Once We Were Birds

Misto Avilyan - You are Welcome - Mai Croeso i chi

2011-08-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

'Misto avilyan - You are Welcome - Mai Croeso i chi'

A two day celebration of Romani and Traveller people and their culture is taking place in west Wales on September 30th and October 1st 2011.
Day 1 will include presentations and discussions with members of the local communities, artists, academics and politicians culminating in a
Q & A session with an impressive panel of guest speakers including
Prof. Ian Hancock from the University of Texas, Austin, a Romani scholar, linguist and political advocate.
Day 2 sees the opening of a new photographic exhibition by Romani photographer Andrea Annamária Duka and the UK launch of the Roma Media Archive www.romamediaarchive.net inaugurated at the Roma Pavillion www.callthewitness.org of the 54th Venice Biennale 2011 by photographers Tina Carr & Annemarie Schöne.
At 6.00pm traditional Romani food, cooked by ‘Hungry Dragon’ over a stick fire will be enjoyed followed by a wildly energetic Hungarian Ceilidh with the Jani Lang Band.

Kethanes džastar Let’s get together □ Gadewch i ni ddod at ei gilydd

Camp Constant needs you! -- New Internationalist

2011-07-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

Camp Constant needs you! -- New Internationalist

BBC News - Dale Farm travellers barricade eviction site

2011-07-07T02:50:00.000-07:00

BBC News - Dale Farm travellers barricade eviction site

Roma Media Archive - 83p21 ed | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-07-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Roma Media Archive - 83p21 ed | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Roma Buzz Monitor » DALE FARM: MEP SPEAKS OUT

2011-07-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Roma Buzz Monitor » DALE FARM: MEP SPEAKS OUT

Web Launch of the Roma Media Archive

2011-06-13T07:23:00.001-07:00

Web Launch of the Roma Media Archive

Roma Media Archive Palazzo Zorzi Venezia

2011-06-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Roma Media Archive Palazzo Zorzi Venezia

“Call the Witness”. UNESCO hosts Roma Pavilion at Venice Biennale | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

2011-05-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

“Call the Witness”. UNESCO hosts Roma Pavilion at Venice Biennale | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Bodvalenke Fresco Village

2011-05-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Agnes Dano and her Family

2011-05-17T03:12:00.000-07:00

Laura Barsy - Flamenco Dancer

2011-05-17T03:09:00.000-07:00

Adolf Csik - Student of the Classical Guitar

2011-05-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

Gabor Gyulai

2011-05-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

Education Officer, Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a Human Rights NGO.

Robert V - Roma Security Guard

2011-05-17T02:57:00.001-07:00

Roma Lecso

2011-05-17T02:52:00.000-07:00

Traditional cooking over a stick fire:

Football - Szalonna v Sajokaza 25/7/09

2011-05-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

Roszi Farkas

2011-05-17T02:45:00.001-07:00

Eva Kiss Kalmanne

2011-05-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Angelika Biro - Roma Photographer

2011-05-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

Tibor Balog - Artist

2011-05-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

Bobbin Mill - The Forgotten Experiment

2011-05-09T03:12:00.000-07:00

Dale Farm Latest

2011-05-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

If the Dale Farm eviction goes ahead these children will be made homeless, a violation of their human rights.

Dale Farm: Zero Eviction Day 9.4.2011

2011-04-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great day with the largest turnout so far of Dale Farm supporters joined by representatives of Roma groups from all over the world, here to show solidarity with the 86 families who have been living with the threat of eviction for the last 10 years.

!NO PASARAN!

Ariel view of the Dale Farm site when the Travellers bought it showing that it was not 'green belt' but a massive scrapyard - far right of the picture - that the Travellers themselves cleared and renovated, at their own expense, before they could live on it in the first place.

Joseph Jones (left) Gypsy Council and Yves Cabannes chair of the UN Advisory Group on Forced Evictions

Solidarity from Representatives of the International Alliance of Inhabitants here to celebrate the anniversary of the First Gypsy Congress in 1971

Grattan Puxon (far left) Secretary of the Dale Farm Housing Association, with the new banner.

Monitoring Human Rights Violations

2011-04-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Essex Human Rights Clinic: Skills workshop on Legal Observing/Monitoring of Human Rights Violations

We, along with members of the Gypsy and Traveller community and their support groups attended this informative day of training, places on which could have been filled three times over.
We all hope it will not come to this but we must be prepared, in the event of the Dale Farm evictions taking place, to defend our human rights by all peaceful means possible.
There will be further training days in the run up to direct action. We hope that the Bailiffs, Constant and Co. will be undertaking similar training and will employ more women in their ranks to ensure fair treatment of the evictees. (Have you ever seen a female bailiff?)
Friday 8th April is International Roma Day. April 9th is Zero Eviction Day which will be marked at Dale Farm with a celebration that includes representatives from the international Roma communities showing solidarity with Dale Farm. All are welcome.

Grattan Puxon, Secretary of Dale Farm Housing Association explains the background
to the eviction

Professor Todd Landman Professor of Government and Director, Institute of Democracy
and Conflict Resolution, University of Essex.

Malavika Vartak, Amnesty International

Dale Farm Travellers eviction: the battle of Basildon | Society | The Guardian

2011-04-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Dale Farm Travellers eviction: the battle of Basildon | Society | The Guardian

Open Letter to Basildon District Councillors ahead of tomorrow’s vote | Dale Farm Travellers

2011-03-14T02:59:00.000-07:00

Open Letter to Basildon District Councillors ahead of tomorrow’s vote | Dale Farm Travellers

Your rights - The Rights of Gypsies and Travellers

2011-03-12T04:20:00.000-08:00

Your rights - The Rights of Gypsies and Travellers

Bloody Monday for Dale Farm Travellers?

2011-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Bloody Monday for Dale Farm Travellers?

Letter from Terezia

2011-02-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

'Here is Terezia's letter - I've tried to translate it very exactly although is wasn't easy.' Judit

Dear Tina and Amari,

I'm writing this letter on the 19th January 2011 with love and with all the warmth of my heart. It's been a long time since we met that first time (September 2008) and your friendship touched me deeply. This friendship is a great happiness for me - I give thanks to God for this long-term and eternal friendship. Thank you for everything.
You know, in Hungary I havn't got any real friends (maybe only one) your kindness and respect makes me learn English: in the half-term exams I get good marks in English both written and oral.
Thank you for the photos - they prove our real friendship. I hope your honorific friendship will remain for a long time.
Greetings and kisses. I miss you and feel sorry that we can't communicate to each other because I can't speak English.

Bye, your friend
Terezia

Terezia, Sajokaza July 2009

Terezia is the first Roma woman we met on our research trip to Hungary in September 2009. We could communicate only through gestures, the ceremony of coffee making and home-made cake, and the warmth and desire to be friends. She made us welcome and introduced us to her family in their impoverished home in the Solyom Settlemt in Sajokaza.
Terezia is one of the few adults in Sajokaza to have embraced the concept of education and learning as a tool for a better life. Supported by the Jai Bhim School she has won accolades for her achievements in reaching high school levels of attainment. She has also brought up four sons and a daughter single-handed since the premature death of her husband and is a member of the Sajokza Women's Commitee.

Terezia, Sajokaza September 2010

Video: Tensions over Hungary's Roma - Europe - Al Jazeera English

2011-02-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

Video: Tensions over Hungary's Roma - Europe - Al Jazeera English

The 'Gentrification' of Budapest's VIII District

2011-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

Like many ordinary, residential but also poorer areas of major cities, eg Berlin, Budapest is undergoing a major transformation driven by economic pressure. The VIII District was traditionally settled by crafts people, (market) traders, artisans and Romani people many of them musicians. Due to its central location it represents attractive and valuable ground for city development and foreign investment under the guise of 'gentrification.'
Many local people, the majority of them Romani or older Hungarians are forced out of their houses some of which are developed others demolished.
Even the Roma Parlament at Tavaszmezo lost its vital advocacy centre in a beautiful listed building well frequented by local Roma. Now they are forced to travel for legal advice on the pressing issues of housing and employment to the new offices on the outskirts of the city.
Such development gradually forces out the original inhabitants, draws in more affluent elements of society and changes the whole character of the district forever.

The VIII District of Budapest is to the right of the Duna (Danube)
the pink bit on the right between the first and third bridge

Prater utca

Baross utca

Girls in 'the Hood'

Kisfaludy u

Tenements

Tavaszmezo ut

Angels of the VIII District

Futo u. An old style courtyard being encroached on by new development.

2010-02-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Once we were birds

2010-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Once we were birds

click above for link to www.travellerstimes.org.uk
There is even audio with this one.
Thanks Jake

Oriel Myrddin Gallery 09.01.10 - 20.02.10

2010-01-22T04:49:00.000-08:00

Part 3

Note the new video bar on the right of this page.
Last week we launched OnceBirdsTV on YouTube so we
are in the process of putting up video shorts of
memorable musical moments from the OnceWeWereBirds Archive.
Keep an eye on this space for some stunning live
performances from the leading Roma musicians of today.

Kavics and Son, Petofi Settlement

Marianne and Tibby, Bodvalenke

Rita and Josi, Bodvalenke

Sandor, Shani and Pali Solyom Settlement

Monika and Edit, Sajokaza Village

Che House Family with congenital eye problem.

Zsolti and his mother Mari

Igrici Cucumber Project - the third largest in Hungary.
Roma owned, employing both Roma and non-Roma workers.

Press Coverage

2010-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Len Phelan, Margaret Keenan
and Kathryn Campbell for the following:

A & T with Angharad Pearce Jones during filming for the S4C programme 'Wedi 3'

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When We Were Birds / Exhibition / Arts / Culture / Home - Morning Star

** Life of the Roma on show in Wales **
Discover the Roma people, though the eyes of Carmarthenshire-based artists Tina Carr and Annemarie Schöne.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/local/southwestwales/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8468000/8468986.stm >

Photoes and Bards in Wales
Live link to Jai Bhim Network website and an article written
after we left Sajokaza.

Oriel Myrddin Exhibition 09.01.10 - 20.02.10

2010-01-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

Part 2

Angelika Biro, Photographer

The Legend of The Sun and The Moon

Once upon a time there was no Sun and there was no Moon. They were chained at the other end of the world among dragons and giants who would not let the Sun and the Moon go free.

There lived two men. In these two men there was huge strength, they were
said to be the bravest and strongest people on earth - not afraid of anything.
They were the only ones to know where the Sun and the Moon were kept hidden,
in chains, and they wanted to free them.

They journeyed for a full six months, through the land of
dragons and the land of giants until they reached the Sun and the Moon.

They fought the wild dragons and the terrible giants and beat them.

Then one of the men said:

I will carry the Sun!

And the other man said:

And I will carry the Moon!

The Sun and the Moon agreed to go with them and the men released them from their chains. They started their journey back from the other end of the world through the land of the dragons, through the land of the giants.

On the return journey the Sun heated up as fire, so the man carrying it was burnt dark.
That is why the gypsies are dark skinned, because they are the descendants of this man. While the descendants of the other man, who carried the Moon remained white....

(collected and translated by Károly Bari from Romanes to Hungarian and from Hungarian to English by Szasz Zsuzsi)

Bodvalenke Fresco Village: The Legend of the Sun and Moon

Ana and Zsolti, Petofi Settlement, Sajokaza

Baby with Pink Shoes, Sajokaza

Ali and Krisztina, Sajokaza Village

Roma cave Dwellers, NE Hungary

Edi Neni, Petofi settlement, Sajokaza

Edit and Sandi, Solyom Settlement, Sajokaza

Jeno Zsigo, President of the Roma Parliament
Budapest

Oriel Myrddin Exhibition 09 January - 20 February 2010

2010-01-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Part 1
The following 7 photographs are all 48 x 40 inches
(122 x 102 cms)

Angela Bodi, Vivienne and Kristian, Sajokaza

Erno Kallai, Student at the Juilliard School in New York, Budapest

Anastazia, Lajos and Bea, Solyom Settlement, Sajokaza

Petofi Washday, Sajokaza

Petofi Family, Sajokaza

Giero Restaurant, Budapest

Eva Kiss Kalmanne, Budapest

“Once We Were Birds” by Kate Pawsey.

On 9th January 2010 a vibrant show was launched at Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen. It attracted a flock of scattered individuals to feast on the colours and richness of the photographic exhibition by Tina Carr and Annmarie Schône. The show is the culmination of a long and sensitive project recording and interacting with the Roma people in Hungary. It is also part of an ongoing creative movement to highlight their circumstances and be part of a positive change in awareness, appreciation and respect and all that can follow from this. It is entitled “Once We Were birds” referring to a Roma story based the peoples’ own nomadic origins.

I was struck by many aspects of the photographer's work and the moving talk they gave, but two particular things that occurred have stayed with me.
Tina was telling us that at one point while they were finding a gentle way into the lives of the Roma people and had already taken some photographs, they decided to print out some of the images and give them back to the families who had allowed them in. When this became known Tina and Annmarie were actively sought out to take photographs in ways and situations that were deeply proud, hospitable and generous and their work deepened still further.

As Tina was recounting this I had sight from where I sat in the gallery of a beautiful Roma woman’s face looking out from the pink nylon lace door curtain of her home. I imagined her being able to see and feel what I was experiencing in the gallery and feel the value being added to their lives and their particularly precarious identity and existence. It reflected the dignity I felt through Tina and Annmarie’s gift of images of the Roma people to themselves, as well as through the images and stories they brought back from Hungary. These daring women have succeeded in showing me a complex scenario within which the Hungarian Roma story is a recurring one for minority groups who strive to maintain a cultural and philosophical identity, and who are scape-goated, marginalised and facing extreme poverty, prejudice and violence. The joy, love, creativity and vibrant colour of their art, music and family life is all the more striking against such a background.

Topically, it was pointed out to us that the extreme cold weather we are experiencing this winter is the norm in continental Europe, where the Roma people live in basic and un-insulated concrete buildings most without running water, electricity or central heating. In Hungary they have undergone enforced settlement.

The second memorable tale I heard was of how Tina and Annmarie, to get to the launch of their own exhibition, first walked three miles from their home in Tregroes though the deep snow to catch a bus to Carmarthen. Later the same evening, carrying a rucksack of supplies and a bunch of red tulips, they took the return bus and walked back home in the dark under a diamond studded sky. Such a colourful pair of birds ...

Varadi Gabor - Roma Artist

2010-01-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

We met Gabor at the artist's summer camp at Fonyod, on Lake Balaton, in July 2009. He invited us to visit him at his home in Ozd, in the North East of Hungary, later in the month.
He was subsequently invited to paint a fresco at the Bodvalenke Fresco Village www.bodvalenke.eu and has gone on to paint the largest fresco there to date @ 4 x 26 meters! As soon as we have a photo of it we will post it. In the meantime here is some of Gabor's earlier work.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

...to all our Hungarian friends some of whom are pictured below ... there are many more who are not ... Happy New Year to us all.
We hope that the new year will bring peace and prosperity and that the European Year for Combatting Poverty will do what it says on the tin!
We would also like to remind everyone that 2010 is the mid point of the 'Decade of Roma Inclusion' ...

Fonyod Artist's Summer Camp July 09
The wheel is a very important symbol to the Roma
representing freedom and movement.

Fonyod Artist's Summer Camp July 09

Terez and Gabor bedecked (accidentally) in red, white and green, Hungary's national colours. They are also the colours of Wales ... two small nations with more in common than one might immediately imagine?

There is a very famous Hungarian poem entitled 'The Bards of Wales' by Janos Arany that tells of Edward I's execution of 500 Welsh bards in 1277 lest they incite the youth to rebellion by reminding them in their songs of their nation's glorious past * We have the text if you want to read it & will find a link for the next post.

Ali and Krisztina

Eva Kiss-Kalmanne, VIIIth District, Budapest

Jen, Eliza, Julietta and Jennifer, VIIIth District, Budapest

The Women's Committee, Sajokaza

Bricklayers 'Crew' Sajocaza

Beno: photo by his brother Andras (see below)

Agnes and family. BP

Zsuzsi and Gergely at work.

Gal, Sajokaza

Eva and Orsi, Solyom Settlement

Rozie and Angelika, BP

Olah, BP

Andras, Terez's youngest son

Sergei and family, Sajokaza

Merry Christmas

2009-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Balllad of Bodvalenke by Ferenc Kunhegyesi

Thanks to Judit, Iringo and Eszter

Hungarian Photographers

2009-11-10T01:30:00.000-08:00

Hungary has produced an incredible number of remarkable
Photographers - Robert Capa, Andre Kertesz, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Brassai spring to mind – there are many more.
All of them had to leave Hungary to get noticed or more truthfully, to escape discrimination and persecution – all of them were Jews.
So it was great to be able to see a major exhibition of the work of Robert Capa whilst in Budapest at the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art.

Capa’s archive numbers more than 70,000 images of which 937 have been selected by his brother Cornell and his biographer Richard Whelan as the ‘Difinitive Collection’ the most outstanding of his oeuvre from 1932 – 1954 to represent the cornerstones of his life’s work and his career as a press photographer.
Three series of the Master Selection have been printed using traditional methods. These consist of 40 x 50 cm enlargements marked with Robert Capa’s embossed seal. No more will be made. Of the three series one remains in New York, the second is in the Fuji Museum in Tokyo and the Hungarian Ministry of Culture has purchased the third.
Berlin, Paris, The Spanish Civil War, China, The Normandy Landings,
Germany 1944/5, The Soviet Union with writer John Steinbeck 1947,
Israel 1948 – 1950 and finally Indochina, Capa’s nemesis. An immense body of work condensed into just 22 years. Full of life and raw power these are very emotive images commemorating some of the most devastating events of the 20th century. I particularly liked the portraits of Leon Trotski looking manic,
Madame Chiang Kai-Shek cool and cold and Henri Matisse in bed with his cat.
And we were given a brilliant, free, bilingual catalogue with our entry ticket.
Bliss.

Henri Matisse

Omaha Beach. Capa was in the first wave of American troops landing on the Normandy coast on the 6th June 1944. He took hundreds of photographs. The rolls of film were taken to the London office of Life magazine where the lab assistant, in a huge rush, set the temperature of the drying cabinet too high causing the emulsion to melt and so destroying the majority of the images.
Only eleven frames survived of poor quality and blurred. Life published them all with a caption explaining the blur as camera shake due to the excitement of the moment. Capa responded by titling his war memoirs in 1947 ‘Slightly Out of Focus.’

Trotsky

Magdolna utca

2009-10-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

The above image has been chosen for the cover of a sociology text book based on interviews with the people who live in this street in the heart of Budapest's VIIIth District.
It is our second Hungarian cover to date ... the first being the August edition of 'Amaro Drom.'
Below are more residents of Magdolna utca.

Technology Gets in theWay

2009-10-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

We like blogging. It's a big buzz when a new follower signs up especially when you are a long way from home. But the whole process is not interactive enough when compared to the amount of effort involved.
We would like 'Once We Were Birds' to be a lot more busy with more followers signing up and lots more comments ... please.
When we speak to people about this they invariably say that the technology gets in the way! But surely if we can do it anyone can! Maybe it's because you have to set up a Google account before you can sign on or post comments - but that doesn't cost anything - all you do is put in an email address and password then you are away.
One person said they struggled with this for an hour only to fail. It is a pain when things don't work and a total disincentive but please don't give up - try again - next time it will work.
There is a great deal more to come from us including the exhibition preparations - the show opens at Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen, WALES on 9th January 2010 and you are all welcome. It will then tour to Hungary and to the USA so stay with us for the journey.

If it still gets in the way ... chuck a grenade at it!

Quick Catch Up

2009-10-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

Bavarian woodpiles - preparing for winter

Richard and his wife - Bavarian farmers collecting early apples

Richard's hives - the honey from the Bavarian woods was unbelievably delicious.

This lady was wizzing along ... one handed!

Branka and Marius - friends we met on the Muhlfeld campsite

Branka in her lovely Transit conversion

This gets our vote for the tackiest souvenier - a snip @ Euros 20!

My Euro 5.50 'Pinocalada' ice cream cup!

Apologies for the 9 week absence.

We returned to Wales at the beginning of September. We really didn't want to be back. We wanted to keep on travelling and found it difficult to acclimatise to life at home having so enjoyed being immersed in our work and all the intensity it generated.
This feeling of displacement and loss is still with us but we just have to work through it.
We left Hungary headed for Bavaria and a short holiday - going from one of the poorest places in Europe to one of the richest overnight was not an easy transition.

It was incredibly difficult to find a campsite on a lake it being high season and everywhere lakeside choc-a-bloc, like sardines in a can. Eventually, thanks to Suse and the internet, we found a spot in Hersching on the Ammersee that was just perfect. Only the local wind surfing school and a few discerning travellers seemed to ever hit on it - maybe because it had no hot showers! Luckily the weather was fab so we were able to keep clean and swim every single day. Ahhhhh!
Above are a few of our holiday snaps .... From now on we will try to blog weekly so please stay with us.

Roma Cave Dwellers near Eger

2009-08-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Eger is one of the formost wine producing regions in Northern Hungary. It is famous for Egri Bikaver 'Bulls Blood.' Long barrique aging makes this wine 'rich and fiery.'
The cellars in which the barrels lie during the aging process are carved into the several hundred meter thick rolite tufa found in the Eger area. This material can be formed perfectly, and it can maintain wine at the permanent temperature of 10 - 15 degrees centigrade. The moses and 'noble' mould to be found in the cellars establish a unique atmosphere that helps the mellowing of the wine and its fragrence.
Some of these caves have been abandoned by non use and subsequently occupied by homeless Roma.
Lets hope the beneficial surroundings will suit them too !

Access path to the cave

Bodvalenke August 2009

2009-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today, at the beginning of August 2009 and only two months into the Fresco Project (see previous post), Bodvalenke is very depressed. There is no work and hasn’t been for many years. The original Hungarian occupants have left and now there is a population of only 205, 90% are Roma, 80 of which are children. They are the poorest.
Eszter Pasztor, the frsco project originator, estimates that 40 of these children are actually starving. The reasons for this are simple. The family allowances and social security benefits are being drained at source by a very unscrupulous Roma money lender who exploits her own people with a particularly vile brand of food usuary.
This is how it works. Your children are hungry. You have no money. You go to the money lender because you have no choice. She sells you a loaf of bread at twice the shop price (the shop doesn’t give credit)! She then charges you 100% interest per month on the already inflated cost of the loaf (banks charge 15% per year!) so you can see how easy it is to build up massive amounts of debt quickly.
On top of that you are grateful to her for helping you out of a crisis. Not only is she respected but she is the clan leader! You don’t even realise how dependent on her you are until the loans are called in and the violence begins.

The 'eco' toilet

Bori's brothers meet the combine

Bori, age 14, our guide through the village

Bodvalenke - The Fresco Village

2009-08-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Bodvalenke is a small village on the border with Slovakia in Borsod County, Northern Hungary.
Eszter Pasztor, got the idea for the 'Fresco Village' from a trip to Egypt where she visited a village in the desert that, having similar problems of poverty and multi-deprivation, turned itself into a tourist destination by decorating all the walls of its houses with frescoes. It worked. Eszter hopes that because Bodvalenke is beautifully situated in the National Park not far from UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aggletek, tourists will find their way to the village attracted not only by the frescoes but by a range of local crafts, a restaurant and guided walks through the rare marshland with unique flora like wild Fritilliary. All this and a system of micro – loans and a new wood-free (solar storage) eco-heating system for the village, piloted by a German/Hungarian company, will improve the local economy and create jobs. For more info about this wonderful project go to - www.bodvalenke.eu

Kata, Editor of 'Amaro Drom' getting the 'official' story from the Mayor's office!

The second fresco is based on an old Gypsy legend

Janos Horvarth, Roma painter from Miskolc working unpaid at present

Janos shows Kata the best vantage point to view the second fresco

The enchanting landscape of the marsh

Angelika Biro, Roma photographer,taking pictures for 'Amaro Drom'

Hot Dog!

Janos working with one of the village children who are helping him to paint the frescoes

The wall is prepared for the fresco at a cost of 150,00 HuF(£450) which also renovates the property. All house owners enter into a contract to protect and preserve the painting.

The first fresco in the centre of the village

Esther,left, encouraging the basket weavers

This woman pickles more than cucumbers!

Wood collecting on this scale damages the environment - the proposed eco heating system will relieve this pressure.

Traditional Hungarian needlework could also find a market in the craft centre - direct from the maker!

View over the bog from the future craft centre. Some of the houses in the marshy swamp will be relocated.

The beginnings of the third fresco - horses,a stork and a goat will welcome visitors at the southern end of the village.

Petofi Telep, Sajokaza

2009-08-02T02:05:00.000-07:00

Petofi is an Olah settlement on the outskirts of Sajokaza. Here live 200 people from six or eight family clans, with no sanitation and one water pump on the main access road.
The Olah have strong connections with animals, horses in particular and growing, unlike their Romungro counterparts.
The women are continually washing clothes and brushing the earthen floors outside their habitations, cooking and child-minding while the men look after the livestock.
Cooking takes place outdoors using the wood gathered daily.
Some of the young women have been to school and their parents are insisting on higher education - not early marriage!!! Viktoria, one of the young women had just graduated as a nursery nurse and is looking forward to her new job at the also new Ambedkar Gymnasium creche.
They were extremely welcoming and happy that we visited them.

Horses feeding on cut meadow grass

Hay stack

Access road - Gabor coming to see what's happnin'

Kavics family group

Pig food

Kavics feeding his horses

Rabbit food !

Cleaning and recycling bricks

Lakatos Sandor and Wilmos the horse

Renata in her garden

Every day is washing day in this telep!

Feri hugging his mother

Zolti - holding up the house while Ana cooks

Robert (extreme right) a Romanes speaker and his family

Edi Neni outside her house

Edi Neni in the kitchen

Peter, her son

Igrici Cucumber Growing Project

2009-08-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

This Social Co-operative was initiated by Notar Zoltan an entrepreneurial Roma who invested 2 million HUF of his own money and raised an interest free micro-loan and support from the Polgar foundation who bought the 5.5 Hektares of land which they then rented to the Co-op.
Igrici, 25km south of Miskolc, has 600 Roma inhabitants with 99% unemployment. Here the local municipality supports the Roma initiative (makes a change – unlike Sajokaza) and those who want to work by paying their social benefit support to them even though they are earning a wage as a way of helping them back to work.
Begun in March 09 this year, the Co-op is now so successful that it aims to pay off the initial loan by August and rent the land for a further 5 years.
The project employs 40 people, both Roma and non-Roma , 75% women. Older women are also employed on light duties sorting sacks.
The work is seasonal, seven days a week. The workers start the day at 5 am, have a half hour for breakfast and for lunch, and work sometimes as late as 10 pm. They are paid 300 HUF (1 Euro) per hour!!!
We were assured that the atmosphere is good, without any confrontations just like relations between Roma and non-Roma in Igrici village itself where everybody gets along just fine.
There is a secure market for the produce. The Co-op has contracts with a canning factory and private greengrocers.
The cucumbers are started off from seedlings which are bought in, watered from a specially drilled well 60 m deep and fed calcinite and ammonium nitrate fertiliser (non-organic!)
Zoltan spent a year setting the project up, raising the money none of which came from the region.
Now that the project is successful it is being held up as a model of good practice, not only as a growing project but as an example of good relations between the Roma and non-Roma in this part of Hungary. Future visitors are to be the Czech Prime Minister and the leader of the European Economic Committee!
Plans for the Winter include work chopping firewood, making bricks, a bakery and self-help shop in the village. In 2010 they hope to diversify with the help of a grant from the National Development Agency into paprika and tomatoes. The profits will be put into secondary education.
Zoltan says Roma self-help is the only way out of the mess they currently find themselves in - stuck between the money lenders and destitution.

Sajokaza Women's Committee plus a man with Zoltan far right.

No! No! No!

2009-07-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

Sajokaza Roma Women's Committee

No! No! No!

Sajokaza has made the Hungarian National headlines this week in an article entitled 'Nem! Nem! Nem! (No! No! No!)
Some of the Roma have been stealing electricity - one man has gone to prison for this heinous crime.
The Solyom Telep (settlement) has no gas, only partial electricity, no sewage system and only 4 standpipes for 1,200 people. The old electricity meters were removed 60 years ago and not replaced so 200 families have been obtaining electricity illegaly and dangerously. The debts are now enormous and in order to prevent more people going to goal (which is obviosly more expensive in the longer term) the National government has agreed to clear the debt provided the Local Municipality pays 10%. They have refused.
The Jaibhim Community got up a petition and organised a film festival to raise the 10% to give to the Municipality - still the Municipality refused. This means that the government money, 90% of the debt, cannot be drawn down and there is no way to force the municipality's hand without a change in the social rules of the whole country!
The politics here are crazy and clearly loaded against the Roma. The local municipality has the power to help but point blank refuses to do so - you can draw your own conclusions.

The Roma Community together with Jaibhim have formed a women's committee (with a man who wants to get into politics on it too ?!!!) called 'Helping Hands' and they have asked to send a representative to the Municipal Social Forum (which has no power but can make suggestions to the Municipal Government) Guess what? They have been refused.
So now Jaibhim are useing the money raised by the film festival (which could have provided the 10% match funding) to pay off the debts of those families most in crisis and threatened with the prospect of going to goal to prevent even more suffering.
Who are the criminals here?
Many of the Roma have been to prison for the most petty of crimes. The latest is for the non-payment of fines imposed for not sending their children to school ... and therein hangs another tale ...

An electricity meter in one of the newer 'Che' houses that replaced older dilapidated structures in the 70s

This house does have electricity but no gas, running water or toilet/bathroom

No utilities here

Water carriers

Water carriers 2

Water carriers 3

Temperatures can reach 37 - 40 degrees C in Summer.

Paint buckets being washed out in the same place that the drinking water comes from

One of 4 pumps in the Solyom settlement serving 1200 people

The children are a novel hosepipe connector - see below

This hose pipe is connected directly to the pump

Keeping cool!

Gusti does 6 hours community work a day for the local municipality

Bea, Maria & Maria watering the plants and flowers in the village. This community work enables them to top up their benefit.

Camping Sajokaza Style!

2009-07-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

We are the guests of the Jaibhim Community Ambedkar School www.jaibhim.hu and www.ambedkar.hu - the same organisation coincidentally Tina worked with in India 10 years ago. This Buddhist community runs the school for Roma in Sajokasa and is currently looking for native English speakers to teach - not a huge salary but job satisfaction guaranteed!
The school is named after Dr B R Ambedkar (1891-1956) Dalit, political leader, activist, philosopher, anthropologist, revolutionary, and revivalist of Buddhism in India. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and one of the first 'untouchables' to obtain a college education achieving multiple doctorates from Columbia University.

Andras, Terez's youngest son, with the Gypsy flag at the community centre entrance.

Dr B R Ambedkar

We are parked up in the back yard of the community centre (best campsite yet) sharing the facilities with the teachers.

Terez, whom we first met on a rainy afternoon last September on our research trip is taking care of us again! She graduated from the school this year with much celebrating - see the video on the website www.ambedkar.hu

Judit - one of the teachers 'cooking up a storm'

Szuszi can be here only part time and brings Gergely, a young film maker from Budapest to make a film about us making our 'photographies' in the settlement for an internet news site.

This is Ilona Lakatos, a student of English, together we wrote an article for the community website homepage www.ambedkar.hu.

Laszlo Gal demolishing the old building single handed!
photo: Ilona Lakatos

As well as running several schools the centre has organised a new project with unemployed men - a bricklaying course started this week. In the grounds of the community centre is an old, unsafe outbuilding (white building in foreground minus its asbestos roof which was removed very carefully earlier in the week)- the project is to demolish it and rebuild it with brick.

The Crew!

Sajokaza - a 'shock' of photographs

2009-07-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Sajokasa is a village 30 km NE of Miskolc with a population of 3000 of which 1000 are Roma Gypsies.
The majority live in a settlement on the edge of the village - where the tarmac ends the Roma habitation begins.
The houses have no running water and no sanitation.
Sajokasa is a former mining community (dejavu!!!) where, once upon a time, there was full employment. Now there is none. Among the Roma there is practicaly 100% unemployment and most survive (not more than that) on the benefit they receive once a month.
Are we in Europe ... ? Is this the 21st Century ... ?

Bea

Gabor

Pali

Janos & Jani

Edit & Szandi

Annemarie getting 'Saturday Night Fever'.

We have brought with us a little photo-printer so that we can give back something to the people we photograph. This is incredibly popular; everybody wants to be photographed with every single relative and every baby has to be pictured with each parent and sibling individually, every tatoo has to be recorded!
When we took the first set of pictures back on Saturday, we were 'mobbed' and had to make many, many - a sok (pronounced shock) of photos - more. (trans:sok = many)
Nice pun!
Ofcourse we will run out of paper and ink soon but not before every family has a record of themselves at this precise juncture of their lives.

Anasztasia

'We are living in fear ... all the Roma people are ... '

2009-07-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Prejudice against Roma has swelled into a wave of violence. Over the past year at least 7 Roma have been killed in Hungary, and Roma leaders have counted some 30 molatov cocktail attacks against Roma homes often accompanied by sprays of gunfire.
This painting depicts the funeral of Robert Csorba aged 27 and his 4 year old son who were gunned down as they tried to escape from their home which was set on fire in such an attack. Both were buried in the same coffin.

These two paintings were created last week at the Fonyod Artist's Summer School in reponse to the murder of Robert Czorba and his four year old son in February this year. The artists will be credited in due course - apologies for the delay.

The extreme right wing party Jobbik has used the issue of what its leaders call 'gypsy crime' to rise in the polls to near the 5% threshold for seats in Hungary's parliament in next years election, which would be a first for the party. (In the Euro election they gained 3 seats so the can keep the BNP company!)
Opponents accuse the Hungarian Guard, the paramilitary group associated with the party, (see previous posts) of staging marches and public meetings to stir up anti-Roma sentiment and to intimidate the local Roma population.
Experts on Roma issues describe an ever more aggressive attitude towards Roma in Hungary and elsewhere in Europe, led by extreme right wing parties, whose leaders are playing on old stereotypes of roma as petty criminals and drains on social welfare systems at a time of rising economic and political turmoil. As unemployment rises officials and Roma experts fear the atacks will only intensify.
'One thing to remember, the Holocaust did not start at the gas chambers' said a senior state secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.
excerpts from an article by Nicholas Kulish in the New York Times.

This poster is a parody of the Jobbik Euro Election poster (transl. 'Hungary for the Hungarians'. The well chosen doppelganger representing Krisztina Morvai bears a strong resemblence to Kathy Bates in 'Misery' don't you think? Ouch!

Fonyod, 26 June 2009

2009-07-07T09:19:00.001-07:00

Tibor comforting Irene after the incident with the Hungarian Guard

Group discussion

Late in the afternoon we decided to go into town to explore ... a railway station, a shopping precinct, a plethora of cafes, bouncy castles and ice cream stalls lakeside.
We walked about 50 yards from our building and straight into a commotion. Roughly 20 people, men and women, dressed in black uniforms emerged behind us just as our group of Roma painters was returning to base towards us. Isztvan and Szuszi came up fast behind us asking if we were alright. But nothing had happened!
Such is the level of fear and anxiety among the Roma now that all the Hungarian Guard - the people in black uniforms with roaring white lions stencilled on their backs - has to do is turn up next door to where the Roma were having their Summer sojourn and the peace and tranquility was destroyed in an instant.
The menacing behavior and aggressive posturing by the Guard, the equivalent of our National Front, is designed to provoke and intimidate. The whole event had to be planned ... to disrupt - it was certainly no coincicence that they all congregated in such close proximity to the Roma house.
Tina managed to grab one photograph of the confrontation - see above - and it is a telling one we think.

Everyone was distressed and disturbed by what had happened - apparently there was an exchange in a bar earlier - one of the Guard had made derogatory remarks about 'the black ones' to some of the Roma women. Tibor, the workshop leader decided that there should be an open discussion about what had happened, thus giving people the opportunity to vent their feelings. This we did until well into the early hours.
It was sad to see us split into two camps - the forthright proud Roma angry and loud and the more moderate 'what can we do about it' resigned Roma, quietly despairing.
Divide and rule ... that old potatoe ... came into our minds. History repeating itself?

Roma Painters' Summer Camp, Lake Balaton

2009-07-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

After the rigours of Budapest, work, head colds, unseasonal weather and an overcrowded campsite we were invited to stay at the Roma Artists' Summerschool at Fonyod, on Lake Balaton, meet the painters, their families and chill for a few days.
What a lovely idea! We drove down with Kata, Editor of Amaro Drom and Szuszi our interpreter in hot and jovial moods.
We were fed immediately upon arrival (traditional) even though we had scoffed delicious sandwiches en route. Thankyou Szuszi.
The building where the Summer School is held, is an old renovated childrens' home, owned by the municipality of Budapest and given to Romano Kher to run residentials s for the artists' their families and disadvantaged children from all over Hungary. It has extensive gardens and grounds that run right down to shallow Lake Balaton ... the Hungarian Seaside.
Szuszi introduced us to everyone in turn, explained what we are trying to do and they all thought it 'important work'!
We looked at the paintings in the open plan attic, spacious and light, where the artists could all work 24 hours a day if they wanted to.
We were told that many of the 20 or so painters present were too poor to afford paint and materials so it was provided for them. Conversly one or two are well known and able to earn a living from their work.
Roma painting is a relatively new phenomenon, grown to prominance over the last 40 years and now regarded by many as a very important tool in the forging of the modern Roma identity.
The work is varied and wide ranging from the colourful and naive to the classical more muted and painterly styles. Angry to sublime in content.
The following day A and I made portraits of 18 painters with the painting of their choice made that week plus a portrait of Isztvan the charming, energetic soul of the party. These portraits will be assembled in one large piece so that all the painters and their work are represented equally.
This was great fun and took most of the day to execute.

Isztvan, the caretaker, playing with the artists'children.
He is a champion dancer and Romanes speaker.

The grounds of the Roma House

View over the lake

Milleniumi Kulturalis Kozpont (MKK)

2009-06-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday is was raining. We thought a museum the perfect, dry and comfortable place to while away an hour or two. This cultural complex is situated right by the Danube, brand spanking new and in easy reach of the campsite by tram 24. Once the rain ceased, we explored the outside. The pics show what we found inside and out!

Late again?

What is going on here - is culture sinking?

The most comfortable of plastic chairs

The glitzy bar. Lots of money has been spent here.

Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and lover of Ingrid Bergman, major exhibition of his work here in Budapest opening 4 July.

The dancing toilet is a must to visit. Cardiff Millenium Centre eat your heart out!

People of the VIII th District

2009-06-16T02:43:00.001-07:00

The cross on Koszoru ut

Maria, Matyas ter

Near the cross on Koszoru ut

Magdolna ut

Romanians near the market

Bakery Stall Teleki Market

Krizstina & Melinda

Maria & 2 Victorias - 3 generations

Ferrets!

Kalvaria ter

Daniel & John joining the ladies of the fountain, Kalvaria ter

Elizabet, Daniel & John at Kalvaria ter

Magdolna utca

Magdolna utca

Berkocsis ut (Poster advertising Roma festival in Orczy Park)

Sanyi Bacsi, Caretaker Kesztyugyar Community Centre

Janos & Istvan

Airport Sunday

2009-06-12T02:58:00.000-07:00

Got an email a few days ago from Penny Jones informing us that the Roma Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been cancelled at the last minute - no reason given but could be something to do with the political situation in Italy with regard to the Roma. The Italian Govt. tried to enforce a law to fingerprint all Roma children until it was pointed out by Amnesty and others that this was a gross infringement of their human rights. There is a campaign and a petition to sign at the www.perpetualpavilion.org. PLEASE SIGN IT. Thankyou
Many of the other pavilions have joined the campaign - we hope the Wales pavilion will follow suit (if it hasn't already done so.)

We went out to the suburbs for the day - to where the country meets the city - the airport perimeter. Took the M3 subway to Kabanya-Kispest and then a 98 bus to Barros ut, got out and walked around. This is what we found.

Bus Stop for the 98 at. And what's the wildlife doing?

More building.

Great sign

Hungarian Racka Sheep. A wild type that can survive on next to nothing - very hardy and not susceptible to disease. Nice looking too!

Peter, whose idea it is to establish a city farm here right by the airport fence. It wasn't too noisy either. Peter says the economic situation has meant fewer flights than usual.

Wild Oats

This looks like our kind of place!

A beautiful combination.

This is not a dandilion - it is huge - any idea what it night be?

The biggesr Viper's Bugloss we've ever seen!

VIII District (part I)

2009-06-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

Maria utca.

Agi's dog walker on Matyas Square - he is 75 - unbelievable!

No idea what is for sale here here!

Sunday best.

The glory of electricity.

Not in these shoes either .... ( for Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch whose beautiful book of poems 'Not in These Shoes' has been shortlisted for the Wales book of the year prize)

Budapest has 24 separate districts. The VIIIth lies close to the centre of the city and depending upon your point of view is either the Roma getto or 'up and coming' - ripe for social regeneration.
The old housing stock is delapidated and slowly being replaced by new high rises.

Work Begins

2009-06-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

We started work over a week ago, but have been too busy to blog until now. Between Roma Galas, Festivals and meetings with remarkable people we have had little time for ourselves, but now we are settling into a rhythm and can at last enjoy being here.
We are (as always) very lucky with the people we meet who are interested in what we are trying to do and are keen to help us to do it.
Firstly we must mention Kata, the Editor of Amaro Drom the Hungarian Roma Magazine. She is someone who makes you feel as if you had known her for years (instead of for just an hour last year.) She has already introduced us to many Roma musicians and artists and tonight she takes us to a restaurant called 'Giero' in the middle of Budapest, run by two Roma women chefs. Food reviews are our speciality!
Then there is Iringo, a lawyer from the Roma Legal Advice Centre who is adept at making appointments and fun at the same time. She is also an avid photographer of the VIIIth District - look at her blog - 8ker.blog.hu
These two women have found for us the most amazing interpreter, Zsuzsi Zsusa who is knowledgeable about all things Hungarian. Describing herself as a 'Hungarian Central European mix' there doesn't seem to be anything she doesn't know (at least something about). She speaks Swedish, English and a little German; without her on the team we wouldn't be able to talk and relate to the Roma people we are trying to reach. She lives in the VIIIth District and has such an engaging way with her that people are immediately put at heir ease. Today she confessed that she talks so much sometimes her jaw aches! Oh really?
We are beginning to explore the VIIIth district of Budapest where many Roma live and have found the cheap Teleki Market - beautiful sour cherries and fresh dill - a good local restaurant with authentic food and a cheap bar to hang out in when it is raining !! which it has been doing a lot of lately - just to make us feel at home !!!
Much more of the VIIIth district to come.
We have also been back to the Lumen Foundation to meet with Gergely Laszlo who has asked us to give an informal talk about our work on June 22nd which we are very happy to do.

Iringo, Kata and two old fogies from Wales!

Zsuzsi Zsusa (try saying this with dentures) our amazing interpreter with a hard hat acquired at the 'free market' at the community centre - does she know something we don't?

Gergely Laszlo at the Lumen Foundation, an artist run gallery and cafe in central BP
A 'red letter day' for Gergely - he has just made his first batch of hummous unaided - and good it was too!!!

Laura Barsy, Flamenco Dancer Performing at the Roma Gala, Thalia Theatre on Thursday 28th of May.
The Gala featured Roma musicians and performers who get a stipend to study their artform. This was the 20th year of this event. We have many photos which we will show in time - but have to get all their names together first.

Laura Barsy giving an interview prior to the performance

In the Green Room at the Thalia Theatre before the Gala

Esceri Flea Market

2009-06-01T03:15:00.000-07:00

An odessey to find this place. Between bus, cake shop, eventually we found an American tourist also looking for it and together we discovered the number 89E tram.

Market Sign

We didn't buy anything but look what we found instead! Prof. Leo Dalton taking a short break from the path lab with his assistant, incognito but the hats didn't fool us! Thanks to William Gominara, star of 'Silent Witness' and his friend for a lovely chat in the cafe over (yet another) cold beer.

Laszlo, Roma Trader in Antiques - one of many Roma traders here.

Roma children on the 89E tram from Hatar ut to Esceri

Heavy Handed (footed) Police Swoop on Vegetable Sellers in Underground

2009-05-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

This is a common occurance. People set up temporary, illegal stalls in tube stations.
Someone informs on them and the police come in battalions, take names and confiscate the goods.
Haller 27.06.09

ps. the traders were back the next day!

pps. havin difficulty getting the hang of uploading stuff backwards !!

Shake a Leg Take 2: FMK Workout

2009-05-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

Shaking a Leg at the FMK

2009-05-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

This is for all of you coming to Ben and Krisztina's wedding on 4th of July.
Look and learn - you will be expected to have reached this standard by then!

The video is taking too long to upload - will have to find a different way of doing it-until then here is the first frame!

Haller Neighbourhood

2009-05-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

Showroom Camping !

Relaxing at Work!

Antonio and Tiziana with Lula and Cissy (Princess)

Walter and his Wife, from Zurich

Unimog,The Ultimate Outfit! What is Am plotting with those scissors?

Plane Tree. We are located underneath this beautiful tree inhabited by birds, bugs and bats.

Sky Bike

Sleeping Rough

Local Supermarket. Good bottle of Muscat 70 pence !

Man Descending a Staircase

City Balcony on Haller utca

Cardiac Hospital next door. Sirens day and night! Not far to go in an emergency!

Friday 22nd May

Antonio, Tiziana, Lula and Cissy, our lovely Italian neighbours made us delicious linguine and pomodoro for supper last night. Calabrian speciality bread and salami,sun dried tomatoes and parmesan to start! They are our neighbours to the left. To the right are a couple from Zurich and opposite a couple from Denmark although he is originally American.(we call him the Reverend because he makes friends with everyone, wears a tie on Sunday and his number plate begins RV)
Tiziana looked over our van this morning and said 'piccolo! but it has everything necessary'
Our solar panel is causing a stir amongst several men who look it over admiringly and tell us at length all about their attempts to solar power their vans (which all hook up to the mains) but ofcourse it's still far too expensive!

Run Rabbit Run

2009-05-22T02:42:00.001-07:00

www.camping-waldsee.de

Woods near Roth, Bavaria

May Tree on the main square in Grein on the Danube

Grein Municipal Theatre - the oldest in Austria 1791 - it is said that Napoleon sat in the box on the right.

A rare treat for you all - Tina & Am 'in drag'

The Danube fron Greinburg Castle, still in the possesion of the Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (Prince Albert's family 1840 m. Queen Victoria)

Bakery, Spitz, Wachau, Austria

Beneath Vienna - following in the footsteps of the Third Man

Field near Balaton

Ripening Almonds (for Susie)

The Gnome of Paloznak, above Lake Balaton

Our office in sunny Budapest

'.... eet doesn't start very well' the lady on the end of the rescue service phone said but we are underway again and all we needed was a bolt - the mechanic in Workington somehow managed to loose one - all that chatting to his mates.
As we are leaving Jabbeke we catch a glimpse of a bright green field full of red and blue rabbits. Surreal - we are reminded of an incident the night before as we were arriving in the aforementioned place tired, bleary eyed and concerned about the van. Running towards us in the middle of the road was a lop eared rabbit chased by a crowd of teenage girls oblivious to all save the rabbit. Am reminded us that in the Native American Animal Cards the Rabbit symbolises fear. Oh! Oh!
Later we stop at a new motorway service 'pod' and low and behold the daily special is rabbit fricase!
There are too many rabbits in Belgiun for our liking.
Later still, we get to the Rein side camping at Meerbusch. The sun is warm and after a couple of litres of the local draught pils the rabbits are getting considerably smaller - reduced to a handful of babies lolling about on the grass in the park platz. (for yellow eyed Jane)

Snap Happy!

2009-05-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Lokals sitting out in the evening sun Hidegkut near Lake Balaton 18th May

Wiener Schnitzel, Maria Ellend, Austria on the Roman Wine Road Carnuntum 18th May

1000 miles from Cardiff

A sink friend at Roth

Friday night, 15th May. Peaceful camp in the woods by a lake near Roth, Bavaria. Here the beer was a gorgeous 11% knockout. slept beautifully!

The other bank of the Rhein after having crossed the following day. Near Dusseldorf.
-
Asparagus Peeler in action - it's in season - delicious!

The Rhein Ferry at Meerbusch
-
On the banks of the Rhein

'Pillow' the pride and joy of her retired parents lives on the campsite.

13th May, in Jabbeke. Helle, the Belgian AA man fits a new bolt to the alternator and charges us 1 Euro!
The very empathetic lady on the AA phone said 'you 'av zee age ...' she meant the van of course which is 11!

Ferry in the Mist - Channel crossing 18.30 12th May

Iris and Kitty checking out the facilities.

Budapest At Last!

We arrived on Tuesday tired and hot - it's 30C here!
Sorry for the long delay between posts but we were not connected up.
Hope to do better now.
What follows is a series of photos to give a flavour of the journey 1500 miles long - there is a lot more to come - stay with us and please contribute.
The astute ones amongst you will have noticed that the sequence of photos is back to front .... just to fox you .... you are lucky it isn't all in Hungarian!!!

Romani Tales

2009-05-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Tina and Roma with Bear, Near Obrovac, Yugoslavia 1988

Mami, Annemarie and Roma Children, Duisburg am Rhein April 1991

Romani Tales

4 days ‘till liftoff !

Just a few days ago we received the latest educational production, from the Romani Project at the School of Languages, Linguistics, & Cultures, Manchester University, a DVD-ROM called ‘Romani Tales,’ It is really interesting, FREE and follows in the wake of their previous (also excellent) interactive journey to the Romani Language (2007)
‘… its aim is to promote awareness of Romani culture and its diversity across the communities of Roms, Gypsies and Travellers in the UK and across Europe. Young people are invited to follow the narratives of Romani people from ten different countries who share with us their thoughts about work, school, marriage and traditions. They can listen to people’s attitudes to Romani people and are prompted to reflect on their own attitudes. Those who know some Romani can follow the narratives in the original sound, as told by the speakers’ says Professor Yaron Matras, the project coordinator.

It is surprising how little people, know about Gypsies and what they do know almost always conforms to the stereotypical view.
Very few people seem to have actually met any Gypsies in situations other than doorstop encounters where they were selling something or at the movies where they are generally portrayed as degraded characters.

This is one of the reasons why we are making this journey … to try to unhinge the stereotypes.

I wonder if my brothers (thank you for your posts) or nephews have come across Ricardo Quaresma of Inter Milan ? He’s a fantastic football player apparently – he’s also a Gypsy.
Marli, the Portuguese bartender in Manchester on the Romani Tales DVD tells us about Quaresma and informs us that Gypsies are colourful, landless but culturally interesting and although they are associated with poverty they are also associated with great richness.
He also recommends ‘Gogol Bordello’ – a Gypsy Punk Band – if you havn’t heard them you are really missing something …. ‘utza, utza, utza !’ (phonetic)
Cheers Marli.

http://romani.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/ romani@manchester.ac.uk

Outings

2009-05-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

First Breakfast ... eggy bread ... yummy

Christo was here !

9 days to go.

Everything is ready …we just have to pack the van. We did a dry run on Friday so we know that the gear will all fit in its appointed places but it is quite tricky. The tripod was awkward because of its shape and sticky out bits – eventually we decided that the only place it could go is in the ‘dead space’ behind the passenger seat. In fact rather a lot of things have ended up there – can only hope it’s big enough to accommodate them all.
The van has been the job of work. Finding it, converting to a camper and preparing it for a major road trip has been ongoing for the last year. Things have not always gone smoothly. For example, don’t take your van for its MOT on a Friday 13th – it’s just asking for trouble – in our case £300 worth of welding underneath. What was galling was that we had it looked over before we bought it but 6 months later the same mechanic decides it needs all this work … Transits are known for it … so he says. Did we buy a rust bucket? We will soon know.
To discover its foibles we took it on a test run at Easter to meet the family in the Lake District. We had a couple of problems. We parked up at the campsite in the field where we parked last year but the Transit is much heavier than the caravan so we sank into the grass and got stuck straight away. No one batted an eyelid … I grabbed the first bloke I saw …he went off, came back with a 4x4 and towed us off so the first night we perched on the only bit of hard standing we could find, right by the entrance … in everybody’s way. With the beautiful weather that followed, the field soon dried out and we were able to go on and off easily and try out the new awning that attaches to the side door and gives us an additional 3x2.5 meter extension to our living quarters. It was more complicated to erect than the instructions said but it’ll be easier next time. Its’ light and opens right up – a really useful bit of kit – quite a luxurious extra room.
We had a couple of mechanical failures to deal with too. Two at once. One – a thing called a relay. The indicators packed up – a fuse perhaps? Chris, an extreme canoeist staying on the campsite with us, left his wife, the comfort of his beanbag infront of the bar-b-q and pint-pot-of-wine in hand, prezel torch on head, came to our rescue.
We didn’t even know where the fuses are located. Chris did. He went through every single one and then decided it was relay such and such and we could get one in any Halfords. Phew. The second thing was a bit more complicated. An orange light was illuminating on the dashboard. It could be one of two things or if we were really unlucky – both. Battery or alternator said Chris. Bank Holiday Monday … no mechanics working – what a to do. It turned out to be the alternator, we found a parts shop in Workington and they knew a garage to fit it … just like that … but ofcourse it cost another £150 quid.
Teething troubles – let’s hope. Tomorrow we are taking van to Brecon to see Gwen and Helma, over from Holland … walking in the Beacons … sure we’ll be fine. We’ve got breakdown cover now.
And that was a saga. European Breakdown cover for longer than 90 days. The only people who do it are the AA … but it costs – ouch! Poor Annemarie was on it for a whole day and a half but she got us there in the end … at a price.

Amaro Drom

2009-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

By way of an introduction to the project; what follows is an article that Annemarie wrote for

‘Amaro Drom’ the Roma magazine produced by the Roma Parliament in Budapest, April 2009.

Old Transit Van Travels, to meet Roma …

We are two award winning women photographers, artists and gardeners living in Wales, UK, who have been working together for many years, mainly on projects we have raised money for ourselves from public agencies like the Arts Council of Wales, who are funding this coming visit to Hungary. Doing things this way we can purposely choose to photograph/film events or people, if they are willing to collaborate, and we can freely comment on subjects and circumstances we feel strongly about and that in our opinion need drawing attention to and exposure in the public sphere.

Our work is varied and enjoyable having taken us to document former mining communities in South Wales as well as making a kitchen garden locally together with people recovering from mental illness or involving Black and Asian minority groups in London in photo projects documenting their environment - just to mention three examples.

Our main areas of concern are primarily people, especially women, human rights, racism and abuse, poverty, unemployment and ill health.

Secondly the environment which has increasingly been degraded and exploited for profit as well as people, rather than cared for with the future in mind. We also feel the relationship between people and their environment is crucial for it has to be regarded holistically as one entity with a mutually beneficial goal rather than two separate ones ending ultimately in the destruction of both.

With the above in mind we are setting out at the beginning of May 2009 on our journey from the UK to Hungary to meet, to speak with, to listen to and work with Roma individuals, groups, agencies and projects. Last year we have already made contacts and some friends in Budapest, Miskolc, Debrecen and as far away as Oradea in Romania.

From 20^th May we will be staying on a camp site in Budapest for 6 weeks and then move on to live in our converted van parked in a Roma settlement in the North East of Hungary and wherever invited for a further 6 weeks ending around 5^thAugust.

In this period we are looking for any Roma women, men and children who are willing to meet and speak openly about their present lives and surroundings and how they see the future. We hope to hear ideas of what can best express and advance Romani culture and identity and what has to alter in order to progress in harmony with the environment, be it the surrounding natural habitat or gadje society. We would very much like to hear from individuals, couples, families, professionals, artists, activists, in fact anybody able and keen to express their personal view, feelings and opinion in conversations with us in front of a (video) camera, if possible or in writing or in pictures on paper as a personal statement as a Roma member of a community.

An exhibition of photos, video films and text giving evidence of the Roma voices, pictures and words gathered during our journey is going to be shown in Wales in January 2010.

We then hope to raise additional funding to enable us to show the exhibition in the Roma Parliament, Budapest and the city gallery, Miskolc

This project marks the beginning of what we hope is going to be a long-term relationship with the Roma Parliament. We are very happy that the building has been saved (and all the people in it) and that there is hope for the future. We have also been thinking of ways of sharing our organic gardening skills with Roma women. We could, for example, initiate an environmental project growing fruit and vegetables on derelict land in the VIIIth district. Is anyone interested – could it happen?

See you soon.

Annemarie Schöne & Tina Carr 7^th April 2009

2009-03-11T08:35:00.000-07:00