Six-year-old twins Gelu and Edi Petrache wait for the parties to start on Easter Sunday. They live in one of the more than a hundred extravagant houses that have gone up since communist rule ended in 1989. The Roma’s wealth in Buzescu, on the books and off, comes mostly from trade in silver and other metals.
Buzescu’s well-to-do have a thing for flamboyant decor. Vandana Ispilante sits with her 13-year-old daughter, Edera, in a bedroom that looks like a honeymoon suite—except for a picture of the Virgin Mary on the headboard. Odds are Edera’s closet will never hold head scarves and long flowered skirts, the traditional Romani dress.
In a backyard in the wealthy quarter, traditional village habits maintain a hold. On the day of a baptism, men send off a gift pig to the godparents. Some affluent Roma, especially older ones who grew up traveling in horse-drawn caravans, are uneasy in the mansions and still use outhouses and outdoor kitchens.
No comments:
Post a Comment