Hi, am going to this bootcamp, no email as yet, feeling apprehensive, anxious, and as above ‘what have I done’ but also looking forward to improving my conversations in welsh.
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I’m going too. Excited but ‘bach o nerfus’ too!
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I’m also going, and feeling exactly the same. It’s perfectly normal when you’re in a strange environment.
Mind-numbing terror is all part of the process. It’ll get slightly easier with every sentence you speak, and before you know it you’ll be understanding a lot of what’s said to you.
Then, when you’re nice and comfortable, you’ll hear a sentence where you barely understand a word, and the fun cycle of terror begins all over again! The more you talk, the less frequent they’ll become.
Any language-learning journey should be punctuated with moments of feeling like you’re completely out of your depth. If it isn’t, you’re going too easy on yourself. 
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Excellent way of looking at it DaveHedgehog, nerves will be part of the experience I guess until we all settle into it and get to know each other more. We’ll have fun I’m sure. With your ffugenw (pseudonym) are you a fan of Bottom?
That’s right! Not many people spot that…
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Emails not sent yet - don’t panic! - but I do feel the need to say one thing to you all:
There is absolutely no need to worry.
We’ve been running Bwtcamps for 8 years now, and they are a lot of fun. I estimate that between 200 and 300 people have taken part in Bwtcamps during that time, and most have gone on to lead normal lives.
Really, really, really - it’s a holiday where you see interesting things in the company of interesting people in an absolutely stunning part of the country. If you spend that week as a Trappist retreat in which you say nothing and (pretend to) hear nothing, you will still have a lovely experience. And you all have plenty of Welsh to be able to go beyond that, which is a huge bonus.
Now - off I go to write your emails… (sorry!)
Iestyn
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Hi Iestyn
Not had an email as yet, when will you be sending one out, desperate to know what our first task is going to be !
Diolch
Sandra
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Sorry Iestyn , only just noticed your message, emails on way. Diolch
Bore da Bwtcampers!
As promised (Although you do have to be aware of the Welsh 'now in a minute), I have sent emails to you all today which include a couple of questions to start us off. Here are my answers:
My name is Iestyn, and I live with my wife Cat and our 4 (is it only 4?) children in Llandysul, Ceredigion. I was brought up in Gilfach Fargod, in the Rhymney Valley.
I want to speak Welsh because it is my first and native language, the language of my Welsh ancestors, and because my kids would find it a bit weird if I started speaking English with them…
I love singing. I’ve always sung to the kids since they were babies, and I was in a choir before the pressures of being a dad ate into that too much and I decided to give it a miss for a while.
One of my favourite things to do is to get up early (before 6 most mornings) and do an hour or more of stuff before anyone else turns up in my life. The world is particularly beautiful first thing in the morning, and when everyone else is asleep you can get so much done!
I’m looking forward to meeting you all - on the forum to start with, and “in the (Welsh speaking) flesh” very very soon!
Iestyn
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Bore Da, Bootcampers !
Sandra dw i, dw i’n bwy yn Port Talbot, ond dw i’n bwy yn Penybont yn wreiddiol. I want to speak welsh as am welsh and pround and never had the opportunity when I was younger. My husband and his children and our grandchildren all speak welsh, so I desperately want to join in with them.
I am retired now, and spend some of my time researching family history, looking after my grandchildren, swimming, travelling, read a lot and learning welsh.
I am a coffee drinker and am fond of an occasional vodka and coke !
Really looking forward to meeting you all but am as they say ‘running scared ’ at the thought of no "Englaish’ for a whole week.
Sandra
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Hi Pawb,
My name is Lisa. I live near Narberth, in Pembrokeshire. I enjoy anything to do with nature and the environment - reading about it, watching documentaries, walking in it and gardening to encourage endangered species. I am looking forward to meeting you all in Bwtcamp.
Roll on April 25th,
Lisa
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Helo pawb
My name is Carin but Caz for short.
I wanted to start learning Cymraeg to re-claim my Welsh heritage, as my great great grandparents on Mothers side were 1st language speakers from Anglesey. When they moved south for work it got lost, and my Gran told me she would be smacked on the knuckes in school for speaking it 
Hobbies wise I love photography and digital art, and will be bringing a camera or two, digital and film as I still shoot film.
Close to my heart is animal wefare. As many of you know I love animals and have 7 rescue dogs 
a cat (Dolly), a rabbit (Bob), geese, chickens, ducks and doves.
I love to have a laugh, and glad to find out that DaveHedhog is a fan of Bottom 
Well that’s a bit about me, looking forward to it, see you all soon. Hwyl
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This is a great start so far - lots of stuff in common even though there’s on;y 4 of us posted so far.
So is this going to be a ‘pen-ôl’ camp? 
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Helo pawb.
Vanessa ydw i. Dw i’n byw yng Nghaedydd ond dw i’n dod o Lyn Ebwy yn wreiddiol. Dw i wedi bod yn trio dysgu Cymraeg am flynyddoedd ond dw i ddim yn rhugl eto. Dw i eisiau bod yn rhugl achos dw i’n falch iawn i fod Cymraes a dw i’n dwli ar fy ngwlad i. Hoffwn i weithio trwy cyfrwng Cymraeg yn y dyfodol.
Dw i’n hoffi mynd am dro gyda fy nghi i, Stanley. Ci “rescue” ydy Stanley. Dw i’n mwynhau mynd i’r theatr hefyd i weld musicals.
Dw i’n mwynhau canu’r piano yn fawr iawn.
Dw i’n gyffrous iawn i fod yn mynd i bwtcamp a dw i’n edrych ymlaen at fynd yn fawr iawn ac i gwrdd at pawb. Fe welwn i chi gyd Mis Ebrill.
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And in English …
I’m Vanessa.
I live in Cardiff but come from Ebbw Vale originally. I’ve been learning Welsh for years but I’m not fluent yet. I want to be fluent because I’m very proud to be welsh and I love my country. In the future I would like to work through the medium of Welsh. I like walking my rescue dog Stanley. I enjoy going to the theatre as I enjoy musicals and I enjoy playing the piano.
I am very excited to be going to bwtcamp and am really looking forward to meeting everyone. See you all in April.
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Noswaith dda, pawb,
my name is Ildikó (chosen name of Camilla in the forum) and live in a village in South Germany, near the Swabian Alb.
I started to learn Welsh on a whim, because I love “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood” and fell in love with the language.
I’m addicted to tea, like to take walks, read about whatever catches my interest and enjoy cooking / baking with my friends.
I’m looking forward to meeting you all for an exciting and wonderful week in April 
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10 years @Iestyn, I was there in spring/summer 2010, although I think it was just Aran who ran my first bwtcamp. The third one of that first year. And for all the stresses I’ve been back several times since then until I knew that it was indeed true and that I AM A WELSH SPEAKER, and there’s no need for me to go again.
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My name’s Darren, and I live in Chesterfield in Derbyshire. My family comes from Derry, and I have a rather peculiar accent that’s a mix of Northern Irish and Derbyshire that leads most people to think that I’m from Cornwall. 
I want to learn Welsh because I’m British, Welsh is an important part of British culture and it makes sense to be able to speak with the neighbours in the way they prefer to!
My favourite things are hiking, languages/linguistics and, as Carin has noticed, the TV series Bottom. Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson are comedy gods.
I’m also a big fan of heavy metal, but It’s unlikely that I’ll be inflicting that upon you all unless I can find a decent Welsh-speaking metal band…
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Shwmae pawb. My name is Gwylan. I was born and grew up in the Rhondda Valley then went to college in Goucester but after a few years I “came home” and now live in Bridgend (South Wales) with my year old dog (for whom,I think, the phrase “llond llaw go iawn” was written for!), two cats and my (allegedly) grown up nephew. I have wanted to learn Welsh and be able to speak it fluently for as long as I can remember; so much so I took a job in a Welsh speaking environment nearly twenty years ago but was bullied horribly (all because the first time I tried to talk to a colleague in Welsh I made a silly mistake!) so I gave up on trying to learn (and changed jobs!)…but the desire to learn was always in the back of my mind and when I came across SSiW last year I thought on a whim I would give it a go (I only meant to sign up for the 6 minute a day course…) and now I am signed up for bwtcamp (talk about being well outside my comfort zone!)
I have a demanding full time job but spend some of my spare time (when the dog allows!) sewing which includes clothes, and my current projects are recycling fabric into bags and patchwork quilts.
I went on a Mindfulness course 4 years ago and have now been meditating for 1423 consequective days (as I often use a guided meditation my challenge between now and the end of April is to change my routine to do my daily meditations as silent practice (i.e. no english!).
I am looking forward to meeting you all in April even though part of me is quite terrified at the very thought of it!
hwyl, Gwylan
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