(no subject)

[theatokos]

Moving to Lampeter (planning to move to Lampeter) is akin to setting my life on fire. Or deciding to get rid of all my clothes and go about naked. What the fuck do I think I'm doing? I have no idea, but below the fear it feels good.

Today I am applying for the visas. Today I sent emails to rental solicitors. Today I made yet more of a commitment to this insane scheme.

Comments

[makeda55.livejournal.com]

I will miss you and I am so fiercely proud of and delighted for you.

A ferocious hug to you.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Thank you. We could use the hugs. This is definitely not a rational decision!

[almostwitty]

I hope you appreciate how truly isolated it is. And hell, it's one of the relatively well-connected towns in Wales.

Good luck to you anyway! How's your Welsh? ;)

[chiv.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* Welsh is only necessary if you're standing in a queue and want to earwig on the local gossip.

[almostwitty]

Erm... I think if you want to make friends with the locals, and "embed" yourself in the local community then Welsh is more than just a vague option...

Put it this way, if you don't speak Welsh, some of the locals are *not* going to take kindly to you. Which is fine if you're just visiting, but if you're planning to live there for the next five years...

[chiv.livejournal.com]

Over three years here I've got on reasonably well with the locals. Being a student town they're a lot more lenient towards non-Welsh speakers.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I've been to Lampeter. I spent three days there. Loved it. I am from Alaska, from a town with no roads out. Isolation is not a problem for me.

I have no Welsh, but plan to learn a little. I don't expect more because my work will be in English and everyone in Wales speaks English too.

Plus, I can always be yet another "bad" American who doesn't speak a second language.

[almostwitty]

My Welsh nationalist friends would argue that not everyone in Wales speaks English, but I'll let you encounter - or not encounter - the unique parochalism that exists in Wales for yourself ;)

Have fun there!

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there are people who primarily speak Welsh, but it IS part of the UK and everything is in English (and Welsh). I don't need Welsh to make friends or get by. It's not like I'm moving to Kyrgystan.

[jesamin.livejournal.com]

I have faith that this is going to be amazing for you guys.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Adam does too and if I put my head aside for a moment I do too. This move makes no rational sense and for once in my life that feels good.

[makeda55.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes! There are some notable decisions I've made that felt exactly the same way.

In one of Robertson Davies' trilogies - can't remember which, just that it's not the Deptford trilogy - the narrator has a lot to say about Ananke, goddess Necessity. He has a statue of her outside his medical practice, if I remember.

May you be blessed as you follow what is necessary for you.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

Reality check!?

Lampeter isn't in the least bit isolated! It's on a perfectly adequate bus route & the nearest large towns, are only 25 miles away.

chiv is quite right - Welsh isn't required although it's nice to be able to say 'hello' & 'thank you' just to be polite! And the Welsh absolutely DO NOT, as almostwitty suggests, take unkindly to non-Welsh speakers.

It is a huge fallacy that the Welsh ostracize those who don't speak Welsh. I had more problems in Paris frankly. Welsh 'nationalism' is confined to a relatively small section of the nation as a whole. Welsh is widely spoken in North Wales it's true but in Mid & South Wales, & once you hit the valleys, it's spoken less & less.

The issue of who does or doesn't speak Welsh is irrelevant. Yes, there are are some Welsh people who choose not to around non-speakers, but they are few & far between. Please don't concern yourself - you will be made welcome & treated with respect. Lampeter is an extraordinarily friendly town - Town & Gown co-exist in pleasant harmony.

The Welsh are warm, friendly folk. I have lived here since the late 70's & have never encountered any racism, overt or otherwise & certainly no difficulties around language. The onus is on visitors to do as they would when visiting any foreign country - to be respectful of traditions, culture & yes - language.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. There were a couple of times when I walked into a store and everyone was speaking Welsh, but when I asked my question in English it was not a problem at all. I think it's wonderful that Welsh is as predominate as it is. The few times I made an effort to pronounce something correctly were certainly warmly welcomed, but I didn't get a sense of any anti-English sentiment there.

Lampeter is a little isolated in the sense that it is really laborious to get to. It's not on a train route. It takes longer to get from London to Lampeter than it does to get from San Francisco to LA, which is farther. But again, Lampeter doesn't feel cut off, and I have lived in much more isolated places - SE Alaska is far more geographically isolated! And I love that about it!