Benji
Tredegar
Worth visiting!
The birthplace of the NHS!
And there is a really cool town clock free standing and made of iron no less, oh and the largest lump of coal in europe (above ground) in Bedwellty park…
Comments:
Benjiman gwyn
London
Welsh words are so cool
So i read this book right, by jan morris, about wales and the hardest part of the whole book were when she started mentioning old names. And i went to this celtic festival in Chicago, and the guy was all speaking welsh which honestly scared me because i was standing with my friend Brian and he was behind me.(the guy speaking welsh i mean) I thought someone was choking, and then i noticed some wierd rythmic fluidity to his words. Anyway, i was just wondering if people speak it where you are in Gwent. I’ve never heard anything like it and it’s really beautiful.
Benji
Tredegar
Diolch!
(that means thank you) No, not many people speak it around here, but that is more to do with a big old thing that happened when the english invaded and made it a crime to speak the Welsh language, I shan’t go on about it in case people think I am being anti-English (which I am not honest). Very sad really though, although in North Wales it is often still a first language for many people which I think is lovely and the way we should be moving down here in the South.
The funny thing is even the name wales is derogitory, it means something like ‘foreign’. In the mother tongue we refer to it as Cymru (pronounced Kumree). There you go a lil’ bit of trivia for you!
Benjiman gwyn
London
Sut Mai!
Bore da Benjifer
I am trying to learn Cymraeg right now actually. Not much use here in america, heeh. Anyway, im moving to San Diego (out of corn field hell at last!) tomorrow, and I’ve kind of inspired my boyfriend to try and learn it with me. he used to live over there in Cambridge area and Dublin, and visited Wales. I picked up this learners book and these cd’s at borders. Maybe learning welsh is nuts, but i’ve always been the eccentric type.
Oh yea, if you visit America, stay clear of the middle part. Central East coast, New York, Atlanta, New Orleans, Texas, California, and the upper west coast are about it. It might suprise you how empty and ignorant much of my country is.
Benji
Tredegar
have you checked out the S4C website yet?
It’s our token welsh language channel,they used to have a learners zone, don’t know how much use it will be but, it’s worth a look. I think it is www.s4c.co.uk
I used to live in Dublin! Phibsboro to be exact, right above Kevin Commins butchers (the smell in the summer was something else) and I once met Roddy Doyle in Mcdonalds (well he told me he was Roddy Doyle!). As for the US, I always fancied visiting Oregon, probably because I saw it in a film once and the weather looks very similar to Wales (Rain). (But I am a bit scared of Dubya to be truthful, so I might wait until he’s booted out, hes a bit too trigger happy for my liking).
I am soo going to have to start saving, well as soon as I am happily ensconced in a good position in the NHS I will.
I don’t think that learning Welsh is nuts, I think its fabulous. Spread the love I say. I recently worked with an old guy with learnng disabilities whoses first language is Welsh and no body except me could say a word to him that he understood, and I am not the best really! And that is in his own country! Every time I said bore da he smiled like his face would split, bless his heart.
Benjiman gwyn
London
oregon
Bore da!
I used to live in Portland which is Oregons largest city. I love it so much!, i just couldnt stay. The unemployment was well the worst in the country at the time. And it’s funny you should say it would be similar to Wales. I saw a couple cymru stickers on backs of cars when i went back recently. A lot of fish and chip and english pub places there, and a wierd socialist vibe too, which in an american city is really unheard of and I kind of liked it. If you want to see more of Oregon, check out a film called Mr. Holland’s Opus.
and for the website, diolch! I have to really get going, gotta bus to catch for chicago, then im flying to san diego. It’s way to sunny there, but my baby is there so… what’s a girl to do? Love the rain and Brian.. i have to choose Brian. The rain can wait, but it really helps the skin doesnt it!
P.S. Who is Roddy Doyle, maybe im just being young and stupid ‘nd this one?
roxi
West Vancouver
Hey!
We missed the largest lump of coal in Europe, on our last visit! Can we see it, the next time we’re in the neighbourhood?
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