Really enjoyed your story, Geraint and it would be great to hear others experience. After my long day on the gwaith trin carthion your stories really do brighten my “crappy” day.
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Favourite bits? That’s not easy.
Very early on, the first realisation that I was conversing in Welsh and that I might manage the week was rather splendid. The choir was wonderful, I’d love to be able to sing and just standing at the back with some music and pretending to be able to be a bass was nice. The art challenge was surprisingly fun - not the high point of the week, but pleasant because I wouldn’t normally do that. Going shopping in a Welsh book shop was far more satisfying than I expected it to be - buying Welsh books (albeit not ‘real’ grown-up books) in a Welsh book shop somehow made me feel like a real Welsh person. All of Thursday was so lovely, from the hike in the morning through to just spending time with folks without pressure during the day and ending with Manon was amazing.
Easier are the worst bit of the week - saying goodbye to everyone and realising I may never see these lovely people again - and biggest regret of the week - I could have spent more time with people, gotten up earlier, gone to bed later, scraped out a few more moments with people that I’m missing terribly now.
You know it must have been a good week when writing a post about it makes you feel emotional (to the point that I’m not really sure I want to share what feels quite personal, but I’ve written it so I may as well now).
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Thanks Kim, there are some massive holes left in my accounts and obviously everyone else has different stories to tell, so I’d like to hear more off other people too.
Well - it was quite a week! Unlike my first bootcamp last year, I wasn’t nervous; but I was worried that despite having learnt a huge amount during the year, I wouldn’t be able to process it all into a normal conversation. However, gradually through the week, it got easier to string everything together and to speak and understand more and more each day. It was as if my brain was working subconsciously, putting a complex jigsaw together.
In Aran’s book about accelerated language learning there is a lovely visual image for the learning process: at first you are on an island, and all around there are stepping stones (or small bits of land), but they are too far apart to be useful. Gradually the stepping stones get bigger and closer and you can tread a hesitant path through the water, or perhaps leap a distance to the next bit of land. Then later they get closer still so that you can move with more confidence. I think that’s where I was by the end of the week. I guess the next stage is that the stepping stones become a series of pathways which you can walk with ease.
More listening and more talking will get me there in time.
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There could be a book published by SSiW titled “Bootcamp tales”. I’d buy one and read it to the bits but hopefully it would be in English for now as I’d not be capable of understanding a bit if in Cymraeg.
And, @wondersheep your emotions can be felt from your post very well and from my end perfectly understood.
You’re all so interesting people I could sit around the table with you and listen to you telling your stories of life (if even in Cymraeg) but no more then that. Now I’m even more convinced and aware I’d never fit into such bootcamp. Might be I’m too complicated person for that.
However thank you for every written bit here. I really enjoy reading and I feared already there would be no more since @gruntius “finished” his tale. 
Diolch yn fawr iawn.
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Thanks @gruntius for all your posts - reminding us what we did through the week. I don’t think you have forgotten much! When I was thinking back over the week, I found it was difficult to separate out the days - but gradually it fell into place in my memory. Highlights for me: the evening with the choir; the sunset at Porthoer; the afternoon in Aberdaron - quiz, meeting the accompanist from the choir and chatting with her about choirs and singing, sitting in the sun at Ty Newydd, the sketches in the evening - which were side splittingly funny and inventive; wandering about in Caernarfon; the climb up Tre’r Ceiri and sitting looking at the views as if I was alone on the hillside, the singing in the afternoon and of course eating our final meal, and listening to the singing of Manon. However, even more memorable was the time we all sat around talking, laughing and sharing our love of the “Iaith Cymraeg”. It was great to meet up again with people from last year, and to get to know the new bootcampers during the week.
And the final day after the puncture? All was ok thanks to Geraint’s RAC membership, and to Ian’s partner Steve who emailed a new travel itinerary, which caused some disbelief to the ticket collector, who looked at my ticket to Alnmouth, and said “You’re going via Liverpool?!!” Well I did, and it was fine! As the final train was delayed by 20 minutes, I eventually got back home soon after 8.30 pm, exhausted but still wanting to tell Gwyn all about the week. We chatted in Welsh all the way from the station, and then on into the evening - until my brain gave way to tiredness and it was time to eat! (A special treat of fresh scallops and salad, with garlic bread).
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I’ve not contributed to this forum since coming home from bootcamp, because I’ve had so many thoughts, emotions and ideas, as well as scores of words, buzzing round in my head that I haven’t been quite sure where to begin. In addition to this I’ve been trying to keep up with the post-bootcamp barrage of Facebook and forum posts, which has been almost a full-time job in itself. (Special thanks to Geriant, for his excellent contribution here.) Well, here goes.
First, some thankyous:
• To Aran and Iestyn, for the wonderful SSIW concept which has enabled me to fulfil an ambition that I’ve had for not just years, but decades.
• To Aran and Catrin, for the bootcamp – a brilliant concept, brilliantly executed. I’m sure that there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes that we didn’t see. Thank you too, to Angharad and Beuno, who put up with hours of boring adult conversation with remarkably little protest.
• To Geraint, who was quietly well-organised and worked hard throughout, especially by driving us all over the place. His knowledge of the tortuous road system never ceased to amaze me. Who needs satnav, when you’ve got Geraint?
• Finally, to all the other bootcampers, who were so welcoming to the newcomers and made the entire week non-stop fun.
The challenges were fun, but my first one didn’t go well. I had to ask the way from the car park to the Taro De, where we were to have coffee. I rehearsed my speech, approached a likely looking passer-by and said my piece. He replied, in English, “If you’re asking about the parking ticket machine, it’s out of order.” Failed! It got better, much better, thereafter and everyone we spoke to was so pleased that we were making the effort to learn Welsh.
Then there was the guided tour of Caernarfon with Emrys: his accent and speech patterns reminded me very much of my Nain and other long-dead relatives. She wouldn’t have thought much of some of his jokes, though, and nor did I. Still, it was a useful exercise in the comprehension of rapid speech.
One disappointment was the visit to Porthor. OK, the sunset was fine, but why wouldn’t the sand whistle? It certainly did when I was last there, in the early 1950s. Is it something to do with EU regulations? funding cuts? ‘elf’n safety? National Trust policy? or perhaps climate change? We should be told.
Overall, the bootcamp was an amazing experience. It was the biggest challenge I have undertaken for quite a long time and my family had gleefully predicted that I would spend the whole week sitting in the corner, not saying anything. This didn’t happen! I found it particularly useful talking to people who had to make lengthy pauses while they found the right word, because I knew that they would be tolerant of my equally long pauses. I have learned a lot of new words, gained a lot more confidence in speaking and, above all, become determined to push on with the course without missing a single day, no matter what other demands there might be on my time. I will never be dysgwr ‘r blwddyn, but I’ve set myself a target of being as fluent as this year’s veteran bootcampers, within twelve months.
See you all next year, I hope!
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I have sooooo missed my buddies this week! My Skype is up & running & I’m looking forward to continuing some conversations yn Gymraeg! Quite obsurd really that just a week should have such massive impact!
Diolch
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Gair newydd:- Tybio
Well not new really but I used it in a conversation that took a whole different direction.
I had wanted the word tebyg but Tybio came out instead, you can see why of course, it begins with T…
So my sentence made no sense at all to poor Jen who was doing her best to understand my gibberish. The question was put out to the table, everyone was there, all participating in their own conversations.
Tybio - first of all what does it mean & then, here comes the fun part, how on earth do you describe it’s meaning without using English!!!
After much gesticulating, debating, drawing, placing of objects it wasn’t happening until Deb, our walking dictionary (& gorgeous lady too) had a lightbulb moment that would end the torture, frustration in the room!
I’m sure I will never know the thought process that produced the result & happen that is for the best.
The solution - suppositories!
No not to be used to ease the pain!
But if you cover the second half of the label on the box!!!
A word never to be forgotten!
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Well you certainly seem to have got to the bottom of the problem 
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Te hee! We certainly did! 
@hewrop
Soooooo funny!
Glad you’ve got your Skype up and running. Happy to talk (and gesticulate!) when you have time.
It really helps with remembering words if it has been a struggle to understand. If someone just tells me a word - I need to repeat it umpteen times before it sticks. e.g gorllewin (west)
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Brilliant Anne, thank you I will be taking you up on the offer. Back in Wales tomorrow night so will be trying to find out when is the best time to try and make contact. 
Another good thing about Bootcamp was that I got to know more about Spotify. Now I’ve got an account, I’m having fun creating playlists full of nostalgia, and lovely Welsh songs too. Hate the adverts, but not sure yet if it’s worth paying a monthly fee. What do other people do?
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I typically pay subscriptions for things that I use (like Spotify, but also stuff like Strava), even if I don’t need the premium features, unless the fee’s extortionate. Plus those adverts are really annoying 
Do feel free to share your Welsh playlists
You’ll see me again
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And I was just starting to feel better…
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Rude 
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Well, I think everyone else has covered the weeks events so wonderfully I’m only going to add a few bits and pieces.
Even though I’m from Wales, the Llyn is so different, the weather so amazing and doing it all in a different language, it really felt that I was abroad. Everyone seemed to have a sense of humour that clicked with everyone else, so much laughter, so many jokes, such a confused look on Aran’s face.
It also seemed more Bootcamper led this year, I think the range of experience worked very well. Those who’ve done it before know how isolating it can be that first night and day.
Best memory would have to be watching the “machlud” on Whistling Sands. It felt so calming and peaceful.
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This doesn’t really belong in this thread bit I feel like everyone involved with any of my bootcamps in the past are a part of this. I was in Burgerking with the kids earlier today and a lady I know sat next to us with her family and she heard me speaking welsh to Lowri so said hello to her in Welsh to which I obviously asked, in Welsh, if she speaks Welsh. “tipyn bach” came the standard reply, “but my kids go to a welsh school”. Ooh nice one, you’ll have to learn I said. She then introduced her husband from Anglesey so he and I get stuck into a full on conversation in Welsh for a good 10 mins before I tell him about recently spending a week in Sarn with 12 other learners. “What? You’re a learner?” I told him I’ve been learning since August 2011 and he almost dropped in a ruck and went back into English for a second to clarify that I said two thousand and eleven!? “that’s not even 4 years” he said.
This is a massive thank you primarily (again) to Aran, Catrin, Iestyn and Cat for making this a possibility for me and so many other people like me and also to everyone else involved in my journey up to this point. To my dad, still my biggest influence in everything I’ve ever done in life. My wife and family for their patience, SSiW friends, bootcamp buddies (I think 21 of you), Y Saith Seren, Skype partner, local book shop, just everyone that has ever had the patience to let me speak welsh at you, to you or with you.
Today was the biggest single compliment so far, to be 10 minutes into a conversation with a first language Welsh speaker and for him not to realise that I wasn’t also a first language speaker … Wow. I’ve realised that when I talk to people who know I’m a learner, especially Aran or Catrin, I talk with a lot of pauses, erms and ahs, like I’m being scrutinised, but today I spoke and processed the language naturally UNTIL I told him I’m a learner, then the pauses, erms and ahs crept back in. It’s all about confidence.
Anyway, thank you one and all.
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