My Prediction.

I apologise for the lack of entries for the games of the rugby world cup, but what I'll do is... I'll just post them another day, maybe in my own words... maybe not. We'll see. Just that these early, uncivil hours take the toll after a while!

Anyway, as it stands now, there are 8 games left to be played in the pool stages, but the winners and runners-up of the pools seem to be set. And a couple of teams are on the next flight home already...

So, for Pool A, it is definite that, with all wins and bonus points, New Zealand are steaming ahead of France, the current runners-up. New Zealand will be playing the runner-up of Pool B in the Quarter Finals, which is a spot being fought over by Argentina and Scotland. However, Argentina seem to be favourites for it (in my books, anyway), since they have Georgia to beat while Scotland need to win against the current pool leaders, England. But Scotland don't just have to win... they need a bonus point win, or a win with lots of points and also without the Argentines having a bonus point. To be honest, I can't see that happening. Not with the Scots playing England and the Argentines playing the Georgians.

Therefore, England will be at the top of the pool B , with Argentina coming in second place.

Now, for the runners-up of pool A, it seems to be France, and they will be up against England in the quarter finals. This will be a huge game! England have problems with discipline and France have a problem with... being France, I guess! England have performed very well when they are not dropping (or changing) the ball, missing the posts or giving a knee to someone's head. France have also done good when they finally screwed their heads on. But, when France are good, they really are. So I predict that the French will win, but it will be close.

Now for the quarter-final involving New Zealand. I predicted they will be playing Argentina. But, let's face it... it has to be New Zealand. And if you want to know why or you think I'm going crazy... you haven't at all been watching them play. And, though they're known as 'chokers', I really can't see them choke against Argentina. The Kiwis are too on form for that. I don't think it will be as close a game as the English-French game either. The Argentines have more brawn than brain, but the New Zealanders are very skillful and the passing of the ball is impeccable.

So, from Pool A and Pool B, I think New Zealand and France will be going into the semi-finals. But, not against each other... not again!

They will both be playing the winners of the other lot of quarter finals, and it seems from Pool C, the winners seem, unexpectedly at the beginning of the tournament, Ireland. After their historic victory against Australia a couple of weeks ago, it seems they can indeed top the table. It is still possible for Australia to top the pool, since they will be playing Russia and come away with an easy win. But Ireland also have an easy, but not so easy, game against Italy. From the 6 Nations, Ireland and Italy have annual fixtures, so they know each other's game, but it won't be as much of a walk-over as the Australians have it. The only way Australia can top the pool is if Ireland lose. And will that happen? Well... if it does... Ireland will sink to third, leaving Australia and Italy to qualify. Anything can happen in rugby... and things like this have happened before. But I can't see Ireland throwing it away at this stage in the game. They have too much experience for that... so I guess having such a senior team isn't that bad!

Now, for Pool D, Wales are second in the pool due to that heart-breaking defeat against South Africa. But this seems to be the strongest, most confident Welsh squad in a long, long time. They had every intention to win against South Africa. They could have beaten them, but it was not to be. However, being one of the youngest squads in the world cup, they are playing very impressive rugby. The high-scoring win against Namibia will boost their confidence a lot for the game against Fiji, against whom they must be very wary. But I'm sure they won't let history repeat itself, which they proved against Samoa.

South Africa, then, they're safe at the top of the table and seem to be lined up to play Australia in the quarter finals, leaving the Irish play the Welsh. It works in the favour of the Welsh, and possibly the Irish, too. With the South African performance against the Australian, I can see the South Africans doing well against them and will advance to the semi-finals. But the closer game will be against Ireland and Wales. Both nations will want to win this one... and they won't give it up easily at all. I think it will all come down to the Welsh fitness and youth against the Irish 'old-age wisdom' and experience. But what I've noticed lately, the Irish can tire. And this will be their downfall. And I think because of this, Wales will just about clinch it. Just about.

So, who do we have in the semi-finals?? New Zealand v South Africa and France v Wales. Exciting!

Now, I'm having trouble in deciding this one. Both games will be close, however, with the pressure under New Zealand being hosts and the knack of bottling it, they will be giving it their all against South Africa, and New Zealand have been on better form than the South Africans, and for that reason, I'm putting New Zealand in the final.

But Wales and France? That's a tough call. The problems they have are starting and being there. The Welsh take a while to get into the game. They aren't the best starters, as proven against South Africa. They may only take 5 minutes to get properly immersed into the game, but in those five minutes, a try may be scored against them. At this stage of the tournament, they cannot allow that to happen. I'm sure they'd have learnt that with the South African game, so they will be needing to score those first points. The French, though... they are either there or aren't. That's the thing with them. They can play really well, but in some games, they don't know where they're going or what they're doing. For the sake of the Welsh, let's hope their minds are concentrating on cheese. But whatever the outcome, it will be a close one. France are no longer the France they used to be, but Wales are better than the Wales they used to be. So, with only a couple of points in it, Wales could well indeed go ahead against New Zealand in the final.

And that is where it could all end for Wales. It has been nearly 60 years since the Welsh have beaten the New Zealanders. And New Zealand will not let them do it again. Not in this tournament and not in the final match. New Zealand have so much running on this world cup, they cannot afford to let anyone hinder them. But then, who knows what the psyche will be in the Welsh team... it would be the first time they got so far. The last time they would have done as good was 24 years ago when they came third in the tournament.

As I mentioned earlier, anything can happen in a game of rugby, and a lot of things have happened in this tournament that were unexpected. But we'll just have to see. It isn't over yet...

Letters.

If I were paid for every letter and

postcard I write,

I'd be rich.

Caneuon.

Dw i ddim yn gwybod pam, ond ers y penwythnos dwethaf, roedd modd gen i i glywed i ganeuon traddodiadol Cymraeg. Efallai glywes i gân yn ystod y penwythnos neu rhywbeth. Felly, ysgrifennais i lawr rhai ohonynt. Rwy wedi gwrando i'r geiriau hefyd, a na gallai meddwl am air i'u disgrifio. Hudol? Nerthol? Gwladgarol? Efallai dim o'r geiriau, neu effallai'r gyd. Does gen i ddim syniad... ond beth sy'n sicr, mae yna rhywbeth yn eu geiriau.

Mae gen i restr yma o ganeuon, a fyddai ddangos i chi rhai ohonynt. Gwasgwch enw’r gân am eiriau Saesneg. Mae flin gen i hefyd am rai o’r fideos... dim byd i wneud â fi! Ond mae'r lluniau yn perthynogu i mi. (For the non-Welsh speakers reading this, click on the song titles for the English translations, and I’m sorry for the quality of some of these videos, but it has nothing to do with me. Just listen... Also, the photos were taken by myself.)

Ar Hyd Y Nos

(video)

Holl amrantau'r sêr ddywedant

ar hyd y nos.
Dyma'r ffordd i fro gogoniant
ar hyd y nos.
Golau arall yw tywyllwch
i arddangos gwir brydferthwch
teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch
ar hyd y nos.

O mor siriol, gwena seren
ar hyd y nos,
i oleuo'i chwaer ddaearen
ar hyd y nos.
Nos yw henaint pan ddaw cystudd,
ond i harddu dyn a'i hwyrddydd,
rhown ein golau gwan da'n gilydd
ar hyd y nos.

------------

O Gymru

(video)

Ti yw'r unig wlad i mi, O fy Ngwalia,
ti sy'n lloni nghalon i, ti yw ngwynfa.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

Pan ddaw gofid ambell dro, daw i'm lloni
lun o geinder, bryn a bro, gwlad fy ngeni.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

O fy Ngwalia rhof i ti gân yn llawen,
cân o fawl amdanat ti, ti yw'r heulwen.
O Gymru, O Gymru, rhof i ti fy mywyd.
O Walia, o Walia, ti ydyw fy ngwynfyd,
fy Ngwalia, fy heulwen wyt ti.

------------

Calon Lân

(video)

Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus,
aur y byd na'i berlau mân:
gofyn wyf am galon hapus,
calon onest, calon lân.

Calon lân yn llawn daioni,
tecach yw na'r lili dlos:
dim ond calon lân all ganu -
canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos.

Pe dymunwn olud bydol,
chwim adenydd iddo sydd,
golud calon lân, rinweddol,
yn dwyn bythol elw fydd.

Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad
esgyn ar adenydd cân
ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad,
roddi i mi galon lân.

------------

Myfanwy

(video)

Paham mae dicter, O Myfanwy,
yn llenwi'th lygaid duon di?
A'th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy,
heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i?
Pa le mae'r wên oedd ar dy wefus,
fu'n cynnau 'nghariad ffyddlon ffôl?
Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys,
fu'n denu'n nghalon ar dy ôl?

Pa beth a wneuthum, O Myfanwy,
i haeddu gwg dy ddwyrudd hardd?
Ai chwarae oeddit, O Myfanwy,
â thanau euraidd serch dy fardd?
Wyt eiddo im drwy gywir amod
ai gormod cadw'th air i mi?
Ni cheisiaf fyth mo'th law, Myfanwy,
heb gael dy galon gyda hi.

Myfanwy boed yr holl o'th fywyd
dan heulwen ddisglair canol dydd.
A boed i rosyn gwridog iechyd
i ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd.
Anghofia'r oll o'th addewidion
â wnest i rywun, 'ngeneth ddel,
a dyro'th law, Myfanwy dirion,
i ddim ond dweud y gair "ffarwél".

------------

Gwahoddiad

(video)

Mi glywaf dyner lais
yn galw arnaf fi,
i ddod a golchi meiau gyd
yn afon Calfari.

Arglwydd, dyma fi
ar dy alwad di,
canna f'enaid yn y gwaed
a gaed ar Galfari.

Yr Iesu sy'n fy ngwadd,
i dderbyn gyda'i saint.
Ffydd, gobaith, cariad pur a hedd,
a phob rhyw nefol fraint.

Yr Iesu sy'n cryfhau,
o'm mewn Ei waith trwy ras;
mae'n rhoddi nerth i'm henaid gwan,
i faeddu mhechod cas.

Gogoniant byth am drefn,
y cymod a'r glanhad;
derbyniaf Iesu fel yr wyf,
a chanaf am y gwaed.

Pontardawe.

A map of Pontardawe. My home town.

Photos of the place will be up soon!

Even more themed photos.

ABOUT ME

Photography.

I like taking photos of almost everything and I also love to explore places for new subjects and ideas, as well as looking at other people's photos for a light of inspiration.

Travel.

I love to travel, both at home and abroad. And I hope to see many more places and experience many more cultures.

Rugby.

I do love this game. It always has this element of excitement to it, being a rough and tough game. This particular photo was between Wales and France during the 2010 Six Nations Championship in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Countryside.

The countryside is an important part of the world for me, since it's peaceful, ideal for hiking around and a great place for photography. This photo was taken in the Lake District.

Pub.

And beer, of course. The pub is an important place for many reasons. To socialise, putting the world to rights. It's the centre of communities across the country. A place to drink good beer with good people, and if available, watch sporting matches, play darts and spectate live music.

LINES

This piece of cloth was to make passers by aware of the low cable lines leading to a lighthouse on this north Devon coast.

The railway lines at Cardiff Central station.

The musical stave.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

A busker's accordion in Cardiff, Wales.

An organ at the monastery in Altenburg, Odenthal in Germany.

My old harmonica.

LIGHTING

A lamp in Antwerpen.

The old bridge in Würzburg.

A lamp in a house.

Gleision Colliery.

It has been nearly 16 hours. 16 hours for 4 men in pitch darkness, cold darkness. Uncertain darkness.

At just before half past nine in the morning of the 15th of September 2011, in the small, cramped Gleision mine of Cilybebyll, a neighbouring village of my hometown of Pontardawe, seven miners were working this morning and, even though it is unknown what happened and how, a wall gave way. Behind this wall was a reservoir of sorts, seemingly forgotten over the years, when mining in this part of the mountain dates back decades. The water broke through, and in a matter of mere seconds, the tunnel was flooded to the ceiling. Three men managed to escape out of the tunnel, even though one of them suffered internal injuries. The other four, however... well, who knows? Since the tunnel became blocked, no contact has been established between the four men and the outside world.

You hear of these events happening the world over in recent years. Chile, for example. And even non-mining incidents like Japan and Haiti. Indeed, the incident I am talking about may be minute in numbers, but just as much of an impact being on the doorstep.

I first realised there was something up this morning, when I heard a load of sirens wailing by in front of the house, which is on the main road leading from Pontardawe to Rhos and Cilybebyll. Shortly afterwards, I heard that a mine had collapsed in Cilybebyll, a tiny, sparse village consisting of a historic church, a few houses and farms, an old manor of the Gilbertsons, a local family who owned many of the local businesses, factories and foundries. And, of course, a coal mine.

The roads to and around this village are narrow at best. I have been around there a few times, and it is not easy to maneouvre a car, let alone several police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, mine and cave rescue vehicles, large emergency support vans and other random support vehicles. I even saw the air ambulance helicopter sitting on a road in a clearing. Impressive flying, I thought. The free space available on the lanes were taken up by the media. ITV, BBC and Sky were among the others, including local radio stations, reporting back to their viewers and listeners about this sudden event. The news spread nationwide, sidelining Cameron's and Sarkozy's historic visit to Libya in the shade.

So who are these 4 men? It took a while for them to be named, and they are experienced miners and come from the local area. It is believed that they would know how to react to such a situation. They know the mine like the back of their hands and know where to find refuge and decent supplies of air in the complex maze of the mine. But what is most worrying about this event, is that nobody knows the situation or conditions they may be in. Everyone wishes and hopes for the best, but at the same time fearing the worst. We cannot say about how the miners themselves are feeling or going through, but surely it would be as an anxious time for them as it is for the relatives and friends.

But how is the progress going? It is slow. It has taken over 16 hours, and the water level in the flooded tunnel is receding by the several pumps brought in for the task. It is unknown how much water has flooded the tunnel and nobody knows whether there may be obstructions or hazards in the way. This may be why it has taken until approximately half past one in the morning, when two divers finally took to the water. Currently (01:50), there is no news yet from the divers, but things are looking promising.

So what would become of Gleision after this is over? What would become of the other handful of mines in South Wales? Mining companies and authorities vow things like this shall never happen again, but they do. The only way that this type of thing would never happen again is to shut down every single mine going. And is that going to happen? Doubtful. And if this mine does close? What will become of the workers? Even though it is a small mine, it would become victim of an already struggling economic region, which is in a difficult enough situation with unemployment and the lack of available jobs and businesses.

I'll leave it for now, but before I go, I thought I'd show the church of the village of the centre of attention of national news. I'm sure there would be at least a mention of this in the service on Sunday, whether the miners are out or not...

The Gower.

I have finally started to watch the current series of BBC's Torchwood... and in the opening few minutes (5 minutes exactly... give or take a second or two), the scene pans across some cliffs and coastline. And I recognised it immediately as the Gower! So, I thought I'd share some photos of mine of the area of Gower were filming took place... (well, the places I recognised). You may also recognise these locations if you have also seen the episode! So, I hope you like... and maybe comment if you wish. Would be nicely appreciated!

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!

The following photos are parts of the southern Gower coast, which may have been included in the aerial shots in the first episode. I think I saw some bits I know... but I have another photo or two, which definitely has the scene. Almost the exact shot, actually!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here it is! This is what you'll see first when the location switches from the hospital room (with the big, bright light into which Rex is looking up at), to the Gower.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The photos below show the Old Rectory, which is the setting for Gwen Cooper's house.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the view from the car of the CIA official, Rex. Now, in the episode, it looks as if he's just arrived in the village of Rhossili. But, if you know the area, you may come to realise, that the only way up that road from that direction is from Worm's Head. And to get to Worm's Head by car, you need to pass this point. So... unless he got lost, missed the site and turned around, he must have driven the car up some cliffs... from the sea. hmm...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the beach, which the house faces. This is the northern end of it, with Worm's Head to the south and out of view. I'd like to note that the camping and caravan park there (Hillend, near Llangennith) is the only road access to the beach, which is opposite to where Jack was driving the 4x4 when being chased by the helicopter. In fact, he was driving towards cliffs (see below this photo). But this could be an intentional motive by the producers. I'm just saying...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An aerial view of Worm's Head and the bit of land where Rex "turned around". See below for that one.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the view from the summit of Rhossili Down, which is where Gwen Cooper's house is (and it's just below this trig point).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the shipwreck of Helvetia. This is also the beach where the helicopter chases the 4x4.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is Worm's Head, taken from the path leading up to the top of Rhossili Down, which is the hill on which Gwen Cooper' house (or the Old Rectory) is situated.

Some more themed photographs.

CASTLES

Kalemegdan, Belgrade, Serbia.

Carreg Cennen, Trapp, Wales.

Burg Eltz, Münstermaifeld, Germany.

Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales.

---------------------------------------------

WATERFALLS

A waterfall in the waterfall system between Ystradfellte and Pontneddfechan.

In South Wales.

"Waterfall Country" of the Brecon Beacons, Pontneddfechan.

Waterfall near Pontneddfechan in the Brecon Becons.

---------------------------------------------

SILHOUETTES

An elderly couple admiring the view of the Bodensee and Switerland.

A memorial to those from Swansea who fought in the Boer Wars.

An Australian friend 'meditating' in Pembrokeshire.

Hiking in the Malvern Hills.