To thoroughly enjoy being Welsh

[ByseddSosij]

....it's my first language but am baffled by tourists asking if we have our own currency do people not do their research before visiting a country?

Love living in Wales & I suppose being Welsh but hate rugby, Gavin & Stacy, the Manics ... Leeks aren't bad.

I'm glad your glad to be Welsh OP. I'm happy to be English!

What doesn't make me happy is that other countries have an issue with English having pride. And if you're from the south east of England, like me, you're really in the shit where others are concerned.

Still, no place on this earth I'd rather be and its good that you and others have that same feeling.

I know what is meant by the 'not speak welsh, not welsh' i went to uni in west walea and lots of gogs (godledd means north) did thibk it odd if you didnt speak welsh. Im in south wales so not speakimg welsh is usual down here , despite how proud south wales and tge valleys especially. Id feel different in say, bangor. In fact, you have to speak fluent welsh to join north wales police which shows just how rare non welsh speajers are in that part of tge country. That said, im confersational in welsh but would love to b ed fluent, abd would send my kids to a welsh school

I HATE it when I hear people mispronounce Welsh names. Yes I include you Jenni Murray, it is not Plaid Cwmri.
Innis Mon NO! Abba Sock is not a place in Wales and neither is Barla.
And nothing Welsh sounds like phlegm-clearing or spitting and we have more vowels that the English.

Oh, and if you're from the Daily Mail, we do not freshly bake laver bread, and we don't all have lilting valley tones.

DollyDora, if you asked "Is she a Welshwoman?", you'd get the reply "No". It's not saying you're English, it's saying you speak English.
I know some quite nationalist people.

I live in very Welsh West Wales (clue is in my name). North of Merthyr but we cwtch. My DD is a Welsh speaker but I'm a very poor learner. I don't see the attitude Mike mentions about it, although I agree it can be a rallying point for the superior sort.
Whichever poster asked about road signs changing to Welsh first, it depends on the percentage of Welsh speakers - if yours are changing, the balance must have tipped so more now speak Welsh than not. (Unless the language policy has changed without me noticing).
I'm not in favour of nationalism, which I see as thinking your country is better than all the others, but I think a bit of patriotism - pride in your own culture with no disrespect to others - is fine. I feel it about Wales.

Oh madein1995, that's great, I'd hate to have to learn Welsh. I'd imagine it to be quite difficult. Even mother tongue Welsh people (like schoolteachers and probably me) sometimes speak grammatically incorrect Welsh. If you speak conversational welsh, then you're doing really well.

By all means get your children to speak welsh as there are lots of benefits of being bilingual. It makes it easier to learn more languages for a start.

I think the policy may have changed. I agree with the signs being bilingual - they should never have been in English only.

Oh, and a classic. Getting English people correcting my welsh pronunciation or telling me complete bollocks about the welsh language. By English I mean people who if they have been to wales it was a day trip to Barry Island or Colwyn Bay.

FreudianSlurp, I love the dog bed. Your dad sounds great.

Mike if I learn to speak French I'll still be Welsh.

Oh, yes. It's for life.

Dixiestamp Nice words, Shark; it's a good thing there are no people here from Newport for you to offend. Ooh, hang on

Hello!

I have never heard anyone not being allowed to be proud to be English.

I disagree. I think English people are far less likely to make public statements of nationalist pride as their symbols of nationalism like the St George's cross have been so hijacked by right wing nutbags.

I am proud of all the little bits of me that make me who I am - I have Welsh, English, Romany and German bits that make me.
It's good to be proud

Sosban fach was it? Now how do I change my username?

Don't they sing it at the rugby?

Mae bys Meri Ann wedi brifo
A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach
Mae'r baban yn y cryd yn crio
A'r gath wedi sgrabo Joni bach

Altogether now...

Yes, they (we!) do sing it at the rugby, especially at Llanelli (I think- I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).