Mo Bhlog Beag

College acceptances have begun to arrive, and while I haven't decided whether or not to disclose the names of the colleges I've applied to, I have been accepted by two of my three Scottish universities! I am still waiting back on a few, but I've been accepted into one of my top 3 schools, so I am happy. I just started Saoghal na Gàidhlig 1 at UHI in January and I have jumped, feet first, into Scottish (well, really British) history. In the medium of Gaelic. I am relieved to find that my mind, which during the fall had been spurting random bits of German, is now back to its normal state of […]

Well, well, well. It's been quite awhile hasn't it? Sorry about that. My summer in a word?: DANCE. I went to two dance camps, qualified for nationals for the first time, three highland competitions, and even more Ukrainian dance shows. It was a blast. I'm hoping to post a video soon of some photos and videos from the summer. This year is my senior year of high school and it's a great, but crazy one! I'm taking several college classes which have stretched me to new levels of independence and confidence. But what I wanted to post about today was something Gaelic-y! I was interviewed at the […]

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 […]

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. 🙂 a Rafflecopter giveaway You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.

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 chiùinA’ coimhead air an talamh foip’‘S na reultan os a cionnAn saoghal umam cho neo-thorach‘S mo smuaintean air an àmTha romham ‘measg mo chàirdeanIs mo charaidean caomh blàth‘Nam smuain thàinig dealbh‘Bh’air a tabhairt dhuinn bho thùsLeanabh beag sèimh socairThàinig thugainn le deagh rùnLe Naidheachd mhùirneach shòlasachBheir faochadh dìonach rèidhDo mhac-an-duin, is […]

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

"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 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 […]

*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 […]

Word Nerd àireamh a h-Aon. Seo an facal: lachanaich. Tha e a' ciallachadh: "laughing loudly, loud laughter. thòisich iad air lachanaich they began laughing (loudly)." (Bho "The Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin Mark) Previous Word Nerd: Word Nerd 1. Here's the word: lachanaich It means: "laughing loudly, loud laughter. thòisich iad air lachanaich they began laughing (loudly)." (From The Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin Mark)

Dìreach post beag dhuibh an-diugh. Seo da "links" agus tha iad inntinneach, tha mise a' smaoineachadh. Tapadh le Gaelcast. Just a short post for you today. Here are two links, and they're interesting, or at least I think so. 🙂 Thanks to Gaelcast. http://www.newsnetscotland.com/features/1467-language-history-part-1 Agus/And: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTk3JL01TZ0)

Bha beachd agam mu phost ùr -- faclan Gàidhlig a tha inntinneach agus gu bheil còrdadh rium! 🙂 So I had an idea for a bit of a series -- random Gaelic words that I think are interesting and that I like! 🙂 Seo a' chiad facal: ait. (Chan eil accent an seo! 🙂 Agus seo dè tha e a' ciallachadh (bho m' fhaclair -- The Gaelic-English Dictionary le Colin Mark.): Here's the first word: ait. (There isn't an accent there! 🙂 And here's what it means (from my dictionary -- The Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin Mark): "1. Blithe, cheerful, cheery, droll, funny... joyful. Gu h-ait he spoke […]

As you may remember, I started playing the guitar about three months ago. I've made a lot of progress since then, I think, and I certainly have learned a lot! I've picked out the Gaelic song, "Loch Maruibhe" from Fiona J MacKenzie's cd and I can play the melody and I am working on chords and now singing with chords. I've learned a lot about music theory -- how to pick out chords of a song based on the notes, and before that, how scales are formed. I can play the melody of Joy to the World, the arpeggio of "The House of the Rising Sun" (albeit very slowly), and am starting to learn how to play […]

Tha còmhlan ùr -- 's e Mànran an t-ainm a th' orra -- ann an Alba agus tha iad a' feuchainn a bhith ann an "Top Forty" anns an UK. 'S e "Latha Math" an t-ainm a th' air an òran agus tha e sgoinneil gu dearbh. Oir chan eil mise anns an UK, chan urrainn dhomh rud sam bith a dheanamh ach seo! Ceannaich e an-diugh agus tha mi 'n dòchas gum bi iad ann an "Top Forty" a dh' aithghearr! Seo iad air an eadar-lìon: Website: http://manran.co.uk/wp/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Manran/130674593637945 Agus seo Latha Math! There's a new band, Mànran, in Scotland and they are trying […]

This is not my guitar 🙂 -- from Balthus Van Tassel on Flickr So one day last week my mom says to me, "I have an idea -- you should learn how to play the guitar. What's a folk-singer without a guitar?" Beware: when my mom has an idea, you'd better watch out. And today I found myself walking to my first lesson. There's a man who teaches guitar just a few blocks from my house. He was very good, or so my mom says. It's not that I doubt it, it's just that I don't know anything about music. I learned a lot, and I still haven't absorbed it all. It's hard to put all your fingers down at once on the […]

*An update on the mòd is coming soon!* So I check my email today and see an update from ACGA saying "Did you know that you can get Google and Open office in Gaelic?" I totally freak out. In fact, only a few minutes after the fact, I'm a little embarrassed to tell you... but I jumped up and started running around the room. 🙂 SO EXCITED! And SO geeky!! I'm hoping that Google translate and maps will soon follow. When you put in jiberish: Cha do lorgadh sgrìobhainn sam bith air son - sldfjskfjsf -. Molaidhean: Dèan cinnteach gum bheil a h-uile facal sgrìobhte gu ceart. Feuch […]

Almost there! Can't wait to see everyone! Here's a link to a vid of Sineag Macintyre singing Teann-a-Nall. She will be at the mòd this weekend as she won at the Royal Mòd last year. http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/foghlam/beag_air_bheag/songs/song_04/index.shtml

Just a quick link for y' all today. 17 days until the US Mòd! (Tha mi duilich. Chan eil mòran Gàidhlig agam idir an diugh. 🙁 Seo e: (Here it is): http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/smaller-classes-plan-for-gaelic-schools-comes-under-attack-1.1046592

After the competition in Antigonish my mom and I headed to the Pictou-Antigonish Library to check email. While we were there I was extremely excited to find a Maisy book in Gaelic! The librarian noticed my highland dance bun and we struck up a little conversation. When she found out I was learning Gaelic she handed me a little card with the web address of a new E-book in Gaelic and English. As deidh an co-fharpais anns a' Bhaile Mòr, chaidh mo mhàthair agus mi dhan Pictou-Antigonish Library to check email. Nuair a bha sinn an seo bha mi gle shona a fhaic (?) an leabhar mu dheidhinn Maisy […]

At the Gaelic college, my Gaelic class did a play based on a Cape Breton story. I was one of the narrators. Here is a video showing the same story, animated. Enjoy! Thanks to Gaelcast. Aig a' Cholaiste Ghàidhlig, rinn mo chlas Ghàidhlig cluich à Cheap Bretainn (sp?). 'S e narrator a bh' annam. Seo bhideo mu dheidhinn an sgeul sin, animated. Tha e gle mhath! Le taing do Gaelcast. (I know it's all in Gaelic, so if you would like a rough translation please leave a comment saying so. 🙂