If you don't ask, you don't get. So I am asking.

Hi all, I'd just like to share this with you. I had applied to be on a Welsh reality TV program (ie. the programme would be in Welsh with virtually no English spoken) aimed at learners. I had taken it for granted that I would have a spot on the show as I am a non-white Welsh student, but guess what? I had assumed wrongly. They said no and I just had to share their reason with you.

Diolch am sgwrsio gyda ni wythnos dwethaf ar gyfer Cariad@iaith, fe wnaethom ni fwynhau siarad gyda chi.  Gobeithio wnaethoch chi hefyd fwynhau'r profiad. Yn anffodus, dydyn ni ddim wedi eich dewis ar gyfer Cariad@iaith.  Y rheswm am hyn, yw bod eich Cymraeg yn rhy dda, ac y bydde dysgwyr arall yn elwa mwy o'r gwersi gan Nia ac Ioan.  Roedd yn anodd iawn i ni benderfynu, achos odd cymaint wedi trio.

Rydym yn gwybod eich bod yn mynd i barhau siarad a defnyddio eich Cymraeg, ac roeddem i gyd yn meddwl eich bod yn siarad Cymraeg gwych. Diolch yn fawr am gymryd rhan, roedd hi'n ddiddorol iawn siarad gyda chi, a gobeithio eich bod ddim yn rhy siomedig.  Pob lwc i chi gyda'ch gyrfa actio.

(Here's the English translation for my readers) 

I have been studying Welsh for 2.5 years - and now I am too good? 

Thank you so much for talking to us last week on Skype for Cariad@iaith, we really enjoyed talking to you.  We hope that you enjoyed the experience. We are very sorry, but we haven't selected you for the programme.  The reason for this, is that we feel that the level of Welsh that you have is way too good for this series.  We feel that other learners will benefit more from Nia and Ioan's lessons. 

We know that you will continue to thrive with your Welsh, and wish you the best of luck for the future.  The series will be broadcast from 18th May, and also some of the auditions will be shown on Hwb around this time. Thanks for taking part, it was very interesting talking to you and I hope that you're not too disappointed. Good luck for your acting. 

Of course I am disappointed. But I spoke to some of my friends and I decided to turn it into an opportunity - after all, I have just been told that my Welsh is "way too good" to be considered a learner and I realized that the person who wrote me the email was a producer at Channel 4 Wales. So I replied to the email: 

That's me in Wales last year. 

"Diolch yn fawr am eich email chi. Dw i'n siomedig iawn os dw i'n gallu bod honest gyda chi, ond dw i'n ddryslyd iawn hefyd. Dw i'n rhy dda? Oce, dw i'n wedi gwaithio yn galed gyda fyn Gymraeg i ers 2011 ond does ddim athro gyda fi ac dw i ddim yn meddwl e mod i wedi rhugl. 

Fel mae nhw dweud yn Sasesneg, if you don't ask, you don't get.  Felly dw i mynd i gofyn i chi. Cynhyrchydd mewn S4C ych chi, dw i'n siwr does ddim llawer (if any) o actorau Tsienneaidd yn Cymru pwy sy'n gallu siarad Cymraeg yn rhugl. Ych chi'n chwilio am actores ar gyfer mae rhaglenau arrall nawr? Ych chi'n gallu rhoi i fi cyngor am sut dw i'n gallu chwilio mwy o gwaith fel actor gyda S4C? Sut gallu dw i wneud mae casting directors yn Cymru i fy sylwad i? 

Fel actor, dw i'n wedi wneud lots yn Saesneg, dw i'n newidd de wneud mae production ____________ yn Llundian cyn i hwnny, on i'n yn Belgium ar gyfer mae filming am rhaglen Which Is Witch. Plis Ych chi'n gallu dweud i mae casting directors Cymraeg mewn S4C, "Dw i'n wedi siarad gyda yn actor Tsieneaidd yn Llundian pwy sy'n gallu siarad Cymraeg yn dda iawn - mae fe'n ddim yn rhugl ond mae fe'n rhy dda ar gyfer Cariad@iaith. Oes eisiau i chi rhywun pwy sy'n Asiadd/Tsieneaidd yn eich rhaglen chi?" Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

In North Wales last Summer 

(English translation as follows for my readers.)

Thank you very much for your email. I am very disappointed if I may be honest with you, but I am a little confused too. I am too good? Okay, I have worked very hard with my Welsh since 2011 but I don't have a teacher and I don't think I am fluent in Welsh. 

As we say in English, "if you don't ask, you don't get" - so I am going to ask you. You are a producer at S4C (Channel 4 Wales) I'm sure there are not many (if any) Chinese actors in Wales who can speak Welsh fluently. Are you looking for actors for other programmes now? Could you give me some advice as to how I can find more work as an actor with S4C? How do I get the Welsh casting directors to notice me? 

In Angelsey, Wales, last summer

As an actor, I have done lots in English - I have just completed work on the production (I am not mentioning it on my blog for I have been talking too candidly about the show on my blog) in London and before that, I was in Belgium for the filming of the programme Which Is Witch. Please, if you could spread the word, speak to the casting directors at S4C, tell them, "I have spoken with this Chinese actor in London who speaks Welsh very well, he's not totally fluent yet but his Welsh is too good for Cariad@iaith - do you need someone who is Asian/Chinese in your programme?"  Many thanks. 

Ah well. In life, if you don't ask, you don't get - so I am asking and seeing what comes of it. Probably nothing will for now, but who knows? I'm just kinda disappointed as there seems to be two kinds of Welsh TV programmes - those aimed at fluent Welsh speakers and those aimed at learners; there doesn't seem to be anything in between the two extremes. Either it is an in depth documentary on Welsh history with the presenter speaking in Welsh at breakneck speed, or they are trying to teach you the colours of the rainbow in Welsh. What about people like me who are not yet fluent but very confident in the language?