Matt Haugland - 140 Days in England

08 August, 2005

Day 13 - The Welsh, part 1

Ever since I saw a map of wales and the strange city names, I've been fascinated by the Welsh language. Since reading more about Wales yesterday, I've also become fascinated by the Welsh people. Here are some things I've heard or read about them lately, mostly from the English perspective.

They have been described as "ugly, pugnacious little trolls"

Their accent is described as "annoying and hard to understand"

They often are "ridiculed" by the English

The English have "thousands" of jokes about them.

They apparently don't like the English very much

They love rugby

They love to sing

They are very proud of their heritage

Their football (soccer) skills are described as "like little kids playing in the street"

They don't like to be called "English"

They're sick of the racism against them in the English media

The "prince of Wales" has been from the English royal family for centuries. They tricked the Welsh into believing they would have their own monarch.

Approximately 10-15% of the Welsh people support independence from England.

All of these things are very interesting to me, especially considering that Wales is only 90 minutes from Reading. The train I take home from London is the same one that goes to Cardiff (Caerdydd), the largest city in Wales.

It's amazing (and extremely interesting) that there are such large cultural difference across such a small area, not just between England and Wales but across the entire British Isles, and even within England itself. I am very much looking forward to visiting Wales. I'm also interested in learning about the other peoples within easy visiting distance (i.e., the Scots, Irish, Geordies, Cockneys, Brummies, and Scousers). I'm learning a lot about what Reading/London think about them, but I'd love to hear about Reading/London people from their perspective.

A few interesting sites about the Welsh:
Wales on Wikipedia

WelshJokes.com

Guild of Glyndwr

And last but not least, my family will be arriving here tomorrow!! I can't wait!

4 Comments:

At 4:37 PM, Anonymous said...: Hi Matt! Sounds interesting! So when are you going to start learning the Welsh language? I'd be interested to hear your findings of the cultural differences.

That's great about your family! I'm sure you'll enjoy each others company.

All the best!
Dotty
At 7:37 PM, Jono said...: "they don't like to be called "English""

how true.

great blog by the way
At 5:45 PM, thebluefish said...: the Welsh don't like to be called English... because they're not English, they're Welsh. It is a separate country!

They are British, as are English people....
At 8:34 PM, Sheri said...: I hope that you and your family have great time together! Enjoy your time and cherish the moments you have while being with them :)


	Previous Posts Day 12 - Different perspectives Day 11 - Phone number Day 10 - Other sides of London Day 9 - Not in America Day 8 - Thinking ahead Day 7 - 75 degrees: too hot Day 5 - What happened to the Church? Day 4 - London Day 3 - Settling in Day 2 - Life without a car			08 August, 2005 Day 13 - The Welsh, part 1 Ever since I saw a map of wales and the strange city names, I've been fascinated by the Welsh language. Since reading more about Wales yesterday, I've also become fascinated by the Welsh people. Here are some things I've heard or read about them lately, mostly from the English perspective. They have been described as "ugly, pugnacious little trolls" Their accent is described as "annoying and hard to understand" They often are "ridiculed" by the English The English have "thousands" of jokes about them. They apparently don't like the English very much They love rugby They love to sing They are very proud of their heritage Their football (soccer) skills are described as "like little kids playing in the street" They don't like to be called "English" They're sick of the racism against them in the English media The "prince of Wales" has been from the English royal family for centuries. They tricked the Welsh into believing they would have their own monarch. Approximately 10-15% of the Welsh people support independence from England. All of these things are very interesting to me, especially considering that Wales is only 90 minutes from Reading. The train I take home from London is the same one that goes to Cardiff (Caerdydd), the largest city in Wales. It's amazing (and extremely interesting) that there are such large cultural difference across such a small area, not just between England and Wales but across the entire British Isles, and even within England itself. I am very much looking forward to visiting Wales. I'm also interested in learning about the other peoples within easy visiting distance (i.e., the Scots, Irish, Geordies, Cockneys, Brummies, and Scousers). I'm learning a lot about what Reading/London think about them, but I'd love to hear about Reading/London people from their perspective. A few interesting sites about the Welsh: Wales on Wikipedia WelshJokes.com Guild of Glyndwr And last but not least, my family will be arriving here tomorrow!! I can't wait! posted by Matt @ 11:53 PM 4 Comments: At 4:37 PM, Anonymous said... Hi Matt! Sounds interesting! So when are you going to start learning the Welsh language? I'd be interested to hear your findings of the cultural differences. That's great about your family! I'm sure you'll enjoy each others company. All the best! Dotty At 7:37 PM, Jono said... "they don't like to be called "English"" how true. great blog by the way At 5:45 PM, thebluefish said... the Welsh don't like to be called English... because they're not English, they're Welsh. It is a separate country! They are British, as are English people.... At 8:34 PM, Sheri said... I hope that you and your family have great time together! Enjoy your time and cherish the moments you have while being with them :) Post a Comment << Home

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08 August, 2005

Day 13 - The Welsh, part 1

4 Comments: