WE ATTEMPT TO LEARN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE - Feb/March 2013

As we live in a part of the world where a majority of people speak Welsh as a first language, we decided we should at least make an effort to contribute towards keeping the oldest language in Britain alive. So we enrolled on a weekend course for beginners which was great fun! We practise as much as we can in shops and cafes, with the builders, neighbours and other locals, all of whom couldn't be more helpful. Those who we meet more than once help us to master a word or phrase at a time. 

Although I tend to pick up new languages quicker than Will does. He uses it anywhere without worrying about the consequences. Me - I worry that I'll sound stupid or that I'll sound so fantastic with my 2 or 3 word phrase that the recipient will offload all their life story on to me in Welsh and I won't have a clue! Or that I have chosen to speak Welsh to a tourist who hasn't heard of the language and thinks I'm just a nutter! Knowing none of these things really matter, I decided to try to overcome my lack of confidence. The next time I saw our neighbour farmer, I spoke to him in Welsh. I began by asking him how he was, he told me he was the owner! Clearly I'd asked him WHO he was. Then after a chat in English, I ended with more Welsh and told him I'd see him soon, to which he answered 'I'm very well thank you'!! Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day. (Neither is our house!!).

With the arrival of the Rugby 6 Nations tournament, I decided to set myself a challenge - to learn the Welsh National Anthem ready for the final game when England and Wales faced each other. I have been half-heartily learning for years, but this time I was serious. I quickly realised that learning the whole lot was too ambitious so I concentrated on the 3 lined chorus. Then one day we had a Harry Potter moment. Lying almost in the middle of the lounge floor, lay that day's post! Despite Will and I having been in and around about the lounge neither of us had heard it arrive. We hadn't heard anyone knock or shout as usually happens. The only explanation I could think of was that I'd been heartily singing the National Anthem as loudly and confidently as possible, and it drowned out any attempts from the postman to get our attention. I feel very red-faced at the thought and can't believe that I'm writing this in a blog and revealing all to the world!!! Could this be the first step to appearing on 'Embarrassing Bodies'????

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^{One evening we were sitting watching TV when we heard a muffled crash from inside the house. We couldn't find anything to have caused it. The following morning we ventured into the smelly, un-lived in, lower part of the house (which we eventually intend to rent out). There we discovered the cause - the kitchen ceiling (not yet started on by the builders) had collapsed under the weight of its own dampness caused by rain coming in through the roof.}  

^{This part of the house brings back school memories of my first lesson about alliteration when the teacher described a dungeon as being damp, dark, dank and dismal.}

It had become the host to further huge varieties of interesting fungi formations. 

The builders had their work cut out!

A dry stone wall ran the length of the front of this part of the house. Unfortunately in order to correct the foundations, the wall had to be removed (hopefully to be replaced later).  In no time at all, the stone wall had disappeared along with the roof, an internal wall, doors and floor.

^{I quickly forgot how it had looked previously but couldn't imagine how it would look either. Another feeling of 'What have we done?'}

^{The good news is that our own bedroom, despite being part study/part dumping ground for the time being, is virtually finished!}

Next blog - Improvements are starting to show!