What is Wales

Just thought I'd wander around Wales my way and take a look at some of the funny things I find there, and better described by John Winterson Richards in his book 'The Xenophobe's Guide tothe Welsh'....

Welsh pride "Welsh pride is real pride - the sort of mindless, instinctive, animal pride that requires no justification or excuse...Such pride is the only thing one has left when one has been stripped of everything else...."

How they would like others to see them ...."The Welsh simply could not care less what other people think of them. Among themselves, they not only think and believe that to be Welsh represents the highest form of human achievement - they know it" rofl..

Special Relationships ..."If the English did not exist, the Welsh would have to invent them. To a very great extent, the Welsh define their national identity in terms of the English .." I think this is moreso in Rugby - I mean who else would we rise to meet on the field of battle if it were not the English lol

And let us not forget that when the Welsh are not having a go at the English they are having a go at each other! So the coastal Welsh have a go and mock the Valleys people and visa viz ..North criticises South regarding the language and so on ...we just like a good fight!

"Wales is run by a secret and sophisticated elite, the extent of whose power is carefully hidden! Wales is in fact run entirely by women!" rofl

"The Welsh have a great military reputation as men who enjoy fighting
and are good at it. This is probably because they found fierce and bloody warfare a pleasant and tranquil alternative to dealing with their womenfolk" ..

"The dominant feature of a Welshman's childhood is his Mam. The traditional Welsh mam is a combination of the gentleness of a saint and the degree of flexibility usually associated with the average mountain (all rock and no sandstone!).

As for Sex and Marriage .. well

First Welshwoman: "Mary Pugh is getting married"

Second Welshwoman: "Is she pregnant then?"

First Welshwoman: "No"

Second Welshwoman: "There's posh!"

Singing and poetry are thought to be the domain of the Welsh.
Welsh language poetry has an ancient history going back to the celtic bards, and was very much an integral part of welsh life. The poetry has a broad vocabulary, and its emphasis on rhythm rather than rhyme.
It is true to say that some things are untranslatable, its metaphor truncated almost instantly by English. Having said that I believe
that Shakespear proved that English can be expanded to wonderful metaphor!

Anyway more on the Welsh another day .. time for a cuppa and a welshcake I think! Bless our local post office that had a delivery of fresh bakes this morning!

Hwyl fawr!