East Coast Time Zone Meetup Beginning

[delawarejones]

Hello, Everyone:

THIS IS A WEEKLY MEETING EACH THURSDAY AT 7PM EST. All are welcome to join.

Conference Information below: You can either call-in via the call-in number or video-conference.

Dial-in number (US): (605) 475-4896

Access code: 267527#

Online meeting ID: delawarejones

Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/delawarejones

I live in Delaware, USA, and I think it’s time to try and start a weekly video conferencing meet up, and I believe there’s enough interest. I’m gearing this meet up for the East Coast time zone, and I want to explore different conferencing platforms to see which works best. Some platforms have a “breakout session” for a smaller group to get together but still be connected to the main group. This could be useful for larger groups so more people have more opportunities to speak, or specialized conversations for smaller groups.

The purpose of this thread is to determine interest. For me Thursday night at 7PM EST is best and the first meeting will be Thursday, October 18. I’ll post the contact info at a later time.

For each session I’ll post a topic and provide a cheatsheet of words and phrases that are relevant to the topic for learners who may not be familiar with the topic, like myself. This way, we don’t start off with the basics of who you are, where you work, how big is your family…etc. I figured this info would come out in the course of discussion. Anyone is welcome to join, but gearing this for the East Coast time zone. Eventually I’d like to help create other chats for all time zones in the America’s. Ultimately, I would like to get people talking Cymraeg, making new connections and linking distant Welsh groups across the Americas to increase our passion for the language and culture.

If you’re interested sign up by replying below and answer the following questions
1. Does 7PM Thursday night work for you? If not, what time is better? 7PM works for me, and I may not be able to change times, but if there’s enough interest for a different time, perhaps someone else can run that group.
2. Do you have a preferred conferencing platform? If so which one and why?
3. Do you have any specific topics for discussion?

[Allison]

I’m interested. I live in Huntsville, Alabama. However, I don’t get home from work until 6:30 pm Central (7:30pm Eastern time). So I might have to miss some of it. I’m meeting some Welsh learners here in Huntsville tonight for dinner at our local Irish pub. This will finally give me a change to practice the miniscule amount of Welsh I can actually speak.

[delawarejones]

You are certainly welcome to attend. It maybe possible to push the time back to accommodate you time zone.

[johnowen]

1. 7pm on Thursday nights should work for me. It’s possible that there may be some conflicts, but as far as the 18th goes, I have nothing going on.

2. I have used Zoom recently which worked really well. The people over at the Welsh Speaking Practice Slack group use Hangouts, which seems to work really well - I’m yet to attend one of their Hangouts though so I can’t confirm that.

3. Not sure. Maybe an ice breaker to get to know each other a little and then talk about places, specifically the places we all live?

[violetsnow]

I’m in upstate New York, and

1. thursdays at 7 is perfect for me.
2. No familiarity with platforms.
3. Will think about topics. Hope we can avoid the angst of U.S. politics.
   Oh, actually–I never participated in the show-and-tell on Slack, but I liked the idea a lot.

[AnnaC]

I’m on the East Coast. Thursday evenings will be hit or miss for me, I sometimes have a family commitment then. The 18th should work. I don’t have much experience with platforms although I’ve had a quick trial run on Slack/WSP and it was easy. I’ll think about topics…

[KellyMoore]

Thursdays and 7:00 works for me!
So does October 18.
No idea an a platform.
I have not been in any real conversations so I am open to anything!

[SusanDavies]

Susan Davies Sit here in CT, I’m interested, time is ok for me

[jennifer-thomas-mend]

@Delaware Jones Did you get my reply already? I’m available most of the time on Thursdays 7 pm. I’m interested, but have no experience with platforms. Just let me know. I’m in MD, eastern time zone.

[delawarejones]

Helo, Everyone:

@jennifer-thomas-mend @SusanDavies @KellyMoore @AnnaC @violetsnow @johnowen @Allison

Sorry for not getting this information out earlier, but I’ve been swamped with work and have only been able to pop in and out quickly.

The meet up is still scheduled for this Thursday, October 18 at 7PM. Everyone is welcome. As I mentioned before, I’ll provide a topic of discussion and as this is the first meet up, the topic will be to introduce yourself and either describe your pet/child/significant other or friend, in about 5-8 sentences. to encourage all to speak, every person will then ask the presenter 1 question for him/her to answer.

If you intend on joining the meet up, reply in this thread and please answer the following two questions:

1. Estimate your speaking ability - absolute beginner, beginner, intermediate, advanced or fluent.
2. Which dialect do you speak, Northern or Southern.

Conference Information below: You can either call-in via the call-in number or video-conference.

Dial-in number (US): (605) 475-4896

Access code: 267527#

Online meeting ID: delawarejones

Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/delawarejones

[violetsnow]

Cool! I’ve had it on my calendar.
I am an intermediate speaker of Southern Welsh.
Looking forward, a bit nervously.
Thanks for organizing–

[delawarejones]

Looking forward, a bit nervously.

No need to be nervous. You’re intermediate. I’m a beginner, so I’m playing catchup to everyone.

[AnnaC]

Great, thanks for organizing this! I don’t know how to qualify myself…I guess beginner/intermediate. I’ve been learning for 3 years and I’ve finished all the available Southern material old and new. But I don’t have a lot of experience speaking to people, and I tend to get anxious, causing all my Welsh to fly out of my head

That said, I’m looking forward to chatting with all of you!

[delawarejones]

and I tend to get anxious, causing all my Welsh to fly out of my head

I’ve experience the same thing and a very wise person @aran said something to me that slowed my brain down and I was able to recall words again. I’ll say it exactly as it was told to me. "Dw I eisau clywed i ti siarad yn y Cymraeg, (Northern). “Dw i’n moyn clywed i ti siarad yn Cymraeg” (Southern) Although reading it on-line versus having it told to you in person probably won’t have the same effect. In all sincerity, I want to hear you and everyone else speak Cymraeg, because it will help me to learn and we can help each other be better listeners and speakers as well as learning new words.

[AnnaC]

Thank you for sharing that. It’s a great perspective and I hope it will help me too!

[anne-rodgers]

Would it be possible to drop in when I can? I have choir rehearsal on Thursdays at 7. I do get a few weeks off here and there during September through June, and I have the entire summer off.

[KellyMoore]

I am up for it! I am a beginner. I have been learning for a little more than a year in Northern Welsh.
I’m looking forward to my first multi-person conversation!!

[delawarejones]

Helo, Anne-Rodgers
I took your question in two ways and the answer to both is ‘yes and you are most welcome to join whenever you have time.’
Can I join whenever I do not have choir practice - ‘yes.’
Can I join if choir practice lets out early and I can dial in from the car on the way home - ‘yes.’

[Allison]

I get home from work at 7:30 PM Eastern time, but will try to see if I can get in earlier at work in order to get home earlier. Otherwise I’ll show up around 7:30. I’m a very rank beginner, with very little practice.

[delawarejones]

You are most welcome to join, Allison.