Well! Controversy! Did you see a programme a few weeks back on Roma Gypsy children in Spain and Italy allegedly being trained to a life of crime – petty thieving? It went on to show apparent adult Roma in Romania boasting their wealth and large houses.
A Professor I know who is a leading authority, has dismissed this: ‘The whole thing was about as plausible as Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakhstan,” he told me. “A tiny minority of thieves, easily caught, photographed, and voluble about their methods - it's usually called attention-seeking behaviour.’
But a Romany journalist, with whom I am acquainted online, who could be fairly described as an activist in support of his people, says in his blog O NEVO DROM about the programme: ‘While this program has come under attack, some rather severe, from several quarters, especially from academics in the field of Romani Studies in the West, including Romani People amongst them, and also some Romani activists, it is time that we, the Rom, the Romani People, firstly admitted to ourselves and amongst ourselves that this problem exists and then admitted it also to the outside world; and secondly that we, as a People, did something about stopping this practice.’
Such a difference of opinion from both exceedingly knowledgeable people. I watched the programme again last night and am still sitting on the fence.
Friday, 9 October 2009
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
WI do a U-Turn?
Well, not the whole organisation, but members of a Hampshire branch, possibly no more than a twig, have proved to be independent thinkers. They emailed me because one of them borrowed my book, Gypsies Stop tHere, from the library and enjoyed it so much they all thought they would like to hear my talk! Now that is the kind of thing I like to hear very much indeed.
Are they scheming to rip me apart now they’ve lulled me into a state of calm smugness? To find out I must wait till next March. You may remember the Madonna like reception I often get once my thorny topic is raised, as outlined before. This audience I feel absolutely certain will be lovely. I just know it. I can taste the warmness of their welcome already.
I wonder if anything will have changed by then. I attended a Gypsy and Traveller Forum a couple of weeks ago, where various agencies and members of the G&T community come together. The air was electric with frustration! One committee member stormed out of the room! Resigned after (I think) 17 years! Fact sometimes offers more drama than fiction, except for my book of course.
Site provision is a complex subject and no way can I tackle it in a blog. As ever, though, the nub of the meeting came down to G&Ts being permanently worried about having nowhere to live, largely due to objections by local residents. For any councillor this is not a vote-winner. So a tiny minority have to resort to unauthorised encampments without facilities … highly visible. It’s a self-perpetuating circle that gets dizzy chasing its own tail. I can see all sides of the problem but what many people do not realise is that their proper sites, usually tucked away out of sight, are kept immaculately. Trailers are gleaming, usually fitted with pale upholstery and carpet and everything put away. Puts some houses to shame!
Also crime rates do not increase with the number of G&Ts living in an area. This false view is often in people’s minds fuelled by biased scapegoating in media reports, headlines and photos. Police are clamping down on such hate-related reports now.
Well that’s me done. I’d better jump off my soapbox and my high horse. Tweet me if you have some thoughts of your own. And don’t forget to read my book before the sequel is out.
Are they scheming to rip me apart now they’ve lulled me into a state of calm smugness? To find out I must wait till next March. You may remember the Madonna like reception I often get once my thorny topic is raised, as outlined before. This audience I feel absolutely certain will be lovely. I just know it. I can taste the warmness of their welcome already.
I wonder if anything will have changed by then. I attended a Gypsy and Traveller Forum a couple of weeks ago, where various agencies and members of the G&T community come together. The air was electric with frustration! One committee member stormed out of the room! Resigned after (I think) 17 years! Fact sometimes offers more drama than fiction, except for my book of course.
Site provision is a complex subject and no way can I tackle it in a blog. As ever, though, the nub of the meeting came down to G&Ts being permanently worried about having nowhere to live, largely due to objections by local residents. For any councillor this is not a vote-winner. So a tiny minority have to resort to unauthorised encampments without facilities … highly visible. It’s a self-perpetuating circle that gets dizzy chasing its own tail. I can see all sides of the problem but what many people do not realise is that their proper sites, usually tucked away out of sight, are kept immaculately. Trailers are gleaming, usually fitted with pale upholstery and carpet and everything put away. Puts some houses to shame!
Also crime rates do not increase with the number of G&Ts living in an area. This false view is often in people’s minds fuelled by biased scapegoating in media reports, headlines and photos. Police are clamping down on such hate-related reports now.
Well that’s me done. I’d better jump off my soapbox and my high horse. Tweet me if you have some thoughts of your own. And don’t forget to read my book before the sequel is out.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Spaghetti Squash
Is it a pasta smoothie?
Is it a racquet game involving bolognese sauce?
Maybe you know about this phenomenon (known variously as Zucchino or Vegetable Spaghetti) but, if not, let me tell you and prepare to be amazed. It looks like any other squash, rather fat and boring if I'm honest. Bake it whole until soft inside, (test by poking with skewer), splice it in half, gouge out its seeds (this is all quite physical work but so simple you could do it blindfold with one arm behind your back when drunk), then take a fork. Then, then - and this is exciting the first time you do it at least - no, I'm not going to tell you. It'll spoil the moment.
Maybe I've said too much already. But if you Google it all manner of things come up, as you would expect of Google. Like pasta, it needs flavoursome sauce.
In 1957 the best April Fool ever was 'spaghetti trees' - well you probably know that too. It was on Panorama and the spoof was both loved and criticised.
This however is TRUE.
Is it a racquet game involving bolognese sauce?
Maybe you know about this phenomenon (known variously as Zucchino or Vegetable Spaghetti) but, if not, let me tell you and prepare to be amazed. It looks like any other squash, rather fat and boring if I'm honest. Bake it whole until soft inside, (test by poking with skewer), splice it in half, gouge out its seeds (this is all quite physical work but so simple you could do it blindfold with one arm behind your back when drunk), then take a fork. Then, then - and this is exciting the first time you do it at least - no, I'm not going to tell you. It'll spoil the moment.
Maybe I've said too much already. But if you Google it all manner of things come up, as you would expect of Google. Like pasta, it needs flavoursome sauce.
In 1957 the best April Fool ever was 'spaghetti trees' - well you probably know that too. It was on Panorama and the spoof was both loved and criticised.
This however is TRUE.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Me and Madonna
Welcome to my début blog! I would have planned to set the scene with thumbnail biography and what to expect from my ramblings. But this bit about Madonna came up and although I don’t lie awake at night pondering possible common ground between me and Madonna, (apart from striking physical resemblance and singing talent) the similarity struck me at once. Madonna at Bucharest, Romania; me at Women’s Institute. Well, not exactly … I could empathise though.
National press told us last week (first spotted in http://bit.ly/Ynybr) that, at first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. ‘Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma and the cheers gave way to jeers. The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000 … underscores how prejudice against Roma remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.’
Me at various meetings, as author guest speaker on Gypsies and Travellers, Past, Present and Future. Woa! Big subject! I would report thus: ‘After a warm reception, as ‘issues’ were explored the air turned frosty; arms folded and one sensed murmurings of ‘green-belt’. The advice afterwards was to bring along Gypsy crafty objects that the audience could see and touch and less of the campaign, please.’
I try to redress the balance, to explain what might lie behind negative views held by mainstream society. Author of ‘Last Bastion of Racism’, Dr John Coxhead, helped explain to me the psychology of entrenched attitudes. ‘Many attempts to position the ‘other side’ of the story about Romanies, Irish Travellers and Roma are ridiculed or scorned … people feel a lot of the things instinctively … and the psychological process behind bigotry means they often drown out conflicting ‘facts’ (cognitive dissonance) to keep their existing ‘world view’ intact …’ He pointed out that the audience was probably thinking, ‘for you to be presenting this ‘alternative’ angle you must be biased but in fact we know the real truth, so we dismiss what you’re saying, and we’ll carry on thinking the way we do now thank you very much.’
Should I stick with the books? Forget the talks?!
Well, maybe it’s a tenuous link, maybe not, but on the one hand, “Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts,” said Damian Draghici … In some way, people hang on to the romantic notion of Gypsies living in gaily painted wagons; the pretty bits of their lifestyle they can accept; but refuse to try and understand the plight of the modern Traveller.
For the future my ramblings will be like that box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.
National press told us last week (first spotted in http://bit.ly/Ynybr) that, at first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. ‘Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma and the cheers gave way to jeers. The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000 … underscores how prejudice against Roma remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.’
Me at various meetings, as author guest speaker on Gypsies and Travellers, Past, Present and Future. Woa! Big subject! I would report thus: ‘After a warm reception, as ‘issues’ were explored the air turned frosty; arms folded and one sensed murmurings of ‘green-belt’. The advice afterwards was to bring along Gypsy crafty objects that the audience could see and touch and less of the campaign, please.’
I try to redress the balance, to explain what might lie behind negative views held by mainstream society. Author of ‘Last Bastion of Racism’, Dr John Coxhead, helped explain to me the psychology of entrenched attitudes. ‘Many attempts to position the ‘other side’ of the story about Romanies, Irish Travellers and Roma are ridiculed or scorned … people feel a lot of the things instinctively … and the psychological process behind bigotry means they often drown out conflicting ‘facts’ (cognitive dissonance) to keep their existing ‘world view’ intact …’ He pointed out that the audience was probably thinking, ‘for you to be presenting this ‘alternative’ angle you must be biased but in fact we know the real truth, so we dismiss what you’re saying, and we’ll carry on thinking the way we do now thank you very much.’
Should I stick with the books? Forget the talks?!
Well, maybe it’s a tenuous link, maybe not, but on the one hand, “Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts,” said Damian Draghici … In some way, people hang on to the romantic notion of Gypsies living in gaily painted wagons; the pretty bits of their lifestyle they can accept; but refuse to try and understand the plight of the modern Traveller.
For the future my ramblings will be like that box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.
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