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#38
- October 31, 2007
Verdeluna has been posing for a sexy calendar, for charity, and is terribly
excited about the project. Dressed in little more than a Father Christmas hat,
she will be on the December page. And guess who they've roped in for the month
of March? None other than Sir Hugo!
The Mompracem pirates once had similar plans, but couldn't agree on how to split
the proceeds. No way calendar-boy Sandokan would have taken any less than Blackbeard
or
Captain
Morgan!
Valerio has written that he and his boyfriend, the Panama diver, are now officially
together. The man in question is actually an astrophysicist from Mexico City,
and with a stellar physique himself, quips Verdeluna. Sir Hugo says Valerio is
lucky to have found his kindred spirit in Acapulco of all places, and... that
Verdeluna should choose the shop's spring collection and... that she should tell
her son he has a wonderful mother... - Verdeluna is moved to tears, crying on
top of the Father Christmas hat that she
is still clutching. -
The spring collection is to be full of audacious colour, showing lots of confidence
and joy to be alive. Sandokan agrees that spring calls for something life-affirming.
He is going to get a pedalo to sit on the beach next to Yanez' kiosk, inspired
by the mayor of the Italian resort of Riccione, who recently passed by on the
island. -
Verdeluna is thinking of volunteering one morning every week at the family unit
of the prison where Patrizia works - the unit where little Roberto is from, the
boy who once wrecked her peaceful Sunday afternoon with his noise... And she's
gone to the meadow where she used to go as a little girl with her friend Olivia,
the yodelling kickboxer. -
In your world there are two children, three brothers, one ex-husband, Sir Hugo,
and your friend Olivia - that's Verdeluna's hemisphere!
-
And what's Sandokan's?
Yanez, and all the seas of Monpracem. Together, the two hemispheres make up a
single, unique world. I wish you were sitting on my knee, with a pirate's bandanna
tied around your forehead, sipping rum. Don't worry, I told you I am a pirate
and a gentleman. Oh too bad... that it's all in the imagination...
Rai summary:
- "The Calendar" - Verdeluna poses for a sexy calendar with the other
shopkeepers of the area to promote their goods, Sir Hugo lends a hand, too. Valerio
writes his mother that he is now formally engaged to an astrophysical engineer
from Mexico City.
- "Il Calendario" - Verdeluna posa per un calendario sexy con le altre
commercianti del quartiere a scopo pubblicitario, si presta anche il Cavalier
Ugo. Valerio scrive alla madre che è ufficialmente fidanzato con un ingegnere
astrofisico di Città del Messico.
#37
- October 30, 2007
Mompracem has had a surprise visit from Sting, and after a long jam
session at Yanez' kiosk the night took Sandokan by surprise. As always, he's
late, of course. Verdeluna has had a surprise visitor, too: Vanessa Paradiso,
The Twit's little girlfriend, has walked into La Urla, the fashion shop she runs
with Sir Hugo. How she would have liked to take her to the kickboxing ring for
a little punishment, reducing the silly girl to apple compote as her friend from
South Tyrol would have done. She was looking for some woollen jumpers for
Renato,
her lover and Verdeluna's useless ex.
A good woollen jumper is better than a nice joint, proclaims Sandokan. Hold
on, you've been smokimg marihuana? Well, without inhaling, just like my friend
Bill
Clinton.
Sir Hugo, who knows all about The Twit, smiled sweetly to Vanessa as he asked, "Are
these for your father?" - so that the poor girl blushed scarlet before she
stumbled out of the shop.
Verdeluna tells Sandokan how she'd borrow her brother Walter's Vespa scooter
when she was 16, to go in search of boys. How she felt on top of the world! But
coming back was the hard part, tearing herself away from her beau after kissing
him forever and forever... At one point, she drove the scooter with her head
turned back towards the boy, and they crashed. She broke an arm, he broke a leg,
and it could all have ended far worse if they hadn't landed in soft grass...
Sandokan and Yanez once drove their scooter straight into a hippopotamus. The
hippo, a former circus animal, was an expert driver and took their Vespa away
from them, trundling off into the jungle...
Verdeluna felt desperately guilty about wrecking Walter's Vespa, so she worked
all summer, picking apples, to buy him a new one. In the end, Walter gave it
to her when he entered the seminary to become a priest. Before, he was a factory
worker and a trade union man, always out to improve his fellow workers' lot after
the workplace death of his father.
Rai summary:
- "Woollen jumpers" - Sandokan talks to Verdeluna about Sting's
visit
to the kiosk of Yanez. Verdeluna talks of the visit of Vanessa, fiancee
of
her ex, to Verdeluna's store to buy woollen jumpers for Renato,
then
she
explains
Walter's vocation, from a former labourer to a clergyman.
- "Maglie di lana" - Sandokan racconta a Verdeluna di una visita di
Sting al chiosco di Yanez. Verdeluna racconta della visita di Vanessa, fidanzatina
del suo ex, al suo negozio per comprare le maglie di lana per Renato, poi spiega
la vocazione di Walter, da ex operaio a sacerdote.
#36
- October 29, 2007
It's showtime on Mompracem: they're filming L'Isola dei Facultosi, the
Island of the Rich, a reality soap starring Steve Jobs, George Bush, Onassis,
Madonna, you name them. Bribed by the promise of an i-phone, Sandokan has helped
Jobs, who was about to faint with hunger. But his money is on Bush, who has brought
his hunting rifle with him as the only personal object he is allowed to bring.
And the pirate, not known for his love of football, he declined the offer of
the Milan team by Silvio Berlusconi, who was pining for a can of tuna. But isn't
it all a fake in these reality shows? Not everything, unfortunately, not quite
everything...
Verdeluna has dreamt about her brother Walter, the priest, who was roasting a
very large goat. So she went to join him for morning mass, at half past six.
Verdeluna likes small country churches, especially in summer when they're wonderfully
cool and quiet inside. Sandokan offers to build her one on the beach of Mompracem!
So what happened during Mass? Verdeluna fell asleep again, that's what. The peace
and quiet, the darkness, and the familiar voice of her brother... and afterwards,
he woke her up. Even the four little nuns were gone... Verdeluna told her brother
about the goat dream, which according to him meant she should come and see him
more often.
So what did Sandokan do before breakfast? He did some triathlon: a swim around
the island, twice round it again by bike in the sand, and three cross-island
runs straight through the jungle. The trick is to get up straightaway, without
thinking. And what if there were something to delay you? Oh, I'd do some mattress
Olympics, beginning with a round of Kamasu....
Or you could listen to one of Yanez' Sunrise Concerts on the beach. Classical
music conducted by Karajan, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta... So just sit there,
dressed in your luscious sarong, sipping a cup of tea. And Sandokan? He'd be
dressed in a dinner-jacket, presenting the concert. And then he'd sit down with
her, and his hands would slip under the sarong, exploring unkown worlds.... But
don't worry Verdeluna, I am an honourable pirate...
Rai summary:
- "Dreams" - The reality show "The Island of the Wealthy" is
being filmed on Mompracem. Verdeluna dreams about her brother Walter and joins
him for mass at half past six in the morning. Yanez organises the "Sunrise
Concerts" series, with classical music on the beach.
- "Sogni" - A Mompracem girano un reality: "L'isola dei facoltosi".
Verdeluna sogna il fratello Walter e va a trovarlo alla messa delle sei e mezza
del mattino. Yanez organizza i "Sunrise Concert", concerti di musica
classica in spiaggia.
#35
- October 26, 2007
Going to bed without chatting to Sandokan is like starting the day without
breakfast - a decent cappuccino and a sweet roll. So what does a pirate eat for
breakfast? Well, Yanez makes excellent espresso, but his cappuccino is so-so.
Never mind, as long as Sandokan's old gramophone is within reach. He'll crank
it up for a shot of inspiration first thing every day, playing his old opera
records. La donna e' mobile!
So where did you steal the gramophone, Sandokan? Well, one day he was at sea,
and Sandokan and his fellow pirates were enchanted by this magic song wafting
towards them over the waves. Then they saw - a solitary man on a raft, with a
gramophone. Placido Domingo, he said his name was, and he was skin over bone
after many days on the raft. When the pirates pulled him on board, he refused
to be rescued unless they also took the instrument that had given him sustenance
for all those days...
But when they came ashore, the shipwrecked sailor gave Sandokan his gramophone.
- "You
and the gramophone saved my life," he said. "Now I know what I want
to do in life: become an opera singer." Which does to show it sometimes
takes a shipwreck to save you...
Verdeluna, too, recalls the old gramophone of her Aunt Assunta. But her useless
ex-husband, The Twit, had no time for it, just like he never appreciated anything
of emotional value. Verdeluna, you do talk about The Twit a lot, even if you
do speak of him badly.
You sound a little jealous, Sandokan!
I have many gramophone records that I could play for you, Verdeluna. All you
have to do is come and turn the crank. You make my head spin round, Sandokan,
just as if I were a little girl. You, me and the gramophone, alone on a raft...
Rai summary:
- "The gramophone" - Sandokan recalls how he saved a castaway who was
adrift in the middle of the ocean on a raft with his gramophone: he turns
out
to
be Placido Domingo who decides to become an opera singer because of this misadventure.
Verdeluna talks about her aunt Assunta's gramophone.
- "Il grammofono" - Sandokan racconta di aver salvato un naufrago che
vagava in mezzo al mare su una zattera col suo grammofono: si trattava di Placido
Domingo, che in seguito a questa disavventura decise di fare il cantante lirico.
Verdeluna ricorda il grammofono della zia Assunta.
#34
- October 25, 2007
Sandokan has been swimming the oceans with a manta ray, the most majestic
of fish. He got a little carried away trying to imitate the way it swims, and
had a long swim back ashore. The manta ray is a divine creature!
Just like we are divine, says Verdeluna, who is very pleased with herself. Yesterday
she beat Olivia the Yodeller at kickboxing! - "Porzellana," Olivia
said afterwards, using her favourite term of respect. Ahhh Sandokan, let's get
our
manta ray wings and swim in the warm sea together.
Valerio, Verdeluna's son, has been diving near Acapulco in between shifts in
the kitchen of his cruise ship, with a local friend, errr, more than just a friend,
actually. Do you mean he's gay, asks Sandokan. Well, what do you want me
to think! He writes he's never been this happy, and he sends me a picture of
himself
with
this... Tarzan.
The manta ray doesn't think, it doesn't judge, Verdeluna. Your son's fallen in
love with Tarzan. If a man wants to take another man into his chamber of delights,
well, that's God's will too.
Verdeluna has nothing against gays, but the idea takes a little getting used
to. And by the way, Sir Hugo is gay too, did you know that? Last year, around
Christmas, Verdeluna found him sitting in the shop's fitting cubicle, crying
his heart out. He had a young man, a splendid and beautiful young man, twenty
years ago, an architecture graduate. But the boy fell ill with Aids, and in a
short
time
he was dead. Hugo sat at his bedside in hospital that Christmas eve as his boyfriend
passed away. And now he is deeply ashamed that he never came out of the closet
then, since he was deputy mayor of the city.
In the chamber of delights, decorated with flowers, fragrant with perfumes, surrounded
by friends and servants, upon consuming the banquet, a man will seek the rest
that he deserves. What's that? A little bit of Kamasutra, and a little bit of
Sandokan.
Verdeluna, I am waiting for you. You must decide if you want to continue drinking
from this cup.
If only I could swim like the manta ray, majestic creature of the deep... Then
open your arms, feel the warmth that surrounds them, feel the sea that's part
of you. And you, will you follow me? I am at your side, I am above you, I am
with you...
Rai summary:
- "The manta ray" - Verdeluna has
just heard from her son Valerio that he is gay, and Sir Hugo also comes out of
the closet, speaking about his young boyfriend, who has died of aids.
- "La manta" - Verdeluna viene a sapere dal figlio Valerio che è omosessuale,
anche il Cavalier Ugo fa "outing" e racconta del suo giovane fidanzato
morto di Aids.
#33
- October 24, 2007
Sandokan has just finished a plate of Yanez' linguini alla piratesca.
He tells of the hunger strike they once held on Mompracem, to protest against
the libiria.. libellia.. liberalisation of gun ownership. Until then, only the
pirates had the right to bear arms, but for a while, so did everyone else. And
Sandokan drank only water...
The jungle was full of gorillas with machine guns. Arnold Schwarzenegger came
along to get some ideas for his future political career, and when he left, he
took the gorillas with him. Now, the great apes are the Governor of California's
lifeguards!
Verdeluna has more to say about her hairdresser neighbour, who is facing a gang
of extortionists. Sir Hugo maintains he has never been asked for protection money,
so the poor woman seems to be alone in her troubles. Verdeluna goes on the Internet
and discovers there is a self-help group of shopkeepers who stand firm against
the criminals, with the help of the police.
Ahhh for the times when all battles were fought in the name of liberty and justice,
says Sandokan. Verdeluna's brother Christian is like that, giving the best of
himself for a noble cause... Although one day, he phoned his sister to say he
was quite willing to steal a plane and fly home from Iraq to have a giant plate
of spaghetti carbonara.
If Sandokan could have a brother, what would he be like? The pirate can only
imagine having a little sister, sweet, pretty and an excellent cook. Well okay,
then, he'd have two older brothers. One would be the Pope, and the other the
President of the United States.
I have chosen you, Verdeluna, because you reflect the spirit of the island that
I love. Because you remind me of the past, illuminate the present, and caress
the future. Because it's you, and no one else but you.
I don't know why I chose you, says Verdeluna. I just know that I chose you. And
there's no point looking for a thousand words to explain my sensations, my emotions,
when we are together like this, linked by an invisible thread...
Sir Hugo's fashion shop has been going from strength to strength, ever since
he hired Martina, the aspiring singer. There are crowds of young people visiting
the shop now, and Hugo is happy as Larry. Verdeluna only hopes Martina won't
get famous too soon, and leave... She should talk to Yanez, the ever-busy maker
of exquisite coffee to Sting, Michael Jackson and Madonna. He would have a useful
contact or two!
And you, how would you help a woman with two children, who's separated from her
husband, and who only sings under the shower? - Well, I have an old Indian book
called the Kamasss...andokan!
Rai summary:
- "Strike" - Sandokan speaks about a hunger strike on
Mompracem to protest against the relaxation of gun controls that Schwarzenegger
wants on the island. Verdeluna talks instead of her brother Christian, a sergeant
in Iraq.
- "Sciopero" - Sandokan racconta uno sciopero della fame a Mompracem
per protestare contro la liberalizzazione delle armi voluta da Schwarzenegger
sull'isola. Verdeluna racconta invece del fratello Christian maresciallo in Iraq.
#32
- October 23, 2007
Today, we find out about Sandokan's pet hate - the jellyfish. He's been
bitten, and it hurts. Diving from his galleon, Sandokan plunged straight into
a sea of the wobbly creatures. Even the Tiger has an Achilles' heel...
A large fleet of Portuguese Men o'War can only mean one thing: the sea is getting
poisoned. If not near Mompracem, then certainly nearby. This appeals to Verdeluna's
inner environmentalist. She gets furious if she just sees someone throwing an
empty cigarette pack or an old tram ticket onto the street. Sandokan says there's
actually a car that runs on rubbish, rather than petrol. But it's parked up in
a Swiss museum. Oil has to be sold, after all... -
Just think about the Bhopal disaster, and all the atom bombs that have been detonated,
and the Americans and the Chinese who won't sign the Kyoto Protocol - and they
call me a pirate, an outlaw? -
Our planet is like an excellent piece of bread: not a single crumb should go
to waste.
Meanwhile, there's a party on at Mompracem tonight. An entire cruise ship has
arrived, full of tourists who'll be spending the night. But don't forget a pirate
who's still smarting from the bite of the jellyfish, Verdeluna.
Oh stop being such a baby! Tonight the Tiger is a little tiger cub that's demanding
attention. And speaking of cruises, Verdeluna misses her son Valerio, who's sailing
the seven seas, even if it's, sometimes, easier to love someone who's far away.
And it's useful having a cook in the family!
Let us leave early in the morning on a rowing dinghy, to lose ourselves on the
seas of Mompracem, when the perfume of the night is still in the air, without
space and without time, delighting in each others' sighs... Ohhh yes Sandokan,
I like that idea, but it's such a shame that to chatters, it's all in the imagination.
Ouch, damnd jellyfish! Not everything Verdeluna, not quite everything...
Rai summary:
- "Jellyfish" - Sandokan has been bitten by a jellyfish and demands
the attentions of Verdeluna, she remembers that Valerio, an assistent-chef on
a cruise ship, loved to play with ships since he was a child.
- "Jellyfish" - Sandokan è stato morso da una medusa e richiede
le attenzioni di Verdeluna, lei ricorda che Valerio, aiuto cuoco su una nave
crociera, fin da piccolo amava giocare con le navi.
#31
- October 22, 2007
If only Yanez would stop hacking into my computer! I can never get online
after he's used it. Sandokan is hoping Verdeluna will be patient enough to wait
for him...
Sandokan, are you there? Chatting without you is so boring! Some people wait
in line at the supermarket checkout, some wait to find their true love, others
again
wait at the post office to pay their bills, and others... just love to keep others
waiting, just like that... Like Sandoka...
BLING! Ooh Sandokan, what a coincidence, I only just logged on and there you
were. I was just thinking that we spend so much time waiting. Don't you ever
wait on Mompracem? Never... Having time for ourselves is a great gift, perhaps
the best ever...
Sandokan and Verdeluna, noctural tightrope walkers on the internet, philosophise
about the meaning of time and of waiting. Verdeluna has been chatting with a
woman calling herself Fatastrana.
Her father, having abandoned all hope of having a son after siring four daughters,
decides to ask Fatastrana to follow in the footsteps of several generations
of the family's men and become... a gravedigger. Her specialty is to provide
a highly personal service... If the customer has always wanted to go to London
but never made it there in his lifetime, Fatastrana will make sure he is buried
in a London cemetery. You get to go wherever you want, and forever!
Sandokan is reminded of an Egyptian tomb statue he saw in the British Museum,
husband
and
wife, hand in hand, looking serenely into the distance... Sandokan is always
looking for that light. Would Fatastrana's services be an idea for him? No,
he'll never leave the island of Monpracem. He is the Tiger of Malaysia! All'assalto!!!
From death to birth then. Mompracem women have no large hospitals and give birth
to their children at home.
Who are you really, Sandokan? Are you really my pirate and my gentleman? I am
a man, full of passion and romance. With you, time seems to stand still and take
on the rhythm of our breath. Our time is like a star that shines in the night.
Oooh Sandokan, too bad that in a chat, it's all invention...
Rai summary:
-
"Fatastrana" - Verdeluna talks of a chat with Fatastrana, a woman gravedigger
who offers a service of "personalized burials". Sandokan recalls an
Egyptian funeral statue who represents a married couple.
- "Fatastrana" - Verdeluna racconta di una chattata con Fatastrana,
una becchina che offre un servizio di "tumulazione personalizzata".
Sandokan ricorda una statua funebre egiziana che raffigura una coppia di sposi.
#30
- October 19, 2007
Verdeluna has been chatting to Saint Francis, who has been trying to
convince her to throw all her clothes out of the window and go about naked. What
does Saint Sandokan think of that? Well, Saint Francis received the stigmata,
and laid down his life for those in need, as did Gandhi....
But not, the pirate is interested in less saintly pursuits. He rather fancies
himself a Don Giovanni, and Verdeluna, too, likes him better that way...
One day, he was near the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, and encountered
a group of missionaries, helping the poor. So the pirate decided to give them
a purseful of money and... that evening, the purse was full of coins again. Sandokan
wept: the miracle convinced him he was wrong in giving only one purse, instead
of all he had.
It's all a matter of mentality. If there are rich people and poor people, mankind
has got it all wrong. Take Yanez' example: he actually gave all his clothes away,
and went around naked. Only it had some alarming effects on other people, and
he decided to get dressed again.
Verdeluna isn't feeling well, and has to work tomorrow. Sandokan will ask Yanez
to play As Time Goes By. Please take me to some smoky barroom, Sandokan, where
the whiskey tastes of melancholy, where your eyes burn, where women look at you
from under their hats... maybe something out of Casablanca? Wait Verdeluna, the
love you see in those bars is a love that hurts. The love that has turned you
into the most enchanted woman in the world, and that now is no longer there.
How is Verdeluna's brother Christian, the sergeant serving in Iraq? He'll be
on home leave in a month, and the family can't wait to see him. However, he will
go back to war, which is his duty and his calling. Too bad we can't all be like
Gandhi, or Saint Francis, says Sandokan. Food, water, shelter, air conditioning...
these are the things that make all men into egoists.
Verdeluna just loves her Versace shoes, is that egotistical too? I'd just live
to see you in them, Verdeluna. I love that woman, that girl who shows all her
beauty... Would you lean back over the bonnet of a car for me, or will we sit
close by at the bar in Casablanca? Ohhh. play it again, Sam...
Achoo, Verdeluna sneezes. All the colds in the world disappear here, in Casablanca.
This is the best flu cure in the world, says Verdeluna. So what do you take on
Mompracem when you have a cold? Yanez' recipe is tortoiseshell broth with lizards'
tongues. Actually, no, pirates never get sick, but they do need cuddles...
Rai summary:
- "Casablanca, again" - Verdeluna has the flu and points out a small
mission of her brother Christian in Iraq. For their erotic dreams, both she and
Sandokan retreat to the restaurant in the movie Casablanca. Together they reflect
on the theme of the world of poverty in comparison to the affluent world, on
what it would be right to do, even if these were only immediate solutions, if
you are no saint like Saint Francis or Gandhi were, which people are not.
- "Casablanca, again" - Verdeluna ha l'influenza ed accenna ad una
piccola missione del fratello Christian in Iraq. Lei e Sandokan si rifugiano
per i loro sogni erotici nella taverna del film Casablanca. Insieme riflettono
sul tema del mondo povero a confronto con quello ricco, di cosa sarebbe giusto
fare, anche se soluzioni immediate, se non si è santi come San Francesco
o Ghandi non ce ne sono.
#29
- October 18, 2007
Can you sell your dreams or can you only give them away? Pirates, in
any case, don't much care for buying or selling. Sandokan's gift to Yanez was
the dream of opening a kiosk, and Verdeluna inspired her son to take up playing
the trumpet.
Verdeluna speaks of the new hairdressing salon that has opened up next door.
The owner is a great source of gossip, and they talked about chatting on the
internet. Verdeluna's online relationship with Sandokan, however, remains secret,
locked away on the hard disk of her heart. So the story turns to BigJim63 and
Barbie69, two chatters who finally meet in real life. He gets off the train from
Palermo to Milan, at the town where Barbie lives, and they kiss passionately
on a station bench, with the crowds milling around them. Six months later, they
get married! Of course, Barbie69 is none other than the hairdresser herself.
"
When my love swears that she is made of truth," says Sandokan.... Even though
I know she is lying, I believe her, just so that she will think I am young and
inexperienced, innocent of the subtle ways of the world. Shakespeare? Nope. Yanez.
Drunk. But Verdeluna and Sandokan are a different story altogether.
But Barbie has a more serious story to tell. Just after opening her salon, a
gang of youths burst in and demanded protection money. Just pay every month or
the shop goes up in flames, they said... Which raises the issue why Verdeluna
has never heard of her own shop being threatened. Either it was miraculously
left alone, or the gang spoke with Sir Hugo, who hasn't said a word to his co-owner.
Verdeluna is determined to break through the wall of silence and take a stand
against the mobsters. If only the tiger were there to help her...
One day on Mompracem, Yanez fell in love with a femme fatale, a really ill-tempered
woman they all called Mata Hari. But he loved her for it, and they spent many
days hiding in the forest together, always fighting, and scaring the parrots
with their cries. After a few weeks, however, the Mompracem climate had worked
its wonders on Yanez' love, and she was as sweet as a pussycat. And Yanez? He
sent her back to where she came from. She had become much too docile for him.
Let us escape into the forest, Verdeluna, and argue and shout until our lungs
burst, and then let us make love forever...
Rai summary:
- "Barbie 69" - Verdeluna meets a hairdresser who tells her the story
of Barbie69 and BigJim63, a love which was born in a chatroom, she also speaks
about problems with loan sharks and protection money. Sandokan talks of Yanez'
fondness for unfaithful women.
- "Barbie 69" - Verdeluna incontra una parrucchiera, che le racconta
la storia di Barbie69 e BigJim 63 un amore nato via chat, parlano anche di problemi
di strozzini e di pizzo. Sandokan racconta della predilezione di Yanez per le
donne perfide.
#28
- October 17, 2007
Verdeluna speaks of her honeymoon with Renato, The Twit. They went to
Morocco, where she enjoyed a huge feast of the senses, and he would only eat
Italian food, and drink espresso. On the plane, they hit severe turbulence and
the aircraft plunged thousands of metres into what seemed to be an empty void.
Renato was the only passenger who was laughing out loud!
So let me take you to safer and quieter waters, Verdeluna. Let me count the ways
to your heart... Verdeluna is dreaming of a Navy officer in full white uniform,
who will sweep her away from her humdrum life as a shop assistant. An officer
and a gentleman... aaahhhh.....
Which brings the discussion to Richard Gere. You guessed it - another Mompracem
passer-by. He arrived on a ship all on his own, in full dress uniform, and the
women
went crazy. What wonderful evenings they passed, Sandokan and Yanez, sipping
exquisite coffee at the kiosk with Riccardo Girino - that's the star's real name,
the pirate reveals.
So how would you come and collect me, Sandokan?
Well first, I'd fire one of the
cannons on my ship, to give you plenty of time to pack your bags - women are
slow at that - and then I'd send a tiger, accompanied by her cubs, to bring you
straight to your pirate and your gentleman. The whole town would walk out to
see you, transfixed with wonder and curiosity, as the tiger slowly but firmly
leads the way. Then there'd be a guard of honour on my galleon to welcome you,
Verdeluna.
The tiger will come! Good things come to those who wait...
Verdeluna talks about the day when Renato finally popped the question. He found
the most romantic spot ever, outside a church with a wonderful garden, and pulled
out the rings. Verdeluna, beyond herself with excitement, said "yes!" -
and The Twit dropped the ring that he was going to put on his fiancee's finger.
Down a hill it rolled, and into a pond, and first the sexton, then the priest,
then the priest's housekeeper, and two parishioners who had come for confession
had to help fish it out. All to no avail. It finally took the fire brigade to
recover the jewel, and to celebrate, they turned on their siren and flashing
blue lights....
Rai summary:
- "The Gentleman Pirate" - Richard Gere on Mompracem in his official
capacity as Gentleman Officer, Sandokan as Gentleman Pirate. Verdeluna recalls
the wedding proposal of her ex-husband Renato.
- "Pirata gentiluomo" - Richard Gere a Mompracem in veste di Ufficiale
gentiluomo, Sandokan come pirata Gentiluomo. Verdeluna ricorda la proposta di
matrimonio del suo ex-marito Renato.
#27
- October 16, 2007
Verdeluna is late, and Sandokan wonders if she is somewhere out there
on the ocean, in a lifeboat. But no, she is safe and sound at home. But talking
of lifeboats reminds Verdeluna of her holidays on the beach at Cesenatico, on
Italy's Adriatic coast, when she was a little girl. She recalls the hot sand,
the smell of sea and suntan lotion, the taste of an ice cream.
Sounds a lot like Mompracem, says Sandokan. Not really, it was a very busy beach,
where everyone got lost and was looking for everyone else. Then she would play
pinball with her brothers, and win, because she always teamed up with Walter,
a very gifted player. If pinball were a religion, Walter would be its pope. Vittorio
even confessed that always losing at pinball is what really drove him to drink...
Happiness is a magnificent sand castle in our hearts, says our eastern sage,
and we must look after it very carefully. Verdeluna remembers how one day at
Cesenatico, Vittorio saved her life. She had secretly taken Christian's snorkelling
mask and went for a swim with it, marvelling at the weird world of swimmers'
legs, just below the surface. But as she swam further and further away from the
shore, she suddenly panicked, feeling herself being dragged ever deeper into
the water, becoming all water herself... When she finally came to, there was
a group of people standing around her as she lay on the beach, like angels and
demons judging the little girl and deciding if she was to go to heaven or hell.
And then there was Vittorio, giving her artificial respiration, which he had
learned at school. Such a courageous big brother... That's the day when Verdeluna
ceased to be a child, when her dolls were fond memories but no longer toys.
Verdeluna's father was in tears, looking on his daughter as if she were an angel
from paradise. I should give you such a very big telling off, he said, but I'm
so very happy that nothing happened to you and that Vittorio was so brave...
Rai summary:
- "Cesenatico" - Verdeluna talks about her summer holidays in Cesenatico
when she was a little girl, about the pinball games with her brothers and about
the time when Vittorio saved her from almost certainly drowning.
- "Cesenatico" - Verdeluna racconta delle sue vacanze estive da piccola
a Cesenatico, delle partite a bigliardino con i fratelli e della volta che Vittorio
la salvò da un quasi certo annegamento.
#26
- October 15, 2007
Tonight we find Sandokan on an enchanted lake, where he watches two
flamingoes practising the ancient art of the Kamasutra. So how does our lakeside
voyeur manage to chat with Verdeluna? He's old fashioned: he uses an ever longer
cable to hook up to the telephone. So, let us examine the Flamingo Position:
both birds stand on one leg, their necks entwined. It's very difficult, says
Sandosutra, who would have liked to try it out for himself, if it weren't for
his gammy knees.
Now Verdeluna's daughter Patrizia is another matter. She has confessed to still
being a virgin, an awkward condition for a girl of 18 with a DJ boyfriend. And
how embarrassing during sex education class at school! No worries, says Sandokan,
flamingoes spend a full year in courtship before their first entwining of necks.
What is the contraceptive method taught to Patrizia? Even in these days of enlightenment,
it's Ogino-Knauss. Sandokan knows it well. You guessed it, Mr Knauss is a recent
visitor to Mompracem! All the pirates listened to his lectures with great attention.
And nine months later, they all fled on a cruise ship. Bloody globla.. glibol..
globalisation! And Mr Knauss? He sailed into the sunset with a pretty Malaysian
girl, with whom he had 20 children...
Verdeluna had a long heart-to-heart conversation with Patrizia, and now feels
much more of a mother to her. To me, you're Mammaluna, Daughterluna, Wifeluna
and Sisterluna all rolled into one, says Sandokan.
Martina, the siren-voiced shop assistant, has turned out to be a great success
with Sir Hugo after all. To everyone's surprise, she has now got an indefinite
contract! How much that man has changed!
Come, Verdeluna, let us follow the warm winds of Mompracem and travel beyond
the stars, where thousands of little men are keeping the universe in order, the
mechanics that make it all happen. Look, they are making a shooting star! Let
us a sit and watch the spectacle, and when it is over, a red curtain will cover
the stage, and it will be dawn again. Alas, it will come to an end, always, but
every evening it begins all over again. And we have the best seats in the theatre!
Rai summary:
- "Coupling" - Sandokan talks about the coupling of flamingoes, Verdeluna
talks about sex education lessons at Patrizia's school. [They also talk about]
the arrival of Ogino and Knauss at Mompracem and the spread of their method.
Verdeluna talks to Patrizia about her First Time.
- "L'accoppiamento" - Sandokan racconta l'accoppiamento dei fenicotteri,
Verdeluna le lezioni di educazione sessuale a scuola di Patrizia. L'arrivo di
Ogino e di Knauss a Mompracem e la diffusione del loro metodo. Verdeluna racconta
a Patrizia della sua prima volta.
#25
- October 12, 2007
Verdeluna! Sandokan is ready to accompany you tonight, along the beach,
on a boat with sails of silk, or by the golden trees. Verdeluna dreams of Mompracem,
but her alarm returns her to the harsh realities of life in the morning. "Our
alarm is the wind, bringing us the perfumes of the day," says Sandokan, just
to make her feel better. What Verdeluna needs is a long holiday, aboard a pirate
galleon for instance.
Her days in the shop are particularly exhausting when Sir Hugo is attending business
meetings, and even Martina is auditioning. Some of the customers are just terrible,
like the fat old geezer who walked in with a Ukranian girl much younger than
him and said she could buy anything she wanted... Obviously, she was just after
his money and an Italian passport, Verdeluna rants. It ain't necessarily so,
says Sandokan. I always wait to see if behind all the appearances there is true
love after all. Well, these two, they spent two hours in the shop, having Verdeluna
unpack and show every single item, and then declared there was nothing quite
good enough for them. Then her last customer spent nearly an hour on her mobile
phone, while Verdeluna was advising her on what to buy for a dinner party. She
finally left with a shawl, and Verdeluna slammed the door shut and went to the
kickboxing studio to let off steam...
Sandokan says Verdeluna should meet Mohammed Ali, and Will Smith, who starred
in a film about the boxer. Both visited Mompracem during the shooting, and discussed
anything and everything, from women to the great questions of the universe. And
then they practiced Mohammed's phantom punch, with which he could KO an opponent
while barely touching him. Verdeluna, too, is an expert. One day, she was taunted
by her brother Walter, and she responded as Mohammed would have known best. Alas,
poor priest...
Oh how Verdeluna would like to be close to Sandokan right now... Put all your
dreams into a grain of sand and send it to me. You will find me!
Rai summary:
- "Let's leave" - Verdeluna is stressed because of difficult customers
in her store, she would love to leave for a faraway place. Sandokan talks of
the arrival of Cassius Clay and Will Smith on Mompracem.
- "Partiamo" - Verdeluna è stressata per via di clienti difficili
del suo negozio, vorrebbe partire per un luogo lontano. Sandokan racconta l'arrivo
di Cassius Clay e Will Smith a Mompracem.
#24
- October 11, 2007
Sandokan has been listening in secret to Verdeluna, his feline of night.
Together, they weave the tales of 1001 nights, to be followed by another thousand,
and another. (Editor's note: we can't promise that many translations...)
Verdeluna the social climber is not to be outdone by the Mompracem roll call
of famous visitors: she has chatted with Rudolfo Valentino, Sean Connery and
George Clooney! Of course, the difference is that Sandokan isn't using a pseudonym.
Then again, you can be a prince even if you're the poorest person on earth...
One night during Carnival, Verdeluna and Renato were dressed up as princes from
the tales of 1001 nights. That was the night that Patrizia was conceived. Verdeluna
was truly Renato's princess, his Sheherazade. Then at least, there was true love
between you, says Sandokan.
Warming to her theme, Verdeluna relates how Valerio came to be during a romantic
midnight swim at a thermal bath hotel in Tuscany. That, too, was true love. According
to Sandokan, a child's true conception occurs when his parents exchange glances
for the first time. That's when the spirit is born.
Too bad Dr Jekyll has turned into The Twit... Has Sandokan got a Mr Hyde side
to him? If so, it's hidden on the dark side of the moon. All men are the same,
says Verdeluna, and it makes her sad to think that Sandokan also... So does Verdeluna
still love Renato, the muscular car mechanic with oil in his face that made her
lose her head as a little girl? She can't say – you don't just write off
20 years of living together...
Finding true love is everone's greatest dream, but we have to fight for everything
in life, including our dreams.
And speaking of true love, Verdeluna tells the story of the African woman who
found a newspaper clipping with the picture of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
and inventor of Windows, the richest man on earth, and fell madly in love with
him. She took her children and embarked on a journey of epic, biblical proportions,
walking across the Sahara desert to reach the Mediterranean coast, crossing the
ocean on a rickety ship to reach Sicily. But doesn't Bill Gates live in America?
Well no one knows where the African pilgrim is now. Maybe she's in California...
Of course, Gates was also once a visitor to Mompracem. Sipping Yanez's coffee,
he got a vision. He saw a window on the horizon, and another one on top of that,
and another, thousands upon thousands of windows spread out across the sky. And
thus, with the help of Yanez's coffee, came about the birth of Windows. Just
think of all those royalties Yanex could have had...
Rai summary:
- "Windows" - Verdeluna recalls how Patrizia and Valerio were conceived,
Patrizia at a carnival party, and Valerio in a thermal spa; then she talks about
an African woman she met in a chatroom who has such a crush on Bill Gates, she
left for the West. Sandokan lets us know that Bill Gates invented Windows at
Yanez' kiosk.
- "Windows" - Verdeluna racconta di come sono stati concepiti Patrizia
e Valerio, lei ad una festa di carnevale, lui in uno stabilimento termale; poi
di una donna africana in chat tanto innamorata di Bill Gates da partire per l'occidente.
Sandokan ci fa sapere che Bill Gates inventò Windows al chiosco di Yanez.
#23
- October 10, 2007
Today's Mompracem celeb is Bob Marley, of The Wailers
fame, who's been a frequent visitor. Not only was he a great
artist, he was also a very religious man, and liked Yanez'
coffee. Together, pirate and reggaemaster contemplated the
universe with great wonder. Verdeluna's priestly brother, Walter,
loved to use No Woman, No Cry even in his sermons... No donna,
no piangere, Verdeluna croons...
Sandokan recalls a jam session he once had with Marley and
Yanez, to the offshore accompaniment of a choir of sirens.
Maybe he can help Walter with a little more inspiration!
Verdeluna is excited! Her demonstration against racism, prompted
by the treatment of Walter's Moroccan aide, has been a great
success. There is even a half-page picture in the paper, with
herself in the middle. Taking action for peace is truly a sacred
deed, says Sandokan. Even Patrizia's boyfriend, the DJ, closed
down the disco for an evening to join in the organization.
Verdeluna still feels guilty about misjudging him in the beginning.
The conversation then turns to Walter, who had to find his
place in the congregation after replacing an elderly priest
with much authority. Then, there was the story of Ennio, a
boy born deaf and dumb. One day, Ennio's parents were looking
for the boy, who was lost. Walter went to his Garden of Silence,
an abandoned vineyard that he used for meditation. He knew
Ennio once made a drawing of the garden, and expected to find
him there. And there the boy was, sitting on a rock, taking
in the silence in a silent world... Walter sat with him for
a while, and they ate some grapes together. That evening, he
wrote a note explaining the boy's absence, saying he had been
needed for the church football team...
The westerly wind will whisper the words of our hearts. And
you, will you whisper me all your secrets? Will you carry me
to the sweet abyss of your mysteries? Climb on board, Verdeluna,
I have a treasure-trove full of secrets, ready to be discovered...
Rai summary:
- Sandokan talks about Bob Marley on Mompracem; Verdeluna relates
the story of Ennio, a deaf-mute boy with whom Walter establishes a special relationship...
- Sandokan racconta di Bob Marley a Mompracem; Verdeluna la storia di Ennio,
un bambino sordomuto con cui Walter instaura un rapporto particolare...
#22
- October 9, 2007
Sandokan has been chasing a hummingbird, walking
backwards just like the bird flies backwards. He wanted to
see what the world looks like in reverse. The experiment is
a little depressing: all we'd be able to see is our past rather
than our future. And speaking of memories: what's Sandokan's
most cherished remembrance? Marianna, of course... -
All of which leaves Verdeluna a little peevish. Is she the
most useless woman in all of God's creation? What would Sandokan
say if her best memory were The Twit? Sometimes what is best
is worst, and what is worst, best, declares Sandoguru. Which
doesn't help. -
Maybe the hummingbird hasn't got it all wrong. Verdeluna would
love to go back in time and do some of the things she never
did - like dance the waltz with her father, for instance. He
always wanted to, on New Year's Eve, and she would hide under
the kitchen chair out of embarassment. If only she could be
his ballerina now, holding him tight... -
He was a great dancer, Verdeluna's father, looking just like
Fred Astaire dancing with his wife. And boy, did he love his
watermelon! Hold me tight, dad, hold me tight, I am here for
you, Verdeluna sobs.
I should have known you before, says Sandokan, I should have
gone looking for you, looking until I found you. Our regrets
are lessons for the future, otherwise what's the point in looking
over our shoulders?
And how good is Sandokan on the dance floor? Well, he does
do the mazurka with Yanez, to bring on the rain from time to
time. It always works! At least the thought of Sandokan and
Yanez dancing makes Verdeluna laugh again, and the dark mood
is dispelled. They sing a song to celebrate!
Verdeluna says she and her yodelling nemesis, Olivia, look
like a pair of fighting monkeys, according to her kickboxing
instructor. So why does she go on taking the punishment? Follow
my example, and play cricket instead! But Verdeluna is a great
believer in the power of the fist, and she does love taking
a long shower afterwards - like cricketers, says Sandokan. -
There are wells on Mompracem that are so clear the water seems
like light. That's where the pirate goes for his ablutions
after doing battle. And all alone too, unlike Verdeluna, who
likes to talk men with her kickboxing friends under the shower.
So why are men always a problem? We'll have that discussion
some other night, and besides, to chatters it's all in the
mind anyway...
Rai summary:
- Sandokan and Verdeluna talk about the colibrì: metaphor
of one's vision of the past. Verdeluna regrets deeply that
she has never danced a valzer with her father who was an experienced
dancer and she relates how her
father and her mother met in an open-air dance.
- Sandokan e Verdeluna parlano dei colibrì: metafora
di una visione del passato. Lei rimpiange di non avere ballato
un valzer col padre, ballerino provetto e ricorda l'incontro
fra suo padre e sua madre in una balera.
#21
- October 8, 2007
We join our champions of chat as they debate the merits
of milkshakes made with coconut versus cow's milk. Sandokan
comes down firmly on the bovine side, saying cows are sacred
and their milk makes children grow. If only Verdeluna wasn't
allergic to dairy produce...
Verdeluna has been to see the Bologna auto fair with her brother
Vittorio and his social worker, Carlo. The two men clearly
share a passion for cars... and for gawking at the sparsely
clad girls fluttering around the exhibits. How would Verdeluna
look, reclining in bathing costume over the bonnet of her good
old Fiat 131?
The outing has been a great success, and Vittorio hasn't touched
a drop for two days. Sandokan and Verdeluna drink a milkshake
toast to Carlo's persuasive powers. Big of heart (for giving
his love to others) and of ear (for listening), he is a little
like Gandhi, although he looks like Einstein.
One day, the mathematical genius was sitting on the Mompracem
beach, says Sandokan. Suddenly, a gorgeous sports car appeared
on the horizon, with an even more gorgeous blonde at the wheel.
Einstein gets into the car, and the two drive off into the
forest. To this day, Sandokan feels a strange presence in the
jungle, and it ain't a tiger... So who was the blonde, asks
Verdeluna. According to the Mompracem grapevine, it was Pamela
Anderson.
In today's glob... glbaz.. globalised world, we are all consumers,
says Sandokan, ever in search of the latest glitzy toy, be
it a car or a new handbag. Sandokan's only temptation is Yanez'
coffee and his famous mussel dish. - "Everything you want
to be is fine," the pirate purrs in that most exotic of
languages, English, and he waxes truly poetic. We know what
effect that has on Verdeluna!
Aaaaaaaaah! What was that, Shakespeare? No, it was Sandokan...
In your imagination, you can make me into whatever you want,
but I'll always be Sandokan. And I will always be Verdeluna,
and in the chatroom, it's all made up anyway...
Rai summary:
- "Individuals-Consumers" - Verdeluna talks of the week end at the
motor
show with her brother Vittorio and his social worker who looks like Einstein.
Sandokan recalls Einstein on Mompracem and curses the globalisation that renders
us more "consumers" than "individuals".
- "Individui-consumatori" - Verdeluna racconta del week end al Motor
Show col fratello Vittorio e con l'assistente sociale che assomiglia a Einstein.
Sandokan racconta di Einstein a Mompracem e maledice la globalizzazione che ci
rende più "consumatori" che "individui".
#20
- October 5, 2007
Sandokan and Verdeluna discuss departures. Even the pirate is a chaotic
traveller: the last time he left port on his galleon, he managed to forget his
sunglasses! Verdeluna is off to Bologna. The owner of a veteran Fiat 131, she
is off to visit the Motor Show with her brother Vittorio and his social worker,
whose job it is to get him to stop drinking.
Sandokan talks about Nikki Lauda's visit to Mompracem, in his Formula One Ferrari.
Together, they drove laps around the island. Nikki then traded the car for Yanez'
Malaysian girl and a small sailing boat, and off they sailed into the sunset,
happy ever after. Yanez then met an Italian merchant, and traded the Ferrari
for his first espresso machine.
Vittorio was a great sportsman in his young days, always competing against Walter,
the future priest. And Verdeluna? She and The Twit were exceedingly good at sporting
between the bedsheets. Which brings Verdeluna to remember the first time she
played that particular game... except it wasn't really the first, because the
boy in question suddenly lost interest. And Sandokan's first time? Was it on
the back of the elephant in the top of the palm tree?
Rai summary:
- "Motor Show" - Verdeluna accompanies her brother Vittorio to the
motor
show in Bologna, escorted by the social worker who helps
Vittorio
to
abandon the alcohol. Sandokan remembers the time when Nicki Lauda was passing
through
Mompracem. Verdeluna talks about her "First Time" with a boy.
- "Motor Show" - Verdeluna accompagna il fratello Vittorio al Motor
Show di Bologna, in compagnia dell’assistente sociale che lo sta aiutando
ad abbandonare l’alcool. Sandokan ricorda il passaggio di Nicki Lauda a
Mompracem. Verdeluna racconta la sua prima volta con un ragazzo.
#19
- October 4, 2007
Sandokan the night wolf and Verdeluna discuss doing the chores by candlelight.
There was a blackout, and the evening was full of little inconveniences and surprises.
Sandokan, too, was surprised by a solar eclipse as he was checking out an island
hitherto
unknown to man and pirate.
When his crew lit up their torches, they discovered they were inside a cave with
hundreds of paintings. Sandokan took along a little souvenir, a painting of a
person clutching his head between his hands and screaming. Did we hear "All'assalto"?
No, cries Verdeluna, a woman of great culture and sophistication, that was "The
Cry" by Edvard Munch! At least Sandokan has done the decent thing and given
the painting to one Mr Guggenheim, who was visiting Mompracem to open an art
exhibition by Yanez.
Sandokan always makes Verdeluna laugh. Look out men, you can be rich and handsome,
but you're useless if you can't make us laugh! Verdeluna's kickboxing - and yodelling
- friend agrees. In the shop, the blackout attracted lots more customers. Martina
bought some candles and Sir Hugo nearly had a fit because the till didn't work.
On Mompracem, there's electric power too, but apart from a few computers and
Yanez' espresso machine, no one really uses it.
Halfway through the blackout, Verdeluna's daughter Patrizia calls to say she's
stuck in the elevator. When Verdeluna arrives, Patrizia has company, the thirtysomething
DJ that her mother was so shocked to find out about. But actually, she is most
impressed! What a nice young man, cultured, intelligent, and good-looking! Are
you really in love, she asks her daughter when they are alone again, and Patrizia
is bright red with embarrassment. Trust a DJ to set the rhythm for any journey,
Sandokan says.
Come with me, Verdeluna, and we'll tell Sir Hugo you've been kidnapped, and
demand a nice little ransom. You'll be my prisoner, but I'll leave you a few
candles...
Rai summary:
- "Black Out" - There has been a black-out and Verdeluna talks of the previous
evening: Patrizia had got stuck in a lift together with the DJ and has invited
him there to have dinner by candlelight. However, Sandokan remembers instead
an eclipse of the sun which had led him and his pirates to a dark cove where
they discovered hidden paintings, among them Edvard Munch's The Cry.
- "Black-out" - C’è stato un black-out e Verdeluna racconta
della sera precedente: Patrizia è rimasta bloccata in ascensore col dj
e lei li ha invitati a cenare a lume di candela. Sandokan ricorda invece un’eclissi
di sole che aveva portato lui e i suoi pirati a scoprire in una grotta buia delle
tele nascoste, fra cui L’urlo di Munch.
#18
- October 3, 2007
Sandokan tries to catch a tuna, but this time, the fish wins, taking
Sandokan's old fishing pole with it. "I accept defeat when the opponent
is
stronger
and braver," he says. Verdeluna croons: "Oh Sandokan, I do love it
when you speak English...It makes you so exotic." -
Even Sandokan, sworn enemy of the Raj, once landed his galleon in Brighton in
a heavy storm, and found the natives quite happy to fix the damage to his ship.
They even fed him cheesecake! So he stayed a year, to study his enemies up close. -
So how did Sandokan learn Italian? Now that's a loooong story...
England is open to the young and their ambitions, says Verdeluna, whose Valerio
is in London now. Italy is old and run by old men clinging to their dusty old
seats, with false teeth and toupets. -
Verdeluna's shop has been getting lots of job applications from youngsters desperate
to do just any menial job, even part-time. So she read their CVs, and was horrified
that many of them were university graduates! Nothing is worse for a young person
than to feel stuck, unwanted and without a penny in his pocket, Sandokan comments. -
Verdeluna took on one of the applicants, a girl called Martina, who turns out
to be a wonderful singer. The customers love it, and Martina's even sold a CD
or two of her own songs. You're a talent scout, says Sandokan.
You're my little
siren, and I am the rock that you can rest on, any time you want... I'll come
and find you, my rock, and ease myself down gently, right on
top of you... I will crumble with emotion, and we will dissolve in the ocean,
Sandokan says in exotic English. -
Rock and siren then do their own version of the old Scottish shanty "My
bonny
is
over
the
ocean." Let
us roll on the beach, Verdeluna, let us roll on the beach, right now, as long
as we want. Hold me tight, my rock, hold me tight. And still, chatting is all
make-belief. Not everything, Verdeluna, not quite everything...
Rai summary:
- "Italy, country of old people" -
Verdeluna who is fascinated by the English language talks about the positive
experience which her son Valerio had in London, and Sandokan also remembers his
stay
over there in order to study the enemy from nearby. Verdeluna employs a young
graduate, Martina, as a probationary shop assistant.
Martina
is passionate about singing.
- "Italia paese di vecchi" - Verdeluna affascinata dalla lingua inglese,
racconta l’esperienza positiva del figlio Valerio a Londra, anche Sandokan
ricorda il suo soggiorno lì per studiare da vicino il nemico. Verdeluna
prende in prova come commessa una giovane laureata, Martina, con la passione
per il canto.
#17
- October 2, 2007
Yanez has returned from Cuba with a shipload of excellent cigars, which
Sandokan helps him unload. The ship will be needed again soon, for it is Renewal
Day on Mompracem, when all that is old and no longer needed is cast off and stored
aboard Yannez' galleon. Anything that can't be sold on this floating flea-market
is given to charity. Sandokan has donated his old toaster and his mixer. With
Yanez' kiosk on the beach, who needs them! -
Verdeluna's daughter Patrizia recently collected old toys from families in the
neighbourhood and came back with hundreds of dolls, miniature cars and other
items. Patrizia is a pirate at heart, looking for treasure in hidden places!
But Sandokan has a confession to make... He's also thrown out a large bag of
clothes that belonged to Marianna, hoping to finally forget her. But he hasn't
quite succeeded. Verdeluna, too, has trouble getting rid of her memories of Renato.
One day, on her birthday, her children prepared a wonderful meal served at a
candlelit table to suprise her when she came home from work. And even The Twit
was there, on his very best behaviour, courteous, soft-spoken, attentive... -
Now Verdeluna has even begun to decorate the house with pictures of the four
of them in happier times. The inside of Sandokan's galleon, too, is covered in
pictures, and if one day it goes to the bottom of the ocean, all his memories
will go down with it. Verdeluna vows she will dive into the deep, to bring up
one by one the images of the pirate's life...
Verdeluna, I want to learn to be an astronaut, and orbit around you to see the
side that earthlings never see. Oh Sandokan, why don't you touch down properly
and plant your flag? -
Sandokan has even got a picture of Neil Amstrong, who came to visit Mompracem
after his trip to the moon. He brought space dog Laika, whom he found wandering
about on the moon. On Mompracem, Laika fell in love with a baboon and ran away
into the jungle. -
Verdeluna, too, has met Armstrong in a chat room, toting his telescope - which
however he was using to study the strawberry pattern underwear of the student
girls next door... Sandokan confesses that pirates go mad for strawberries, and
is
warned
not to finish the way Armstrong did - Verdeluna gave him such a kick he is now
right back in orbit...
Rai summary:
- "Renewal Day" - On Mompracem the day of renewal is celebrated,
an occasion to get rid of old things and to donate them to charity. Sandokan
succeeds in getting rid of a full trunk of clothes of the Pearl. However, Verdeluna
does not succeed to get rid of the memory of Renato. Sandokan tells Verdeluna
about Armstrong who was on holiday on Mompracem with Laika, the little dog, after
his journey to the moon.
- "Il giorno del rinnovamento" - A Mompracem si celebra il giorno del
rinnovamento, occasione per liberarsi delle cose vecchie e donarle in beneficenza,
Sandokan riesce a sbarazzarsi di un baule pieno di vestiti della Perla, Verdeluna
invece non riesce a liberarsi dal ricordo di Renato. Sandokan racconta di Armstrong
in vacanza a Mompracem con la cagnolina Laika dopo il suo viaggio sulla luna.
#16
- October 1, 2007
Tonight it's the Mompracem colony of flying fish that's
been holding up our pirate. Yanez has brought a grand concert piano
to his beach kiosk. And speaking of instruments, Patrizia has brought
along Alessandro, a boy whose mother is in prison. [note: the Rai
summary calls the boy Roberto, but Verdeluna clearly calls him Alessandro].
The kid has found the old harmonica that useless ex Renato once bought
his
son
Valerio
in the vain hope it would discourage his fascination for the trumpet.
Naturally, boy (age 2, but so fat he looks 12) plus harmonica have
turned what should have been Verdeluna's quiet afternoon off into
a screeching hell. The Twit ruins Verdeluna's life even when he's
not there! -
Sandokan's Wisdom of the Day: All of us are responsible for all the
world's children. That's the only real glob... blob... globalisation.
And: Chopin can bring out the best in any display of flying fish.
Must get Yanez to play us a Nocturne. -
And so on to kick-boxing. Verdeluna's taken a course. She says it
splits her bones and is totally exhausting, but makes her realise
she still has energy to fight back against everything that gets her
down. You're much closer to Mompracem than you think, Sandokan teases
her. Her opponent is Olivia, a big girl from South Tyrol, and like
all good (almost-)Germans, what Olivia wants, Olivia gets. Ouch. -
Time for some yodelling, and for some strategic advice: there is
nothing dishonourable in well-considered flight, and sometimes you
have to lose the battle to win the war. Verdeluna agrees. After all,
that's what she did on Sunday, running away from Alessandro the musical
toddler to find poetry on the edge of town, in a field where she
played as a child. Too bad it's been asphalted over... -
And finally we return to the nocturnal theme, with Yanez seated at
his grand piano to launch into some Chopin. Too bad it's all in the
imagination when you're chatting. Not everything, Verdeluna, not
quite everything...
Rai summary:
- "Flying Fish" (a metaphor for an unstable person)
Patrizia takes Roberto, the son of a female prisoner, home with her. All afternoon
the little one plays the mouth-organ, to the joy of Anna's ears. Anna and her
friend Olivia enroll for a course of kickboxing.
- "Pesci volanti" (Si parla di pesci volanti: metafora di una personalità instabile)
Patrizia porta a casa Roberto, il figlio di una carcerata. Il bambino suona l’armonica
a bocca tutto il pomeriggio per la gioia delle orecchie di Anna. Anna si iscrive
con la sua amica Olivia ad un corso di kickboxing. |