Corbett kids at Phyllis Court for the last time

Living in Australia

Some years ago our famIly were randomly selected to be part of a survey called the Living in Australia. The survey was initially piloted by Melbourne university and was supposed to last only three years. That was about ten years ago and, quite frankly, the whole routine is getting a bit tired. Nevertheless, I keep participating because three of my kids studied at Melbourne University.

Anyway, the living in Australia lady turned up today and I thought, right let's just get this over with. We went through the usual round of questions and and a few ransom tests unique to 2012, and I'm thinking come on let's just get this over with when all of a sudden she asked a question that smacked me around the ears.

'Does anyone in this household speak a language other than English?'

'Yes,' I said. 'I do. I'm the only one.' I added. 'So I don't get much opportunity.'

'But, you can hold an every day conversation? Over a range of topics?'

'Yes,' I said, thinking of emails and Skype conversations, phone calls, travels planned, books ordered and read. 'Yes,' I said, 'definitely. There are people I relate to entirely in that language.'

'Right,' she said. 'What language is it?'

'Welsh,' I said. 'I speak Welsh.'

It was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Just thought I'd better share it. :-)

Tri nofelau fyr - three short novels

Yn ôl. Wedi gorffwys. Yn barod am waith yfory. Ond, os ydych chi'n tybed beth wnes i wneud gyda fy amser sbar pan ro'n i'n yng nghymru, dyma'r tri llyfr darllenais i. Back. Rested. Ready for work tomorrow. But just in case you were wondering what I did with my spare time in Wales, here are the three books I read.

E ffrindiau dweud y stori o ddau dysgwr - un yn byw yn Awstralia, un yn byw yng Nghymru. Mae nhw anfon negesau ebost ei gilyd yn Nghymraeg. Trwy eu negesau nhw dyn ni'n dod i wybod eu gobeithion, eu, breuddwydion a cyfrinachau nheulu. Roedd y stori yn ddidorol a eitha hawdd i ddarllen. Roedd restr geirfa cymorth ar bob tudalen. E ffrindiau tells the story of two learners - one living in Australia, one living in Wales. They send email messages to each other in Welsh. Through their messages we come to know their hopes, dreams and family secrets. The story is interesting and quite easy to read. There is a helpful word list on each page.

         

Pwy sy'n cofio Sion dweud stori am Leni, fenyw ifanc a uchelgleisiol sy'n gweithio am gwmni radio. Pan ei bos hi'n rhoi tasg diflas arall i Leni mae hi'n benderfynol i profi ei werth. Ond, pan mae'r dasg yn profi peryglus. Mae Leni yn gorfod i adolygu ei chynlluniau a ei gwethoedd. Beth yw hi'n moyn gwneud gyda ei bywyd hi? Pwy sy'n cofio Sion tells the story of Leni an ambitious young woman working for a radio company. When her boss gives her another boring assignment she is determined to prove her worth. But when the task prove dangerous. Leni is forced to revise her plans and her values. What does she want to do with her life?

          

Budapest dweud y stori o Gwyn a Margrit. Unwaith, pan roedd yn ddau yn myfrwyr eu bod nhw yn cariadon. Ond dros y blynyddoed mae nhw wedi tyfu ar wahân. Nawr mae'r cwmni Gwyn wedi enill cytundeb yn Budapest. Tybed Gwyn, beth yw Margrit wneud gyda ei bywyd hi? Ydy hi'n briod? Yn hapus? Ddylai hi'n bod hapus i'w weld e eto ar ôl cymaint blynyddoed. Budapest tells story of Gwyn and Margrit. Once when the two were students, they were lovers. But over the years, they have grown apart. Now, Gwyn's company has won a contract in Budapest. Gwyn wonders what Margrit has done with her life? Is she married? Happily? Would she be happy to see him again after all these years?

Cwrs Haf - Prifysgol Aberystwyth

Ar y dechrau o Cwrs Haf, ro'n i'n meddwl baswn i'n ysgrifennu bob dydd - at the beginning of Summer School I thought I would blog every day. Pam lai? Ro'n i'n meddwl. Bydd llawer o amser sbar gyda fi - why not? I thought. I'll have plenty of spare time.

Wel, wrth gwrs, ro'n i'n anghywir - well, of course, I was wrong. Ar ôl y dosbarthiau, a'r gweithgareddau, a gwaith cartref, a cheisio i siarad Cymraeg trwy'r dydd, ro'n i'n rhy wedi blino i feddwl - after the classes and the activities and trying to speak Welsh through the day, I was too tired to think.

Ond, heddiw, eisteddfod bach gyda ni - but today, we had a small eisteddfod. Roedd bob dosbarth yn gofyn i paratoi rhywbeth i rhannu gyda'r eraill - each class was asked to prepare something simple to share with the others. Roedd grwp pellach - fy nosbarth - yn trio i ddewis rhywbeth gwahanol - the intermediate group - my group - were trying to choose something different. Ro'n i'n moyn bod y gorau wrth gwrs - we wanted to be the best, of course. Pan ro'n i'n cael paned o de, awgrymais i: 'beth am ganu Waltzing Matilda yn Gymraeg?' - When we were having a cup of tea, I suggested: 'what about singing Waltzing Matilda in Welsh?'

'Syniad da! meddai pawb - good idea,' everyone said. 'Wyt ti'n gwybod y geirfa? - Do you know the words?'

Yn ffodus, roedd fy ffrind Dai Tren yn gallu anfon y geirfa - fortunately, my friend Dai Train was able to send the words. Ac roedd actor gyda ni yn dosbarth - and there was an actor in the class. Roedd Aubrey wedi actio fel y Swagman pan ro'n i'n canu'r gan - Aubrey acted as the swagman while we sang the song. Roedd hi'n bendigedig i ganu gan Awstralian yn Gymraeg - it was very special to sing an Australian song in Welsh. Y modd perffaith i fi i baratoi am y daith hir adref - the perfect way to prepare for the long journey home.

Dyma, y araith fyr dw i wedi gwneud i esbonio Walso Matilda ac y geirfa o'r gan - here is the short speech I made to explain Waltzing Matilda and the lyrics of the song.

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Heddiw, dyn ni'n mynd i ganu gan Awstralian. Dw i'n siwr bydd llawer o bobl wedi clywed y gan yn Saesneg ond, dyma, heddiw, am y trof cyntaf, mae grwp tri yn mynd i ganu Walso Matilda yn Gymraeg. 

Ond cyn i ni ddechrau, hoffwn i'n dweud wrthoch chi dipyn bach am y gan. Roedd hi'n ysgrifennu yn y bedwaredd canrif ar bymtheg gan Andrew Barton Patterson. Ei enw e barddoniol oedd Banjo - Banjo Patterson.

Mae'r gan yn dweud stori - stori am swagman. Doedd y swagman ddim yn byw yn y un lle. Roedd rhaid iddo fe symud o gwmpas yr wlad ffeindio gwaith. Ar ei gefyn roedd e'n gorfod cario ei wely ac ei ddillad. Bob nos, basai e'n gwersylla ma's dan y sêr. Weithiau, ar ddiweth y dydd, roedd llawer o arian  gydfa fe i brynu bwyd a de a siwgr. Ond weithiau, ffeindodd e ddim digon o waith. Felly, roedd eisau bwyd arno fe. Mae hynny yn y lle bydd y stori yn dechrau.

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Today, we are going to sing an Australian song. I am sure many people will have heard the song in English but, here, today, for the first time, group three are going to sing the song in Welsh.

Before we start, I would like to tell you a little about the song. It was written in the nineteenth century by Andrew Barton Patterson. His bardic name was Banjo - Banjo Patterson.

The song tells a story - a story about a swagman. The swagman wasn't living in one place. He had to move about the country to find work. On his back, he was forced to carry his bed and his clothes. Every night, he would camp out beneath the stars. Sometimes, at the end of the day, he would have plenty of money to buy food and tea and sugar. But sometimes, he didn't find enough work. Then he was hungry. That is where the story will begin.

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Fyddwn ni ddim dweud am pa mor hir gwariais i ysgrifennu'r ariath fyr - we won't talk about how long I spent writing that short speech - neu pa mor nerfus ro'n i'n teimlo  - or how nervous I was feeling - neu llawer drafiau ro'n i'n wneud - or how many drafts I made. Achos, dw i wedi gorffen un mis o ysgol iaith dwys - I have finished a month of intensive language school.

 Dyma yw nos am falchder - this is a night for pride.

Back safe in Aberystwyth

A lovely walk. It only took a couple of hours.

Walking from Borth to Aberystwyth

It's 2:55 GMT. I've made a bit of a spur of the moment decision to walk from Borth to Aberystwyth along the coastal path. The views are stunning.

But if i don't update this in about five hours, assume the worst.

Gwaith Cartref

Am gwaith cartref, roedd rhaid i ni ysgrifennu cerdyn post disgriffio gwyliau ofnadwy - for homework, we had to write a post card describing an awful holiday. Achos, gofynodd llawer o bobl: sut yw'r tywyth yn Awstralia? Because lots of  people ask: how is the weather in Australia? Ro'n i'n meddwl fy mod i'n gosod y record yn syth - I thought I'd better set the record straight.

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Annwyl Mam a Thad,

Cyrhaeddais i  Cairns ddydd Iau diwetha - I arrived in Cairns last Thursday. Roedd y gwesty yn gyfforddus ar y ddechrau - the hotel was comfortable in the beginning. Ond dyw hi ddim wedi stopio bwrw glaw am chwech diwrnod - but it hasn't stopped raining for six days. Tymor gwlyb yw e! It's the wet season. Ond siaradon nhw ddim am hynny yn y dudalen ymwelwyr. But they didn't say that in the tourist brochure. Mae'r dŵr llifogydd yn codi o gwmpas y gwesty ac mae'r trydan wedi torri ac mae'r staff cyfeillgar wedi gadael - the flood water is rising around the hotel and the electricity has broken and the friendly staff have left. Dw i'n sefyll ar y to gwesty gyda y llyfaint 'cane' a gweithi am help - I am standing on the hotel roof with the cane toads and shouting for help. Ond does neb yn gallu fy ngweld i neu fy nghlywed fi - but no one can see me or hear me. Dw i'n rhwymo y cerdyn post hon i'r simnai - I am binding this post card to the chimney. Os, dw i ddim yn dod yn ôl, rhowch fy nhgasliad stampiau i Oxfam - if I don't come back, give my stamp collection to Oxfam.

Eich mab cariadus chi Siôn - your loving son, John.

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Dyma ni - there we are. Dw i'n siwr wedi gwneud llawer o camgymeriad - I'm sure to have made lots of mistakes. Ond mwynheus i ysgrifennu'r carden post yn fawr iawn - but I enjoyed writing the post card very much.