Poll: What do you know about Wales?

[likalaruku]

It's apparently the butt end of sheep f**ker jokes, or so Mat "Welshy" Williams tells me.

Some good TV comedies were filmed there.

 

[Evil Smurf]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/518460018_723cb0eab2.jpg

All I know is that Wales has words that make me sad.

How the flying spaghetti monster do you say that?

 

[Nickolai77]

I live near Wales and have a general interest in British history so i like to think i know a fair bit.

It was part of the British Isles the Anglo-Saxon tribes that went on to form England didn't conquer, hence why it retains it's unique cultural identity. It managed to retain some semblance of this cultural identity in spite of Wales being conquered in the Middle Ages by England and a concerted effort in the 19th century to assimilate the Welsh into English culture. Since devolution in 1997 the Welsh have had some powers to protect and conserve their language and identity, so good for them really.

But if the Saxons, Angles, Danes and Norwegians hadn't created England we'd all be speaking Welsh now, so i'm kind of glad we converse in this rather flexible and straight forward language that's quite easily become a global language partially on account of its general simplicity.

Well, Welsh is just part of the Celtic languages that popped up in the British Isles, we could easily have been speaking Gaelic or Celtic, etc.

Irish/Scottish gaelic and Welsh are all Celtic languages- we'd be speaking some sort of Gaelic dialect if it wasn't for the conquests of Britain after the Romans left.

You also need to give fair props to the Normans who brought an incredibly large influence of French/latin into the English language, especially considering that the majority of our language isn't the "native" English but French/latin/greek.

Oh yes i forgot the Normans- If they had conquered Britain and the Anglo-Saxons didn't then we'd be speaking an interesting French/Gaelic hybrid language!

 

[fenrizz]

hmm.. Not that much really.

1. Doctor Who and Torchwood is filmed there.
2. They have an awesome dragon flag!
3. It's the land of Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale.
4. Cardiff City F.C. is going to play in the Premier League for the very first time next season!

EDIT:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/518460018_723cb0eab2.jpg

All I know is that Wales has words that make me sad.

This too.

 

[Omega500]

Awesome for rugby. The welsh accent is so so sekz. The girls are all awesome, and bat shit crazy.

Thats all I kinda know I know a wee bit about its history and mostly what other people have put about it.

 

[FamoFunk]

I know that I live there... its a beautiful country with wonderful sheep, a pretty cool language and amazing landscapes.

I really love Cardiff too, I dos.

Oh, and Welsh Cakes, they're amazing.

 

[T3hSource]

Considering many people haven't even heard of my country, nor aware of it's existence, you should be happy that I'm aware that Wales and Welsh language exist.
For the record it's Bulgaria, go look it up yourself. (The Greeks call us "Vulgaros" for a reason)

 

[Abomination]

Wales is a part of England that likes to think it's its own country somehow.

Do the people of South Eastern France identify themselves as Burgundinians and insist their particular region be considered a nation within a nation?

 

[Wadders]

Not as much as I should, probably. I lived there for 3 years whilst at Aberystwyth University, and my home isn't far from the border anyhow. (Near Welshpool/ Montgomery, as if anyone here would actually know where they are )

I went to Aber as well! I was there 08-11 and then did my teacher training there as well. A few of my mates still live there and my flatmate is visiting there as we speak. It was an incredible experience; best three years of my life.

Woo another Aberite! Yeah it really is a wonderful place. Strange, but wonderful. I don't think you can quite replicate the Aber experience anywhere else. I'm in Birmingham doing an MA and it just isn't the same. I graduated last year, still go back there for a night out now and then. What course did you do?

 

[CrashBang]

Not as much as I should, probably. I lived there for 3 years whilst at Aberystwyth University, and my home isn't far from the border anyhow. (Near Welshpool/ Montgomery, as if anyone here would actually know where they are )

I went to Aber as well! I was there 08-11 and then did my teacher training there as well. A few of my mates still live there and my flatmate is visiting there as we speak. It was an incredible experience; best three years of my life.

Woo another Aberite! Yeah it really is a wonderful place. Strange, but wonderful. I don't think you can quite replicate the Aber experience anywhere else. I'm in Birmingham doing an MA and it just isn't the same. I graduated last year, still go back there for a night out now and then. What course did you do?

Agreed, it's small and yet, for the whole time you're there, it never gets dull. My mates who still live there say it's not great if you're not a student; it loses its spark.

I did drama which was fun but not the most academic or useful degree in the world. That's why I made the most of it by becoming an English teacher. The PGCE in Aber is really good. What about you?

 

[GreyDevil]

Hmmm, what do I know about Wales? It is a constituent of the United Kingdom. It borders with England. It has some of the worst weather ever. It has good rugby for a Northern Hemisphere nation, just not quite as good as my beloved South Africa and the rest of us Southern Hemisphere nations. In all honesty if Wales had to play in the Tri-nations (South Africa, Australia and New Zealand) they would be destroyed. It has an indecipherable language. That about sums up my knowledge of the place.

 

[DaedricDuke]

Their flag is a red dragon on a white background... possibly?

I think it's the region that remained under the control of the celtic peoples the longest, back in the old days when Britain was being invaded by basically everyone, which accounts for many of the cultural and linguistic peculiarities of the area. Uh... I may be remembering that completely wrong, don't judge me!

Welsh flag:

So yes, correct there. As for the Celts, both Scotland and Irish are considered Celtic nations, along with Brittany, the Isle of Man and Cornwall.
Basically, the only bit of Britain that anyone really wanted was the south-east, so the Celts kept getting pushed back into the not so nice bits.

Greatest flag in all of Europe. ;_; *salute*

 

[draigan]

Not alot to be honest other than its part of the UK and that I am from New South Wales Australia

 

[Da Orky Man]

Wales is a part of England that likes to think it's its own country somehow.

Do the people of South Eastern France identify themselves as Burgundinians and insist their particular region be considered a nation within a nation?

It is indeed counted as a nation within a nation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countries_of_the_United_Kingdom

The four recognised countries of the UK are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is nothing ambiguous about it.
However, unlike Scotland, there is arse-all support for independence here. We know that independence would not work, so we're happy to get free money off England.

 

[lacktheknack]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/518460018_723cb0eab2.jpg

All I know is that Wales has words that make me sad.

How the flying spaghetti monster do you say that?

"Eg-li-soo-roo", I believe. (Can I get a Welsh in here to fix my pronunciation, please?)

 

[Daveman]

Most choirs per square mile in the world. In fact each person is in on average 3 different choirs there. A large proportion of these people aren't even aware they are in a choir anyway.

 

[Headsprouter]

I know they fuck sheep have lovely accents and have a kickass dragon their flag. Rawr! They also have a language, like we Irish have Gaelic. Nobody really cares about either, but why not remember them and how they work?

 

[GundamSentinel]

Been there two times. Both times it was raining and full of sheep. Beautiful, though.

 

[IckleMissMayhem]

I know a fair bit. Grew up on the Wirral, spent a lot of time sailing in north wales/anglesey, went to UWA, (who, despite me studying modern european languages, refused to let me study welsh... no wonder it's in decline!!!) and spent a lot of time working throughout the country.

Oh, and it's free to escape from the south, but the buggers charge to get back in. Odd that.

 

[Wadders]

Not as much as I should, probably. I lived there for 3 years whilst at Aberystwyth University, and my home isn't far from the border anyhow. (Near Welshpool/ Montgomery, as if anyone here would actually know where they are )

I went to Aber as well! I was there 08-11 and then did my teacher training there as well. A few of my mates still live there and my flatmate is visiting there as we speak. It was an incredible experience; best three years of my life.

Woo another Aberite! Yeah it really is a wonderful place. Strange, but wonderful. I don't think you can quite replicate the Aber experience anywhere else. I'm in Birmingham doing an MA and it just isn't the same. I graduated last year, still go back there for a night out now and then. What course did you do?

Agreed, it's small and yet, for the whole time you're there, it never gets dull. My mates who still live there say it's not great if you're not a student; it loses its spark.

I did drama which was fun but not the most academic or useful degree in the world. That's why I made the most of it by becoming an English teacher. The PGCE in Aber is really good. What about you?

Yeah I'm not surprised. Glad I left after my undergrad course finished, with good memories intact. I imagine once you dont have lectures/work/excessive drinking to do, there's not much in the way of other attractions. Still a great place for a piss-up though! Although having to stay in The Cambrian makes me feel dirty.

Aye, I've heard that its a good place to do a PGCE - fair play to you, I dont think I could handle being a teacher! I did History so it seems like a natural career choice, but I've not got the patience!