Prynhawn da have been in touch, looking for people who have learnt Welsh well enough to have a conversation. They do a “newid byd” slot talking about how someone’s life has changed, and are partcularly looking for people who’s live have changed through learning Welsh.
This is the slot that Cat was in a couple of weeks ago.
Who’s interested? Who could get to Llanelli to film on a Tuesday afternoon? Let me know here or by PM, and I’ll pass on your details. If you fancy it (it’s a great experience) but you’re not sure if your Welsh si up to it, don;t worry - get in touch, and you can chat with the Prynhaw Da team to see what it’s about and whether you want to do it.
I so wish I had the confidence to do this! I live a 15 minute walk from the studio!
I’d love to tell everyone how great SSiW is. What I’ve learnt in the last seven months is amazing! I’ve had tremendous support, I’ve made lots of new friends and taken part in events and been to places I would never have experienced if it hadn’t been for my welsh learning. Penwythnos dysgwyr in Y Fenni, The Eisteddfod, celebrating Dydd Owain Glyndwr in Machynlleth with Nia, Lorna, Dee and many others, Bwtcamp in Tresaith and the surrounding area, the hangouts, starting my own Clwb Clecs, the Friday meeting I attend in Porth Tywyn, the list goes on!
But, I don’t have the confidence so I’ll have to make do with my own ‘private’ thank you here.
Thanks guys, you’re amazing. xxx
Ali - you’re the first person I thought of when they asked, because you are fully capable and would be brilliant. But the secondary part of this is that I would never force anyone - not even by the old “just go and talk to them” trick - to go on TV if they didn’t want to.
Having said that, on Bwtcamp, I kept having to remind myself that you weren’t a from-birth speaker, because you are so natural and so comfortable sounding. They would struggle to understand that you have learnt as an adult, let alone in the last 7 months! (And you’ve already appeared in front of millions on the internet-sensation Bwtcamp show, remember?!)
But your private thank you (well, not so private here!) is worth far more than a TV appearance, and it’s a real privilege to have helped you this far.
For an “almost the same but not quite” experience, have you thought of phoning into Taro’r Post on Radio Cymru? Quite a few SSiWers have been on it over the years. An advantage is that you don’t have to go into a studio. You can call in from home (or possibly work, if a convenient lunchbreak can be arranged). And possibly being on radio is slightly less terrifying than being on TV (though I’d find both equally terrifying! ).
I was thinking about asking something like this when i have developed the ability to actually hold a conversation, but too be honest it’s probably going to take 1 year before i even get to that point…so if you’re all still around then yeah i’d be up for it…
I just heard about this at Clwb Clecs tonight - not been online today. Not sure I can say enough yet though. I don’t mind being a supporter for Ali though and saying a couple of things now that my head is recovering from Bwtcamp.
Here’s an excellent idea…at least I think it is …what about someone from the US/Canada or other country? How has learning Cymraeg impacted them? That could be an interesting story and with laptop cameras video quality it could be done.
Hey @aliC, Iestyn does not speak that truth for himself alone, and you very calmly articulated how you do this amazing thing of sounding as if it is all coming utterly naturally: you said it in a supportive 6mws course Slack community comment - you said if you don’t actually know for sure how to say something, you said you just concentrate on what feels right to say (never mind what any textbook might say)…
I, at this stage, less than 30weeks after deciding to go for Welsh at all, especially fluency the SSiW way, do not draw on the years of passively hearing Welsh from local sources around me, that you can tap into, and yet following your lead, hearing your quite (quiet, even) determination to offer your best approximation to listeners, embodying your best evocation of what is directly and specifically your heritage (your entitlement to do so undisputed) makes you like the Good King Wenceslas figure in the carol leaving heat in your footprints to counter the chilling effects of fear, quash any hint of self-loathing and so, you firmly side with the struggles of newcomers.
Whenever I need winter few-el and must brave metaphorical howling winds, you’re there, your encouragement offered months ago is there, even just now after equinox, though the frosts are starting to be croo-el, and wet suits are a must for bathing at Tresaith…
@aliC I never met you and so I actually don’t know you but when I’ve read your note at the beginning I immediately felt so powerful surge of the feeling that you really can do it that I just had to write my previous post. So, come on! go for it!
AliC is her own woman, and I am confident she will make her contribution (she always does, in my experience, just with grace and self-effacing genius, you know, of the everyday getting on with things unfussy kind… ) However, she may find that an actress has been engaged to play her life story in a docu-drama if she attempts to store her essence up in others’ memories.
Now, Eve Myles to play the part of AliCov… Who shall we cast in the rôles of @Deborah-SSi and @Gog and for Nicky Roberts? The last may have to make a cameo appearance as himself…
You would definitely have no trouble with this at all @aliC. I went ahead and did it, not because I wanted to be on TV, but because I would then have no guilt at trying to encourage others to do it. The people there are LOVELY and make you feel so relaxed. You start to forget that you have a camera pointed at you, and they are not ‘in your face’ at all, so you stop noticing them and enjoy the conversation. I went from being really, really nervous to enjoying myself and thinking ‘Hey, I’ll do this again if I get a chance’.
Having said that, the suggestion of two at a time is a good one.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
…what about someone from the US/Canada or other country? How has learning Cymraeg impacted them? That could be an interesting story and with laptop cameras video quality it could be done.
♀️