Part of the Welsh A level done

The first bit is done! For my A level exam, the main bit of which is done in June, I have to send in three files in April. Two are recorded conversations, and the third is a brief blurb about myself, to help the oral examiner in June to think of something to talk about. And I have sent it all off!

The conversations were organised with some difficulty; I had lined up Jenny, and a lady from Chemistry who had set up one of our Open Days (the Chemistry department is being closed so the chemists now pop up in unlikely jobs). I didn't want to bother with this while term was still so busy, so after I had reached the Easter break I started to deal with this. For the discussion with Jenny I had to read a book. And I managed to do that during the time the university was closed over Easter. And a few days later I would have the discussion! So that was OK.

I don't think I'll post a separate review of the book; how many people who read this read books in Welsh? But I liked it! It was very interesting. You follow a woman called Pegi from the age of six to her death in her eighties. And you see her sometimes through her own eyes but mostly through the eyes of her neighbour, mother, grandparents, son, friend, vicar, and so on. You get a rather varied view that way. And it illustrates so well people are such different people to different others, based on their own experiences. And you see people trying to get rid of the damaging parts of their upbringing but never really managing to not hand some of it on to the next generation.

When I mailed the Chemistry lady, though, she bailed out. She did suggest someone else, but that was someone I had never met. It helps to have spoken with someone before! If not, you might find out too late they have an incomprehensible Caernarfon accent or something like that. So I asked my colleague Stella instead! And she was willing. On Thursday I got an email from here; she was back from having been gone and suggested meeting tomorrow at three. Good for me!

That day I saw at about 4pm I had a text message from her asking if all was well. Oh dear. Was there some confusion? I looked back at our email exchange and saw she had sent that mail at one in the morning. So that same day, according to my mail tool! But the day before according to her! Her tomorrow was my today. Oh dear. But I called her and we changed it to the next morning. In Bangor. Phew!

From then on all went well! I met up with Stella, did an OK conversation, and the file was correctly saved. And in the afternoon the same worked with Jenny. Not sure how good it is; the previous time I had to submit a recording it was the only part of the exam I failed. I hope this is better! Later at home I finished the blurb, and on Monday it all went off to the tutor. And then it's time to do a bit of revision for the rest of the exam in June!