Viatǎ mea în România în momentul asta…

va multumesc prietenii mei in romania! va iubesc!!!

2007-05-16T19:00:00.000+03:00

couldn't have done it without any of you...

la revedere românia... pentru acuma

2007-05-16T18:00:00.000+03:00

since viaţa mea is no longer in românia, i guess it is time to sign off... at least until my next visit. thanks for checking it out!

some memories...

am ajuns in românia cu mulţi speranţa...

dar am pregatit in espania- granada with the sierra nevada and alhambra... i didn't want to leave

a hundred operas... oh romeo, romeo

at moments like this, i marvel at human abilities...

and all the little animals

got a bathroom story for every city i've been to in romania... and of course, a train

the first snow of the year

cal cu caruta... in true romanian fashion

budapesta... spre acasa

2007-05-16T03:42:00.000+03:00

a relaxing weekend in budapest always makes the transition between romania and home so much easier.

alone on a train for 7 1/2 hours... and this to look at

okay, so this is why i really love budapest!

sunday at the thermal baths. another great reason to love budapest. the medicinal baths are indoor and out and naturally heated every day of the year.

i need a beast of burden

i have seen these guys in vienna, bratislava, belgrade, and budapest. are they following me?

la multi an uniunii europene

2007-05-15T21:39:00.000+03:00

what an exciting week to be in romania! first, because it is the 50th anniversary of the european union and now romania is a part of it. there was much cause for celebration. the other reason is because of the political uproar over the suspension of traian basescu, romania's president, for opposing the prime minister and parliament. he wants to end corruption and the public adores him. daca locuiesti in romania, votezi nu!

cetatean suspendat!

la pata... ue nu face diferinţa

2007-05-15T18:25:00.000+03:00

this is the construction of a garage to house the garbage trucks. many folks had to relocate behind it.

this is the medical cabinet that was built with EU funds two years ago... still sits empty

pata rât… şase luni mai tarziu

2007-05-15T17:59:00.000+03:00

the same beautiful faces...

am intors în românia... yay!

2007-05-09T10:41:00.000+03:00

so after six months, i went back to do a little follow-up research, now that romania is in the european union. i wanted to see what differences there might be and what new plans are in motion. also, i came to visit my friends, of course... once again, i forgot to take a picture with heidi, vera, and margarit... why do we always do that? i think we just have too much fun and forget the camera.

karaoke... amy and ben won that meter of tequila with their rousing rendition of paradise by the dashboard light. you guys totally rock!

ben primed our tummies for beer with delicious puerto rican food... yum

okay, so this was the view from my balcony a year ago. that is the magnificent orthodox cathedral...

this is the same view a year later!!! cluj is changing

zsuzsa si eu la gradina botanica. zsuzsa este mama romaneasca pentru mine

didn't some people get impaled last time he was in charge?

heidelberg... 30 years gone

2006-11-01T01:07:00.000+02:00

the last leg of the trip in germany is a stop in heidelberg, where i was born many many moons ago. we left when i was still a baby so this is all new to me. i've seen all the pictures and grew up with the heidelberg stories so this was such a special treat to see it with my own eyes!

heidelberg... we still have halloween to cover

2006-11-01T01:06:00.000+02:00

this is identical to the black church in braşov, a german city in romania

guarding the castle

how could we not?

one of prasad's most endearing attributes is his infectious laughter!

trick or treat!

bonn...

2006-10-30T18:19:00.000+02:00

after berlin, i went on to bonn to visit my friend, prasad, and his wife, anita, and their adorable little girl, anoka. this is a picturesque town, home to beethoven, everybody uses bicycles, andd flower boxes hang in every window. i was suspicious in berlin but now it is quite clear that the hefe weizen flows through the rivers in germany.

prasad's castle

bedtime story... anoka's english is impeccable though she'd never admit it

at the riverside

prasad teaching anoka how to skip stones

beautiful bonn

berlin

2006-10-27T22:39:00.000+03:00

i began my fourteen months in romania with a week in spain, where i had a conference with the gypsy lore society. it is only fitting that i end my time in romania with a week in germany, kicked off by a human rights conference in berlin. let's get all the touristy stuff out of the way...

here's checkpoint charlie. i paid a euro to get a pic with this cute soldier. you know there must be a woman behind this marketing ploy

this is the last remaining section of the berlin wall (well, except for the thousands of chunks you can buy in the tourist shops)

brandenburg gate where east met west. the new american embassy will take up residence just to the left

holocaust memorial... very disorienting. major kudos to the architect

reichstag

noapte ultima.... prea bun sa oprit acuma

2006-10-23T23:35:00.000+03:00

how can i leave cluj without one last pizza campignola cu ketchup picant la roland garros? cu flavius, amy, si mihai

what a bunch of hams!

i'm drinking ciuc? must be time to go home

so on the way home through the park at 4am (plane leaves at 6), mihai and i decide to let our inner 5-year olds out and play on the slide. apparently we gave quite a shock to the couple getting busy in the cubby... look to the right of the slide

hysterical laughter!

noapte ultimul in romania

2006-10-23T23:10:00.000+03:00

the road to cluj one last time... my little city nestled in the hills

uh-oh! seems there's a transylvanian vampire about to catch us off guard

mihai knows everybody

its fun to stay at the UMCA...

beer label poetry... a touching goodbye piece from amy, prietena buna... mi-e dor tine

sare de mine în turda

2006-09-12T18:33:00.000+03:00

Mihai, Amy, şi Peter (tourist autor) in hol la întrare

sare a fost pretutindeni, pe perete, pe tavan, pe scara... am luat nişte sare pentru mama vitrega si a fost un păianjen a fosilat... scarbos!

Christos alabastru

sub caverna... arata la fel iarna in Transylvania...

vegan party

2006-09-03T20:35:00.000+03:00

Nothing like a belated birthday bash with Elmo and the gang to make a 31 year-old girl feel young again. My sweet mother sent me a party in a box complete with Sesame Street accoutrement to remind me that as long as I am this young, she will only ever be 29 years older (thanks Mama). Of course who, but Amy, would share this cross-continental celebration of youth with me? According to doctor's orders, I was on a strictly vegan diet (not so young tummy)... so sorry Elmo, no cake on your plate. Nothing but well-travelled pineapple will do for this occasion...

To kick of the birthday blast, we first had to blow up our guests (barbati frumosi)

This was really hard work

anane cu foc... minunat fara grasime

Could we be any cuter if we were seven?

Mmmm... tasty. Thanks Elmo

Weekendul cu Cruce Roşie

2006-08-17T23:06:00.000+03:00

Last weekend was the annual summer meeting of the Norwegian Red Cross (Røde Kors) and the Romanian Red Cross (Cruce Roşie) in Târgu Mureş. I was honored to be invited to take part in their weekend activities and become a member. This was a great international effort with so many projects aimed at helping Roma communities and promoting health and well-being throughout the city. Here are some pics:

Delivering some much needed used windows to a local Roma community

A VIP tour of the SMURD unit (the emergency response team in Târgu Mureş)and their chopper

The tent where we offered health information, condoms, and blood pressure tests

A few special people who received much deserved recognition and certificates for all their extra efforts in their Red Cross service

These charming Romanians... See how they just steal kisses!

A good team: Moi, Magda, Flavius, and Hochen

Laundry Day (Ziua de Curăţătorie)

2006-08-17T22:40:00.000+03:00

Every Saturday I walk towards Cartier Zorilor (uphill) with my giant bag of laundry to wash at the spalatorie (trudge, trudge, trudge) and until a couple of months ago, when it opened, I spent my entire weekends washing all of my clothes in the bathtub, piece by piece, trigger finger aching all the while. I feel such relief now that I can actually go to a real laundromat where a machine washes my clothes and all I have to do is lug them there, dirty... and lug them back wet and clean to hang them on my balcony. I have grown so accustomed to this luxury that I forgot, until last week at the river in Floreşti , the grueling nature of hand-washing.This is laundry day in Floreşti where the children complete their daily summer chores and hopefully take a dip in the cool water too! I felt empathy for them but I must admit... they looked like they were having much more fun than I did washing clothes in my bathtub!

aventura in muntii

2006-07-23T14:10:00.000+03:00

Am avut un timp foarte distractiv ci Amy si Mihai in muntii. Programme noastra original nu a intamplat pentru inundatii si drumuri inchis spre monastirii in est dar ma bucor pentru ca muntii in sud a fost mai minunat. Prima, am mers la Straja, un sat sus in muntii. Noi am intalnit ci Justin (un prieten lui Mihai, care are o cabina acolo) si el ne-a dat trei locuri sa dorm si o plimbare greau dar frumoasa si multi mancare. Sambata a fost ziua de nastere (31!) si noi am facut chili, mici, si cartofi si am avut un petrecere la fel a fost 1999! Amy a luat marshmellows 'n fixins pentru s'mores (yum). A fost un banchet pentru regele! Apoi, am mers la Cartea de Arges sa vizitem doi monastirii frumosi. In final, am mers la mai sus in Muntii Fagaraselor. Wow! Foarte fromosi... Okay, for my english-speaking contingent I will switch here. Sorry, I get a little caught up in limba de casa aici (I do apologize to my romanian contingent for the grammatical mishaps). We went to Balea Lac in the Fagaras Mountains and it was just lovely. Of course, ill-equpped simpletons that we are, we didn't bring winter clothes to protect us from the snow and 1.5 degree tempratures (that is celcius, it was about 35 degrees fahrenheit). C'mon, it is mid-July! Who'd have thought? We ditched the tent there and shacked up in a cabin (aka ski-lift building) until the fog cleared. The next morning was glorious! While my cohorts were still sleeping, I took a trek through the surrounding hills and found a steady rock to make some coffee. The clouds were passing all around me (not above me) and the air was so crisp and clean. Before our taxi de sus a ajuns, I had a nice solo hike up the mountain while Amy and Mihai ate sunflower seeds and enjoyed their own mountain scenery down below. What an invigorating trek! I never stood on top of a mountain with just me and the world below... magnificent. After we returned to flat terrain, we hung out in Sibiu and drank beer while we waited for our midnight train back to our little Cluj. In drum la gara, we happened upon a poetry reading (asa si asa) and through that discovered an upcoming anthropology festival in Sibiu. Bonus! Amy and I will return in the coming days for more info...

summer and fools in all their glory

Cabina in spate is not where we stayed... (but we ate there. Best mici on a mountain!)

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs...

Chrissy's spot.ro

life is a bowl of cherries (viata e o farfurie de cirese)!

2006-07-09T19:01:00.000+03:00

Yesterday I tried my hand at fresh cherry pie. I mean fresh, even picked the cherries right from the trees. After work on Wednesday, Vera and I took a walk with Marie, a girl from the church organization. We went to visit a cherry farm, in the hills, on the way to visit Marie's garden. The family who owned the cherry farm (orchard?) gave us free reign and told us to pick what we wanted, as much as our hearts desired and bellies could hold! We climbed to the tops of the trees and got so dirty. We picked five kilos among the three of us and ate enough to be sweet 'til Thanksgiving. Of course, the next line of action was to make a cherry pie for my girlfriends on Saturday. I improvised a recipe (as I always do) from a few I saw on the internet. Here it is:

Filling:
Fresh cherries (enough to fill a pie pan), pit them
sprinkle some sugar, enough to cover but not saturate (they are sweet enough)
Half that amount of flour
Stir it and let it sit at room temp while you make the pie crust.

Pie crust:
1 egg
mix with about 2 cups of flour
3 TBLS water, 1 of vinegar
smoosh it all together until it is silky and malleable in your hands.
cut it in two and roll it out about as thick as a hardback book cover
press one piece into a pie pan (ungreased)
dump in the cherries
cut the second piece in strips and weave them over the top
bake at 350 for thirty minutes or so until the crust is golden and the juice is just bubbling over the crust. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you're done. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Valea Fânaţelor

2006-07-09T19:00:00.000+03:00

Wednesday we went to Valea Fânaţelor for two interviews. Vera had a blast teaching the children how to throw wet sponges at one another without getting into trouble... a fun game. I just watched... I had my own fun taking pictures of the donkeys (they make such funny noises!). href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7894/2591/1600/DSCN1789.jpg"> href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7894/2591/1600/DSCN1799.0.jpg">
This community is about ten kilometers outside of the city, in the beautiful hills... pretty far from even any stores. What a refreshing break!
href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7894/2591/1600/DSCN1816.0.jpg">

Intorcam pe rampa din nou

2006-07-09T18:49:00.000+03:00

Vera and I made a return appearance at the ramp on Tuesday, this time to go to work. Not our usual ethnographic work. This was hard labor. We intended to go with Braita to pick through the garbage for recyclables but she was unable to work. Vera and I went to Luci's instead to bag sorted bottles. Okay, so let me explain how this whole process works. We learned so much! There is no formal recycling program in Romania and so many people who live on or near the ramp (the dump) make an informal business of scavenging and recycling plasic, glass, and iron. The first step is to dig through the garbage and pick out recyclable materials (mostly plasic bottles) and collect them in huge canvas/plastic bags that can hold about 60-70 kilos. Then the bags are taken off the side and dumped on the ground. From there, the bottles are sorted into piles, according to color. Then the bottles are rebagged and compacted (by jumping on them in the bag) so as many as possible fit. There is a private company in Cluj who buys the bottles (for about 50 or 60 new lei a bag- $15 or so). They cube the bottles and sell them to a larger company who processes the plastic and the cycle starts all over again.

It was a dirty task. It is no wonder so many people there have health problems. They deal with all sorts of parasites and bacteria and don't have ready access to washroom facilities. The bugs are large and well, they live in the garbage. I squashed a big greenish one with pichers that was crawling up my leg. I tucked my pants in my boots a little too late. There is no end to the infections and injuries that will occur from this line of work.

>Despite the fact that it was probably the dirtiest job Vera or I have ever done, it was easy enough to just to suck it up, plow right in, and get dirty. No prima donnas here. I mean, the people who do it every day... it is their life, their livelihood. We wanted to do what they do.

In all, it was an interesting experience to learn the finer details of the lives of those who live and work there, see first-hand the health challenges these people are up against (coupled with their lack of access to medical services), and just to get a good dose of reality and remind me that we are all human and none of us are above desperation to survive and eat. It is a good reminder, for me, of how often luxury becomes ordinary and taken for granted.

monastirii afara Bucuresti

2006-06-06T19:44:00.000+03:00

a little political building art in bucuresti

2006-06-04T20:32:00.000+03:00

Bran in drum la Sanaia

2006-06-03T09:49:00.000+03:00

Here's Danny, our adorable taxi driver from Brasov to Bran to Sanaia

A little closer to Heaven

Mother and Child at Bran

Make a wish!

Vlad didn't really live here

Somewhere near where the Transylvanian Alps meet the Carpathians

Braşov

2006-06-03T09:32:00.000+03:00

Welcome to Hollywood, everyone's got a dream... Oh, I mean Brasov

Let's get outta here!

Brasov from Mt. Tampa. It was really high from the cable car! Yikes!

Heroes of the revolution...

spre Braşov, entering zona gripa aviara

2006-06-03T09:19:00.000+03:00

The first of many bird flu checkpoints at the town and county borders

Leaving the quarantine zone... gotta clean the tires

The menu says: "At this time, we are not selling any chicken dishes"

...but we're not afraid!

Sigisoara

2006-06-03T09:03:00.000+03:00

vacanţa cu tata si sora

2006-06-03T08:36:00.000+03:00

Finally, I am posting the fabulous vacation three weeks after the fact! Imi pare rau tata si sora... Vacanta a fost minunat. We had such a Romanian adventure, from gypsy castles to taxi shenanigans to bird flu scares, and lots of good meals (fara pui) and many laughs inbetween. We started here in Cluj and I showed Daddy and Amy around the botanical garden, took them to Pata, and we ate at Transylvania's first five-star hotel (outside of Brasov). From there, my dear friend, Flavius, took us to Targu Mures where he gave us a world-class tour and took us to his home to visit with his mom and bunica. The next day we went to Sigisoara to start our Dracula tour. We ate lunch in the house where old Vlad was born. Then we were off to Brasov, passing through countless bird flu checkpoints along the way. Flavius left us there and we began the journey on our own. We started at a wonderful traditional Romanian restaurant on the outskirts of town, where we ate like queens and a king (although they weren't serving chicken... it's okay. There was more than enough other meats to nosh on). Daddy and Amy had their first taste of Tuica (plum brandy, Romanian style). Brasov is where we met Danny, our adorable taxi driver from Brasov to Bran to Sanaia. This last destination was a little like the twilight zone after losing our reservation and being banished from the castle grounds to the main strip, consisiting of about twenty hotels, ten casinos, and a couple of bad restaurants, all surrounded the beautiful mauntains and interminable cold rainstorms. However, the twilight zone effect did not diminish our fun in the least. In fact, it only enhanced our sense of adventure. Amy was always prepared with her horror movie soundtrack impression every time we crossed a potentially flu-ridden sparrow in our path or we exaggerated our sense of near death in speeding, seat beltless taxis. Our final destination was Bucharest. There we ate at a couple other great Romanian restaurants, one with live song and dance. We travelled off the beaten path to visit a monastary and a convent, so peaceful. Then we visited the the People's Palace (the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon)and entrusted our lives to a smarmy taxi driver to get us back to our lovely hotel, the Rembrandt, where we slept like babies and drank like fish, and even played Scrabble (this part I only vaguely remember... that scotch-wine-scotch combo left me a bit amnesiatic but the pictures sure look fun!). We just had a blast all around!!! The hard part was leaving them at the international terminal at the airport while I made my way to the domestic side to return to Cluj. I was horribly homesick for a couple of days afterwards but all in all, it was worth every tear just to have them here and share my little part of the world with them. There is just too much to tell for one blog. Suffice it to say, it was the best vacation I ever had. The rest we will keep in our hearts and memories for always.

Now some pics:

Romania's future is unlimited! I'll say it is...

Here's Daddy with his baby grandcat (he is so spoiled!)

One of the ever-common "gypsy castles" that you find throughout the country. It would be a home fit for royalty of it was actually finished on the inside. Nope, just for show. We decided we could probably comfortably fit all of Pata here but alas it sits empty

Here we are In Targu Mures with Flavius, Felicia, and Bunica

The quarentine zone. We are fearless!

Scrabble anyone?

copiii la rampa

2006-05-08T10:37:00.000+03:00

Dîn Dallas la Rampa

2006-04-28T19:37:00.000+03:00

Astazi, Vera şi eu am mers la rampa (aka the garbage dump here in Cluj) to visit Andrea. Dallas is situated by the dump and the people in the community go there to scavenge for reusable and recyclable materials but there are a few families that actually live right on the dump. Andrea with her pregnant belly, her husband, and toddler moved to the ramp with in-laws (in a one-room/one bed shack)after they were displaced from their home in Dallas because a company purchased the parcel of land on which their house sits. She isn't very happy at the ramp and suffers from a bad tooth infection. She can't take antibiotics because she is pregnant. She and her family have little access to the mild comforts of Dallas, like the shower house (cabine de duş), toilets, or food exchange with Domnul Ion. Now they live in a swarm of mosquitoes engulfed in the mephitic stench of rotting garbage (with this lovely view to wake up to in the morning). The trade-off is that they better access to the wares of the dump. Little consolation but hopefully this is not a permanent situation (if a housing solution can be found. The shurch organization will probably build them one).
On a lighter note (barely), Vera and I took a walk around the perimeter of the dump, swatting mosquitoes from our faces and keeping alert for snakes (we picked wildflowers from the hillside too. If only the beautiful hills weren't obscured by the dump it would be so picturesque). We actually had a lovely encounter with some children, who live there. We took lots of pictures and will deliver them next week when we return. Again, I won't post them just yet. The beautiful thing about children is that they are oblivious to the misery that plagues their senior generations as long as they know no other lifestyle. These kids were playing and so full of laughter. The dump is their school and playground and it suits them just fine. They followed us around, played with the dogs, mimicked our every move, and romped through the fields with us. The one little girl doesn't have shoes and I was really worried about her running around on all the broken glass but she didn't seem to know any different. Still, we should get her some shoes before we return, to protect her little feet. All in all, the morning was actually kind of fun but at the same time I feel in my heart that there is more to do here than research... Perhaps though, a discussion for a later blog entry.
Here is sweet Vera sporting her shiny red rubber boots (mine are drab grey) that Domnul Ioan insisted we put on our feet before venturing to the ramp... a smart move. Thanks Domnul Ioan. The black, foamy run-off water meandering through the fields and snake warnings (we didn't actually encounter any) were enough to make us more than grateful. Vera is an amazing assistant and also a friend. This chick is hard core and will go the distance. She also has the biggest heart and has the love and respect of every person she knows. She is utterly devoted to the folks at Pata and surrounding communities and they to her.
Oh, and here are a couple of happy horses settling down after an exhausting morning. ahhh... finally, nap-time.

Paşte la Pata Rât

2006-04-24T13:12:00.000+03:00

Paşte a fost minunat la Dallas ieri. For you non-Ro speakers, I mean that Easter was just lovely yesterday. Here in Romania, Orthodox Easter (Paşte) is celebrated the week after Protestant/Catholic Easter. The Protestant population here, at Dallas for example, is quite small so they tend to follow the tradition of celebrating the Orthodox (or Romanian) Easter. The other one is called the Hungarian Easter.

Here's Sanda's family all dressed up for Paşte

Pretty ladies coming from church

Oh, and the underdressed anthropologist (oops!)

If you are intersted in learning about the Orthodox Easter tradition and how it is different from the Protestant and Catholic tradition, check out Amy's blog http://summerjourney2005.blogspot.com/. She explains it all. Paşte Ferecite!

Toto, we're not in Texas...

2006-04-24T12:30:00.000+03:00

Just to clarify because there seems to be a bit of confusion among my readers. When I make references to Dallas, I am not referring to Dallas, Texas USA. I am referring to the community called Dallas at Pata Rât in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. No, I am not flying back and forth from Romania to Texas every week to conduct research and take pictures. Whew, that would be exhausting...

The Dallas story in Romania is actually pretty interesting. From what I hear, during communism, Dallas was one of the few American TV shows permitted in Romania. During the years of Ceauşescu-era deprivation, the show came to represent wealth, freedom, capitalism, indulgence... all that American stereotypical stuff. So, now that communism is over here and Dallas is no longer on the air, it left its mark by remaining a representation of these things. Dallas is a big theme here and everybody knows about it. I even met a dog named Bobby (after Bobby Ewing) a couple of years ago. There are a fancy boutiques called Dallas, brands, etc. Well, the naming of Dallas at Pata Rat is ironical. The people who established this community obviously had a sense of humor. They named their garbage-scavenging squatter community after the wealthy oil-tycoon Ewing community. I love it!

So, for future reference:

This is Dallas, Texas

This is Dallas, Romania

The Ewings at Southfork

Again, the Ewings at Southfork

Everyone's favorite gypsy... beautiful Carmen

2006-04-20T22:29:00.001+03:00

It was yet another lovely evening at the opera starring my favorite tenor, Romeo Soleno, playing Don Jose (he's the cutie in the suit behind Carmen). Of all the lovely things in Cluj Napoca, the opera is by far the best thing going on. The performances are top-notch, accessible, affordable, and exhibit a wealth of talent. Maybe not Romania's best kept secret anymore...
Here is a shot of the stage where it all begins at Teatrul National here in Cluj and (above)the exquisite cast of Carmen. I have lost count of how many operas I have seen since I have been here and have yet to see one distasteful to me. Madama Butterfly was the most emotionally moving (Ah, Romeo). However, Carmen has always held a special place in my heart. If it wasn't for my grandfather's insistence on making my sweet sister and me sit through hours of our precious childhood summer vacations listening to it, I never would have known the total sensory experience and beauty of opera (although I didn't fall in love until many years later). Last night marked the first time I have seen any opera three times and it was on the night of my late grandfather's birthday and it was Carmen. Precious...

A few faces at Pata (Dallas)

2006-04-20T21:55:00.000+03:00

Cu prieteni la Dallas astazi

2006-04-19T17:22:00.000+03:00

This is Andrea's family outside their former home in Dallas and then me with a couple of the Pata gals... So there is this whole height thing I mentioned here in Romania...
Next week will be very exciting Vera (my assistant) and I are going to the ramp at the dump, where the people scavenge for recyclables. Today we went to visit Andrea's family at Dallas but they have moved to the ramp because the city is widening the road (path) on the hillside to the dump for the trucks so many families are being displaced in the process. So, now we will just have go to the ramp to see her. I hope we can get, past the guards (city property)... Plan A is just to tell them we are visiting a family. If that doesn't work, Titi will take us in a back way over the hills. If all else fails, we'll dress the part and go in a horse cart with our pals. I think Plan A will work but it is always good to have a backup plan.

Dallas, getting started

2006-04-16T15:49:00.001+03:00

This is where it all begins... Pata Rat (Dallas) is home to a large Roma community who sustain their livelihood by using and selling recyclable materials they scavenge from the city landfill in Cluj Napoca, Romania. Community members use salvageable materials from the garbage dump to build and furnish their homes. They also sell collected glass, metal, and plastic to a local recycling company to earn a small income for food and other necessities. This method of livelihood contributes, albeit unitentionally, to global environmentalism as well as to active participation in the capitalist economy. Since the end of communism in Romania, aggravation of social inequalities has increased and and participation in the economy is more challenging. As Romania prepares for accession to the European Union, there is uncertainty about how this community, and others like it, will continue to develop strategies to adapt to increased trade and marketization.

I have some pictures here of the community as well as of piles of glass, washed and sorted, ready for recycling. I have been so fortunate to fall into the graces of a church group who has done work with the Pata community for over ten years. They have generously given me access through their activities there. In one of the pics you can see a new home, built by the organization as a gift to a family in the community. This summer they plan to build four more like it. I have made friends here and hope to extend my dissertation research into a lasting relationship with this community and others like it.

This project is merely a beginning. I digress... I haven't mentioned why I am here. Of course now my project here is twofold now... What I haven't discussed is that I am here to acquire data about how access and quality of healthcare has changed for Roma communities throughout Romania's transition period from communism to capitalism. I.e, my primary research questions: 1) What are the effects of citizenship laws, educational disparities, cultural barriers, and resurgent nationalism on Roma access to healthcare in Cluj Napoca? 2) How does the persistence of old, and emergence of new, economic inequalities among the Roma affect access to healthcare? 3) Have transformations in the healthcare system aggrivated class and ethnic divisions between the Roma and other ethnic groups in Romania? Answering these questions and taking part in strategizing change are my primary objectives here, however, since I have been at Pata I have noticed other important areas of anthropological query... So, on the side, I am pursuing this other interest in the participation in the informal economy through recycling and its implications. I can't write two dissertations (fortunately!) but I will continue to pursue this other interest in the course of my research and Romania's critical transition period to the European Union.

Please visit the links on the sidebar for more information about activism in Roma rights or the pursuit of equality and health for all people in this world.

restaurant bun in beograd

2006-04-12T22:48:00.000+03:00

That's Amy hiding behind the sausage!

Okay, so we have no idea what the restaurant is called but it was so great that we ate there two nights in a row. Foarte bun!

fetelor iau beograd!

2006-04-12T21:37:00.000+03:00

So, here we are... Amy si eu la un restaurant cu sausage ciudat. Amy had the mystery sausage (brave fata). I had a lunch of assorted cashews and peanuts. The advertised olives never made it onto the plate.
Other than the bombed-out buildings, Belgrade was a pretty standard European city. Big, commercialized, lovely in its own right. The company and constant laughs was the best part. On my own, not nearly as much fun.
Okay, so here was one touristy thing we did... we went to castle on Friday after train-induced delirium. So pretty and quite a change from the adventurous train ride, including the layover at the Timisoara station where we hung out (drinking bad expresso) in a bar full of barbati ciudati (drinking beer at 5am) and witnessed an even stranger barbat ciudat care a facut sexual automatic in fereastra trenului in Timisoara. Our disgust didn't beat out our insane laughter at that bizarre sighting. The bathroom is a poveste pentru alte timp. Scarbos is sufficient to describe that (but refer to Amy's link to catch the details).

Pa pa acasa... lovely Romania. There is a stinky train tiolet behind me. You just can't see it.
Welcome to Beograd! What the sign says... well that is about as confusing as our entire trip. The best part is that we spoke in Romanian at least 50% of the time. Our own private language (and great practice)... We communicated with the natives via hand signals and series of nods... stay tuned. more to come.

Astazi la Pata Rât

2006-03-28T21:11:00.000+03:00

Today at Dallas... it was a great day. I was visiting with Titi and Vera when a neighbor stopped by. She saw the picture I took of Titi's family and asked if I could take a picture of her family too. Of course (ba da!) I said. After I took a few pictures of them, other people in the community were curious about the camera and next thing I knew, I had more models than I could have ever imagined. I took 111 pictures altogether! I won't put them all here now (because I am still trying to learn how this blog thing works) but I have here my two favorites: a babe on a cart (the daughter of the neighbor) and many babes on a cart (a candid afterthought). More pictures and stories will follow but this particular entry is sort of a test just to see how the blog works. I also think that I need to develop the pictures and distribute them to the people who posed for them before I send them out over cyberspace so stay tuned. I get the pictures developed Wednesday. Pa pa for now!