Cymru chi rhyfeddod?

Okay so I know I really haven't gone over, at all where the hell Wales is, why I use the language on my blog and why it even matters!

Okay well one explanation is that I'm Welsh myself, only through my heritage, like I've said before I've lived in Phoenix my whole life. I've really started to wonder about my culture a little bit more lately. When I was younger my Mom always said that her side of the family originated in Wales but at that time I always thought of the big fat mammal that roams the sea! When I started writing the blog this month is when I really got interested in the language itself. I thought that by learning it I could maybe build a bridge from a complete lack of understanding of my heritage, to someone who was proud and confident in it! So far it has been a very enlightening experience to learn certain phrases in Welsh, I don't know it almost makes me feel like I have a special link to a part of me, my ancestry.

Part of looking into Welsh culture is also my search for meaning, I mean we all search for meaning in some area of our lives, whether it be our interests or our physical appearance, like my friends amazing fashion blog, the life of Pippa January (check it out if your into that stuff). Anyways I think in my search for meaning I came across my lack of cultural knowledge and decided to fix it. I think I've read six articles on the Welsh language this week alone! I went to a Welsh Music performance yesterday, and I've watched like ten youtube videos on Wales!

One very important part of Wales I have not decided to venture into is of course, ever looming Welsh politics. I have decided to take no part in arguing for or against Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. (unless of course I move to Wales myself!) I mean, I'm already over involved in American politics for my age!

 Okay back to the first question. Were the hell is Wales?

Answer your Question? The blue part of the map outlines Wales, the smallest nation of the United Kingdom, Wales is unfortunately sometimes group with England, although it is most certainly not, containing its own culture, people, and language. The only reason most Welsh people speak English today is because of British conquest in the area, forcing the natives to learn English. Wales had long been its own independent Celtic nation before this time and only had Welsh as its national language. Today all signs in Wales read in both English and of course the native tongue Welsh. Regarded by the natives of the country as Cymru, the language called Cymraeg. The capital of Wales being Cardiff. 

Enough information for you? I thought so. Chi rhyfeddod nag mwy!

Cymraeg! Rydw i Cariad Cymru!

To, taking a little less deep look at life, I went to the Musical Instrument in Phoenix Arizona, to see A performance on Welsh Traditional Music. I went and it was absolutely Amazing! I was so thrilled I went. After the performance I went up to talk to the guy about the instruments, and then I asked him about the Welsh language! I found out that on tuesdays (one of my only free days) I can really start to enhance and use my Welsh! I already know some phrases and grammatical structure, but this will surely help me with conversational Welsh!

Back on the topic of the music, I was thinking I wouldnt like the bagpipes, because they are not really my favorite instrument in the world. The Welsh Bagpipes however were at a reasonable volume, and with less drone pipes it felt much more relaxing. I also got to hear this awesome wooden pennywhistle, that the musician (John  Good look him up!) blew the hell out of! One of my favorite things as well was a form of poetry and music that I just can't remember the Welsh name for. Anyway, I had a great time and I am so excited. Da Rydw i da!

Mae'r Llanw yn Mynd yn

Today was one of the true responses to the killings in Arizona that occurred last weekend. Sarah Palin removed the map on her website that used targets as a marker for house seats that she felt the Republican Party needed. Many of the Local Arizona newspapers are running titles responding to the motivations behind the killings and responding to the responses of people around the world. Titles include pictures of people protesting immigration laws, questioning the validity of our gun laws, and the volatile political climate in Arizona.

Throughout these horrible occurrences I can only hope for change specifically in Arizona. I have lived in Arizona my entire life. I am very young (13 going on 14) but I feel like  this gives me a unique and in depth look at Arizona's culture. As someone who was raised as a primarily democratic liberal, I do not feel like an especially appreciated minority, and the election results would show that most people in Arizona are not in favor of Democrats in government. I hope that all of the negative press aimed at Arizona shows that Arizona may no longer act so politically volatile. We have disrespected each other throughout political races, and we have ignored the rest of the country on policies such as immigration and gun laws.

We must understand that it is our responsibility as a state to act on things as if they affect people in the country and not only people in our state. Just because we are one of the states on the Mexican border we cannot act as the US Department of National Security! It is our job to vote on things that are specific to our state, Immigration is a National affair not a state one.(Remember that these are my opinions that I do see as true, they are debatable) I am very hopeful for Arizona! Hopefully people realize that just because we live in Arizona, it doesn't  mean we can act out of character or in the promotion of any form of violence. I do believe that we do have hope in Arizona and in this country for safe and fair politics!

Hello

This is my first post on my new blog. For those of you who dont know me. My name is Ryan Featherston. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and attend Arizona School for the Arts. I play Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and piano. I enjoy listening to Celtic Folk, 80's Pop, and Classical music. I am a Unitarian Universalist and I have very Humanist agnostic beliefs. I am very respectful and understanding of opposite beliefs, but I will not stand still in the face of blatant ignorance and hate. I feel like sometimes people miss out on life when they dont pay attention to the beauty of the world around them! I encourage people to explore and cultivate what they believe and hey, maybe I'll learn something from you! I believe that common human discourse and discussion is the only answer to any problem.

I am starting my blog two days after the attempted assassination of House Representative Gabrielle Giffords. This is a great time of tension in our nation and what I feel is a great turning point. People are not respectful of each other in this society, especially in politics. I most certainly do mourn the death of the six shot and hope for the stable recovery of Representative Giffords. Once again these occurrences should not be used for political name calling, but only as a reminder of the consequences of a lack of fair discussion in The United States of America.

A strange point of irony lies in this post. Most of you who may be reading are probably wondering. What does Meddyliau Heddychlon mean? This phrase is Welsh for peaceful thoughts. It seems almost surreal to have a blog named peaceful thoughts in this time. So much tension, hate, and anger roams around the world and yet here there is a small blog called Peaceful Thoughts? One of my strongest thoughts is that an idea can motivate the world. Our problem is that we have to many bad ideas motivating the world! Its that simple right? Well unfortunately not! An idea is a lumbering wall, that spreads quickly and sustains itself. Each idea carrying its little followers named actions. An idea can be graceful or corrupt, sublime, or dramatic each moving in its own way, influencing the minds of many. But Peaceful Thoughts are also an idea, the idea that someday, someway we, together can understand each other and appreciate each other. To always remember that in the darkness lies peaceful thoughts.