This episode explores the inclusion of the Romani language on Google Translate, featuring Rowena Marin's insights on the intersection of technology and culture. We discuss the journey from grassroots initiatives to digital recognition, the complexities of language preservation, and the opportunities technology can create for the Romani community.

• The journey of Rowena Marin from Romania to Google
• Discussion on the grassroots campaign for Romani language inclusion
• Detailed process for adding the language to Google Translate
• Concerns surrounding AI and authenticity in language translation
• Evolution and representation of different Romani dialects in tech
• Opportunities for promoting Romani literature through digital platforms

Resources: Roma Education Fund 

The Internet learns Romani 

Listen to our first interview with Rowena Marin about her book Who Am I in the World? 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Please support our book tour fundraiser if you can. You can give our book a positive review too!

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

We spoke with Ylva Mara Radziszewski about Water Always Wanders, a multimedia theatre production of queer and trans Romani artists at the Mudlark Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana December 6th & 7th from 6:30-9:00 pm cst. Our book, Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling will be for sale along with Loly scarves, and other vendors. This performance will also be a fundraiser for our Welcome to Romanistan Festival in spring 2025, sponsored in part by Weiser Books, our publisher. 

We also interviewed Robin Badaire about the rest of season 1 of Agatha All Along, and discussed the whitewashing of Romani characters as well what remained of the Romani stereotypes, and what could have been if the characters had actually been written as Roma. 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Please support our book tour fundraiser if you can. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

What if spirits could communicate through a simple hair comb? And what role do children play in spiritual practices? Join us as we uncover these mysteries and more, during our vibrant journey on the Good Morning Romanistan book tour. From Portland to Portsmouth, we’ve been embraced by amazing communities and experienced transformative events like our ancestral tarot workshop with Chagall PAC. Listen in as we recount our delightful stop at Cheese Louise and the heartwarming welcome from the queer community at the Sapphic Salon in Newmarket, New Hampshire.

Throughout our travels, we've also faced the challenges of planning and funding a national tour. Yet, support from fans donating to our GoFundMe allows us to reach more destinations. Our journey isn't just about reaching new cities; it's about forging meaningful connections.

We share the except of a poem “The Cursed Legend of Baba Yaga’s Ravenous Spirit” by Shari X Insanity @sharixinsanity and a ghost story from listener Nina Huertas Kaur. Then we share our own ghost stories! 

In our last segment, Romani representation in mainstream media remains an important topic to us, and we dive into the portrayal of Lilia Calderu in Agatha All Along with our return guest Robin Badaire.

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Please support our book tour fundraiser if you can. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

Andra Zlătescu is a musician, performer, and illustrator, who performs as part of the band Willow Switch, Spindle Collective, and as a solo performer. Andra plays the singing saw (a carpentry saw played with a violin bow that evokes the haunting wail of the wind in the trees), banjo, guitar, and sings. Andra is passionate about creation that serves to act as a spell to open the doorways- to honour the land, their ancestors and traditions, to celebrate the bodies’ connection with the cycles of the seasons and death//life//death; To invoke the daemons of the crossroads- crossroads of paths meeting, of ancestry, of the past and future as they simultaneously exist within the present moment to weave our stories through time and sing us into the ancestors we are in the process of becoming. Andra premiered at TIFF as one of the main subjects in the documentary COVEN, a film exploring the relationship between Witchcraft and feminism. Willow Switch just released their first album on Samhain and completed two music and pagan Festival tours across Ontario. You can find them on Spotify and Apple Music. Andra is currently in the process of recording a solo album at Half Moon Studio in Toronto. 

The Romani crush this episode is Mariska Veres, lead singer of Shocking Blue. 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Please support our book tour fundraiser if you can. Join us for the Welcome to Romanistan Festival from December 3-8, 2024 in New Orleans! 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

Angeliska Polacheck (they/she) is an Austin, Texas based writer, healer, and professional tarot reader. Devoted to helping seekers find their path, they utilize the tarot in a compassionate and trauma-informed combination of visionary mystic counseling and energy work. Angeliska has been working with the tarot for over 30 years now, and has been reading for clients professionally since 1999. Their dedication and genuine passion for creating joyful and intriguing connections has led to acclaim and recognition from the Chronicle's Best of Austin Awards as Austin's Best Tarot Reader/Psychic for the past ten years running.

Their writing has been published in NILVX I(II): A Book of Magic, The Folk Horror Revival: Corpse Roads, Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology, Coilhouse Magazine, Tank Magazine, and Astrology.com.

You can read their personal writing at: www.angeliska.com and learn more about their tarot divination services and healing work at Sister Temperance Tarot: www.sistertemperance.com

Follow at @angeliska and @sistertemperancetarot

Romani crushes this episode are Jennileen Joseph @sastimosholistichealth, Katelan Foisy @katelanfoisy

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Please support our book tour fundraiser if you can. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

April Wall is an author and international psychic medium with twenty years of experience helping clients sort through life’s ups and downs. A proud Romany, she carries on the traditions started by the strong women in her family, especially her great-grandmother, great aunt, and granny, or as she refers to them, April’s Angels. Find her online at namastemagical.com to book a reading and keep up to date through her social media accounts by following her on Instagram and TikTok at @namastemagical. All three of her books Reading Tarot, Reading Tea Leaves, and Deciphering Angel Numbers, can be found anywhere books are sold.

Romani crushes this episode are Christine Ford of Romany Art, Lucy Doe Designs, Elijah Vardo, & Florian Tacorian.

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. Visit romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more.

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

On this episode of Romanistan, we introduce a non-Roma international relations guest, , Logan Dulski, and the inclusive tarot deck they created, the Community and Connection Pocket Tarot Deck. We also hear from Romani artist contributors, Lane Friend, Robin Badaire, and Aurora Luna (aka Baby Recklesss). 

Logan Dulski (they/she) is a queer multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, writer, and city witch with a love for tarot. As the creator of the Community & Connection Pocket Tarot Deck, Logan has brought together the work of over 20 BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ artists to celebrate their home, Washington, D.C., through a travel-sized tarot deck designed to help foster a sense of connection for anyone navigating life in a big city.

In addition to their creative work, Logan serves as a board member for AIGA DC, contributing to the growth and development of D.C.'s vibrant design and creative community.

We also remind you that Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling is available for preorder, and the best way to get a signed copy is to contribute to our fundraiser or join us at a book tour event. 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Victor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

What hidden wisdom lies within the centuries-old practice of Romani fortune telling? Join us as Paulina and Jez preview their debut book, Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling. In this book, they not only share the spiritual techniques and business insights of fortune telling but also unravel the cultural significance and personal stories steeped in Romani heritage. Picture yourself in a Romani fortune teller's shop, with the warmth of blessed candles and the aromatic waft of incense, as you learn about the history and respect due to this age-old practice. You can read the full 2 chapter preview here, or on our website.

Our book tour has been announced on romanistanpodcast.com and our GoFundMe to make our book tour a reality. Come see us live, and if you can donate, you can get prizes like a shoutout on the podcast, a book plate, a tarot greeting card, a signed copy, & tarot readings with us! 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

Preorder our book, Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, available from Weiser Books in October 2024. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo

We had such a beautiful interview with Ion Zanca, interwoven with music from his new album, ROMANI: The Untold Story. 

Ion Zanca is the founder of the Dallas String Quartet, a Billboard-charting Classical Crossover ensemble with over 700 million streams on streaming platforms. They have performed for multiple sitting U.S. Presidents, with superstars like Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Ashley McBryde and their last album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Chart. 

Their new album "ROMANI: The Untold Story" - composed by Ion Zanca, founder of the Dallas String Quartet - is a poignant musical tribute that honors the history and suffering of the Romani people during the Holocaust. In collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, the album's five songs explore this dark chapter while celebrating the resilience and rich musical heritage of Romani culture. 50% of album presales are donated to the Roma Foundation.

Romani crushes this episode are Charlie Chaplin, Roby Lakatos, and Diego Cigala. 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

Preorder our book, Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, available from Weiser Books in October 2024. 

Email us at [email protected] for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Viktor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas, Ion Zanca, and Charlie Chaplin

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo