De an t-ainm a th'ort?

De an t-ainm a th'ort? Is mise Eoghann.

The first question and answer we learned in Gaelic class. What is your name? My name is Eoghann (Hugh). Of course there are a couple of accent marks missing, but I haven't figured out how to do that here yet.

Gaelic...what a language. There are only 17 letters in the Gaelic alphabet, but they combine for more sounds than we have in English. Just when you think it MUST sound THIS way...it doesn't!

That was my first lesson last Monday morning. It was the start of an exciting and challenging week. There were five 50 minute classes each day as well as optional activities. I was exhausted at the end of each day. Besides Gaelic, I took the History of the Gaels, Gaelic song, Beginner Fiddle, and Beginner Bodhran (boron)...the Irish drum.

The Gaelic College is an amazing place. They bring in some of the best teachers from around Cape Breton and internationally. The fiddle teachers are award winners. The Bodhran teacher, while originally from here, now comes in from Scotland to teach. I had one on one lessons with a young man who tours extensively playing Cape Breton fiddle music. When I said I lived in Sherwood Park, he said..."I've played at Festival Place."

The most amazing night of the week was Wednesday when all the teachers performed for two hours.  Then it was the students' turn on Thursday night, and no, I did not perform!

This is St. Ann's Bay. The college is above this body of water.

This is Cameron Stewart, the son of my bodhran teacher from Scotland. He is 9 and plays amazingly.

Cameron Stewart

I went to my first ceilidh on Monday night. It was in the Roman Catholic parish hall in Baddeck. One of our instructors was playing. They asked where everyone was from partway through. Half the people were from the U.S. The rest of us were spread across Canada. You never know who you will run into no matter where you are. One couple was from Ardrossan. Another couple was from Glengarry...where I grew up. They were studying at the college too. When I chatted with him the next day it turns out we played soccer against each other 40 years ago. Just typing that makes me feel old!

Dara MacDonald, fiddle instructor, accompanied by Jennifer Bowman.

St. Michael's Parish Hall, Baddeck

With the weekend off, I traveled around the island and saw some of the sights...much ocean whenever I could. 

 West Mabou Beach

I will add learnings from this week and the second as the weeks and blogs go on. But the most important thing I learned this week was a Gaelic phrase:

Caite bheil an taigh beag?  Where is a little house? I probably don't need to translate that any further.