_Hi Tatjana, I have to confess that I am panicking a bit about my welsh. I’ve done all the courses, levels and vocabulary sections but I don’t know how much I’ll remember when I get there I’m replaying everything through as a revision to help keep it all in my head. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got a leak somewhere. Some of the parts I’m revising I can’t even remember learning. Oh well, when you’re thrown in the deep end you just have to learn to swim real fast. I admire your determination and persistence.
Do you stil have Skype chat with someone? Maybe “dim Saesneg” rule applied into the chats would do some magic. 
Now back to the topic: I’ve seen results yesterday which I don’t know if they’re final ones already. I hope they aren’t because Llandysul Swimming Pool came 2nd with only about 1 % difference. I’m still counting on the fact that all votes were not counted in yet (what unfortunately isn’t quite likely, but anyway). Well, I don’t remember exact scores though but know that SLS had something above 43 % and Llandysul Swimming Pool above 42 %. I’m still crossing fingers waiting on official results to come.
A quick update here:
But yn gyntaf - firstly - diolch to everyone who voted for us. It’s brilliant to think that we have voters in Australia and Slovenija and all over the world besides. We should win just on that basis, I think (no bias here!)
But the votes are still being counted. I don’t envy the organisers, because they left themselves open to quite a few problems, first by changing the rules half way through, and secondly by allowing a vote by ip address, which led to SLS explaining on their Facebook page how to set up proxy ip addresses and I don;t know what else. Now, can they recognise “proxy” IPs? I don’t know. And if they do ,will they refuse them, as they say they will, or will they in the end throw their hands up and say “it is what it is” and just wave things through?
I have no idea.
But the vote has already had one effect, in that it has galvanised Llandysul to support the pool once again, which has been great. Canolfan Dŵr vs SLS was Llandysul (population 1200 or so) vs Cardiff, Newport and Bristol combined (poulation 1 millon plus), sp we did ok, I think!
ANd that was partly thanks to your enthusiasm! So diolch yn fawr iawn!
3 Likes
I’ve answered this separately so that you’ll see it Lynne. Please don’t panic!
The magnificent saith, the first seven guniea pigs on bootcamp back in 2010, had only done the first 10 lessons or so (that was all that was available. It was hard work for them, but we didn’t lose a single one to famine, illness or terminal misunderstanding, so there is no need to panic!
In fact, if you have done the whole of the course, then you will find that you have far more Welsh than you need. Most of bootcamp can be done using course one Welsh, with the rest of the Welsh you’ve learned just giving you more options and a wider possibility for conversations and expression.
Plus, we’ve done this before. You will not be the first person to arrive on bootcamp having spoken little Welsh “in real life” before. I hope Margaret from April doesn;t mind me saying - she arrived having never spoken a word of Welsh in real life before, and having completed course 1 + vocabs in about 7 months. Yes, she struggled for the first few days (as do most first time bootcampers), but she had loads of fun, and the struggle of the first few days led to more and more mini- and major triumphs as the week went on.
So, as long as you are ready to laugh and enjoy, whether you know what’s going on or not (there’ll be plenty of stuff that few of the bootcampers undertstand fully!), then you’ll have a great time, and your Welsh will be transformed.
Not bad for a holiday, eh?!
2 Likes
Oh, thanks for the encouragement Iestyn. I’m like a cat on hot bricks counting the days to when I leave. Only two weeks now. I’ve been talking wth Bronwen (just realised I don’t know her surname) and we’ve been practising. Last week we spoke Welsh only and did very nicely. I’ve been talking in welsh to my fourteen month old grandson. When he saw a dog today he said ‘ci!’ So I’ve told my daughter that she has to keep teaching him a few words while I’m away.
Weli Di yn fuan.
@lynne_freudigmann what UK time do you speak via Skype with @BronwenLewis? If it’s not too late in the night when the whole house here at me is sleeping I might (of course if you want) join in.
Oh, @Iestyn I thought it has to be something with proxys at SLS. The results were so tight and I just wished I could do some more (ligally though). I still have a hope that Llandysul Swimming Pool will win at the end! And hope dies last, you know that for sure.
Tatanja, it’s 9.30 pm in the uk when we speak and 6.30 am here in Australia. If you want to join in send me your contact name. Mine is lynfreud. We only have one more talk befor I leave here. It’s Monday pm for Bronwen. It will be nice to meet you and of course we would like you to join in.
1 Like
Yes, please!
1 Like
@lynne_freudigmann 10:30 today for me then. I’ve sent you Skype request and it seams you’ve got it If you aren’t sure, you’ve got the Skype request from TatjanaPrelog and my display name is Tatjana Prelog (It’s maybe nickname KnightGhost in the name also)
I won’t be long though, just breefly saying hello and some sentences but I’m looking forward to speak with you both, you and @BronwenLewis.
So see yuo in an hour and a half time.
Oh, and on the topic: When we can expect the results of voting?
It was really nice to speak with you this morning Tatanja. I’m sorry I was not feeling very well and my brain just wouldn’t process the welsh very well. I think we will make a good team at Bootcamp. looking forwRd to it very much.
2 Likes
No, there’s still no news. I don;t know how long it will take them!
So, fingers crossed til they hurt…
2 Likes
I thought you might like to have some updates so I’ve checked results of the regional winners just right now and I am sad to say that SLS beat Slandysul obviously although you can’t see the actuall result of the votes just announcement of regional winners by name.
I tried to find more info but there’s nothing. On Twitter they say just
Last week we revealed the regional winners! The national voting stage will open in September https://t.co/AzOs38rQGf pic.twitter.com/vAYeKtJnZe
— Together Mutual (@TogetherIns) July 12, 2016
What was posted already on July 12 and on the FB their page actually doesn’t exist or they have broken link when clicking on it.
Shame 
Yes, really. I was sad to the bits.
Shw mae, bawb? And diolch for the update, Tatjana!
Yes, it looks like we were narrowly beaten for the prize, but the competition made a huge difference within Llandysul, with lots of local people getting caught up in the excitement, aided and abetted by all you lovely non-locals who supported us. There has been a lot of talk about the pool, and about the community in general recently, partly because of the excitement surrounding this competition, so we have definitely won, even if we didn;t get the money!
Diolch yn fawr to everyone who supported - you really made a difference.
4 Likes