* Poverty is a reality that exists everywhere , it is in every
culture and for many reasons.
Yesterday I received an invitation to go to the‘poor side of
town’. Which is the Rroma or ‘Gypsy’ neighborhood. It was
an eye opening experience and regardless of the fact that I
lived in poor villages in El Salvador and Senegal it doesn't
stop that feeling in the gut when seeing poverty.
Here is the worst situation … two families live in that house.



Recent history for the Rroma in Nădlac is that during the
communists' time they had to have a job. The Government
forced them to work, somewhere. After the Revolution, when
democracy arrived, they were free to do as they pleased.
Nădlac is a border town and many of the Rroma made a
living from the custom station. They either changed money,
washed windows or sold duty free cigarettes. The work was
easy, without time constraints, and unskilled.
Fast forwarding to Romania’s ascension into the European
Union and how it affected the Rroma community is where
the most difficult aspects of the problem lie.
The custom station is virtually closed and there isn't any
more duty free cigarettes. Many of the Rroma men wash
trailer trucks but that brings in pennies.
There are jobs available in factories in the city of Arad
(50 km) away, but to get a job there, one has to be literate.
When the people worked at the customs they didn’t need
an education and that is what’s coming back to haunt them
now.
It would have been better if they had to face the reality of
needing education or a skill after the Revolution. The work
at the customs did more harm than good.
This leads us to the present and a complicated situation. It is
very difficult to convince someone that they need to get literate
so that they can survive. For 20 years they lived somewhat well
without the need to either read or write. Also, they are poor now
and sending their kids to school is a far off solution. Though that
cycle of poverty can only be broken with the next generation
being literate and skillful.
They need an almost complete makeover from the life they
knew. It would have been better if the makeover started 20
years ago but the customs stations asured that it wouldn't.
An interesting thought came to mind. In the villages in El
Salvador and Senegal, though being equally as poor, the life
was a lot better.
Those villages are agricultural and like the indigenous of the
United States would say. If you have land you will eat. In the
villages there was no electricity or running water, ergo no
expenses. They grow their own food and despite the fact that
they will never be rich from that type of 2 hectare farming life,
they will be able to eat.
Here in the city, life is even more difficult. No money, no food …
no education, no job in the factory.
Despite all those miseries there is always the best part of a
population and that is the children. They do not have problems
like the parents do. But what will their lives be 15 years from
now if they don’t get education?
Here are a few pictures of some of the next generation …



We are beginning to work on this and it is a challenge … to
say the least. We have made a few positive steps and we are
finding some resources for immediate help. But that is nothing
more than a band-aid … so to speak. The permanent solution
is a long way off. Again the hardest part is to convince the
older generation that education is essential for their children.



But those children are the reason that there must be hope,
perseverance and compassion.

* Nădlac is in the Transylvania region of Romania.
Normally the word Transylvania immediately brings to mind …
someone by the name of Vlade Tepes, better known as
… that friendly and endearing immortal, Dracula from the
vampire family.
  The word “Dracula," translates into "son of the dragon" or
"son of the devil."
  As we all know, Bram Stoker made him popular through his
loose imaginative interpretation of Vlade the Impaler’s life.
  If you mention the word Dracula here, the immediate
response you get from most is that Bram, gave Vlade, a bad rap.
  Today someone told me a story that her grandfather told her
when she was a young girl … the story is about Vlade Tepes
aka Dracula.
  Vlade was a guy who demanded respect and he wasn’t known
as a buddy to the murderers and thieves. His notoriety seems
to originate from the manner in which he dealt with those guys.
  The story goes like this … one day Vlade had a bunch of bad guys
and he wanted to do something about them. By Vlade’s side
was his approximately 10 year old son. So he turns to his son
and asks … OK kiddo … how are we going to handle these dudes?
Seeing as I am the guy that can give a pardon … and I ain’t … how
are we going to give these guys what they deserve? He says to his
son … I want to eliminate them and I want you to make the call
as to how it is going to be carried out.
  The kid must have had a creative mind and said … why don’t
we put them on stakes. Being a good dad it appears he didn’t want
to let old junior down and proceeded to give the orders to the
troops.
  So there they were … a bunch of stakes planted in the ground
… a bunch of bad guys that are not long for this world and a kid
with an imagination.
  What they did was throw the unfortunate souls on the stakes.
The actual logistics of it I don’t know but I think that the stakes
were planted first, then the guys were lifted and then thrown
onto it. I don’t know the Romanian world for ’ouch’ but I think it
could be said that it was one of the most repeated words at the
time.
  At that point the son wasn’t all to into watching the action and
turned away in horror. I guess he thought that his dad, Vlade, was
originally just joking around. So upon seeing that the kid wasn’t
into the visual aspect of it all, he grabbed the kid’s head and turned
it so he could see the results of his choice of ‘poison’ … so to speak.
Ole Vlade told the kid … you made the call, you have to look.
  I guess Vlade was trying to be a good dad and teach his son a
lesson in life.
  The story goes on to point out that at that time you could place a
million dollars of gold on the street and no one would even dare to
touch it … wonder why?
  Also, Vlade’s last name Tepes, has some relation to the word ‘stake’.
I looked the word up in my little dictionary but nothing seemed to
be remotely spelled like Tepes.
  I don’t know if this story was that of legend or one that a
grandfather made up to scare his little granddaughter into not
becoming a thief.
  All I know is that, to me, it was a ‘scoop’ straight from old
Dracula’s stomping grounds … the region of Transylvania
Romania.

* Sam Cooke, in one of his songs, sang … Change is going to come,
oh yes it is.
  Yesterday, in Nădlac, the community was able to see the first
example of change as a result of Romania entering the European
Union.
  (See picture below)

        

  What you are seeing are plastic pipes that are going to be used
to update the town's water system. 
  The project is the result of funding from the European Union. I
am not exactly sure to what extent, but the EU is participating
financially to make this happen. I am pretty lucky because the
picture was taken directly in front of my house. So that means
I will be one of the first ones in Nădlac to be affected by our first
EU project.
  When I was in the 10 week training period that the Peace Corps
gives us upon arrival in country, time and time again we heard
the Romanian trainers saying that by nature the people were
negative. I am not sure if it is because of culture, their history of
communism or the high levels of corruption. Logically it is all
parts that and more.
  One of my activities is to speak with the people about the
upcoming changes to Romania. Up to this point I haven’t
heard anyone say that they thought things would be better
because of the EU. But also there hasn't been any information
given to them that could possibly help eliminate their doubts.
  So far I have noticed 3 changes which are directly linked to
the European Union.
  First one is a Rroma (Gypsy) liaison between the Rroma
community and the mayor’s office.
  Second is that of the teachers receiving a 23% pay raise this
year. The last time they received a pay raise was 5 years
ago. Of course 23% sounds hefty but it is … 23% of what.
Their pay is ridiculously low and 23% won't make them rich
by any means. But it is the proverbial step in the right direction.
I heard some rumors as they pertained to the negotiations
concerning the new raise. What was told to me was that, at first,
the Romanian representatives wanted to give the teachers
something like 10%. What happened was that the EU told them
that they better get their heads out of their (you know whats) and
start thinking about paying these people better. The goal of the
EU is to raise the standards of living of each country so that
in the end they are all fairly equal. Also, the salaries throughout
all sectors will begin to rise as a result of pressure from the EU.
  Third change, you saw it in the picture above. New infrastructure
projects that will improve existing systems, and will create years
of work that should produce decent paying jobs for workers.
  Every time a new change comes I use it as an argument to
to tell them that they are really about some of the luckiest
people in the world. They look at me like I am nuts but I ask them
this. Do you think that the Romanian government would put a
law that all communities need a Rroma representative? Would
anyone else even think to give the teachers a decent pay raise?
Or would there be new water pipes for Nădlac if it was up to the
powers that be?
  It is funny but all the people said “No”, there wouldn’t be any
changes at all“.
  Maybe the USA needs to become a European Union country
so that someone could force the issue of health care for everyone.
  The people always mention that the government officials are
well known for their corruptional tendencies. But the argument
against that is that the EU emphasizes transparency. Of course
nothing is perfect but at least there will be someone from the EU
looking over the books. 
  It has only been two months since Romania entered the European
Union and the transformation is only in it's beginning stage. But
there appears to be a pretty good start.
  What seems to be arriving is a sense that the days of
unimpeded corruption and greed are numbered. There will still
be some but now normal people will begin to get their little piece
of the pie.
  I am becoming excited to see what’s coming next, hopefully
the citizens will start to see things in a positive light. It would be
nice to see their frowns turned upside down.

* Like the song goes … video killed the radio star. Furthermore,
video and DVDs killed the cinema here in Nădlac.
  There is one building in this town that has drawn my interest
more than any other. That building is the old Nădlac movie
theatre.

               

  I don’t why, maybe it is the romanticism of an old theatre and
the stories it could tell of a bygone era before TV and DVD
players. People with whom I questioned about the history of
the old cinema, told me of a time where there were people on
the streets at night. That is not the way it is here in town now.
At night it's pretty 'ghost townish' with a random person here
and there.
  The change makes sense, with the amenities of technology,
TVs, DVDs, iPods and computers it appears that the need to
'get out' has dimished . Sounds familiar, huh?
  As my father would say … ‘and they call that progress‘?
  What impresses me most is the building itself. Maybe it isn’t
as spectacular looking as theatres go, but it really fits the town‘s
personality. 
  I have asked if it was possible that I could go inside and take a
few pictures with an intent of absorbing a “Phantom of the Cinema’
moment. Regrettably the person that has the keys is in the
Capitol (they think).

     

  So I will have to tell you what was told to me. It has about 150
to 200 seats. It was expanded sometime during the 50’s. They
had a little snack bar and they sold the normal sodas … etc.
The schedule was the showing of a children’s movie from
6 to 8 p.m. and one for the adults from 8 to 10 p.m. It
was a PG theatre. No one seemed to be able to pinpoint the
time of it’s opening but it seems somewhere around WWII.
Likewise no one could exactly say the time of it’s closing.
  The young woman that works at the coffee shop mentioned
that she remembers seeing the movie Anaconda there. It was
one of the last movies that was shown. Anaconda came out in
1997 so it has been at least 10 years.

     

  As I walk by I can almost see the posters advertising the
movies on either side of the door. I swear that when I go by
there at night I can hear the sound of a movie playing and
smell the aroma of buttered popcorn floating through the air.
  I guess for me it goes back to that romanticism thing again.
I haven’t exactly figured out yet why this building impresses
me so.
  Maybe I have seen too many movies of how an old dying
theatre has been like the biblical Lazarus, returned from the
dead. Maybe it is a dream that the movie theatre in Nădlac
would come back to life and flourish with social interaction.
  I know that times change and I am one for change.I also
understand that time waits for no one.
  Despite noble dreams and a losing battle against technology, I
don’t believe that it could ever be a case of … ’rebuild it and they
will come’. It had it’s time and served it’s purpose.
  I do love technology and through my Peace Corps experiences
I have learned to live with or without it.  But I have seen and
experienced more society in places without electricity. The biggest 
downfall to technology is, that despite the fact that it has great
tools like email and instant messaging (communication), it lacks
that human touch.
 If we think we do or do not,we do have a need for face to face 
social interaction.
 So likewise as video killed the radio star. It appears that there
was collateral damage here in Nădlac. Having it all at home has
reduced the need to go out and socialize . I thinks that my
father’s saying was right … and they call that progress.