BETH YN Y BYD SY'N DIGWYDD YMA?   Welsh is quite arguably one of the most useless languages in Europe. Some of my Welsh friends would dislike that statement quite a lot, but I doubt any of them could argue with it. Everyone in Wales speaks English, so even when traveling there knowledge of the language isn't particularly useful unless you're really trying to impress someone. And the Welsh (unlike the French) generally are quite impressed by anyone who makes an effort to learn their language, with the possible exception of those who don't speak it themselves.

HOW TO LEARN WELSH   Let's just say it isn't easy. Not just because you'll never find anyone in this country to practice speaking it with, but because spoken variances in pronunciation (mutations), which often depend on context, actually have to be spelled out in the written version of the sentence. This makes it virtually impossible to look anything up in the dictionary or to remember when you are supposed to use a "D" sound and when you are supposed to use a "TH".

WHY I LIKE IT   I consider myself to be an amateur historian, and someday, I swear, I will write a novel that takes place in 12th century Wales. Meantime it's nice to have at least a basic grasp of the language. Also I am a geek. What else can I say about that.

ANOTHER REASON WHY I LIKE IT   Once a year I hook up with some friends for a Welsh language course, which is held in various different places around the globe. When you're actually with other speakers, it's kind of cool to know that nothing you say amongst yourselves can ever be interpreted by anyone else in the room. This only works when you are not in Wales.

LAST YEAR'S COURSE   Another perk of the yearly Welsh course; the travel. The 1999 class was in Toronto, Canada (my first trip outside the US). The 2000 class was in Carmarthen, South Wales. I spent two weeks in the UK, one week in Carmarthen for the course and another driving from the south part of the country to the north, and then finally to London where we spent about 70 pounds (just over a hundred bucks) trying to get from the airport to the hotel. Don't ever get in a London cab unless you know exactly where you are going.