Pump am y Penwythnos / Friday five 23/02/18

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Pnawn da!

I’m once more at the children’s karate lesson and watching them doing breathing and focusing exercises…

  1. What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

  2. The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

  3. We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

  4. The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

  5. What do you have planned for the weekend?

#2
  1. I have very old (vinyl - or maybe even wax) recordings of Bach’s cello suites played by Pablo Casals. If I listen to any of these while stroking my son’s lovely dog, I can feel my Blood Pressure drop spectacularly.
  2. Losing weight - a lifetime struggle. I’m only a few kilos from being no longer obese - just overweight. :blush:
  3. A fantastic crimson, gold, orange sunset we witnessed from home over the Christmas season.
  4. Lower LPG (gas) charges - they’ve been horrendous this winter.
  5. What do you have planned for the weekend? I’m reitred - LLareggub! :laughing:
4 Likes
#3

1) What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

Depends on the reason for the need to relax :smiley: If I’m already pretty calm and I feel like I want to relax even more, I’ll listen to some calm, atmospheric video game music. If I need to relax because I’m too stressed and tense then I won’t have the patience to listen to that, so I’d go for some high tempo Welsh folk :grin:

2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

One of my long term goals is moving to Wales, but in the shorter term I’m trying to learn to play the fiddle well enough on my own by July that I could feel comfortable bringing it to Wales with me, and maybe even joining a Sesiwn Werin in the Eisteddfod.

3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

IMG-20171104-WA0020.jpg898×1600 268 KB

Last thing was this frozen lake in Lapland on a very warm and sunny day.

Before that was the area around where you live and before that all the mountains near Dolgellau :smile:

4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Coming back to Wales :stuck_out_tongue:

5) What do you have planned for the weekend?

Practicing fiddle and making sushi. I’m also going to follow a friend around the city because her dad is coming to visit from Germany and my mom is on some spiritual thing in Portugal :smiley:

5 Likes
#4

1) What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

The Mark Rylance BFG film, apparently.

2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

Yup. Building an effective course for every language in the world.

3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

Sunset over the Menai.

4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Not carrying coal.

5) What do you have planned for the weekend?

Sleep. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#5

1) What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

I lie down, shut my eyes and listen to a talking book. Nothing too exciting, and something where the narrator has a lovely calming voice.

2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

Well, I’m here trying to learn Welsh. My immediate goal is to get to the end of old course 2. It would also be nice to get Duolingo all gold.

3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

Maybe one of the mountain views in Austria, though that’s a while ago. The red kite rising from the garden past my window was pretty stunning too.

4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Longer days, holiday in May and visits to relations and friends.

5) What do you have planned for the weekend?

A walk along the river with a friend. This will involve a long bus ride to get there. With luck it will be a double-decker with a vacant front seat. Then on Sunday I am doing my regular shift in the village shop.

1 Like
#6

1) What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

I probably don’t listen to music as much as I should / would like to these days, but recently, I’ve been catching up again with Bach’s music transcribed for classical guitar, especially as played by Andres Segovia (one genius interpreted by another), especially the Chaconne in D minor ((Violin Partita No. 2 BWV 1004)).

On Youtube, there is also a version by a gentleman named John Feeley, played in a Methodist church in Rathgar, which is also very good.

The nice thing about Bach is that you can do almost anything to his music, and it still sounds great (e.g. Swingle Singers; Jacques Loussier. I also stumbled on this video recently:

See the comments for a track list, then checkout “Deconstructing Johann” - It’s hilarious ).

2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

Another weight loser (and gainer!) here.

3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

We did a winter cruise around the Norwegian coast, from Bergen up as far as Kirkenes on the Russian border a couple of years ago. That was a series of fairly breathtaking views. We did the summer version of that cruise last year, and that was equally awesome.

4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Just being able to walk outside without worrying about “wrapping up warmly”.
But especially looking forward to the sights and scents of spring, and the long, long days to come.

5) What do you have planned for the weekend?

A walk around Radley Lakes, hopefully; partly recce-ing a walk for a Nordic Walking group I go walking with, and partly just for me, for fun.

2 Likes
#7
  1. What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

I usually watch a TV program, that I’ve either recorded or on DVD. Currently watching the first Farscape series.

  1. The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

A new job. I handed my notice in today. Currently looking at Support Worker with MENCAP.
And I’m still trying to put together a decent version of “Adra” by Gwyneth Glyn. Chords are ok, but the finger-picking is much more of a challenge.

  1. We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

The super-red huge moon as I was heading up the A34 a few weeks back.

  1. The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Feeling warm in a t-shirt.

  1. What do you have planned for the weekend?

Work Saturday, rest on Sunday.

1 Like
#8

What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

Mindless computer games. Audio Books. Most recently, My Story, by Yassmin Abdel-Magied, an Australian Sudanese Muslim who breaks all the cultural stereotypes.

Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

Preparing for a 5k swim at the end of April to raise funds for Swimathon, Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK. All donations gratefully received. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/margaret-nock

What is the last sight that truly took your breath

Pacific Ocean from Shikoku island, Japan. I plainly overdid the enthusiasm for Japan as my husband is now there doing the same pilgrimage I did, but properly!

What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Having him home again, but that won’t be until the start of April.

  1. What do you have planned for the weekend?

Seedy Saturday in Carmarthen. Unlikely to buy or exchange any seeds, but likely to see ‘alternative’ type friends I haven’t seen for more than a year. Taking the rubbish accumulated in my son’s bedroom over the past fortnight downstairs. Natural laziness and a broken leg will have combined. And washing clothes. Going to church on Sunday.

1 Like
#9

  1. What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.
    Usually a film, try and find something new and interesting online.

  2. The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.
    Just getting through and passing my prescribing course which is taking up too much time that I could be spending on Welsh.

  3. We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?
    View of snow on the Berwyns from my house.

  4. The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?
    Being able to start growing veg again and lambs arriving.

  5. What do you have planned for the weekend?
    [/quote]

Going to a concert by a Welsh folk group called Teulu tomorrow night. Writing up more of my course and walking the dog.

1 Like
#10

[quote=“catrinlliarjones, post:1, topic:11151”]

  1. What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.[/quote]
    If I’m really stressed I listen to some really heavy thrash metal, I can feel the tension leaving my finger tips with every power chord, blast beat and throat scream.

[quote=“catrinlliarjones, post:1, topic:11151”]
2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.[/quote]
Trying to amass more books under the bed that I haven’t read than I have in the bookshelf that I’ve read. (I bought another today) :smile:

[quote=“catrinlliarjones, post:1, topic:11151”]
3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?[/quote]
Really corny and I apologise but opening the door to my wife after her shift this evening.

[quote=“catrinlliarjones, post:1, topic:11151”]
4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?[/quote]
Cycling in the hills around Llangollen with the warmth of the sun on my back (and sweat on my brow).

I’m working on Sunday but tomorrow will be an afternoon with the children and a take-away for tea. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#11

Diolch @AnnaC

#12

Croeso mawr :slight_smile:

#13

The new Gentle Good album is a great background while you’re doing something album. I really enjoy cooking with it on in the background.

A bit like @Novem I have different ways of relaxing.

Sometimes its put something on the telly I don’t need to engage with, like Friends. Sometimes it’s cooking, sometimes reading a book, sometimes listening to various types of music, and after work I find the gym reinvigorates me which then allows me to actually unwind. It’s like a de-stress before relaxing.

So I go to a CrossFit gym (carries with it a lot of opinions in the fitness industry, gets called a cult/dangerous/etc). CrossFit for those that don’t know is a fitness company based in the states that now has franchised gyms (known as “boxes”) all over the world. Every year they run the CrossFit Open. The ultimate goal of the Open is to qualify for Regionals and then the Games. However, 99% of people that take part will never reach the Games. The Open is run over 5 weeks. One workout a week is released. You perform the workout to required movement standards, this is judged and then your score goes on an international leaderboard. The great thing about it is that the gym gets a real community spirit when this is on. Everyone comes to the gym, watches, helps judge, cheers you on, takes part themselves.

Last night was the first workout of 2018. The atmosphere at the gym was amazing. Everyone gave it their all. The owner of the gym has, this year, set up intramural teams. Randomly separated us into teams of 10. So we have an extra bit of friendly competition/teamwork ethos. It’s great!

It’s an amazing thought that you’re doing the same workout as 20,000+ people across the globe. That’s quite a unifying thought (in a very middle class way)

I love North Wales for it’s views. Emma and I recently visited @BronwenLewis and the views around Cadair Idris are incredible. However, the most recent view to take my breath away was, and often is, the drive past Llwyn Onn and up the A470 to Pen-y-Fan.

I marry Emma :smile:

My parents are up looking at houses in Cardiff. So we’re going to go for some brunch at Canna Deli then watch the rugby with Emma’s parents.

4 Likes
#14

I like this a lot!

2 Likes
#15

Don’t be surprised, startlet or annoyed with the picks in the list … it goes from totally folk (whatever folk) all the way to cello/metal and beats of all kinds … headphones on and music to very loud levels not knowing what’s going on around me.

  1. Toward giving my site Talk Slovene a true meaning and purpose.
  2. Getting my welsh into higher levels.
  3. Finishing some of my long started graphical, animation, musical, writing projects,
  4. Going toward recording 5 minutes challenge @aran a while ago set in front of us for Welsh in every language I can or once could speak. This is well designed speaking practice even in one’s mother’s tongue aswell as you have to say something fast from the top of your head. :slight_smile:
  5. Striving with living through those (potential) two years at work so I finally can go into pension (if the luck still likes me at that time of course). :slight_smile:

I don’t need to go anywhere to see these beauties and they always fascinate me:

  1. The look on the mountains - the behind our house scene
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/jkw71nb4r2c9z3j/DSCN2517.JPG?dl=0
  2. Our two birch trees in the most golden december evening I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen many of such evenings but not any was that beautiful as this one).
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/qyi8gixrl12n6wh/DSCN2658.JPG?dl=0
  3. Endless grassfields covered with snow caught in the sunlight just some steps away from our home
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/gul9kcgnheideod/DSCN2821.JPG?dl=0
  4. Mountains covered with snow lifting up to the blue clear sky in the midday bright sunlight.
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/j59n9c1w7lhijsd/DSCN2822.JPG?dl=0

Not needing to put so much clothes on will be just enough … after that … our vacations in the spa lazying and doing nothing but just what we want to at the particular moment … ymlachio … :slight_smile:

Sgwrs gyda @brigitte on Skype is planed and watching the Ireland VS Wales rugby game (which I did). All the rest is the inspiration of the moment. :slight_smile:

3 Likes
#16

1) What do you listen to/watch/do when you really need to relax and chill out.

  • Classical music always helps me unwind, but not always the soft soothing stuff, Allegro Non Molto from ‘Winter’ by Vivaldi is a great stress reliever.

  • Singing has great therapeutic effects.

  • Wine helps a lot. :wink:

  • The sea - being near it, listening to it and watching it ebb and flow does absolute wonders to my soul as per this favourite poem by E. E. Cummings…

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

  • Similarly, being next to fast flowing cold water such as a river or waterfall, full of negative ions is great therapy.

  • I get great solace from walking the dog in and arround Uwch Gwyrfai common land where we live - it is a truly magical place. The views are spectacular, it is peaceful and quite beautiful.

2) The children are currently working towards their next karate grading. Are you currently working towards a goal? No matter how big or small.

Finishing the first draft of my novel.

3) We attend Karate in Llanberis and the sight of the Wyddfa never ceases to take my breath away - it’s appearance changes so dramatically with changes in weather and climate. What is the last sight that truly took your breath away?

Every single spring and summer sunset over the Irish Sea as seen from our garden.

4) The warm sun we had today had me dreaming of the summer - cooking in the garden and sitting out around the fire watching the stars. What are you most looking forward to with the change of the season?

Being in the garden - cooking, eating, drinking, entertaining, playing with the kids, sitting round the fire watching the stars.

Seeing the kids spend whole days, in their swimming costumes, playing in the stream by the house.

5) What do you have planned for the weekend?

We did our usual movie night on Friday evening. Ballet lessons on Saturday as well as the Eisteddfod Dalgylch yr Urdd in the afternoon. Games night on Saturday night. The usual cooked breakfast on Sunday morning after which I managed to ruin/lose gallons of home made mead which had been fermenting for 4 months, beach walk in the afternoon where the dog rolled in a putrid dead seal, then a pamper evening for me and our daughter Angharad.

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