dai-aspora
Nice one 
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I’m Lea, born and raised in Germany and I’ve got no good reason to learn Welsh - except that I just really want to.
I have completed all (south) lessons, a bootcamp in Tresaith last September and I listen to the new advanced content every week.
At some point in my life I decided to become a full-time nerd - er… mathematician! - so to compensate for that I have to spend a lot of time playing theatre. So here’s me, playing the hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (or a slightly older picture where I’m trying to hide the madness).
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Helo, I’m Pippa. I was born in Prestatyn & raised in Corwen in North Wales in an English speaking family. I left the Welsh I’d learned at school behind when I moved to Birmingham in the early 80s. A significant birthday 4 years ago & much hiraeth led me to SSiW & back to Wales.
Kevin & I are now living in SE Wales in Monmouthshire.
I’m doing Beca’s sgwrses at the moment. Kevin is doing Level I.
He’s also trying to visit every state in the USA, he’s 3 adrift. I tag along.
Really looking forward to the weekend.
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Hi I’m Sonia - which I find slightly preferable to ‘netmouse’ for some reason face to face, although I’ve been known to answer to both…
I happened across SSIW a good few years ago now, just as my younger daughter was starting in the nursery of the Welsh school. I was at a stage of life when I could never otherwise have made time to learn, which had been worrying me. I listened to the whole old southern course in the car on the way to work, after which I could miraculously more or less speak Welsh! I’m a big fan, safe to say!
My husband, Mathias, is a primary school teacher, This year he was lucky enough to get a sabbatical to do the Cardiff University course “Welsh in a Year” for teachers. As that is now drawing to a close, this is our celebration weekend away speaking Cymraeg!
Fun fact - we met at music college in Germany, and in a former life could both be found in the orchestra of WNO (OK, him more than me). Nowadays sometimes spotted with a ukulele.
We look something like this:
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I’m in this picture, along with a duck (as my 2yo granddaughter called it) at Longleat last Wednesday. I still regret the demise of the (virtual) bar we used to have on the old site, but apparently it was my fault it was abandoned because I invited too many animals in. (I actually think Aran let his inner curmudgeon out in public a bit, but I could be wrong and usually am).
I found SSiW about 9 and a bit years (ish) ago and nobody has persuaded me to leave yet. Most people find I’m a bit random, but I find that a bit insulting - I don’t go off at a tangent, I go off at a normal (the geometric normal…) and don’t stop!! I never use a word when a sentence will do. It’s not hard to con a drink out of me, I’ll talk to anyone. Just make sure to discover that you realise “that you have something important to do in the other room” after 5 minutes. I’m probably not an idiot, but I do a really good impersonation of one.
The “aim” on my CV says “To treat everyone with dignity” and I like to live up to that, although making mistakes is the only thing I’m really good at.
Probably best avoided unless you like to laugh…
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Hi I’m Richard, family are all in S Wales, but I’m stuck down in Torquay. No one has been a welsh speaker since before my grandparents, I’ll be coming to the parti with my wife, Rachel, whom I’ve been trying to get to learn, since I started in Feb 2018. (To date with no luck, so feel free to tell her what she’s missing out on over the whole weekend, and why she shouldn’t be scared, even tell here I’ll pay for her course……). In the meantime, she’s coming along because she likes parties and beer, and liked meeting everyone in Carmarthen last year.
……Anyway, I did the 6month, then the Deep End - or more exactly they did me.
I don’t get to speak enough, when I do its pretty bad still, but I’m happy with where I’m at, I can cope with hurting peoples’ ears, and remain in for the long haul of course. I can’t do grammar books as they have a powerful soporific effect on me, as do long grammar threads.
I’m starting to ramble now, so just looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces and meeting everyone else….
(BTW does anyone know how I can type in the forum without it going into markup language? It’s taking me for ever!……)
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feel free to tell her what she’s missing out
I presume you’ve let Rachel know that Welsh is the language of lurrrrrrv 
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At last! I’ve found my long-lost brother!!
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Hmm, do you know Rhoslefain? I lived there in the 70s…
I keep that up my sleeve in case of better offers! 
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I’ve concluded that I’m not going to defeat my current bout of extreme insomnia so I won’t be able to come. Hope you all have a good time.
I’ll join the six month course when I’ve finished paying for expensive dentistry.
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Hi bawb! I’m Keri, living in Brighton, Sussex these days but originally from y Bannau Brycheiniog (talybont on usk to be precise). I’ve completed the old and new courses but keep dipping in for a recap bob hyn a hyn. I went to Bwtcamp in Tresaith in Sept 2018 and had one of the best weeks of my life, so was so excited to hear about the party. I used to do tap dancing classes here in Brighton and amazingly met someone from Llanrug and a group of 5 of us now meet a couple of times a month in a Brighton drinking establishment to natter yn Gymraeg! What’s the Welsh for serendipity?!
Here’s a photo of me and @Lea in Sept Bwtcamp on out joint birthday!
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Hello, I am Glynis. I started my SSIW journey a few years ago but my Welsh speaking has stalled. I was born in Tredegar but we didn’t speak Welsh because my 1st language Welsh speaking Mamgu refused to teach my mother or me even though I asked her. I moved to London in 1974 working in the MoD, got married to a colleague, Les (aka Sig) a Londoner was seconded to the Police Complaints Commision and back to MoD and then when my two children came along I gave up work and we moved to Somerset and stayed there for 34 years. during my time in Somerset I did a stint as a Receptionist in a GP surgery and was Administration Manager in a Record Label so did music festivals and band tours!!! When Les and I retired a few years ago we decided to move to Wales and to a Welsh speaking area. My eldest child Gareth, his partner and our grandchild moved with us and Elis Brynley will be going to Welsh school although he is only two but hopefully he will bring back the language to the family.
So… we moved to Ammanford but there is not as much Welsh speaking as I had hoped and my best efforts remain very basic with Bore Da etc. The move was very stressful and took a lot out of us and both hubbie and I have had numerous health issues to deal with so much so that as I said earlier my Welsh speaking has halted. We are having major renovations done in the house and looking after our grandson 3 days a week so sadly Welsh has gone on the back burner. I had planned to get to the Monday Clwb Clecs Llanelli, but have not managed it yet. I will admit that I booked the Party last year thinking I would be much further along with my Welsh speaking and so I am feeling a bit downhearted about that. Hubbie is feeling he may feel left out as he won’t be speaking Welsh but I told him SSIW are a friendly bunch. My one consolation is that I understand more Welsh than I ever thought I would thanks to the 6 month course.
I have tried to upload a picture of me and hubbie so hope it works!!!
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Lovely photo, and I look forward to talking to you and Les in a mixture of easy Welsh, Wenglish and English. I love the idea of little Elis bringing the language back to the family, and I bet grandma and grandad will learn in order to keep up with him.,
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Thanks Bronwen for your kind message. Yes it is wonderful that little Elis will hopefully bring the language back into the family. He already says a few words. His favourite is Ucha fi. Not long until the weekend. Take care.
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I have run out of hearts for all the loving I wanna do on this thread! Hi Glynis! So glad you’ll be there, I mean among us, partying with us, with Les again, too…! 
:black_flag:
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There I was, last night in the pub, neithiwr, yn y dafarn, feeling very much at one with my Alien homunculus who represents me… but otherwise just dead on my feet, frankly.
Lorna dw i…
I’m Lorna…
…when I am at my best.
Some Scottish clan relatives had motto “Late, but in earnest”. Seems to fit.
I have motto… if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing beautifully, and if a thing is worth doing, also, it is worth doing badly with the gusto of deliberate action, however much shame and sadness I feel.
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Part 2 of Lorna introducing self… What else must I say? Forgotten now.
As you can see, the Alien and I share the redness in eyes. Yn y dafarn, neithiwr, too tired for alcohol.
The other picture, outside, is of me 5 hours later, after some sleep. Puttin’ out the bins. I am a “Brexit” conundrum … I was born more or less on the border of NI & RoI so you see me in my England fleece this chilly morning, blending in, as I must, to survive, with local culture here in the Black Country, near the M5. It has been bin-collection morning since dawn. Last minute additions were bottles and cans. Facebook friends can go online & see what I drink.
Right now, paned plîs!
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Hello Lorna… it will be lovely to meet up again. There seems to be a lot going on over the weekend. 
xx
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