A big day

Tomorrow is the big day for our first Roma mini-festival.

Everything is pretty much set and again the program
will be four Dance Troupes. Three from towns and
cities named ... Santana, Pescka and Semlac.

There will also be a traditional Roma band consisting
of eight musicians and singers.

As mentioned in a prior post it will be the first such
event of it's type in this town. It is a smallstart. The hope that it will be the beginning and base
of experience for more yearly festivals of it's type.
Despite the fact that the festival hasn't taken place
yet there is discussion as to expanding it next
year.

I almost forgot to mention that the festival was
given a name ... in the Romanian language it is ...

Inima de Tigan - 2008

actually the word 'Tigan' wouldn't be considered a
politically correct word but it is what they used.

'Inima de Tigan' is translated into ...

Heart of the Gypsy or The Gypsy Heart.

There is a plan to have someone video the event
and if it is possible to receive a copy, I'll place a
link so that you'll be able to see some of it.

A volunteer's dream

I doubt that I will be able to communicate my feelings
about what I've seen yesterday. Of course those of you who've
read some of the articles in this blog can agree with me that
I am not a master of the English language.

With that in mind while thinking about how I would put this
article together I realized (well, at least in my limited
vocabulary skills) that I can describe sadness and pain and
negativity easier than happiness. Maybe I need to hit the
dictionary but it just seems that the only way to put it is ...
simple like.

I am happy at what I saw yesterday, a rare claim for us
Peace Corps volunteers. Throughout my years at this
I've heard that statement (I'm happy) ... humm ...
not too often.

What I saw was the Roma Dance Troupe practicing
with a totally new attitude.

Before the trip to Constanta it looked like they were just  

going through the motions.

But ...

Yesterday it was as if they were different people. They
were happy and having fun but also serious about the
new routine that they were as a team

 putting together. Before it was just a ...
yeah, yeah, yeah style of practicing.

When I saw that I was totally shocked (happily).
At first Stefan (before leaving for the trip) mentioned
that he thought that the dance troupe's tour to Constanta
wasn't anything special. I explained to him that I thought

that the experiences that the kids would get,
was real the goal. The dancing was just the
medium to make it happen. I hoped that the dancers
seeing other troupes would make them think. They
just needed to get out of this town and see new things.

 Well, it worked, and 50 times better than in my wildest dreams.
I thought that there would be some change but nothing so
quick and drastic. I could see that they took a part from
a dance routine of one of the other troupes and added some
imaginative ones of their own.

A few of the girls got a bunch of bottle caps and hammered
them flat and made holes in them, then they attached them
around their waists. When they dance it gives the sound
of something similar to little symbols of a tambourine,
what an impact it adds to their dance routines.

They also saw the dresses of some other girls and realized that
their dresses were too tight and not flowing enough. A few
went to the market place last Thursday looking for a
flowing skirt. A few must have went through their mother's
wardrobe and brought a couple to the practice. It is just
positive energy and great to see.

Here is why I am happy. Throughout the years I have
evolved an opinion on development and change. I have
found that money thrown around wildly isn't the solution.
The crux of the problem is stagnant cycles.

What I mean by that is that ways of life are generally
handed down. Kind of depends on the ancestors/influences.

I am happy about the dance troupe's transformation.
As a result of their trip, they were thinking in a positive
way. The only sustainable thing I've seen so far is that
of the mind and what it learns. If these kids are thinking a
little differently, it isn't only limited to the dancing.
The changing of the mind and the positiveness will
hopefully be revealed in some of their choices in life.

It is similar to my time in Senegal. There it was problems
with health and with basic infections. When I arrived, not
one treated their cuts, infections would set in. This
would lead to workers missing days in the fields.
When you are substinence farming, missing days had an
impact (eating or not) on how the next year's harvest will be.

So, we began a program of teaching the kids how to treat
cuts by cleaning ... etc. I knew that it was a success
(also I was very touched) when a young girl of 6 brought
her 1 year old brother (who was tied to her back) to
my hut for treatment. He had a cut that produced about
a drop of blood. I really couldn't see where the cut
was. But, the thing most incredible about it was that
she did it on her own. I asked her mother if she sent
her daughter with her baby brother to me for treatment.
The little girl's mother said that she didn't know
anything about it.

At that time I knew that changing cycles work. The little
girl will become a mother one day and teach her kids
about treating cuts and the results of that will go on
forever.

A small example but just as relevant as the Roma dancers
acquiring their new outlook and I want to believe ...
pride in being Roma.

Yeah, once in a while things go just they way they're
planned or how a volunteer would want it to be.

As I was sitting there watching the dancers and their new
energy, I had a little attack of nostalgia and thought
about the last 8 years and the little successes here
and there. I thought that I must be blessed to be able
to have seen the things I've seen and received the
unique experiences I've had.

In the end it can sure make a volunteer happy to see
some results.

Roma Dance Troupe returns from Constanta

As was mentioned in this blog's posting ( August 07, 2008 )
the Roma Dance Troupe was making an excursion totally
across Romania to participate in cultural events in Constanta.


( Black Sea - Constanta )

They returned 7 Monday morning after an all night mini-bus ride.

In the afternoon I went to the Roma man's house to get
the scoop on what happened. All week I was thinking
about how they were making out.

So here is the story as it was told to me from the Roma
man (whose name is Stefan) and I will refer to him by
name throughout the remainder of this entry.

Also, I must prelude this by stating that none of
the dancers have been further than 50 km
(city called Arad) from their town.

So at about 8 o'clock Sunday evening the 10th they put all
their bags and baggage on the mini-bus and off they go
across Romania on their first big adventure.

The trip went well and it took them about 17 hours to arrive
in Constanta. They were also traveling during the peak
vacation time in Romania and all of Europe for that fact.
Those familiar with Europe know that the month of August
is vacation time. So they experienced bumper to bumper
traffic for much of their trip.

Of course we all know that no trip of this nature goes
without some problems or drama. The dancers and entourage
( to include the mini-bus driver and his wife ) arrive at where
they were going to stay the first night. It was a hostel with
one bathroom/shower. So the mini-bus driver sees this and
immediately says that if they don't give him and his wife a
normal room, he's out of there in 5 minutes. They didn't
even have time to take their bags off the bus yet
and this guy is complaining.

Also, without him, the dance troupe didn't have any
transport home. So after Stefan making a few calls to
the organizers of the event, they got it resolved.

At this point everyone is dead tired, hot and basically standing
in line to take a shower ... they get a call that they are supposed
to get ready to dance in an hour or so. Here's what they
looked like after the all night trip.



But after that first night they got better accommodations.

The festival was actually an international one with dance
troupes and musical groups throughout Europe ... Italy,
Spain, Hungary ... etc.

Here is where another drama comes in. When they planned
the festival someone forgot to put time in for the Roma
( Gypsy ) dance troupes and musicians. Stefan told me that
the man from the Ministry of Culture was basically
upset and threatened to call the European Union minority
rights section and other places that work with human rights.

But that was resolved and the Roma got their time. In all
there were 12 Roma dance troupes. Here are some pictures
of a few of them ...



Don't know where these two groups are from
( above and below ) other than there are from the
east of Romania.



I wasn't there to take pictures and these actually came from
a cell phone.

But here are a few of the dancers practicing near their
hostels the first day.



Below ... they are from our dance troupe.



The little guy is from the dance troupe of Hunedora
which about 5 hours drive from us here in the west.



We have a little guy dancer in our troupe too. They told
me that our little guy was better than the little guy above.
Ours does a cartwheel as he enters the dance routine.

The schedule was a daily parade through the city and
Stefan told me that the people were kind of surprised to
see a bunch of Roma dance troupes marching through
the streets.



But in the end it was a great time and a tremendous experience
for the dancers. They met dancers from other parts of
Romania and became friends. They exchanged contact
information and probably made lasting friendships.

Throughout my time here I lobbied for a Roma Dance Troupe
because I felt that it was important for our Roma community.
Our Slovakian and Romanian communities have had their
cultural dancers and musicians for 20 and 10 years
and counting, respectively.

For the Roma to integrate I felt that they needed to take their
place in our town. No one was going to give it to them. But it
is a two sided coin. Both sides must do their part. For the
Roma to be integrated they also need to try.

With this dance troupe I am thinking and hoping that it will help
bring cultural pride and a ... we belong here too attitude.

But most important is the Roma kids. I saw that all they did
was sit around all summer with nothing to do. Throughout
the world kids need activities so they can develop.

The dance troupe was the chance to bring some of those
Roma kids together and when you have a group, there
is something to work with.

Because of the dance troupe, someone in town contacted the
people in Bucharest and through that ... they received their
invitation and the adventures of their lives ... up till now.

Our town's Roma dance troupe saw that the troupe from
Hunedora was the best. Now our troupe wants to practice
more. Isn't the best motivation, one's own pride?

I've talked to the kids who went on the trip and they're all
animated and really not the same. They've had an experience,
their minds have been opened a little. Hopefully it is the
beginning.

In the end, there is nothing better that could have happened
to these kids this summer. I am so happy for them.

But this didn't just happen without people helping out.

I want to give those people their due ... without financial support
by our town's mayor and from Bill ( in picture with dance
troupe ... blog entry 07 August 08 before they left ) ... it
wouldn't have happened.

The package for the dance troupes were room and board
for a week in Constanta. That was without transportation.
With the collaboration of the mayor and Bill it happened.
Again, they deserve a huge thanks.

To end this article I put a picture of Stefan and his wife Daniela.



I can't wait to see the town's mini-Roma Festival
next week, hope it goes as well as Constanta did.

Explaining the two clocks

As you probably noticed, there are two clocks
on the right hand side and above the Archive box.

One is labeled ... 'Time left in Romania' ...
self explanatory. Originally the date scheduled
for departure from Romania was the 28th of
July. Due to my request for an extension to
Namibia being approved, I will be staying here
until approximately the middle of December.

That clock is counting down my time left in Romania.

Likewise the 'Countdown to Namibia' clock is
counting down the time until arriving there.

I will continue blogging during the 2 years there.
I will also have a new 'blog address'.

I will post the new address in the
last article I post from Romania.

That time of the year again



When the wooden barrel comes out it is that time of the
year again to make the moonshine (tsuika) and wine.

The barrel needs to be soaked with water so as to close
the joints. The water makes the wood expand.

It has been extremely hot and dry this summer here in town.
In fact this week we have had a stretch of 95 to 100 degree
weather throughout, rare for here.

Also, it has hardly rained at all this summer and
the first thought that comes to mind is
that Global Warming has a hand in this.

We all know that Global Warming is not good but what
it does do for the grapes ... through the dry weather

.

... is make them naturally sweeter.

In a few weeks they will pick the grapes and fire
up the still and begin the processes of making the
wine and moonshine. It is a time of great happiness
and I am suspicious that maybe the tasting is the
reason for this.

I think that the customs of making homemade wine
is one of those customs that shouldn't be forgotten.
It is more than just making wine it is a social event,
a positive one at that.

I will post some pictures of this year's wine making
as it unfolds, stay tuned.

Roma Dance Troupe heads to Constanta

The town's Roma dance troupe ( seen below with Bill )
received an invitation to participate in a national cultural
festival in Constanta.
They will be representing the Arad region.

The festival will have 10 Roma dance troupes from
throughout Romania.

For many of the kids it will be their first time traveling
across country.

Constanta is a tourist city on the Black Sea. It is located on the
opposite side of Romania, it will be a trip of approximately

900 km or about 560 miles.

They will be spending the week there and it should be a huge
adventure for them. The kids are just nuts with excitement and

it is an incredible thing to see how happy they are.

Hopefully they will have a bunch of stories to tell about their new
adventures and a few pictures to show. I'll pass them on as soon
as I get them.

Personally, I am very happy to see these kids get such a chance.

Three weeks till the annual Town Festival

August is the time of year when people begin to speak of the
upcoming yearly festival. It's habitually held during the last weekend
of this month.

There will be the usual activities of Slovakian and Romanian
cultural dance troupes and singers.

This year there are plans to add one extra cultural activity as a part
of the usual town festival, which also would be new for this region.

It will be a mini Roma Festival consisting of dance troupes and
a professional Roma musical group. Above I mentioned that it
would be new for this region of Romania. It is thought that it
will be the first one of it's kind because no one has ever seen
or heard of anything similar ever being held before.

This mini Roma festival has resulted in motivation for two of the
other participating towns to organize brand new dance troupes.

It will be small to start as there will be three towns sending
Roma dance troupes. With our own dance troupe there will be
four presenting their routines on the cultural house stage Friday
evening of the 29th.

So far so good as the invitations have been sent out and as it will be
the first edition of this mini Roma festival ... no one knows for sure
how well it will work out.

Return to this blog at the end of the month and I hope to have some
pictures and hopefully an entry describing how successful it was.