This Monday and Tuesday I decided to take a walk, and I saw some kids playing outside and I just said I wasn't up to anything and I just stood there and tried to talk to them.
They asked if I wanted to go into the padure (forest) [pah-duir-aiy] with them, and I said sure, so we went on this path that led from our neighborhood into some hills.
On our walk we passed gypsies living onto the side of this road (I didn't take any pictures of them). Their clothes were drying on the grass and bushes, some were taking baths naked in the river in the trees over there on the right. They lived in tents built next to parked vans on the grass. They had outside stoves, there were lots of scrap metal everywhere...
It was really awkward walking past them with my group of kids. They kept waving me over to them, but I told them I'd visit them in the future...I wasn't sure what to do.
I am here as a Peace Corps volunteer = love and accept everyone, but...I was a small shock to see people living in a community public area.
I think it's like seeing a few families living in a public park in the city, they aren't supposed to be there and the situation is awkward.
I asked people if it was okay for me to associate with the Rroma in this community and the advice is "we like the Rroma, but be careful and don't carry valuables with you."
I am still trying to integrate in the Romanian community, but I will give everyone a fair chance with no bias, so I plan on going to sit and talking with the Rroma here in the near future. Their lifestyle is interesting and very unknown to me.
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