Proverbs Prove the Point, Part 1

It doesn't matter where we come from, every nation and every language has it's own proverbs which have been handed down, generation to generation, and are still widely observed and of value. Here are some Thai proverbs [bold print] (and their equivalents in English) so that you may compare:

	"When you don't dance well, you blame it on the flute and the drum." A bad workman blames his tools (this means when one fails in something, some people seek to put the blame on others).
	"Ten cowrie shells near at hand." A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (this means that what you have is of, perhaps, more value than what you hope to have).
	"Don't turn over the rubbish to look for a centipede." Let sleeping dogs lie (this warns against awaking old problems which, although still there, are best left alone).
	"To cut the bamboo stem before you see the water." To count one's chicken's before they're hatched (this warns us against having high hopes for something which may never happen).
	"To get something, one must sacrifice something." You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs (this suggests we should never hope to gain all the time. We should not be too greedy but be satisfied with a compromise).
	"To die to spite the graveyard." To cut off one's nose to spite one's face (this warns us against making rash or impulsive decisions when angry because, at heart, we know them to be wrong).
	"To take face powder to sell to palace ladies." To carry coal to Newcastle (this means wasting one's time by doing something which is a fruitless effort).
	"Bad seven times, good seven times." Every cloud has a silver lining (this means, in times of difficulty, don't get downhearted because times ahead often prove better).
	"Escape from the Tiger; meet the Crocodile," To jump from the frying pan into the fire (this means that one misfortune can be compounded by another and there's practically nothing you can do about it -- except face up to it).
	"When you enter a town where people wink, wink as they do." When in Rome, do as the Romans do (suggests if you wanted to be accepted in a town or country you are visiting, do not be critical of established local customs or beliefs).