Bobsled run. Will I reach the end without falling off?

Umm. well, he added so many to me already that he’s probably tired of me being stubborn and hard on myself and he might think there’s actually nothing to be said anymore. :slight_smile:

And yes, you have the right to preach at me because even with living among Welsh people makes you more experienced and keen to language then I am.

BUT … your words are challenging and inviting so I might pear around the corner one day and do that bobsled. I might “derail” before I finish though :slight_smile:

It certainly will! And I’ll look forward very much indeed to hearing how that goes for you - you’ve thrown yourself into this process with such enthusiasm and commitment, you deserve superb results :sunny:

Well I did it!
I went to Saith Seren, where I must say, the staff were still able to remain cheerful despite what is hanging over them.
Well done everyone for supporting them in their hour of need.

Anyway, back to it. When I walked in things didn’t look too promising. There was a group of teenagers, all speaking fluent Welsh, which I wasn’t brave enough to try to break into, and a group of three blokes, all speaking English which was the total attendance . I exchanged a few pleasantries with a nice lady behind the bar which soon fizzled out as she had to serve customers. However, only a few minutes later a bloke came in, bought a pint and sat at the other end of the bar on his own, and I was aware he spoke in Welsh to the barmaid. Target in sight!!

So doing something I never normally do, namely starting up conversations with strangers in pubs, I sidled up to him, took a deep breath and waded in. An hour and a quarter later I had to leave to catch my train home but in that time we had a continuous conversation which was almost all Welsh.

So aran that’s challenge ten of bobsled done, but, flushed with success, I’m going back on Monday evening to join in their dysgwyr meeting, which my new friend told me, normally attracts twenty or so learners and refreshers.
What will they do if SS folds I wonder? It is a facility that really needs to be saved, so let’s hope we can do so . Hopefully the publicity that this is attracting will encourage similar centres to be set up wherever there is a perceived need, and prompt y Llywodraeth Cymraeg to take an interest.
I hope that’s not a pig I see passing overhead.

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Absolutely superb. Llongyfarchiadau mawr iawn iawn. Good heavens, with that kind of determination and courage, there is absolutely no doubt about two things - one, you’re already a Welsh speaker, and two, you’re going to get more and more pleasure out of using your new language in the months and years to come :sunny:

Let everyone be inspired by this - Bryan is a model for you all :star2:

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It was good to meet you at the Saith Seren last night Bryan, I though your Welsh was great! Hope to see you there again.

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Diolch Sandra, I enjoyed my visit and will certainly be back to enjoy the company of the group again. I hope that the appeal for funds will be successful enough to enable the centre to stay open so that my visits extend well beyond the middle of May.

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Thank you very much for posting your experience of your bobsled run!

And I must say, your three-minute chat in Welsh sounded very convincing! I only understood the odd word here or there, but as Aran said, it seemed to flow very well, with only minor pauses.

Well done!

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I’d more or less forgotten all about this, @philipnewton but I’m glad that @tatjana remembered it and pointed you in its direction. I made up my mind when I started that the only way to make progress in learning the (any?) language was to throw myself into it in whatever way I could, so the online bootcamp seemed a good place to start. I can also thoroughly recommend going on a live bootcamp if you can. @aran claimed, but I was doubtful that it applied to me, that, after completing course 1 it’s possible to do a whole week in Welsh, but he was right, you can and the two combined make a good solid launch pad.
Then, not living in Wales and not having any Welsh speaking friends now, I joined the local Welsh Society, go to a U3A Welsh conversation group and used to go to the nearest SSiW chat group until it folded, plus Saith Seren when I can as I’m doing a formal Welsh course on a Monday at present.
This sounds as if I’m blowing my own trumpet but that’s not my aim, merely to point out that it bears fruit if you can find a few outlets for your enthusiasm.

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