hate the cut scene of Selfridge trying to fire Quaritch. Its cut totally flattened Selfridge's personality and makes his rel. with Quaritch unclear. I'm not really a big Avatar fan - there are movies I like better than Avatar

Has Avatar  changed your life in any way?

Spoiler

Are you trying to become a Na'vi? How and to what extent? Do you live on a tree? Do you wear your hair in a long braid? Or are you just simply blue? Do you bond with animals? Is Gaia on your contact list? Did you have your photo 'shopped?

Well, first off I spent lots and lots of time making a Dolby PLII edition of the Avatar soundtrack to play on my car. And I remastered the BluRay into standard DVD PAL format (to bring to my friends' homes) which by all my tests trumps the 20th Century Fox NTSC version in both sound and video. And of course it did influence me a lot about environmentalism. Though I'm by no means an activist, I'm an environmentalist and used to not be one.

If you could ask Frommer or Cameron three movie or language related questions what would they be?

Spoiler

You can make requests specific words/expressions too.

To Frommer: did you ever contact Fox about the ASG mistakes?
To Cameron: why did you revert back to your own spelling for the Collectors' Edition while using the corrected Frommerian spelling for the standard edition?
To Frommer: are you developing more Na'vi for Avatar 2 and 3? And are those developments posted in Na'viteri or are they top secret?

What else do you do in you free time?

Programming! I love programming and I use C# and PHP, with a bit of C++. I also like image processing with GIMP, but I'm really bad at drawing things from scratch. I do audio/video processing a lot with Avisynth.

Name your top three favorite Earth animals from most favorite to least. Why those? What's the animal you're most terrified of?

Domestic cat, arctic tern, bottlenose dolphin.
I absolutely hate earthworms. They are just disgusting to me.

Pirate, ninja, zombie, or robot?

Spoiler

Something else? Maybe a combo? Exactly what subtype? Why? (For those of you not so versed in trash tropes, this question basically amounts to asking "What superpowers would you like to have?")

Robot! Robots can be extensible (hey gimme an update to the testing repo!) but ninjas, pirates, and zombies are both old-fashioned and die easily. Robot brains can be backed up in the case of a sudden impending death.

What three items would you take to a desert island and why?

Spoiler

Anything from books, movies, games, instruments, music, sporting equipment, etc. You'd be provided with means to fully utilize the chosen items – electricity, MP3 player, etc. –, but you couldn't use them for anything else. Escape is not possible.

My computer, 3G internet access, and a crossbow or gun.

If you could travel to anywhere in space and time (including fictional universes), where would you go and why?

Pandora in 2154 as a Na'vi. I'll negotiate with the RDA and then we can peacefully cooperate. I'd love to teach sawtute Na'vi on Pandora tours!

If you were granted one single wish what would it be?

That my friend name deleted would keep in contact with me, preferably in Na'vi.

What is a question you'd ask yourself? How would you answer it?

What's your name? My name is U. te Skxawng

True or false?

Spoiler

Write three statements about yourself, the more extravagant the better. At least one of them must be true. At the end of the week, you'll have to tell which ones were truthful and which made up.

1. I'm already admitted to a university.
2. I've once accidentally zeroed my entire hard drive.
3. My favorite food is plain old toasted bread.

What is the funniest, weirdest, or most embarrassing Na'vi or Avatar  related thing that has happened to you?

Spoiler

Something along the lines of a MLIA short.

I don't think I've had anything weird related to Na'vi happen to me...

...

Spoiler

Asked by the previous NotW.

Reyko Didn't Ask. 

[Niri Te]

 I am going to say that the first is TRUE that you already have been accepted for College

Anyone that love computers as much as you, probably "learned by doing" early on, so you probably DID wipe out your hard drive.

I think FALSE!! With all the FANTASTIC Chinese food that you can now have, you must really be enjoying yourself. I just LOVE Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean food.
Niri Te

[Ningey]

Ah, kaltxì!

Robot, eh? Well, the only problem is that their controlling electronics are extremely sensitive to magnetic fields (talk about turbulent currents) or EMPs - and since Pandora is a moon of a gas giant, there are regular plasma ducts forming between Polyphemus and Pandora (the same thing that happens between Jupiter and Io). The ensuing currents could cause the controls to immediately short out... ^^
However, as long as the backups are still available...

As for your questions, I would consider the following:
1: tsleng
2: eyawr
3: eyawr

ta Ningey

[Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)]

First off, congratulations. Second, thanks for the info you messaged me about my LN profile. Updating it soon.

Avatar is not your favorite movie?    Okay, yer fired, give back the banner. Kidding, it's cool that it is not, there are lots of styles and interests and you appear to have gravitated mostly to the language and the people here and that is just dandy. You appear quite fluent.

Please define 'wiya'.

I am glad you were able to help bridge the gap into the Chinese world with the language here.

You seem quite adept at computers as well. Wish I had a tenth of your knowledge. Keep up that great work, it will take you places.

As far as your T/F answers? I choose True for all answers. Anyone that plays with computers has been known to wax a HD from time to time by accident. You strike me as a person that universities would like to have through your knowledge. And Canada being a college for every person country, it makes sense. And why not like toast. It is a good snack.

[Seze Mune]

Ah, kaltxì!

Robot, eh? Well, the only problem is that their controlling electronics are extremely sensitive to magnetic fields (talk about turbulent currents) or EMPs - and since Pandora is a moon of a gas giant, there are regular plasma ducts forming between Polyphemus and Pandora (the same thing that happens between Jupiter and Io). The ensuing currents could cause the controls to immediately short out... ^^
However, as long as the backups are still available...

ta Ningey

Nice bit of info there, ma Ningey!  Irayo seiyi.   

Ma Uniltìrantokx, it's nice to see you here.  Since Reyko didn't ask a question, I will:  what brought you and your parents back to China, and for how long?  Will you stay in China or do you think of emigrating?

My guesses:  Ngay, Ngay, Ngay.  (although I wonder how easy it is to find a loaf of western type bread in China.)

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

Ah, kaltxì!

Robot, eh? Well, the only problem is that their controlling electronics are extremely sensitive to magnetic fields (talk about turbulent currents) or EMPs - and since Pandora is a moon of a gas giant, there are regular plasma ducts forming between Polyphemus and Pandora (the same thing that happens between Jupiter and Io). The ensuing currents could cause the controls to immediately short out... ^^
However, as long as the backups are still available...

ta Ningey

Nice bit of info there, ma Ningey!  Irayo seiyi.   

Ma Uniltìrantokx, it's nice to see you here.  Since Reyko didn't ask a question, I will:  what brought you and your parents back to China, and for how long?  Will you stay in China or do you think of emigrating?

My guesses:  Ngay, Ngay, Ngay.  (although I wonder how easy it is to find a loaf of western type bread in China.)

Well, first off, we went back to China mainly because my dad can earn way more money at lots of other jobs at China after the experience he had in Canada. And we all got our citizenships, so  We're going to move to Canada again in around July 2012. There the internet would be way faster to say the least

Regarding bread, it is one of the most common foods in China. China, unlike neighboring countries, pretty much lost everything of its culture due to the accurately termed Cultural Revolution. I'm not regretting it anyway. Traditional Chinese food is really unhealthy and is the closest thing to the Western concept of junk food (tons of oil + salt + MSG). Bread is as common a food as in America  Except we eat tons of rice too...I hate rice. I'd pick even plain pasta with no ingredients but wheat over rice any day!

[Seze Mune]

Aha!  No doubt we will see you at a few meetups in the future, once you settle back in Canada somewhere.  You make enjoyable contributions to the forum and I'm glad to see you here, ma 'eylan. Eywa ngahu fratseng. 

[Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)]

I tried to get into Canada and had an awful reception in Vancouver. I won't go into detail but because of it I have quite a bit of animosity to their border system and of course the US passport agency.

Really looked forward to seeing the terrain and stuff.

And yes, like Seze says. Perhaps we will get the opportunity to meet at an AVTR group meet somewhere sometime.

[Reykoveyzä te Werufalä Haflak'ite]

 agh! the question! i knew i'd forget something.
but i'll ask one anyway - just to try and regain my position of a person-with-a-normal-memory-and-not-a-goldfishes.... so since avatar isnt your favourite film, what it? (something within me just shuted "trekkie! he'll be a trekkie!" but this voice is usually hugely wrong, so...)

i'm gonna go all ngay for the true/false. you seem very clever, so the first one would work, but even clever people make mistakes so the second one works too. the third...well, in for a penny, in for a pound, srak? 

[Ningey]

Regarding bread, it is one of the most common foods in China. China, unlike neighboring countries, pretty much lost everything of its culture due to the accurately termed Cultural Revolution. I'm not regretting it anyway. Traditional Chinese food is really unhealthy and is the closest thing to the Western concept of junk food (tons of oil + salt + MSG). Bread is as common a food as in America  Except we eat tons of rice too...I hate rice. I'd pick even plain pasta with no ingredients but wheat over rice any day!

And yet another information gap closed...
To be honest, so far I've considered things to be the other way round (in fact, I have no problem with Chinese food) - seems that I've been mistaken.
But, pray tell me, what do you mean with "alum"? Aluminum?

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
KAl(SO₄)₂

[Alyara Arati]

Seykxel sì nitram!

I hope that your friend does keep in touch with you, and I'm guessing that all of your statements are true ones.

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

agh! the question! i knew i'd forget something.
but i'll ask one anyway - just to try and regain my position of a person-with-a-normal-memory-and-not-a-goldfishes.... so since avatar isnt your favourite film, what it? (something within me just shuted "trekkie! he'll be a trekkie!" but this voice is usually hugely wrong, so...)

i'm gonna go all ngay for the true/false. you seem very clever, so the first one would work, but even clever people make mistakes so the second one works too. the third...well, in for a penny, in for a pound, srak? 

Well, hard to say what my favorite movie is. That title changes from time to time, but Avatar is perpetually my second or third favorite movie no matter how much time passes. So I do love Avatar  but I'm not a super fan...Avatar's bad Na'vi kind of destroys the fictional universe and yells, "HEY ACTOR GOOF AGAIN! IT IS JUST A MOVIE!!!" 

[Niri Te]

Well, hard to say what my favorite movie is. That title changes from time to time, but Avatar is perpetually my second or third favorite movie no matter how much time passes. So I do love Avatar  but I'm not a super fan...Avatar's bad Na'vi kind of destroys the fictional universe and yells, "HEY ACTOR GOOF AGAIN! IT IS JUST A MOVIE!!!" 

That is where NOT having heard any Na'vi spoken other than what's in the movie, as far as I am concerned, THAT is Na'vi, so I don't have your problem with the disconnect while watching it. I have worked at making my Na'vi sound just like what is in the movie, and if it sounds a little different that what the linguists among us speak, I'll just tel them that I speak a dialect of an 'olo on a group of islands out in the middle of the Eastern Sea.
Niri Te

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

Well, hard to say what my favorite movie is. That title changes from time to time, but Avatar is perpetually my second or third favorite movie no matter how much time passes. So I do love Avatar  but I'm not a super fan...Avatar's bad Na'vi kind of destroys the fictional universe and yells, "HEY ACTOR GOOF AGAIN! IT IS JUST A MOVIE!!!" 

That is where NOT having heard any Na'vi spoken other than what's in the movie, as far as I am concerned, THAT is Na'vi, so I don't have your problem with the disconnect while watching it. I have worked at making my Na'vi sound just like what is in the movie, and if it sounds a little different that what the linguists among us speak, I'll just tel them that I speak a dialect of an 'olo on a group of islands out in the middle of the Eastern Sea.
Niri Te

By bad Na'vi I didn't mean Neytiri (only her stress was bad) but Grace and Eytukan...

Here's a passage in a dialect of Na'vi I sometimes use when I'm bored (invented according to a set of rules):
Oen ngatì kame'e ma ayeynanh! Oe tsun pùldxe nìNha'vi afe'!

[Seze Mune]

Well, hard to say what my favorite movie is. That title changes from time to time, but Avatar is perpetually my second or third favorite movie no matter how much time passes. So I do love Avatar  but I'm not a super fan...Avatar's bad Na'vi kind of destroys the fictional universe and yells, "HEY ACTOR GOOF AGAIN! IT IS JUST A MOVIE!!!" 

That is where NOT having heard any Na'vi spoken other than what's in the movie, as far as I am concerned, THAT is Na'vi, so I don't have your problem with the disconnect while watching it. I have worked at making my Na'vi sound just like what is in the movie, and if it sounds a little different that what the linguists among us speak, I'll just tel them that I speak a dialect of an 'olo on a group of islands out in the middle of the Eastern Sea.
Niri Te

Ah, good save!  Works for me.....HRH!   

[Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)]

I can understand favorite movies bouncing around and changing as the movies come and go. Glad Avatar is in the top 3

[Human No More]

Congratulations

Ts/Ng/Ng

agh! the question! i knew i'd forget something.
but i'll ask one anyway - just to try and regain my position of a person-with-a-normal-memory-and-not-a-goldfishes.... so since avatar isnt your favourite film, what it? (something within me just shuted "trekkie! he'll be a trekkie!" but this voice is usually hugely wrong, so...)

Please, everyone knows it's Trekker

[Reykoveyzä te Werufalä Haflak'ite]

Please, everyone knows it's Trekker

You learn something new every day 

[Irtaviš Ačankif]

Hey, so here's the TF answers:

1. Ngay. I was just admitted to both the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto 
2. Tsleng. I've done lots of mistakes on hard drives (including using a screwdriver to disassemble one and smashing the stuff inside) but I've never actually zeroed out a hard drive before.
3. Tsleng. Bread is way better than rice, but I really don't have a favorite food.

And I'm not a Trekkie