Well, now I’ve gathered my thoughts enough to start comming to normal way of living and thinking again and of course to a bit describe the challenge of all challenges regarding learning languages in my life:
Challenge Number 18 - BWTCAMP!
I’ve written quite some things in the topics like Cymru - I’m coming! (and a bit of help please), Any SSIW meetup at the National Eisteddfod 2016? and 2016 Tresaith Bootcamp July 23-30 and maybe some more (I’m not sure anymore) and I pondered my thoughts where to sum up all and as it was challenge in deed I decided to do it here. So … here we go:
Once upon a time there was a dream which one little, hardbeating perfectionist never thought it can come true. But one day she just realized it is possible to make those dreams true. It was some wonder and magic obviously which has put all happenings together in just right order and on just right place so … little hard perfectionist happened to get on track to make her big dreams come true. Planning all month, counting money and future happenings which could enable or bury the dreams, following timetibles of the planes, busses, events … buying all sorts of tickets … that was the life of that hard perfectionist that month before bwtcamp and then … all of a sudden, after all planning, buying, counting, ordering tickets (yn Cymraeg aswell) she finds herself sitting on the plane to London Stansted, where her adventure begins … With big help of @margaretnock and her parents she arrived to London and was brought to the bwtcamp the next day. Did she had any imagination how it all will look like? No, she didn’t! She didn’t have the slidest idea about what is waiting for her and who she’ll really meet there … and the challenge began …
From the first to the last day of bwtcamp and even after it that hard little perfectionist has spoken Cymraeg trying hard to use every single bit of her knowledge she gained during the learning process through the lessons, skyping and what’s more to it. No, she admits she used some (tiny) bit of Saesneg and fortunately wasn’t punished with swimming in (for her way too cold) sea - haha! But before using that tiny bit of Saesneg she has put effort into searching her memory to tell things in Cymraeg, that’s what I can tell.
There was walking, singing, laughing, epic Noson Lawen, going to the tafarn … all involving Cymraeg. The most pleasant thing was people being happy and even eager to speak Cymraeg with bwtcampers and whenever/wherever she said she’s from Slovenia, people were surprised or even amazed. Some knew where her little country is and some did not so explaining where she comes from was quite a challenge also. She was never nervous and always eager to speak except for that BBC interview in the (too) early morning but even that she’d probably do if explicitely wanted.
Siarad Cymraeg, wherever they come, wherever they go … allover … again and again and again. and the week of challenges was over too fast. Now that she knows how it all goes, she’d probably want to do some things differently, better but all in all she’s (FINALLY) satisfied with what she acheaved.
Meeting new firends and put forum names to the faces was the most pleasant thing. And it was pleasure and honour meeting @Iestyn, @anon86454181 and their two girls.
She still has all that singing in her ears hoping she’d one day be able to sing all those songs too (without looking into the text and moaning since she hardly could read it. 
)
And when bwtcamp was over she still wanted to do more. She still wanted challenges and just couldn’t switch back to Saesneg any more. Taking some SSiW cards from the table at Bwtcamp she hoped she’d meet some people who’d be eager to learn Cymraeg and would this for accept a card gladly.
Cardiff was her place to stay and the plans went further into visiting Eisteddfod and some other things whrth to see. Eisteddfod, Cardiff bus tour and St. Fagans were the destinations and already the first evening staying in Cardiff she gave first two cards, one to her host (I hope she’ll sign up on this forum too) and one to lovely Brasilian lady who happened to learn Cymraeg also.
And then it came Eisteddfod. Not knowing much where to go first, she, proudly wearing her SSiW T-Shirt, just strolled around watching happenings, listening to some music and buying some occassional things and met 5 SSiWers and one celebrity already the first day of her visit to Eisteddfod. She spoke Cymraeg wherever she went not even thinking there are people who maybe can’t speak the language although there were some of them who spoke only Saesneg. The second visit to Eisteddfod was the big SSiW gathering where there were quite a lot of SSiWers. She spoke Cymraeg again and she had pleasure to meet some already known people and many new ones. She was happy and honoured to meet @aran, @CatrinLliarJones and their two kids for the first time ever aswell Ooo, yes, the SSiW T-Shirt was worn proudly again and her famous hat made by @margaretnock was put on as promissed when big gathering has begun.
In Cardiff she visited famous Y Mochyn Du several times but was a bit surprised and disappointed not all staff there is speaking Cymraeg. But it became her favourite place to be at the evenings when comming back from Eisteddfod both times. Lots of Cymraeg one can hear there and this just pleased her ears, sipping her beer and listening people talking.
And in Cardiff she met one of her FB friends who’s native Cymraeg speaker. Talking about two hours yn Cymraeg was both, a challenge and a pleasure in deed.
Going back home after all these adventures, comming to London, she just couldn’t switch back to Saesneg and this for one lady kindly (a bit angerly though) allerted her there only English is spoken. “Yes, I know, but I just can’t switch to it yet.” was her reply smiling and she’s got her BIG COFFEE as ordered.
Now she is home safely spending another week of her holidays to be with her two best men - husband and son but her soul still is wandering there somewhere in Cymru. It was challenging, unforgetable visit to Cymru which might never happen in her life again but the life will never be the same again. Mae hi’n siarad Cymraeg nawr ac mae hi’n awyddus i wella … and all this thanks to you all who encouraged me to go on, stood with me when I anobeithio’n llwyr and even pwdu many times and thanks to the staff of SSiW who, with this magnificent course, made all this possible because if there wouldn’t be SSiW I surely wouldn’t learn Cymraeg and this for would not be able to go to such great, challenging, happy and funny event as bwtcamp is.
Well, now … She’s not in any shape ready to go for Dysgwr y flwydyn but bwtcamp made a huge difference to her, making her eager to learn more, not only to speak, but to learn more vocabulary, to be able to write and read properly and … most of all … to sing!
Will next her challenge be of some singing? Maybe who knows.
(She didn’t cry when she sang, by the way. )
Diolch o galon i bawb. Dw i’n hapus iawn!
DIOLCH