So I Am a Smart Aleck

Somebody had to help out in Welsh class this evening. I was glad to see a verb tree go up on the board which also works to frame pronouns of various purposes. The Wikipedia version is close enough:

We have two adjunct professors and the grammar/speaking one (the other is for culture/history) was bogged down in the conveying and student comprehension of the formulaic system. Sensing my opportunity to provide a mental connection for the other eight students, I said, "That must be where they got the "Knights who say 'Ni' (pronounced "nee") meaning 'We'." Some students twittered and the teacher looked at me with a confused look. I made brief reference to Monty Python and said it didn't matter so she went on. And I hope some fellow students make that connection and will never forget the 1st person plural.
I try to hold back as so many things bounce in my mind. I've had a lot of experience in my years and travels and some exposure to several languages having an actual B.A. in Portuguese and the credentials of actually teaching it to missionaries for a few years. So, yeah, I was very glad to see the verb conjugation tree.

And I'm not the only smart aleck. There's the young kid with a flat cap that he wears all through class even with me removing mine. And the other Grant is, a little. And the English major who types away can be if usually in deep thought. I was next to the non-smart-aleck and very helpful other "mature" student who was helping explain some concepts as we practiced together, She is auditing having had the beginning class before as she wants more practice on the basics.

The best part of tonight's class was learning to pronounce Mynyddoedd Ddu, or "Black Mountains." It was on all my maps in Wales as we drove around or over them from our rented farmhouse like the one from Led Zeppelin's "Black Mountain Side." And it was impossible to figure how to pronounce it. But it goes something like this: "Muh-NUTHZ-oh-ethz Thee."

And looks something like this:

Gospel Pass, over y Mynyddoed Ddu
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