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[Dee]

I had an old man sit next to me on the bus coming back from Newport today. I was fiddling around with my mp3 player trying to make it work as it's broken, and he asked what it was and if it played music. I explained that it could but that I listened to my Welsh lessons on it and he immediately switched into Welsh!
It turned out he was an old retired sheep farmer, but he lives in the Bridgend area now. He spoke real rural-sounding Welsh mixed with English, quite funny the way he dropped in and out of both languages, but we chatted about New Zealand and sheep shearing for a good 20 minutes, then he said "Diw diw, ti'n gafael ar yr iaith like a native". That really made me laugh "You have a grip on the language like a native". Who needs the Welsh Learner of the Year competition when you get a compliment like that from a real old traditional country Welshman? I felt like I'd won first prize

[Morgs]

That's lovely Dee - real tribute to all the effort you have put into embracing Welsh and Wales since you moved here. Awesome and very well deserved!!!

[Gaby]

Chwarae teg i ti Dee! Great story.


Gaby

[vgh50]

"Diw diw, ti'n gafael ar yr iaith like a native". That really made me laugh "You have a grip on the language like a native". Who needs the Welsh Learner of the Year competition when you get a compliment like that from a real old traditional country Welshman? I felt like I'd won first prize

I love that!!

Agree 100%, that's what it's all about

[Tahl]

... but we chatted about New Zealand and sheep shearing for a good 20 minutes, then he said "Diw diw, ti'n gafael ar yr iaith like a native".

Look at the two pieces of that sentence.

Diw diw, ti'n gafael ar yr iaith like a native.

[jstetson]

Oh that is just so beautiful!

First prize, grand champion, best in show, you've won the lot!

[Dee]

Diw diw, ti'n gafael ar yr iaith like a native.

I just loved it! One of the best compliments I've ever had. And he actually said it about 3 times during the course of the bus journey, then thanked me for a lovely chat in Welsh at the end. I don't think my feet touched the ground the rest of the way home.

[Gruntius]

I don't think my feet touched the ground the rest of the way home.

I'm not surprised, well done indeed. I bet it makes you want more and more.

[clarityat3am]

This is the kind of experience I can only hope will happen to me when I visit! I'd be floating too.

[sumsmeister]

I felt like I'd won first prize

You did! Congrat... I mean llongyfarchiadau!
Coming from someone like him who has loved and used the language his whole life, it means more than anything. Well done Dee