Preparation and Nervousness

Two days ago I bought the most amazing dress for my friends wedding, yesterday I met with my Professor to discuss my field study on the Dom of Jerusalem and today I am quite tired because I didn't sleep well.

All the things I have to prepare and to buy, to know and to carry out in the next few days kept my mind busy.

Right now I am working on a scedule for the study: What do I want to know, how and where will I get this information and is there eanough time at all to get to know even the smallest aspect of this fascinating culture?

There is little known about the Dom of Jerusalem so far... They live in Jerusalem for about 100 years now, the population is about 600 people in more or less 50 households. The traditional way of live expects endogamy, virilocality and arranged marriages at an age from 15 years on. Education is not very high and in the older generations are a lot of illiterate persons, but the most of them can speak two or more languages. At home the Domari people speak arabic (which I can neither speak nor understand, what a pity) and some of them still know Domari, the traditional language a lot of the young ones haven't even head of. What cheers me up is the fact that the majority of the Dom are good english-speakers, this will make my study a lot easier!
In former times the men of the Domari Society worked as craftsmen like smiths and tinners. The women produced beautiful handicraft and the children sold postcards. But still they seem to have to live in poverty. Discrimination and marginalisation both from the israeli and the palestine population keep the Dom in this low status, even though they seem to be better off than some of the other Dom groups which come to Jerusalem and beg there - which reflects on the image of the Dom of Jerusalem...
To brighten the future of her Community and to enable the women and the younger generation to help themselfs to a better live Amoun Sleen founded the Domari Society Center in 1999.

Thats where my studies will start. Part of me is looking so forward to meet Amoun, the helpers at the Center and a lot of the Dom people - but the other part is a bit mad at myself for choosing such an adventourous way to spend my holidays. But I guess you have to be a bit nervous in advance to end up with something good...

We'll see!