Sunday, June 29, 2008

Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn

I went to the Malad Welsh Festival. It was Welsh-a-riffic. I figured I should go since I've been trying to learn Welsh. I was a little disappointed in the booths this year. Most of them were just booths with people selling stuff- stuff that didn't really relate to Wales. However, the 'Taste of Whales' booth was awesome and hopefully a joke. There was no whale, but they served some welsh food, which is just a different type of bland English food. Mmmm...bland.

There was a pretty groovy lecture by Ron Dennis, retired professor of Portuguese and Welsh, about the history of the Welsh in Idaho. It seems there were a lot of Welshy Mormons that settled in Idaho and Utah. They also sang a lot, as his wife demonstrated by singing Welsh songs. They sang so much, in fact, that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir began as a choir of Welsh immigrants.

I also learned that the Welsh and Irish have begun wearing Kilts in an attempt to be more celtic. At least that's what they say. I think Celtic men just want to wear skirts, but are afraid of what people will think unless they have an excuse to wear them.

If you have Welsh ancestry and are not afraid of Malad, you should go to the Welsh Festival. Go connect with your heritage and stuff.

Here are some useful phrases for when you go:

Bore da
Good morning
Twll dîn pob Sais!
Down with the English!
Gad lonydd i fi! Leave me alone!
Galw'r heddlu!
Call the police!


1 comment:

  1. How very heritage-y of you. I'm proud. I'd write more, but I've got to go make a Whale for dinner.

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