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[Tahl]

I did the whole conversation in Welsh using only one word of English and thats freight. The Cadet just stood there gobsmacked as we spoke to each other, I really felt quite proud of myself.

How excellent! Maybe that Cadet will get inspired by you.

[Lostontheoggin]

I did the whole conversation in Welsh using only one word of English and thats freight. The Cadet just stood there gobsmacked as we spoke to each other, I really felt quite proud of myself.

Absolutely bloody brilliant! Llongyfarchiadau mawr! I love the sound of a new Welsh-speaker being born...

You've done it, Gareth - you really have done it. From now on, it's just a matter of enjoying using your Welsh more and more often. Many, many congratulations...

Calm down mun it wasn't a long conversation, it was the gobsmacked cadet I was pointing out lol

[Lostontheoggin]

Ps my goal is to understand the commentary on the Rugby on esspedwareck

getting better with cyw in the mornings when I'm on leave, I was humming 'hello Mrs lollipop' this morning whilst loading the ship.

[Aran]

Calm down mun it wasn't a long conversation

Lose your cool, Oggs...

Learners always say 'Oh, but it wasn't a long conversation', or 'Oh, but there are are lots of things I still can't say' or 'Oh, but I didn't understand everything'...

None of which changes the fact that anyone capable of having a conversation in Welsh, however long it may or may not be, is by definition a Welsh speaker, and has already successfully hurdled the biggest single block to learners: getting into conversations...

I'd go so far as to say that once you start getting into conversations, you have successfully learnt Welsh, and it's only a matter of time before you realise that you're picking up new structures and words without really thinking about it, just by talking to people. That may feel a long way off to you at the moment, but I can give you an unconditional guarantee that your story here means you are much further down that road than you realise...

[Aran]

Oh, thanks a lot. Now I've got Mrs Blincin Lolipop stuck in my head. And when Monster #1 wakes up, it'll probably be forcibly replaced by Rapsgaliwn.

Sigh. They'll be away at college soon. [Hangs on in there].

[Lostontheoggin]

The Cadet is a Glaswegian, he's used to having a language problem, usually people don't understand him.

Knows a little gaelic though,

Heres some ships specific vocabulary.

Ship = Llong

boat = cwch

Sailor = Llongwr

Passenger = ymdeithiwr

Anchor = Angor

Wheel house = Ty Olwyn

Rudder = llyw

Helmsman = llywiwr

Drunk = Meddwyn (Sadly no longer true)

[Aran]

I think you should tell the cadet that the Welsh for passenger is 'lembo'...

[Lostontheoggin]

I think you should tell the cadet that the Welsh for passenger is 'lembo'...

Theres been a lot of learning rude words going on on this ship but lembo has lost me.

[Aran]

I think you should tell the cadet that the Welsh for passenger is 'lembo'...

Theres been a lot of learning rude words going on on this ship but lembo has lost me.

It's probably not rude enough... It's more or less the same as idiot, but with a certain sort of hair-ruffling not particularly aggressive tone to it. But if the cadet called passengers 'lembos' to the other crew, they'd have a hard time keeping a straight face...

[Lostontheoggin]

I seem to be trotting along at the moment, I really like the way the lessons go back over stuff which keeps you on your toes. I can't deny the pause button is a great help but thats more to give myself time to compose what I want to say, but I find if I repeat the lesson again I can generally use less and less pause. Is this hard wiring welsh into my brain.

On a completely different note the weather out here is taking a turn for the worse after the lovely April, Strong Easterlies are a bit of a nightmare as we are exposed on the berth.