Hello! I'm looking for somebody that speaks Arli Romani and that is willing to help me improve my Arli Romani :)

Contact me on my discord: 420trapstar

I’ve never seen anything posted like this here so I hope I’m not out of line.

Years ago, soon after my grandmother died I had a dream where I met a very old man in a candle lit tent. We both were sitting and used no words. I felt he was powerful but I wasn’t afraid of him. I was however cautious of his power. He told me without words that I needed to be prepared for something. My boyfriend at the time said I sat up in bed and yelled, “from the people of the light to the wall.” He couldn’t understand the rest bc it sounded like another language.

In the years after, I felt like I was in a spiritual battle. There were dreams and things that happened while I was awake. I won’t go into everything. Eventually I closed the door to it all as I didn’t feel I was capable of handling it.

My question is does “to the wall” mean anything to anyone? It’s always been confusing to me.

If yes: which of the Romani languages is it?
I know the audio isn't great, but maybe someone can help me with this.
I've already asked different people who might know, some of them have mentioned it sounds like it could be Romani - but they're not sure.

In any case, I hope things are good in your neck of the woods.

https://reddit.com/link/1ghdb37/video/o2k0nppg9cyd1/player

Is there any formal attire, hair styles, accessories, that kind of thing that happens with eastern Romani weddings? Me and my partner are looking possibly at a service within a year or two and I do want to show respect for my Romani community with this or at least give a symbolic gesture.

I am fascinated by the lasting crossovers between Indian and Romani culture. With Diwali on the way, are there any Roma groups that celebrate similar holidays to Diwali and Holi or celebrations during new and full moons?

Hello everyone,

I am a thirty-one-year-old white man from England, along the Welsh border. As far as I'm aware I have no Romany or Irish Traveller blood in my family. About ten years ago I built a bow-top vardo onto a regular, towable caravan chassis and I have lived in it ever since.

I did this because I came across some by chance and was inspired and awed by their beauty and practicality so I challenged my self to construct one, to break my apathy and improve my situation. On top of feeling inclined to live in something magnificent, small and mobile I was keen to leave where I was brought up and not that excited about paying sky high rent or saving for a mortgage on a house I'd never afford (the UK is a sinking ship, so be it). The vardo seemed like the perfect solution.

And so it was! I honestly feel I owe my sanity to my bow-top. I have travelled all over the UK, France and Spain in it, busking, sometimes from it. I have made so many friendships and had so many adventures in it. It feels like a big part of my identity now and I am deeply sentimental about it.

I have never gone around calling my self a 'gypsy' and I don't say that word anymore. It doesn't feel like its mine to use. If people assume I am one then I gently correct their assumption and suggest a different choice of words and explain why. Out of curiosity I have learned a fair amount about GRT's and although its an inspiring and incredible history its hard to ignore the suffering and prejudice that these people have faced and still face, all over the world and certainly in England where it seems bizarrely acceptable to make awful generalisations and treat them with hostility at the same time exoticizing and romanticizing them whenever profitable.

So I guess, over the years I have started to feel a little uneasy living in my lovely bow-top because even though its deeply meaningful to me personally its a symbol of a culture that I am not related to by blood and have not suffered to belong to. No one I speak to about this really cares, there is no social pressure on me whatsoever to examine my behaviour which feels strange when compared to other social issues people take great pains to be mindful of these days. Saying that though, all of the many GRT's I have met have looked just as bemused when I bring these feelings up, most frequently saying something along the lines of 'well I'm just glad someone is living in them, keeping them alive, do whatever you want mate'.

I sell wreaths in December, pulled up in the lay-by. The waggon definitely draws people in. In the summer, I rent it out on my friend's land and live in a tent to make some extra cash. I suppose I am profiting from the exotic image of the bow-top.

The thing is, this is my life. From the off I wanted to live in waggons for the rest of my days, its been ten years and I still feel the same.

Anyone care to weigh in? I'd be very interested to hear any opinions and answer any questions.

I sometimes hear my mum refer to us as "needies" I guess that's how you'd spell it. I've always been familiar with it and known it refers to us romani as well as the native travellers here in the British isles, but I've never known where it came from etymologically and I can't find anything online.