I’ve only started learning this year…and translate the best I can…
But listening to the commentary on the football last night…when we scored the commentator shouted…Pwy sy’n angen Gareth Bale…and I got it in Welsh…first…so I had a double celebration at that point…
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……GÔÔÔL. REIT YN Y CORNEL
(Goal…Right in the corner)
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Not sure where we were discussing Welsh speaking etiquette so Ill continue here if ok. Background- We (My Glenda and I)are on a flying visit to Newcastle so obvioulsy we decided to take in the entire Welsh coast en route. 
Today Fishguard to Bangor. Somewhere near Rhyd Ddu I asked a shop Salesperson if We were far enough N to speak Welsh and what was the basis re friends, strangers etc. She said that she would feel ok with friends but would be nervous with unknown customers etc. I felt so thankful that she had been so honest with me.
Then in Bangor services trying to find the well hidden travelodge in the dark, without rejoining the main Road 
. I noticed that the young woman in the filling station shop was freely using Welsh. Great 
. So I felt ok to ask for directions in Welsh without introduction. She answered in Welsh and I understood. So, I’m happy to follow these unwritten rules rather than pushing my luck as they seem to have given a result today. Onwards and upwards. 
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Sam - I would never consider speaking English to you after seeing the standard of your Welsh on bwtcamp, so I’m not at all surprised that you did a brilliant job on Newyddion 9. But wow - Newyddion 9! I hope they took all your details, because they’ll come back to you again and again for all the interesting stuff that you do!
That’s awesome - you know you’re getting somewhere when you can listen to stuff because you want to hear it, and start understanding snippets. That is brilliant progress!
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Today I paid for a couple of meals in Welsh in Lanfairpwll. . Macaroni cheese and Scampi and chips. I had a few weird looks and then later remembered that we had changed the scampi for a curry before paying.
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I want to say thank you!
Me and my family (wife and daughter) spent our holidays in Wales. It was the first time for me to be in Wales since having started with SSIW in February 2017.
I had a jump-start with the language on our first day: In a book store in Rhuthun, Denbigshire, I found two of the many learner’s books on my to-buy-list. So, although I knew they were there, I forced myself to address the shop owner and ask for the books - IN WELSH FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER (“chwilio am llyfrau”). And then something like a hurricane caught me! The man was so delighted and enthusiastic that I am a learner, he introduced me to a friend of his, to another customer, and to another. When we got out of the shop, an old man came behind us and shook my hand and didn’t want to let me go, asked for our names and talked about Nant Gwrtheyrn. I was so deeply moved and for an hour or so didn’t really realize what had happened.
And this continued! Everywhere I went, from Rhuthun to Llangollen, from Y Trallwng to Llandysul, from Aberteifi to Llangrannog, in Aberystwyth, in Dolgellau, in Aberdaron, in Nefyn, in Caernarfon, from Beddgelert to Llanrwst, my first question was “Do you speak Welsh?”. In the pub trying to order a beer, in the shop buying butter and milk, in the museum buying tickets, in the restaurant, in the caffi, in the book shop, in the Canolfan Croeso, in the Siop Glynafon. And it was the same everywhere: People where so kind and astonished and helpful. They asked me how I learn, and why, and where we come from, and so on. My confidence grew. Slowly, but it did. By the end of our holidays, I didn’t feel any fear any more and found it simply natural to at least TRY to: Say Something in Welsh.
Between 29 September and 13 October I had conversations in Welsh every single day. Some easier for me, and some very difficult. I remember that one day in Llangrannog I didn’t want to go to the pub any more because I was so tired of concentrating so much. But when I did, the landlord (whose cottage we had hired) grabbed me by the shoulders, pushed me to the bar and said to everbody around: “This man is learning Welsh. So: Dim Saesneg!” That ended in me sitting at a table with a very nice couple for about an hour, talking Welsh and laughing and crying at the same time.
I was most impressed by our visit to the National Trust property Plas yn Rhiw, Ynys Llyn. I hardly saw anything of the house because in every room that I entered there was someone from the staff, and all four of them responded yes when I asked my question “Do you speak Welsh?”. I had such a good time with them, they all where so patient and interested and listened and spoke to me, and even made some jokes. If I only could express my feelings in better words, but unfortunately (as a non-native speaker) I simply don’t know them all!
Besides many other occasions, there was a funny one: In Llanrwst I spoke to a young woman and her mother who sat next to our table in Y Tu Hwnt i’r Bont, where we had afternoon tea. The young woman was so thankful, because she hadn’t spoken Welsh since a very long time. So it was learning to speak and trying to remember words for both of us, while her mother, who has had courses for two years some time ago, listened to our conversation. She was so happy that she understood what we said, and I felt so proud and happy, too.
By far the most difficult thing was understanding what was spoken. I realized that I need a lot more practice: In the beginning, when people talked, I heard the words, and most of the time recognized them, but often they didn’t form a sentence in my mind. Or at least, I wasn’t sure whether the sentence in my mind was that one that had been spoken. Very often, when I asked to repeat something more slowly, I could instantly understand and wondered what had been so difficult. “O lle ydych chi’n dod?” can sound so differently, I guess there are as many ways to pronounce this as there are speakers… By the end of our holidays, I felt like my understanding had improved, and I got a glimpse of what could be possible: Understanding a sentence while people were talking without asking for repetition or “arafu”. That felt amazing!
The next difficult (if not impossible) thing was: numbers! When the bar man wanted “tair punt deuddeg ceiniog” for a peint, I was completely lost. I heard the words but there was no amount. I was unable to put the right coins down, as I had no idea. This is a complete different thing in English: “three pound twenty pence” immediately makes sense to me. This got only slightly better. Much more practice (and peintiau) needed, I guess.
Very often, people said that my pronounciation was very good. (And that tricked them into believing that I could understand and talk much more than I actually do…) I believe that this is the result of @aran’s and @CatrinLliarJones’s patient teaching efforts, who taught me how to speak in three long levels. And they still do… Thank you both so much!
And, finally, thank you to other SSIWers: I had posted in the forum prior to our holidays (https://forum.saysomethingin.com/t/visiting-wales-and-looking-for-people-to-ymarfer-siarad/13876) and asked people if we could meet. Unfortunately I messed up with our arrangements and so weren’t able to meet @daimorgan and @maturestudent, and @Macky earlier. But I met @siaronjames together with two other SSIWers from Australia, @alex_1 and @JessicaLyn who incidentally where around. A very huge Thank You to you all!
And to Wales! Diolch o calon i pawb!
Eckhard from Hamburg
P.S. If anyone knows a native Welsh speaker in Hamburg, please let him or her know that I am looking for someone to practice!
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What a fantastic story! Huge, huge congratulations… @beca-brown - that chat we had about success stories? Visitors from Germany throwing themselves into practising their Welsh everywhere sounds like a perfect one… and, hmmmm, thinking out loud… @eckhard, would you be willing to do a video interview with Beca about your experiences? 
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I really enjoyed reading your story, and it was very courageous of you to just start speaking Cymraeg. Loved the Landlord saying, “Dim Saesneg.” What a way to be welcomed! Thank you for sharing, Eckhard.
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Just one complaint, @eckhard. THIS IS NOT A SMALL SUCCESS! 
It’s the Welsh-in-the-wild breakthrough of our dreams. Much respect for putting yourself out there, and look how it paid off! Congratulations!
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I loved your story, @eckhard, thanks for sharing!
p.s. going around Wales as a foreigner, speaking Welsh sounds great by the way!
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This, thsi, this.
@eckhard - that is an amazing story and such a boost for everyone involved - not just you. Congratulations and diolch yn fawr.
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What an amazing story! If I have even the slightest amount of conversations as you when I visit next month I will consider it a massive step. Yours is a mammoth leap!! Congratulations 
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Did you see what my mobile phone did there? Nasal mutation; even though it was wrong
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I had a small success for today. Friends of my daughter have opened a new Welsh themed Cafe in the next village to me, called Melys, and we went there for a coffee. They were so wecoming to learners and I stumbled through several sentances, was helped and encouraged, and I even started speaking to two customers who were so supportive The longer I was there, the more I felt able to try out my Welsh, even though I knew I should be able to say more than I did, it built my confidence. I hadn’t spoken to strangers before and it was a great feeling, and I shall do it as often as I can. Thanks for getting me to thiis stage.
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Fantastic - well DONE! Huge congratulations! And DIOLCH for your lovely kind words
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Amazing! It’s experiences like this which makes me wish I lived somewhere this could happen! Sadly Surrey is not the best place for it haha.
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Perhaps find a public space in a pub or cafe even in Surrey, or on a public transport journey, where you can openly read something in Welsh, or just place a book on a table, and you may find people of Welsh background and/or schooling approach you… .A ho ho ho to your ha ha! @Bleddyn I hope you find some of the Invisbles and the Shy Ones will come to you…
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I’m not so sure it’s a small success. I would call this rather large…actually, probably closer to huge and totally amazing! 
I suspect it took a fair amount of courage to order in Cymraeg and converse with customers. Especially when it’s sooo much easier to say it in Saesneg.
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Diolch for your kind words. It felt easier than it could have been due to the friendliness of the people there rather than my Welsh ability or courage, but onwards and upwards.
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Get those in the right order and you’ll see why we think it was a massive step:
You had the courage to try out your ability. That made the people friendly towards you. You caused that, your hard work and your determination gave a group of people the chance to be open and friendly and welcoming to a stranger. You should feel really proud of yourself! Dylet ti deimlo’n falch iawn ohonot ti dy hunan…(sorry if you haven;t reached that challenge yet!)
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