With posting on twitter mentioning my name to one of obviously very famous and important writter, political comentator, publicist, academician and joournalist - Mr Simon Brooks (sorry, I didn’t know much about him before) @aran silently set another challenge in front of me. Mr. Simon Brooks visited Slovenia (maybe he’s still here while I’m typing this) and had several discussions or readings in Novo mesto and Ljubljana so I thought I could go to one of these events and eventually say a word or to with him in Cymraeg. If I’m quietly challenged, I’d accept this challenge and try to go, I’ve said to myself. But I didn’t quite believe I’ll be able to visit any of those events since they were at the evenings or far from my home but yesterday I’ve got the chance to visit the last of events he’d perform in - reading so I decided to go.
The events are within the 21st Book Days Affair which is in place this week and happenings were held on the streets and bookstores of old centre of Ljubljana and, the book store in Novo mesto. So Ljubljana was my destination yesterday afternoon/evening and Mr Brooks’ readings. He read from his newly released book Pam na fu Cymru (Why Wales Never Happened) which I wasn’t sure it would really interest me since I in daily life actually am trying to avoid policy but when he started to read (first little part in English, then in Cymraeg) I found the theme very interesting. The part was about referendum for Independent Scotland in 2014 and maybe it interested me even more since I followed the happenings quite closely at that time (for who knows what reason actually though). Hard theme for listening to one Cymraeg learner’s ear but I at one point found myself being aware that I can understand quite a lot of what he reads. It was really happy moment and I was a bit sad when he switched into English at the last part of his reading again.
Thanks to Aran’s mention on twitter and Facebook and some of my tweets to him in the days he was in Slovenia, he recognized me and even sat besides me for a short time but I thought it would be inapropriate to talk while the other artist on the stage is reading so I just breefly looked at him not being even sure it’s really him (due to my aweful ability of face recognition) …
Interestingly enough after his reading it all happened so naturally and without any fury in my head about what I would say or how I would say it. I just rushed after him when he was already leaving and said in Cymraeg if I may thank him and I even managed to introduce myself saying I’m Slovene and that I’m learning Cymraeg. I was pleasantly surprised as he remembered immediately who I am and even said he follows me on twitter. My speach was prety firm, quick and as I’d speak Cymraeg already for years what surprised even me myself. And with the greeting “ta-ta” we went each our own way.
With Anthology of Welsh modern literature translated in Slovene language, which I bought at the book street fair earlier and prety good feeling from the event itself I had to say I proudly went toward bus station to catch the bus which carried me home half an hour later …
Later on he thanked me on Twitter for my visit and he said he was happy knowing that at least one in the crowd understands Cymraeg.
@KnightGhost Diolch iam ddod i'r darlleniad yn Ljubljana heno. Yn gwerthfawrogi hynny. Braf cael rhywun sy'n deall Cymraeg yn y gynulleidfa!
— Simon Brooks (@SeimonBrooks) April 20, 2016
Thank you Aran for allerting me about this great opportunity to meed yet another person from Cymru and have the chance to speak some more Cymraeg in the wild (as we tend to say) 
