From David Western's Lovespoon Blog: "Here be Dragons!"

I have finally reached the crowning section of the Left Coast Eisteddfod lovespoon and will now enjoy some time bringing the guardian dragon to life. I have 'ummed and ahhed' about how I am going to tackle this little chap and have decided to carve him 'in the round' (fully 3 dimensional). The walnut I am using is of a sufficient thickness to handle it, so I think that it is the way to go.

I have been calling him "Dafydd the Dragon" as I've been working on the spoon, but I but have now decided that because Dafydd is my name, he should be called something else.

So I've decided to throw a little competition to name him and it's open to anyone who wishes to offer a good alternative. Sorry, that there are no grand prizes for this, only the glory of having the name you suggest become the dragon's name for the duration of the carving and hopefully beyond when the lucky winner takes him home! In two weeks I'll get Gaabi and Ceri to pick the winner and we'll have an official naming! That will also be my incentive to get him done! Now you may be wondering why I say it is a he when it could conceivably be a she...and there is no valid reason that I could defend in a court of law for that...I've just had the feeling he is, a he!! So there you go, if you can think of a good name for him and are inclined to send it to us; give it a shot!

I'm going to break up the carving into 3 sections for the blog. I'll round out his body and shape the back scales first, then I will move on to the head and finally, I'll shape out the wings. This week is the body.

I've decided that I want to really exaggerate the scales along his back when I carve him, so I've excavated fairly deeply in those sections. I'm hoping that will help cast a nice shadow when he hangs on the wall and will generate a feeling of movement.

Once the scales have taken shape, I will start rounding the body, legs and tail sections. My plan is to leave him 'from the knife' (that is with the cut marks clearly visible in the form of facetting) rather than to smooth him down too much. I think that leaving him facetted will make for a more vibrant and lively carving, especially when viewed from a few feet away. It will also echo the idea of a scaley skin rather than looking too smooth and featureless.

Here's how he looks so far. I have roughed out the flow of his tail and put a nice tip on it, shaped the scales and rounded the front half of the body, started shaping the leg and have ramped the chest down so that the knotwork which will become his tongue can pass over.

Next week I'll shape the neck and head and will clean up the tongue knot. I also have an idea for the eye which will either be a complete success or a total calamitous disaster...stay tuned!

In the meantime, the Left Coast Eisteddfod welcomes any and all donations! . Please consider gifting this exciting cultural event! Every dollar you donate entitles you to a ticket in the draw for this very lovespoon!

New York Public Library presents - Welsh Music Series for Wales Week & Owen Sheers and Paul Watkins in Discussion

Welsh Music Series for Wales Week, March 1-8

From the page:- "As part of Wales Week, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is presenting a week-long series, Music of Wales: Screenings from Welsh Television that includes programs of opera, jazz, popular music, and rock. Opening March 1 with a 2006 recital by the bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, the series also features a documentary about Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, The Merry Widow performed by the Welsh Opera, a concert by popular stylist Shirley Bassey, a documentary on the international hit singer Petula Clark, a jazz concert by Liane Carroll, and a rock concert by John Cale, among others. All of these videos will be having their American premieres. The programs have been donated by BBC Wales and by S4C (the rock concert) to the Library's archival collections."....MORE.

Wales Week: Owen Sheers and Paul Watkins in Discussion Thursday, March 5, 6:30

From the page:- "In celebration of Wales Week, renowned Welsh authors Owen Sheers and Paul Watkins will be in discussion together at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library on March 5. On Saturday, March 7 poets Samuel Menashe and Jon Curley visit the Jefferson Market Branch to share their work and discuss their craft. The Library presents more than 20,000 free public programs throughout its 87 branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island annually, complementing its broad collections and other services.....MORE.

Welsh-American Author Writes Novel after feeling “ludicrously patriotic”

A Welsh author living in America was overcome by emotion twenty five years since leaving his homeland and became “ludicrously patriotic”, so decided to write a novel glorifying Wales. Peter Griffiths is a Welsh-speaking author from Cynheidre near Llanelli, moved to Denver, Colorado in 1972, but in the last few years has gravitated back to Wales.

Peter Griffiths said: “In 1990, while driving from Heathrow to Bala, climbing the Berwyn from Llangynog, I distinctly remember being moved by the grandeur, and feeling ludicrously patriotic. How could I not write a novel glorifying Wales, its people, and its language? It would be aimed mainly at my circle people in the States, who go weak at the knees over Scotland and Ireland, but rarely over Wales.”

The novel is called, Tongue Tied, and is set in the Tryweryn valley and the Rhondda. The novel considers how language has had an unifying and some times divisive role over the centuries. The author said: “One is Welsh if one feels Welsh. The novel recognises the tension that arises at times between the majority of Welsh people who can’t speak Welsh and the minority who can; and the divisiveness of the language in these instances is compared, with sadness, to its crucial unifying role over the millennia.”

Tongue Tied is published by Y Lolfa on St David’s Day. The author now shares his time between Swansea and Denver. This is his first novel.

10 Questions with Neil Dymock - "BakuorBust"

by Ceri Shaw (Email)

On May 23rd 2009, over 30 Welsh Football Supporters will set off from Cardiff in old bangers to aim to reach Baku to watch Azerbaijan play Wales in a World Cup qualifier on 6th June. The cars will have a value of £400 maximum, some will make it, some probably won't. In this Interview Neil Dymock of GolCymru explains why.


Neil Dymock in one of the cars along with
Wales players Lewin Nyatanga & Gareth
Bale.


1. What is "Baku or Bust?" and whose idea was this?

"Baku or Bust" is the name of a charity project. A number of Welsh Football Supporters are attempting in May to raise money for orphanages along the way. The idea is to drive from the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff through Europe to reach Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan in time to see Wales play the Azeris on 6th June 2009 in a Qualifier for the World Cup in South Africa. I initially had the idea from reading an article on two people who had driven from London to Mongolia in a charity rally and saw their route had taken them through A zerbaijan. Back in March last year, I drove to Luxembourg with a friend, Gareth Davis, to watch Wales play a friendly there and we talked about the possibility of driving to Azerbaijan. It started from here basically and has really taken off since then.

We started with one of two cars and around 4 or 5 people really interested, but after some advertising in the Wales fanzine I produce called 'The Dragon Has Landed', I started having one or two emails from curious Wales fans asking for more details. To be honest I was making up most of the answers to their questions at that stage as the idea was still on the drawing board, but since last Autumn it has really taken off and we now have over 30 Wales supporters taking part and over 10 vehicles.

2. You're raising funds for Gôl and you're a trustee for them - for people outside Wales, what is Gôl and what does it do?

Gôl came about on a bus ride back back from a place called Valkeakoski in Finland in September 2002, where I had just seen Wales Under 21's lose 2-1 to Finland. Myself and two other Welsh fans, Gary Pritchard and Dylan Llewellyn were talking about our upcoming trip to Azerbaijan in the November and we decided to see if we could locate some orphanages we could help to promote the kind nature of Welsh Football fans. We found three to visit, raised over $2300 to donate and the rest as they say is history.

On our return, we decided to carry on fundraising and came up with the name Gôl which means Goal in Welsh. We formed an informal charitable organisation and continued visiting orphanages, childrens homes and hospitals whenever Wales played abroad. We then decided to help underpriveledged children in Wales watch Wales play at the Millennium Stadium and terminally ill children, those suffering from Leukaemia and children who normally would not have the opportunity to see Craig Bellamy and co play, can now watch Wales. In October 2008, we applied for charitable status with the Inland Revenue and now have a charity number XT14176.

3. How did you get involved with this? Are you personally going on the drive?

I have been involved with Gôl since its infancy and have been to all of the 30+ places Gôl have visited in the last seven years, bar Moscow and Iasi, with Gôl raising around $60,000 in this time. It has been a labour of love during this time, but totally worthwhile, with so many Wales fans involved with Gôl, be it by coming along on an orphanage visit or simply buying a raffle ticket. I remember one guy won a tabl football game in a raffle at work and he brought it all the way to Azerbaijan to give it to an orphan. The Welsh Football team can be very proud of their fans, who aim to make a difference at every game. With the papers being sold containing stories of Craig Bellamy's spat with a fan in Portugal the other week, Gôl were busy visiting two orphanages in Albufeira, enabling children at the homes to have dental treatment in 2009. The Welsh players are a great help to Gôl though, from signing shirts we can use in raffles to having photos taken with children suffering from Leukaemia.

A lot of people ask me from time to time how and why we achieve what we do with Gôl. Watching Wales around the world is a priveledge, you make great friends for life from all over Wales, travel to places most people have never heard of and have stories to tell that people wouldn't even think of making up. However the answer is simple, we can ! One of the people inspirational in obtaining souvenirs and prizes to raffle which helped raise the money to donate to those first three causes in Azerbaijan is no longer with us. Maralyn Olsen was a retired school teacher and Welsh Football supporter who did so much for Gôl before she sadly lost her fight against cancer in January 2004. She has been a massive loss to Gôl and Welsh Football in general. Gôl continues with her spirit and those of other Wales fans no longer with us.

I am now one of four trustees the charity has and two of us, myself and Tim Hartley will be going on the drive. Duncan Jardine and Andy Hurst are the other two trustees. We have had so many people who have contributed to Gôl though since 2002. Dylan Llewellyn, Gary Pritchard, Rob Santwris, Mark Ainsbury, have been major influences, the list goes on, many fans have all put in a tireless amount of work for the good name of Welsh Football Supporters.

Going back to BakuorBust I don't think Tim really thought I was serious when I mentioned driving to Azerbaijan, but he has and is proving a tremendous help in assisting me with the preparations and has raised over $1500 already. Everyone taking part has been a great help though and given me great confidence that this project will be a resounding success, especially Dave and Jim who have driven to Mongolia before and have the experience of border crossings by car. We aim to visit over 20 orphanges en-route to Baku and raise over $15,000 to spend on these good causes.

4. Have you ever done anything like this before?

No I have never thought about driving a very old car, which drinks oil by the pint over 3700 mile !!! Seriously though I have been involved in a number of Gôl fundraising activities, including leading a team to run in the Iceland Marathon in 2005 and organising a charity walk in London from the Oval where Wales first played in London to Orient where Wales last played. I have always enjoyed fundraising and have run a few marathons for charity in the past, including Chigaco in 1999.

5. Where are you all getting your cars from? What might they be? Have you got them yet? Got yours?

The first few cars were supplied by Dainton Brothers Garage based in Hengoed, just outside Cardiff. Gareth, Huw and Winstone Dainton have been a tremendous help in sourcing cars for us, refurbishing them and getting them through an MOT. Dial-a-Weld, Part Mart and King David Tyres have also supported Dainto Bros in helping get the cars in a driveable condition with half a chance of making it to Baku. While a special mention to Smart Graphics for designing the advertising that will be going on all the cars. I am driving a very old Peugeot 106, which has done 140,000 mile, while Tim will be driving a Toyota Rav4, which has over 120,000 mile on the clock. We have a red taxi in the shape of a 'London Black Cab', two people carriers and rumours are rife that one of the fund raisers is in negoatiations to obtain an Ambulance. We did have an offer of a Fire Engine as well but turned this down as there were more logistical negatives than positives to driving a Fireman Sam Fire Engine to Azerbaijan.

6. How will you do it, in teams? How will they be selected?

Most of the 'teams' have been 'self selected' as a group of friends taking part. A few individuals are taking part so I have matched them up with other team's. The biggest team is from Cardiff, with five driving in an old people carrier nicknamed Val. One team, Marc and Richard from North Wales have yet to find a car and the weekend visits to dodgy second hand car lots go on and you can read about on Marc's blog. www.conwytobaku.co.uk

7. How are you going to choose your routes? Will they all be the same or every car for itself?

The general route will be through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. We are planning to leave Cardiff on Friday 22nd May, but some of the cars may not leave until Monday 25th as Cardiff City or Swansea City may be playing in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley. If this happens and some of the other teams leave late, the plan is to meet up in Istanbul on the Friday evening before traveling together from here. In Georgia we are spending two days in Kutaisi, which is twinned with a city in Wales ( Newport ) and they will be holding a civic reception for us when we arrive.

8. Will you all meet and celebrate when you arrive? What plans do you have for that?

I am traveling to Azerbaijan for a week at the start of May, by plane not by car ! I will be meeting the President of the Azerbaijan Volunteers Union, Sebuhi Rzayev to discuss our plans to visit seven oprhanages in Qazax, Tovuz, Shamkir, Ganja, Goychay, Kurdamir, and Baku. While I will also be meeting Jon Patterson, an Ex-Pat who I met when Wales played there in 2002 and 2004. Between discussions with these two people I hope to organise a celebration party for Friday 5th June in Baku. During my week in Baku I will also be working as a volunteer in two or the orphanages we are helping to get a better understanding of how we can help these places and the children there. All the money raised by April the 30th for BakuorBust will be spent on items that the orphanages we visit, need. I will be ordering a lot of the supplies for orphanges in Azerbaijan during my week in Baku and we will then distribute ihem when we arrive in the country. For example there are 160 children suffering from mental disabilities at the Saray Orphanage just outside Baku and many have towels as diapers as the home can't afford new supplies. Gôl will be donating fresh suppliers so the children can have some dignity.

An orphan at Saray Orphanage, Azerbaijan

9. What other fundraising activities does Gôl conduct or contribute to?

Gôl is always looking for funraising opportunities. I have already mentioned running in Iceland and walking in London as previous events. We have also had people running marathons in London, New York, Dublin and Cardiff. One Wales fan cycled from Cardiff to Dublin, while another took part in the world famous Wicklow Bike Race. On April 12th Owen Williams will be swimming Llyn Tegid in Bala, while next year Andy Hurst hopes to run a marathon on every continent in the World. We have also set up online fundraising on a site known as Just Giving. We are hoping people with a Welsh background around the world will contribute $3 per person to our project. For example if just half the members of Americymru donate $3 each, this would raise over $1500. This can be done online at justgiving.com/bakuorbust.

10. How many cars do you think will make it?

I'd like to think they will all make it, but the law of averages tells me its unlikely. The combined mileage of these cars is well in the excess of one million and although they all have MOT's even new cars can break down at any time. We have various back up plans already in place and the basic idea is if a car breaks down and is not fixable within a timely and financial limit, we will arrange to have the car disposed off and the people driving those cars will jump in a fellow fundraisers car. However we have several difficulties to overcome for any of the cars to reach Baku. Right Hand Drive cars are not allowed in Azerbaijan, but we are hoping to obtain dispensation to take the cars in off the Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev. Plan B, is to leave the cars in Georgia and have a bus waiting at the Georgian / Azerbaijan border to take us to Baku. It is hoped whoever and wherever we leave the cars they will be used for good causes, even if it's for a technical college for budding Azeri or Georgian mechanics to practise on !

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10 Questions with Gwyndaf Jones

By David L. Parry

Gwyndaf Jones is a Welsh Tenor who currently resides in Toronto, Canada.

In 1987 he won the prestigious Blue Ribband award in the Singer of the World competition held in Cardiff, Wales, which also awarded him a scholarship to the Guild Hall School of Music in London, England.


Gwyndaf has performed as a lead tenor for the Welsh National Opera Company, English National Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera Company. He continues to perform throughout Toronto and is pleased that this coming year he will be joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir as a featured soloist.

Find more music like this on Americymru

Q1 – What part of Wales do you hail from?

A1 - Llanfairpwll, Angelsey, North Wales.

Q2 – When did you cross the pond to Canada and why?

A2 - I crossed the pond to first live in Canada back in 1994 after finishing my contract with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Before then, I first came as a young boy touring with a choir from Anglesey. At the same time my father, the late Reverend Huw Tudur Jones, was trying to find a church he could call home so that we could emmigrate to Canada. When that didn't work out, we returned to Wales.

Q3 – Over the years you have performed in a number of prestigious venues in the UK and indeed the rest of the world – which ones particularly stick out as your favorites?

A3 - Royal Albert Hall in London, England was one of the most memorable venues I have ever performed in simply because of its sheer size. This was also where I had my first opportunity to perform as a lead tenor for a concert version of La Boheme. My mentor, Gwynne Howell, became ill and as his understudy I was asked to step in and perform in this grand venue. It was also one of the most terrifying experiences of my musical career as I was only a mere 18 years of age when this opportunity came to me.

Q4 – Do you have any plans for any performances in North America in the near future?

A4 - In 2009, I am looking forward to joining the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir at Metropolitan United for the annual St. David's Day concert on Saturday, February 28th at 7:30 pm. For tickets and information on all these upcoming events, please visit my website at www.thewelshtenor.ca

Q5 - Wales, with it's incredibly small size and population, seems to produce a remarkable amount of singing and acting talent. Do you have a pet theory as to why this is?

A5 - It's a fact that any suppressed nation in history tends to find solace and comfort in their art forms. This is especially true with music because people can relate to it, connect with it and loose themselves in it even if only for just a second. Through the centuries, Wales has taken this idea a step further by developing and keeping a very high standard of arts training. Now it has become the norm for us to expect great things from the product of this tradition.

Q6 – Who do you rate among the up and coming Welsh singers?

A6 – Katherine Jenkins & Aled Wyn Davies.

Q7– How often do you get back to Wales and what is the first thing you try to do when you get there?

A7 - Unfortunately, I don't get back home as often as I would like. Up until last year, I hadn't been back to my hometown for over 20 years. Even so, last year I was able to revisit my hometown and introduce my Canadian wife to Welsh culture. One of the first things I did was spend the day walking through the island enjoying the smell of the ocean, the glorious views and feeling like I had never left.

Q8 – Do you think you will ever move back to Wales?

A8 - Sometimes I feel like I could move back to Wales and other times I feel like it will never be a possibility. There are things that I will always miss about Wales, especially my childhood memories of church functions, community gatherings for the arts and playing rugby. But at the same time, I know that there are things that I would miss about Canada if I was in Wales, so it's really hard to say. Regardless, I believe that a large part of me has never really left Wales.

Q9 – What do you think is the best way for Wales to go about raising its profile abroad?

A9 - One of the things I admire about living in Canada is how multicultural we are as a nation. Everyone is from somewhere else, and if you were born in Canada your ancestors are from somewhere else. I have always admired celebrities who use their fame to promote the arts in their homeland. One such example is Bryn Terfel, a baritone on the world stage who still sings Welsh repertoire in many of his concerts throughout the world and proudly displays his daffodil pin on his lapel where ever he goes. The Welsh stars can bring notoriety but it takes more than that to promote Wales in the world. What we can take from this is the idea of proudly showing our fellow citizens and neighbours who we are, where ever we live. The average Welsh person needs to educate others about where we are from, what we are about and what we can offer as a unique people. We are known as a creative nation; let us follow in that tradition.

Q10 – Do you have any messages for our AmeriCymru readers?

A10 - My message for AmeriCymru readers is this; in my travels and experiences I learned very quickly that the Welsh have had and continue to have tremendous influence in theology, politics and the arts in many countries of the world. We need to be a little less complacent and a little more ready to tell people about ourselves. Myself, I am tired of hearing that Celtic music is mostly made up of Irish songs where the Welsh have beautiful folk melodies that belong in this category. Or knowing that the average Canadian has never heard of Wales unless someone was speaking about titles of the Royal family. We have no one to blame but ourselves. We have so much to be proud of and let us not focus on just what we have done in the past but continue it into the future. As a Welsh artist it is important for me to put my talents towards this cause, however I know that I can not do it alone. I know that there are many talented and connected Welsh out there. What we need is to network and support each other in these endeavours.



For further information and tour dates please visit: www.thewelshtenor.ca

10 Questions with Amy Wadge

Amy Wadge is a folk and country singer who originally came from Bristol, just over the Welsh border, but who has now crossed over and been adopted by her now-native Wales. She is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Wales, and has won great critical acclaim as well as a number of awards and has supported music legends such as Van Morrison, Damien Rice, and Jeff Beck.

Amy Wadge - A Design for Life (Live)

Amy has recently been selected to perform at the prestigious SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in March, 2009.


Q1 – What part of Wales do you live in?


I live in Church Village in Pontypridd


Q2 – When did you cross the border to Wales and why?


I moved here 15 years ago to study acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and then met my husband and never went back - I love it here!!


Q3 – How would you describe your music?


Alternative country is the most accurate description but there are folk influences too with a bit of rock thrown in for good measure.


Q4 – You have recently been selected to showcase at the legendary South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, do you have any other overseas gigs planed in the near future?


I'm hoping to build up something in America as I'd love to tour there - I have a one year old so touring abroad is a little bit harder these days - but I can always bring her with me!!!

Amy Wadge - Freefall (Live)

Q5 – You toured Australia as a Welsh Assembly Government Cultural Ambassador during the 2003, Rugby World Cup. Did that result in any interesting or odd stories to tell?


I had a blast there. I did some pretty bizarre gigs though - including one in the middle of a seal pool - (literally on a rock) for the president of new south wales. It was a brilliant trip though and I'll never forget the Wales / New Zealand game it was amazing Wales played out of their skins and we drank til 5 in the morning and then had to fly home.


Q6 – So far where has been you favorite place to perform?


I did play the Albert Hall with Jeff Beck for two nights and that was pretty amazing - but honestly you can't beat gigs at home - when I play Cardiff it's always really special.


Q7 – What is your favorite haunt in Wales?


I spent a lot of time in Moelfre on Anglesey recording an album and it is still the most beautiful place on earth to me - absolute paradise!


Q8 – What are your dreams and ambitions for the future?


I just want to carry on making my living with music - I am lucky that I get to do this everyday and I hope I always will.


Q9 –What do you think is the best way for Wales to go about raising its profile overseas?


Just to be true to itself. There is so much talent here that goes un-noticed - Wales needs to have a bit of confidence hopefully the likes of Duffy will pave the way for more people to get noticed.


Q10 - Do you have any messages for our AmeriCymru readers?


Really hope to see some of you in the future at gigs - and if you are at South by southwest please come and say hello.


For more information about Amy please visit her website at: www.amywadge.com or her MySpace site at: www.myspace.com/amywadge


What the papers have to say:

'Pint sized poetess with valley quaking voice. Her songs have a raw vibrancy that suit her earthy voice and emotionally mature lyrics' - Q magazine

'The new Joni Mitchell, with her distinctive voice and well-crafted songs' – The London Evening Standard

'The Voice of her generation - a star is born' - Ouest-France


By David L. Parry

An Interview with Niall Griffiths

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN MOVED TO

THE WELSH AMERICAN BOOKSTORE

TO READ 'AN INTERVIEW WITH 

NIALL GRIFFITHS' CLICK HERE

Eisteddfod Poetry Competition Winner to Appear in "Seventh Quarry" Magazine

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Left Coast Eisteddfod Poetry Competition will be featured in the prestigious international poetry magazine - "The Seventh Quarry". Peter Thabit Jones, the editor of the magazine which is based in Swansea, will feature the winning submission together with an appreciation and a picture of the author.

The current edition of "The Seventh Quarry" includes an article on Jose Garcia Villa written by John Edwin Cowen. Garcia Villa was a devoted admirer of E.E. Cummings and also a dear friend of Dylan Thomas and Caitlin Thomas in New York, when Caitlin joined Dylan on one of the American tours. Also featured in the Poet Profile section is Indian poet, Rita Malhotra.

Also included are submissions by poets from China, England, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Sicily, USA and Wales.

The magazine is now 64 pages and appears twice a year, in January and July. It costs £3.50 per issue or £7 for a year’s subscription (two copies). $10 and $20 for USA subscribers. Further information at www.peterthabitjones.com

Peter Thabit Jones reads from his latest anthology "The Lizard Catchers":-

Previous posts on Americymru by or about Peter Thabit Jones:-

Peter Thabit Jones and John Good to Judge Left Coast Eisteddfod Poetry Competition!

We are immensely proud and pleased to announce that Peter Thabit Jones and John Good will judge the entries in the Left Coast Eisteddfod Poetry competition ( English and Welsh language categories respectively ). First prize for both ctegories in this competition wiil be $100 (65GBP approx ). Second and third pla

… Continue

Added by Ceri Shaw on January 15, 2009 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

FIRST-EVER WALKING GUIDE TO DYLAN THOMAS’S GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK

NEW WALKING GUIDE TO DYLAN THOMAS’S GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK Written by Welsh poet Peter Thabit Jones and Dylan Thomas’s daughter Aeronwy Thomas, herself a poet, in association with the Welsh Assembly Government/Wales International Center, New York. Visitors to New York and lovers of Dylan Thomas’s poetry, will enjoy this self-guided tour of ten places in Greenwich Village associated with the Welsh poet. Dylan toured the USA four times and spent a lot of time in Greenwich Village , New York… Continue

Added by Peter Thabit Jones on December 29, 2008 at 12:44pm — No Comments

THE SEVENTH QUARRY SWANSEA POETRY MAGAZINE

THE SEVENTH QUARRY Swansea Poetry magazine THE SEVENTH QUARRY Swansea Poetry Magazine aims to publish quality poems from around the world. Poets from the U.K., America, Russia, Japan, China, Argentina, Canada, Israel, France, Sicily, Catalonia, Spain, Czech Republic, Serbia and Romania have already appeared in its pages. New York’s Vince Clemente, as the magazine’s Consultant Editor: America, ensures a steady stream of American poets. Each issue features a Poet Profile, a batch of pages given… Continue

Added by Peter Thabit Jones on December 20, 2008 at 10:00pm — 1 Comment

Welsh-American "American Idol" Contestant Needs Our Help!

'Emily Wynne-Hughes' the Welsh-American "American Idol" contestant got booted off a bit unfairly the other week and is being considered for a second chance, but needs fans to write in on her behalf.

Email American Idol at: idolpr@fox.com and tell them you want 'Emily Wynne-Hughes' back on for this season. Her dad's from Wales, we have to look after our own;)

Go Betty Go - Go Away

Go Betty Go - C'mon

Baku or Bust

Would you be interested in helping to raise funds for one of the biggest Welsh Charity projects in 2009 ? Or could you help by forwarding this post to all your friends and family.On May 23rd 2009, over 30 Welsh Football Supporters will set off from Cardiff in old bangers to aim to reach Baku to watch Azerbaijan play Wales in a World Cup qualifier on 6th June. The cars will have a value of £400 maximum, some will make it, some probably won't.

We will be raising funds for Gôl, the Welsh Football Supporters Charity, established in 2002, which has helped over 30 orphanages over the last 6 years as well as children's hospitals and charities in Wales such as LATCH and Ty Hafan. Some photos of the places we have been before can be seen on our website.

http://www.golcymru.org

All the money donated for BakuorBust will be spent on good causes at over 20 orphanages which will be visited, some of which we have visited before, some totally new in. We will be backed by the Football Association of Wales and the Welsh players, who had a photo shoot with one of our cars back in November.

Gareth Bale and Lewin Nyatanga with myself in one of our cars going to Baku.

If your society would like to fundraise as a project and decide to focus on one of our orphanages to help we can take photos for you and acknowledge your contribution on our website. Alternatively anyone will be welcomed to make an individual donation online at our justgiving site. Donations of any size will be much appreciated.

http://www.justgiving.com/bakuorbust

Help make your countries football team proud in 2009 and give Wales a caring name around the world.

Kind Regards

Neil Dymock

Gôl Trustee and BakuorBust Project Manager

Gôl is a registered charity with HMRC, with the number XT14176.

The Americymru Blog Goes Social With The Google Friends Connect Toolbar

Many of our members and readers will have noticed that content on Americymru is spread over two sites. We have sought to integrate them as seemlessly as possible but nevertheless we use both the Blogger and Ning platforms.

Until now interaction has only been possible on the Ning portion of the site but today we have added the Google Friends Connect Toolbar to the Americymru Blog. To join simply sign in with your Google or Yahoo password and you will be able to add comments to the comment wall which is a dropdown from the bar at the top of the page. It takes a little getting used to but we feel that it adds a whole new dimension to the site for our members. Google will, no doubt, be adding new features to the toolbar and hopefully it will become an even more useful tool for communication and interaction in the future.

For now it sports a comment wall which allows you to add comments and embed YouTube videos. It also allows integration with a few "external" services such as Twitter. If you decide to check it out heres a screenshot of the top left corner of the screen where you go to sign in:-

Back to the Knives as Valentines Approaches

Reproduced from David Western's Portland Lovespoon Blog

I'll wager that I'm not the only one who has the knives out on Valentine's Day! Mind you, I'll be carving a beautiful love token for a loving couple and not planning to moyderize someone for forgetting the big day!

In fact, I've been so busy with the knives frantically trying to get Valentine's orders in time for delivery on the 14th, that I haven't had a minute to spare for the Left Coast Eisteddfod spoon.

While I apologize for that, I did have time to answer a couple of questions that have come to me via email. A number of people have written to me asking what tools I use when carving my lovespoons. In particular they are interested in the power tools I use to save time and turn out spoons in double-quick time.

I'm sorry to disappoint, but the only power tools I make use of are an electric band saw for roughing my timber to size, an electric scroll saw to rough out the actual spoon blank (especially if there is a lot of Celtic knotwork involved) and very occasionally I will utilize a 4.5-inch angle grinder (!!) to sand my way through difficult grain figures. Other than that, it is all hand tools. I've included a picture of my workbench to show the tools necessary for carving the Left Coast Eisteddfod lovespoon. The vast bulk of my work is done with one or two straight and bent bladed knives. I use some small chisels and gouges to get into tight spots, some needle files for cleaning rough spots and lots of stropping compound and stropping to keep things sharp as I go. Those with keen eyes will notice two other necessities on the bench; glues for those little disasters which occasionally befall even the noblest venture and my collection of Simpsons characters who are present to help me laugh my way through those same ignoble disasters!

I'd love to be able to tell you that there are miracle tools out there which make things go super-quick and smooth, but really there are no finer tools than the ones you see in this picture.
Even though I have to work at a brisk pace if I want to survive, I firmly believe that a carving takes as long as it takes and trying to shortcut anywhere only leads to a half-hearted looking lovespoon.

The second most common question I am asked is: "How do you sit and carve for 8 hours straight every day?" The answer is proper nutrition! I've included this photo taken during my Christmas visit to Cardiff where I was able to stock up on the very type of nutrition which fortifies me so heartily for the upcoming season of lovespoon carving! The key, as with so many things, is moderation. As you can see from the picture, I am careful not to over-do things.

Any former or current citizen of Cardiff can tell you that with two simple foodstuffs, Clark's Pies and Brains Beer, the body can be sufficiently and efficiently fed to perform at peak performance! Add a half and half curry on the way home and you're set!!

So there you are, my Valentine's Day gift to any and all you carvers out there seeking the secret to woodcarving success.

Next week, we'll resume action on the Left Coast Eisteddfod lovespoon but in the meantime, why not consider a romantic donation to the Eisteddfod in your sweetie's name? It's a great gift which might net this one-of-a-kind, hand-carved lovespoon!

Cwrs Goleuni'r Gogledd – The Northern Lights Course

Cymdeithas Madog presents Cwrs Cymraeg 2009:
Cwrs Goleuni'r Gogledd – The Northern Lights Course
University of Alberta, Augustana Campus ~ Camrose, Alberta, CanadaSunday, July 19 – Sunday, July 26, 2009

Cwrs Cymraeg, meaning Welsh Course, is a unique educational opportunity for language enthusiasts, individuals or families of Welsh descent, or anybody interested in the beautiful Welsh language and culture. It is a week-long residential course emphasizing the spoken language and provides instruction/classes at seven levels, ranging from the absolute beginner to those who are well advanced.

At this year's course in Camrose, Alberta, Hefina Phillips will be the lead tutor; joining her from North America will be Annette Evans, Deian Evans, Marta Diaz, and Aled Llion. The tutors from Wales will be Geraint Wilson-Price and Chris Reynolds. There are approximately 5 hours of language class each day, supplemented by further language and culture-related activities in the afternoon. Evening events such as singing, folk dancing, Welsh-language films, and a Noson Lawen (talent night) provide additional opportunities to relax while enjoying a Welsh-language atmosphere.

Registration and Fees: A check or money order for $100, in US funds, reserves a place. Deposits, together with the applicant's mailing address and e-mail, should be sent to the Cwrs Cymraeg registrar: Shirley McKee, Registrar, Cwrs Cymraeg 2009; 3033 Willowbrook Way, Beavercreek, OH 45431-7702 USA. On-line registration and deposit payment will be available soon--please check www.madog.org for updates. For questions, please contact the registrar at registrar@madog.org

Make checks payable to: Cwrs Cymraeg 2009. The deposit will be applied to the cost of registration. Deposits are fully refundable until April 30, 2009. No refunds of deposits will be made after June 1, and registration will close on June 15. If necessary, we will establish a waiting list, so after June 1 check with the Registrar regarding openings.

Fees for the course include all meals, tuition, course materials, and official evening activities. This covers the period from dinner on Sunday evening, July 19 until and including breakfast on Sunday, July 26. A mid-week trip will be an extra cost option.

Adult Resident (Double occupancy) $740.00

Adult Commuter $640.00

Discount for students (off above rates) - $50.00

Tag-along (Double occupancy) $440.00

Upgrade to Single occupancy $60.00

Full payment is due by June 15. Payments after June 15 will be subject to a $50 late fee.

Scholarships: An application for a scholarship should be postmarked by April 20, 2009. The application may be submitted either online or though the mail. The $100 deposit for the course must be paid to hold a place on the course and for the applicant to be considered for a scholarship. If an applicant is not awarded a scholarship and cannot afford to attend otherwise, the deposit will be refunded in full.

Full scholarship details and application materials can be mailed to anyone without internet access. The scholarship application form and answers to frequently asked questions will be available online in February 2009 on the Cymdeithas Madog website, www.madog.org.

For scholarship information and requests, contact:

Bill Roberts

Cymdeithas Madog Scholarship Committee

875 Wilmot Road

Deerfield, IL 60015 USA

Scholarship Endowment Fund: For over 30 years, Cymdeithas Madog has provided a unique opportunity to study the Welsh language in North America. Thanks to the generosity of the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association (WNGGA), the National Welsh American Foundation (NWAF), societies and individuals, we have been able to offer a limited number of partial scholarships each year, to help students attend the course. In many cases the award makes a crucial difference.

In addition, Cymdeithas Madog has established a Scholarship Endowment Fund to provide scholarship assistance. Donations to this fund are always welcome! Cymdeithas Madog is a non-profit organization [501(c)(3)] and such contributions are US tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation to Cymdeithas Madog, send a check, payable to Cymdeithas Madog's Scholarship Endowment Fund, to the registrar at the above address.

Further Information: Visit the Cymdeithas Madog website, www.madog.org. The site will maintain updated information about registering online and other details as they become available. We invite you to start making plans to attend Cwrs Goleuni'r Gogledd--The Northern Lights Course! Veterans of previous courses already know what a rich and rewarding experience Cwrs Cymraeg is, and they extend a warm welcome to each new participant.

Sincerely,

Cymdeithas Madog Board of Directors

Volunteer Summer Internships at the Wales Smithsonian Cymru 2009 program of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

A message from Betty Belanus:-

I would like the members of Americymru who are at university or know a young person who might wish to know, about the opportunity to participate in our internship program this summer. A similar announcement has been made across Wales for students there, but we would also like to make stateside (and Canadian) students aware of the opportunity. Unfortunately the internships are not supported by stipends (we wish!) but we get many applicants anyway, and I would like to consider those with Welsh connections first, as I know they will have some prior knowledge of the culture and might be interested in the opportunity to learn more.

As soon as our Festival Volunteer Coordinator comes on, I will send along information for the broader opportunity to volunteer for the event as well, this should be available in a month or so.

The following is a brief description and information for obtaining more information:

Volunteer Summer Internships at the Wales Smithsonian Cymru 2009 program of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

University or post-graduate students with a strong interest and/or background in Welsh culture are encouraged to apply for unpaid internships at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to work with the organizers of the Wales program for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Period of internship is negotiable, to include at minimum the two weeks of the Festival, June 24 - July 5. Duties may include helping set up displays, working with participants to obtain supplies and materials for demonstrations, helping keep Festival schedules updated, and other duties to be discussed with the Festival staff. For more information about the Center and the Festival, see www.folklife.si.edu For more information about internships, or to obtain the link to the on-line application, please contact Arlene Reiniger, Intern Coordinator, at reinigera@si.edu Deadline for stateside interns is March 15. Welsh-based candidates have been solicited directly from Welsh unversities, but if additional students based in Wales would like to be considered, please get in touch ASAP, as visa requirements and other necessary arrangements take longer to process for overseas students.

Only Men Aloud and Bryn Terfel: The First to support the Song for Saint David’s Day

Bryn Terfel and Tim Rhys Evans, Musical Director of ‘Only Men Aloud’ came together to support the launch of a manuscript on the web, a special song for Saint David’s Day, which has been adopted as the official song of the National Saint David’s Day Parade. (NSDDP) The launch of the ‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ manuscripts on the web, were celebrated by the presentation of the very first copies to Bryn Terfel and Tim Rhys Evans, and the manuscripts will be available for sale from Y Lolfa website www.ylolfa.com from the 5th February 2009 onwards - the very first time a Welsh medium publication is sold in an electronic format.

“It’s a great pleasure and honour for all of us in ‘Only Men Aloud’ to be the first to receive this exciting new song to celebrate our Nation’s Patron Saint. All the best to the ‘National Saint David’s Day Parade’ for many years of continued success in song and spirit.” said Tim Rhys Evans.

Bryn Terfel received the very first copy of the Piano and Voice arrangement and Tim Rhys Evans the first version of the Male Voice Choral arrangement from Gwenno Dafydd, who wrote the words both in English and Welsh. Heulwen Thomas composed the original music for piano and voice and the Male Voice, Female Voice and Mixed (SATB) arrangements were made by Eilir Owen Griffiths.

All four versions will be available to buy for £2 a copy (with a discount if anyone buys more than 5 copies) from Y Lolfa website – www.ylolfa.com.

Garmon Gruffydd from Y Lolfa said” It has been possible to buy English books from the web for quite some time, but it is an honour for us to be the first publisher to sell Welsh medium e-books. As well as selling the four versions of ‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ we intend to sell a number of novels in the form of e-Books.

‘Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi’ will be published on February the 6th .

Purchase 'Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi' HERE.

The Latest From Cymuned - Supporters Email

( This is not an official press release but rather the personal observations of a Cymuned supporter )

It may be a little bit late to say it, but as this is the first email of 2009, a happy new year toyou!

** Cymuned's two main projects are motoring on - the first issue of 'Ein Gwlad' has been prepared and is just waiting for a final proof-read before production. I can promise an interesting and thought provoking magazine for our members

On CyngorNi, letters are being posted to the councillors in Ynys Mon, and the necessary aterials for the launch later this month have been received - watch this space closely!

**Talking of CyngorNi, I was in a Welsh Language Board conference, "Supporting Welsh Language Communities in Rural Wales - Economy, Housing and Planning" at the start of the week. It was very encouraging to hear support for the idea for Welsh-speaking workplaces in Welsh-speaking areas - the foundation stone of CyngorNi - coming out of the discussion groups, as well as changes to the planning system to protect the population of rural areas from the worst excesses of the housing market. Actually, during presentations on the subjects of planning, regeneration and population movement, it was easy at times to imagine that this was a Cymuned conference! But seriously, I will emphasise that this was open discussion rather than the formation of Language Board Policy, but there was enough evidence that the political landscape is changing, and that the Assembly is becoming even more friendly towards Cymuned's ideals. It will be interesting to see what policies do come from this conference.

**According to the Western Mail, Ceredigion council are considering setting up a fund which will provide loans for local small businesses, and maybe for first time home buyers. This is a very interesting idea for improving the ability of the local population to run their businesses and buy homes in their own communities, and Plaid Cymru's Adam Price has called for Wales's other councils to consider similar schemes. The full story is HERE.

**Lastly, some of you have obviously listened to our December appeal for more members, and have been talking to your friends about the email, because the numbers have increased much more than usual over the last month. Thank you very much, and welcome to our new readers! But remember, it was doubling the numbers that I talked about in December's email, so if you haven't told friends and acquaintances yet, do that without delay.

Until next time, then!

Iestyn

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Dewi Sant told us to "Do the little things."

To see what he had in mind, have a quick look at:

www.cymuned.net/ymlaen/dewisant

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Are you a dreamer or a doer?

Cymuned can't survive without YOUR help.

Have a look at:

www.cymuned.net/ymlaen/ourfuture

to hear how to make things change.