'S fhada bhon uair sin!

Hello all! Well, it's been quite... *quite* a long while.

At the moment, I am about to send in my last assessment for An Cùrsa Adhartais for the year. I have learned lots this year, and, I am happy to say, furthered my Gaelic skills. Now some of the verbal assessments are conversations and I have quite enjoyed them. I am usually paired with Sarah, whose Gaelic I very much admire, and we a' capadaich really well together.

I also met recently with a representative from U of Glasgow, which was informative and interesting. I am definitely going to be applying to Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen this fall for college. Whether I end up attending any of them is another matter, but I feel more and more at peace with my decision to at least *consider* Scotland for college and, well, life! Things are still very much in pencil at this point, though. It's funny, I am super excited about the possibility of going to school in Scotland, but whenever I think about leaving the US I get sad... the going is exciting, but the leaving, not so much.

In other news, I am off to two dance camps in the next two weeks, and then the US Nationals for highland dancing (yes, I made it to Nationals!!). I am also singing this weekend at the Ohio mòd.

Well that was a quick update, and I hope to be back soon with more personal posts and more Gaelic-y stuff!!

Giveaway

Chan eil sin co-cheangailte ris a' Ghàidhlig ach....

Here's a cool giveaway my amazing friend Charity is doing:

(scroll down to the end of the page)

http://footprintsinthesand23.blogspot.com/2012/01/photo-musing-and-giveaway.html#links

And by the way, you all really ought to check out her blog! It's fantastic. :)

Nollaig Chridheil!

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful holiday!

Here is a poem that my teacher, Mr MacKay composed on Christmas (translation at end):

Air oidhche shàmhach gheamhraidh fhuar
‘S a’ Ghealach shoilleir chiùin
A’ coimhead air an talamh foip’
‘S na reultan os a cionn
An saoghal umam cho neo-thorach
‘S mo smuaintean air an àm
Tha romham ‘measg mo chàirdean
Is mo charaidean caomh blàth

‘Nam smuain thàinig dealbh
‘Bh’air a tabhairt dhuinn bho thùs
Leanabh beag sèimh socair
Thàinig thugainn le deagh rùn
Le Naidheachd mhùirneach shòlasach
Bheir faochadh dìonach rèidh
Do mhac-an-duin, is nic-an-duine
Dh’èisdeas, ‘s dhi ‘toirt spèis

Chan urrainn dha a h-aon againn
Bhith cinnteach dè ar dùil
Nuair dhùineas sinn ar sùilean
Gun am fosgladh ‘rithist le umhail
Ach fhad’s a tha sinn beò tha tròcair
‘S maitheas ann, is stàth
Na tha mi-rèidh a shocrachadh
Is strì a chur gu tàmh.

Mar sin, is mar a mhaith E dhuinn
Aig ceann a bheath, le gaol
A h-uile cron a thig nar cois
Nuair a nochdas sinn ‘san t-saoghal;
Gabhaibh an cothrom, stadaibh greis
Is tionndaidhibh ri chèil’
Cha trod ‘s cha bhagar againn ann
Do’n Ghràdh nach dèan gèill

Oir chì sinn oidhche shàmhach fhuar,
A’ Ghealach is an speur
‘S cha bhi ar càirdean gràdhach ann:
Bi ‘n anaman mu rèir
An sin, is ann a bhios ar cridhean
Ris an t-Slànaighear rèidh
Gun do dhealaich sinn ‘s an àm
Gun chonnsachadh, gun èis

On a cold, silent winter night
And the clear, gentle moon
Looking on the earth below
And on the stars above
The world around me so empty
With my thoughts on the time
I have left with my family
And my dear friends

To my thoughts comes the image
Given to us from long ago
A peaceful, calm baby
Come to us with good will
And with the happy, joyful News
That gives salvation
To the men and women
That listen and pay it heed

Not one of us
Can be certain what to expect
When we close our eyes
Never to open them again
But while we’re here, there is mercy
Goodness, and worth
In setting straight differences
And calming strife.

So, as He forgave us
At his life’s end, with love
Every fault and failing
We bring into this world
Take the time, stop for a moment
And turn to each other
There is no quarrel or squabble
That will not yield to Love.

For we will see a cold quiet night
The moon and the stars
And our loved ones will not be there
Their souls will have fled
There, our hearts will be
At peace with our Savior
That we parted with them
Without contention, without want


-- Micheal MacKay

Cum Gàidhlig beò!

Bha mi a' smaoineachadh gum bi ùidh aig daoine mu dheidhinn a' phìos seo:

I was thinking that this would interest you all:

Revitalizing Languages

Gaelic myths

"Tha a' Ghàidhlig agam agus chaneil mi marbh"


http://www.newsnetscotland.com/affairs-scotland/1741-scotland-language.html


Le taing do Gaelcast a-rithist.

Word Nerd 3

Word Nerd àireamh a h-aon, agus a dhà.


Seo an facal: probhadh/probhail

Tha e a' ciallachadh: "probhadh: experiment. probhail: experimental is toigh leis a bhith probhail he likes to be experimental saidheans probhail experimental science." (Bho "The Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin Mark)

Previous Word Nerd: Word Nerd 1, Word Nerd 2

Here's the word: experiment/experimental

It means: "probhadh: experiment. probhail: experimental is toigh leis a bhith probhail he likes to be experimental saidheans probhail experimental science." (From "The Gaelic-English Dictionary" by Colin Mark)

Mòd Naiseanta America 2010

*Note: this post is going to be a mix of Gaelic and English, for time's sake, but let me know if you would like a full English version.* *I've been house-cleaning, and this draft has been sitting in my "Edit Posts" for a long time.*

Well, where to begin? When we, Mommy and I, arrived at the Antiochian Village we were still in time for registration and dinner. Chunnaic mi Mr agus Mrs MacKay, Mr Freer, is Mr Cassidy, agus an uair sin chaidh sinn suas an staidhre a chur an luggage againn anns an seòmar againn. During dinner I sat at the same table as the adjudicator, Paul MacCallum. Bha e gle laghach, a' cur ceist agam mu dheidhinn an guth agam, agus dh' innis e dhomh beagan barrachd mu dheidhinn Margaret Fay Shaw (whom I had interviewed him about last year). As deidh sin, chaidh sinn sios an staidhre airson "the oral events." Chunnaic mi an sansair as fheàrr leam a tha ag ràdh -- "Egypt. There for thousands of years" that never fails to crack me up. Oir bha Ar n-Oran choir à Ottawa ann, bha mòran ann nach robh mi ag aithneachadh. Bha sight reading co-fharpais anns an bliadhna seo agus bha an ceathamh competitor was rallied to compete, agus bhunnaich Mr MacKay. Bha original poem recitation by Randy Waugh, the choir's director.

As deidh sin, bha sgeulachdan ann. I asked to go first, party because I wanted to get it over with, and party because I knew that watching the others would mess me up and I'd be comparing my performance with theirs. I did pretty well, only made one minor mistake, and that in the English part. Agus bhuannaich mi! Yippee! (Out of two competitors :). B' e oidhche bhrèagha a bh' ann.

Sin Dihaoine dhuibh. Chan eil fios agam gum bi Disathairne agaibh a-chaoidh, ach chì sinn.