Why Welsh?

When people ask why I'm learning Welsh, I think I brace myself a little inwardly, knowing that whatever answer I give will never be quite the right answer - they will nod, and smile, and say “Yes, but why?”

In all honesty, there wasn't much thought to it in the first place; but much like I started being vegetarian because I wanted to be cool like my sister who was vegetarian and then later on found lots and lots of other (actually good) reasons to be vegetarian, I now have a swag of reasons to learn Welsh - so let's try and answer this question for good, shall we?

The first thing I usually say is "Well, I really like learning languages" or "Wel, dw i really hoffi dysgu ieithoedd" depending on who I'm talking to. I think this is supposed to make me sound like some amazing polyglot with language notches all over my belt, but what I actually mean is I've got a long line of failed failed failed language learning attempts and forays behind me - including Indonesian, French, Italian, Chinese, Estonian, Lithuanian, Bundu Dusun, Spanish, Autralian Sign Language, and the lyrics to Sich Offnen by Australian indie rock band 'Not From There' (so, German?) - so at least the idea of having a crack at Welsh wasn't completely out of left field.

For people who don't buy "I want to learn it because it's there" as enough reason in itself - which is most people - I then add that I was planning a holiday to Wales so why not learn a bit of Welsh?

(Apaprently some people need a reason for that as well - really? have you seen Wales? Why would you not want to go on holidays there? But then I mess things up by saying I wanted to go to Wales because I was learning Welsh, and it all gets very chicken and egg.)

DO YOU WANT TO BE HERE YES/YES? (Criccieth at sunrise, by me.)

This is legit as far as my own thought process went before I was downloading some Welsh podcasts and dreaming of fluency. I like talking; I want to go to Wales. Okay then.

Of course the obvious objection to "I'm going to go to Wales so why not learn a bit of Welsh?" is "but everyone in Wales speaks English right?" That's when it gets very interesting and very political, very quickly. And that is the subject for another post.