Prešov - First Day in Svinia

Today was the day. Our first, and for some, last day in Svinia.

We all caught the public transportation to the town and met Dr. Scheffel at a place called "The Scottish House", a plywood-ish structure built on a property that he bought inside Svinia.

In front of Scottish House.

Ashley and I were paired with families that lived in another house on the property and everyone else went with Dr. S into the "osada". I was like 50% disappointed that we weren't going to be spending that much time in the settlement itself as our families lived inside the town, and 50% relieved that we got to stay in the compound with the "safe zone" (the Scottish House). I was especially feeling this dichotomy when we heard about the experiences from some of the other field study people when we got back to Prešov and debriefed.

I think Jen was a bit shell-shocked with the conditions her host-family were living in. There were quite a few children running around, several without any clothes, most were rather dirty, and their home was one of the more rudimentary structures in the settlement. The structure had been patched with found bits of scrap metal and filled in with mud and straw for insulation. There was an unfortunate moment when Jen's host father accidentally spit all over her face and I think it may have been the straw that broke the Canadian's back in terms of the possibility of a return visit to the settlement for her.

Jen with the children from her host family.

Tammy apparently also had a bit of a run in with bodily fluids in the form of a young naked child peeing on her, but she took it pretty much in stride and it sounds like she had a relatively enriching experience overall.

My host mother was amazing in comparison. We started off a bit awkwardly as she led me toward her home, but once we introduced ourselves and she proudly brought me to meet her four children, things moved along much better. I don't think my communicative gesturing skills are quite where they need to be yet in terms of carrying on conversation for an extended period of time, but I managed to garner favour with the children when I gave them a stack of Canadian Flag temporary tattoos. I'm sure my host mother is going to hate me for it later because her oldest girl immediately started slapping them all over her arms and using gobs of her own spit to make them stay. I can personally attest to how difficult it is to get these off so I imagine they will be there for a while. 

My host family.

The inside of her home, while a bit run-down in spots, was exceptionally clean and welcoming. I could see sleeping mattresses stacked in one corner and black soot running up one of the walls near her wood stove, but it was otherwise bright and cheery.

I gratefully accepted her offer of powdered sugar sweetened coffee and watched as she made a strange soup-like meal of some sort of flour-based noodle in potato broth. I tried to play it cool as she passed me what I now know is turkish coffee, but I didn't realize that you had to let the grounds settle before you drank it and promptly got a mouth full of grit.

After a while Ashley and her host family came over to say hello and my relief at seeing another english speaking human was, I'm sure, radiating from my pores. Ashley had purchased a knitted purse from her host-mother and I felt compelled to do the same. It smells strongly of wood-smoke and I'm positive it's going to need a really good wash before I use it, but a lot of effort went into its construction so I feel pretty good about the purchase.

My host mother and my new purse.

A little while later Megan, a girl who we haven't spent much time with so far, came over and we had a bit of a dance party as Gnarles Barkley came on the television. It was pretty great to get to know a new person while also feeling incredibly uncomfortable dancing in the middle of the room with a gaggle of Roma children while all the adults watched and laughed at us. It's like an instant ice-breaker!

I got most of my kin-ship chart done, I think, but I'm positive I don't have all of the names right so I may need to come back and pick my host-mother's brain again tomorrow. I promised that I would bring a few things as a thank you for welcoming me into her home: oil, broth mix, and some pasta.

I have to say, even though Ashely and I had a pretty great experience with our families, hearing the stories from some of the other students has been really eye-opening. It makes me think about how I grew up, which wasn't with a lot of money, but I don't think I'll ever take for granted the privileges I received in Canada ever again. My parents both worked, we had nice houses to live in, and we never truly went without anything.

And yet these people that I've met, who have far less than I had, are constantly smiling and have been truly hospitable. I hope when Ashley and I come back we have a chance to see the rest of the Roma, but as it is, I could not be more pleased with how our day here went.