I am sure I will be back … a lot more than once. The move is definitely going to happen, just a question of fine details of timing and location. Keep the kettle on, diolch 
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It is Emilia, formerly jackie-ysbiwr, decided to change my username, hope it won’t be too confusing to anyone. 
Thank you all so much for welcoming me. I will definitely write here when having any achievements or difficult moments and wil try to support you as well.
@tatjana It’s rally nice to meet another Slavic person on here, I’m really happy about it. It’s also nice that we have some things in common. Learning Welsh as my fourth language, I definitely know that even though it is a really amazing experience to learn a language, there are hard moments from time to time and I think I’m ready for it, as I’ve already been through some frustration with my Welsh. But yeah, it would be great if I, and all of us, could fly through it so thanks for your wishes and wishing the same for you.
@henddraig as for the story behind jackie-ysbiwr name, it is a part of my email address so I guess it appeared here by default. When I was creating that address, I wanted to use it only for a one thing and I wanted to decrease a possibility of being recognised. My dad’s name is Jacek and I guess that’s why I’ve always got on well and liked all the Jaceks, Jacks, Jackies, Jacs etc. whom I’ve known, plus I like these names also. Hence Jackie, but after some time it became my only email. But it doesn’t mean I don’t like my name, actually, I love it, even if it sounds a bit egocentrically or something. 
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I’m in awe at your welsh skills. Well done!
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I am in awe at your English skills, never mind your Welsh! And you didn’t choose the lovely name Emilia, your parents looked down at their beautiful baby and chose it, so the fact that you like it too is all positive! My mother annoyed everyone on both sides of my family by choosing ‘Jacqueline’ which, I suspect, was either from a film star or a character in a film or a famous member of the French Resistance! I was supposed, in the eyes of the family to be Eva or Eve after my Dad’s poor little sister who died young, or Gladys after his Mam. My mother, a terrible snob, chose my name and claimed it was my father’s choice. As he was fighting in North Africa at the time, he could not be consulted. When I asked him after WW2, he said, “Nothing to do with me”
Like ‘cwestiwn’!
Sorry, I didn’t realise I’d already posted just above!
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Apropos of nothing in particular, it’s also the Old English spelling: cwic (bywyog), cwēn (brenhines) etc.
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So we gained the ‘q’ from Norman French??? 
Yes – there’s a lot that got respelled by the Normans, but that didn’t really change pronunciation till much later. My favourite is cniht, which meant ‘lad’, ‘young man’, ‘hogyn’ – pronounced cnicht (spelt as Welsh), respelt by the Normans knight
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Meic y Marchog rides again!
Thanks, Henddraig, I really appreciate that you think my English skills are so good, since I’ve learnt mostly on my own. Although I still have a very long way to go with my Welsh.
I am sorry that your mum picked your name in such way and that you don’t like it, though, as I said, I like your name and for me it sounds better than Eva or Eve. Gladys is nice and has a great Welsh variant Gwladus, as far as I know.
I’ve seen three patients through the medium of Welsh this morning
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Seriously awesome. Making a REAL difference RIGHT there.
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Fantastic - not only for you but also for your patients - you should be proud.
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Watching ‘Bing’ animation for little children with my 2 yo (yn gymraeg) via iPlayer.
For the first time a whole sentence came across to me rather than just the odd word. And then again. =D
I’m feeling encouraged. Must press on with the challenges. Ch12 of Level 2 today.
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Michelle Fecio, a learner from New York State, has written a bilingual article about her experiences of learning Welsh in a year with SSIW and shares some resources for international learners. It’s the first time she has written in Welsh as well- a great achievement! http://parallel.cymru/?p=2118. Da iawn Michelle.
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Is Michelle on the Forum? @michellefecio Ahah! There you are!
For you,
Brilliant article and very helpful. Back in the 1980s I knew a Welsh-American from New York State and gathered there was a community there, but New York City is so multi-cultural, I imagine there are folk from everywhere, too mixed up to find any one variety! …Pause to look at Map … seem to be five or six in New Tork, Manhattan, Bronx etc.but I didn’t find you, Michelle! Have you found any of the others, maybe for a chat?
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Diolch i chi! I live up in the big mostly rural part of the state, way north and west from New York City (Syracuse, to be precise), so it’s about a 4 hour trip by car to get to New York City from here. Unfortunately I haven’t really been able to get to NYC to do any events with the Welsh society or other speakers there yet, but hopefully in the future! I have heard and seen rumblings of Welshness up here (a Welsh flag on the porch of a house when passing through a small town nearby, a tattoo artist saying someone came in looking to get y ddraig coch, multiple towns with Welsh names) but I unfortunately haven’t encountered any other learners yet in the area.
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Llongyfarchiadau mawr, Michelle
Have you had a look at the map? We have one other learner listed in Syracuse, and then 2 or 3 more in Ithaca - and I know Bixy has been on the forum from time to time, although that doesn’t seem to be her forum name any more…
I was about to say much the same, but with less detail than Aran! You might be able to find Forum members able to noin in Skype chats locally, or even someone within reach for meetings, if only, say once a month or even once a quarter!
Diolch! Oh wow, it looks like there might be someone in the exact same town where I live now if the map is correct. I’ll have to start just speaking Welsh all the time when out doing errands in the hope of running into this person! 
I know I should really just get off my backside and do Skype chats, but for some reason in person conversations seem much less intimidating than over a computer. I’m 90% sure I’ll be in South Wales for at least a few days in May, so I fully intend to make up for the lack of Welsh conversation here by annoying everyone with my refusal to speak English the entire time I’m there. 
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