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#146 - March 31, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Garcia Lorca" - Verdeluna shows Valerio the new house and receives
the news that the application to foster Roberto has been accepted.
- "Garcia Lorca" - Verdeluna mostra a Valerio la nuova casa e riceve
la notizia che l'affido di Roberto è stato accettato.
#145 - March 28, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "The Veteran" - The general returns from Paris where he has found
Angela Torre again and resolved the problem of the "Dutch wind mill".
- "Il reduce" - Il generale ritorna da Parigi dove ha ritrovato Angela
Torre e risolto il problema del mulino olandese.
#144 - March 27, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Time Travels" - Sandokan talks of a mysterious traveller who says
to come from the future.
- "Viaggi nel tempo" - Sandokan racconta di un misterioso viaggiatore
che dice di provenire dal futuro.
#143 - March 26, 2008
Sandokan and Verdeluna, who have become a single thought, a single sigh, get
connected simultaneously. The Pirate has had a wonderful day, of such beauty
that even Michelangelo would have cast aside his paintbrush, knowing there's
no way even his art could have done it justice.
He has been sailing round and
round the island of Mompracem, to discover it all over again from angles he didn't
even know existed.
That's funny - Verdeluma has just seen the film "Dead Poets' Society" again,
with Robin Williams playing the poetry professor who wants to make his students
rediscover the world around them from a different point of view. Guess who with?
Valerio, her son, who just arrived unannounced and insisted on seeing the movie
with his mother. It's as if he returned home just to have somone whisper those
words to him: "Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!"
It's always good to get carried away by a great movie, says Sandokan.
Our bodies
need emotion every day, just like they need food. drink, sleep.
Is a film the
sublimation of emotions that we don't experience in our real lives?
Maybe!
Verdeluna and the Oracle of the Jungle have one thing in common: they both cry
when watching "Desparate Housewives." And what movie does Sandokan
get most carried away by? Doctor Zhivago! Ahhh the final scene: Zhivago sees
his beloved Lara from the tram, and although he knocks on the window, she doesn't
see him... He gets off at the next stop, only to be overcome by a sudden weakness
and die...
And the runner-up, according to Verdeluna?
E.T., Steven Spielberg's tale about
the cute and cuddly alien.
In third place, says Sandokan, is Sergei Eisenstein's
classic, Battleship Potemkin.
The pram bouncing down the stais of the Winter
Palace...
or, The Bicycle Thieves by Vittorio de Sica...
So how many litres of tears do you think have been cried, from the beginning
of cinema until today, says Verdeluna.
Million and millions, says Sandokan the
romantic.
And how many more from now on.
Millions yet again.
And one day, the story of Sandokan and Verdeluna will make it to the big screen,
the most romantic love story ever written...
And it will end with the longest
and most passionate kiss ever...
Rai summary:
- "Carried away by a film" - Surprisingly, Valerio returns home: with
his mother and Patrizia they see "Dead Poets' Society". Sandokan and
Verdeluna discuss movies and ask themselves which are the most moving scenes
in the history of the big screen.
- "Commuoversi con un film" - Valerio torna a casa di sorpresa: con
mamma e Patrizia riguardano "l'Attimo Fuggente" Sandokan e Verdeluna
disquisiscono sui film e le scene più commoventi della storia del cinema.
#142 - March 25, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Pterodattilo 2" - Mompracem is holding a competition for the best
mussel stew; Verdeluna returns with Olivia to the Greek taverna and meets "Tarzan".
- "Pterodattilo 2" - A Mompracem c'è la gara per la miglior
pepata di cozze; Verdeluna ritorna alla taverna greca con Olivia e incontra "Tarzan".
#141 - March 24, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Easter Monday" - Verdeluna spends Easter Monday doing her "mystical" reading
and gets Sandokan involved, too.
- "Pasquetta" - Verdeluna trascorre la pasquetta dedicandosi a letture "mistiche" e
trascina anche Sandokan.
#140 - March 21, 2008
Sandokan and Verdeluna dream of building their little love-nest on the moon,
where they can look at humanity from a safe and romantic distance.
Like the Oracle
of the Jungle, who sought out the tallest palm-tree on Mompracem just to live
closer to the moon. Or so goes the story, for no one has any memory of the Oracle
living anywhere other than atop his tree.
Many years ago, the Oracle lived in a tiny hovel, and received a visit from a
burglar, just as he was doing his evening ablutions. The burglar instantly saw
there was nothing to steal, and was about to make his escape as the Oracle returned.
"Poor thief," the Oracle said. "You must have travelled a long way to get
to my little hovel, and now there is nothing for you to take away. Please at
least accept the gift of my clothes, so you have something to reward you for
your effort."'
And the thief took away the Oracle's only clothes, without batting an eyelid.
And the Oracle, naked as God made him, sat down in his hovel and looked at the
moon. "What a fool I am," the Oracle reflected. "If only I had
given the thief this beautiful moon as well." That evening, the Oracle
climbed
the tallest palm-tree on the island, and he never came down again.
The moral of the story is that in foolishness, there's often the profoundest
wisdom, says Sandokan.
And why don't you go back to the Oracle and quiz him once more about our number,
6842?
Because it's never a good idea to trouble the Oracle too soon after he's
already responded to a question.
But Verdeluna is getting impatient. There's so much happening in her life, so
much that she'd like to share with Sandokan. So why doesn't she come to Mompracem
instead? No - Verdeluna is adamant she's unable to leave right now.
She's been to see little Roberto's mother in jail, and as she walked down a long
neon-lit corridor, she kept thinking that this is where all her dreams would
fall apart, that Roberto's mother would dismiss her with a shrug of her shoulders
and say: "No, you're unfit to look after my son." Verdeluna was so
nervous and overwhelmed that she nearly slipped and fell, and the policewoman
by her side had to reach out and steady her. Roberto's mother was just as emotional.
Together, they laughed and wept tears of joy as the woman gave Verdeluna her
permission to look after her son. The social worker said there are no more obstacles,
and after a little paperwork and a couple of weeks, Roberto will come to live
in Verdeluna's house.
So why doesn't Sandokan come and join them?
It wouldn't be right, he says. You've fought so hard for this moment. It's your
moment now, for you to enjoy all by yourself.
And who knows, maybe one day I'll
just turn up as a surprise!
Rai summary:
- "The Second Encounter" - Verdeluna talks to Roberto's mother in jail
and gets custody of the child.
- "L'incontro 2" - Verdeluna parla con la madre di Roberto in carcere
e ottiene l'affido del bambino.
#139 - March 20, 2008
Even the sea must be having its own Spring, says Verdeluna. There are pastures
green, and rose gardens, out there somewhere, beyond the next wave...
Sandokan is bringing out the poet in the Italian housewife, and he's proud of
her.
Ahh springtime is here, and winter's finally over.
Same thing on Mompracem, actually.
Spring means a new influx of tourists, making everyone, and their wallets, happy.
Especially Yanez, his kiosk, and his coin-op laundry, "Puliti Dentro" (Clean
Inside) - a laid-back kind of place, full of good vibes, peace and international
understanding. And while he was hanging out at Puliti, Sandokan made a new friend,
a jolly and eccentric Spaniard: Pedro Almodovar, the director.
Pedro's latest project is a film set at Yanez' laundry, a collection of stories
that all have something to do with Puliti Dentro. Un gazpacho de emocion, in
Almodovar's words. And his title for the big-screen tomato soup? Puliti Dentro.
Clearly he was inspired by his little conversation with the pirate about passion,
as symbolised by a machine full of coloured underwear. People are made by the
objects they collect, and you need only look to learn everything about them.
Which reminds Verdeluna of her favourite souvenir from the past - her ballet
dancer's tutu. It was given to her by her mother when she was eight, and now
it hangs on a hook near her bedroom window. And when Verdeluna opens the window,
the tutu dances in the wind, all by itself. It took a whole year's begging, nagging
and crying over dinner to persuade her parents to pay for ballet classes, and
when her father had finally set aside enough money to make her dream come true,
Verdeluna was in seventh heaven! She pirouetted through the house forever, stopping
only at the mirror to admire herself in the tutu, until her father gave one of
his famous smiles, pulled out a pair of ballerina's shoes, and said: "Well,
aren't you going to put these on, too?"
Sandokan is sure Almodovar could write an entire film on Verdeluna's ballet-dancer
memories,and call it "The Blue Tutu". Now everyone's gone home, and
he is all by himself in Yanez' laundry, with dozens of washing-machines staring
at him with their great glass eyes. What a magical place. There should be one
in every country, in every city, on the cormer of every street, symbols of cleansing
and refreshment, with a multitude of stories to tell about the clothes that passed
through their bellies and the people who wore them...
Rai summary:
- "Clean Inside" - Almodòvar is staying at the laundry "clean
inside" to make a movie; Verdeluna and the blue tutu: a very beautiful
memory of childhood.
- "Puliti dentro" - Almodòvar alla lavanderia "puliti dentro" per
girare un film; Verdeluna e il tutù blu: bellissimo ricordo d'infanzia.
#138 - March 19, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "The Cobra" - Verdeluna receives another anonymous message. Sandokan
tells the fable of the destiny and the cobra.
- "Il cobra" - Verdeluna riceve un altro messaggio anonimo. Sandokan
racconta la favola del destino e del cobra.
#137 - March 18, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Earthquake" - Verdeluna talks of the shock wave which has shaken
the city; Sandokan examines these seismic phenomena with the aid of his friend,
the
writer
Bill Bryson.
- "Terremoto" - Verdeluna racconta della scossa che ha fatto tremare
la città; Sandokan si interroga su questi fenomeni sismici con l'aiuto
del suo amico scrittore Bill Bryson.
#136 - March 17, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Senior" - Sandokan remembers his grandfather, who was an airmail
postman on a biplane; Verdeluna entertains the customers singing songs of Mina
together with Martina.
- "Senior" - Sandokan ricorda suo nonno, che faceva il postino aereo
sul biplano; Verdeluna intrattiene le clienti cantando canzoni di Mina con Martina.
#135 - March 14, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Angela Torre" - The General discovers that Angela Torre is a dance-hall
singer with whom he was in love as a young man in Milan...
- "Angela Torre" - Il Generale scopre che Angela Torre è una
cantante di tabarin della quale si era innamorato da giovane a Milano...
#134 - March 13, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Rescue operations" - Sandokan recalls the rescue of a whale beached
on Mompracem's coast, Verdeluna remembers when she - as a child - saved her puppy "chicco
di grano" [literally: a grain of wheat].
- "Salvataggi" - Sandokan racconta del salvataggio di una balena
spiaggiata sulla costa di Mompracem, Verdeluna ricorda quando da bambina salvò il
cagnolino "chicco di grano".
#133 - March 12, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "International Women's Day" - Sandokan finds a book with poetry of
Pablo Neruda on the beach and reads some verses from it, Verdeluna explains the
reasons for the origins of the International Women's Day on March 8.
- "Festa della donna" - Sandokan trova sulla spiaggia un libro di poesie
di Neruda e ne legge alcuni versi, Verdeluna spiega i motivi per cui è nata
la festa dell'otto marzo.
#132 - March 11, 2008
Sandokan has been in pursuit of a marabou.
Did he fly above the moonlit waves along withe the magnificent creature?
If only.
The marabou stole Sandokan's exquisite coffee, which he was sipping at Yanez'
kiosk.
And so he followed the bird to its nest, which was full of coffee cups, glasses,
saucers and other bits of crockery.
Once upon a time, there was a little boy, with long, long, thin, thin legs. His
legs were so long and so thin he could barely stand up, or sit up straight in
school, or play with his friends when school was over. Poor little tall boy.
He was utterly miserable. So his thoughts turned to the skies, and whenever he
thought of what was above, he became happier. The one day his mother said to
him: "If you want to be happy, you must follow your dreams. You must become
whatever you want to be." Then the boy said: "Mama, if I were a bird,
we would never see each other again." To which his mother replied: "Wherever
you are, I will always be with you."
The next day, the boy's bed was empty. And outside, a large, black bird flew
past the window, ever so elegant, and black like the little boy's hair. And its
legs were long and thin. And when the bird perched on a tree, and sang, the mother's
eyes welled up with tears. But she was also happy for her son, who could now
fly higher than anyone else...
So that's why marabous steal cups and saucers, to remind them of their mothers?
That's what the legend says anyway!
Ahhhh, Sandokan is always full of stories...
But Verdeluna also has a story or two to tell. She's been to see the General,
to tell him about her problems buying the Dutch windmill, and the horrific sum
she'd have to pay to Carlo and his sister: 600,000 euro! The General took it
all in and was far more relaxed than Verdeluna had ever imagined. "Madam," he
thundered. "On the battlefield, I have encountered far more devious enemies!"
And just when Verdeluna had resigned herself to the General being more than a
little senile, what came to light? That he had fought in the Russian campaign
as a second lieutenant, just like Verdeluna's father. And then he hugged Verdeluna
as if she were a fellow soldier, And he told her how, once, when he was wounded,
a soldier had carried him to safety on his shoulders. And when the General produced
a small box with a medallion, and said: "Madam, this is all I have from
this soldier who carried me through the night," Verdeluna realised it was
the medallion of St Theresa that her mother had given her father.
So the young second lieutenant that Verdeluna's father saved in the Russian campaign
was the General who was now her neighbour! Verdeluna ran downstairs to get her
father's letter, and when she showed it to the General, he trembled with emotion
and gratitude. Years of mutual dislike melted away, and Verdeluna felt as if
she were sitting with her father once more.
There is a thread that links us all, says Sandokan.
A thread of feeling and emotion, and if we were able to see it, we would all
be brothers.
The General brought out his vintage port, which he was keeping for a very special
occasion, and toasted with Verdeluna. "Your father is no longer there, Madam,
but his daughter will be able to count on me whenever she needs to."
Even Sandokan, the pirate, is overcome with emotion, and Verdeluna has to catch
her breath a little...
Rai summary:
- "St Theresa" - Verdeluna discovers, via the medallion of St
Theresa, that the mysterious soldier who saved the General's life was her father...
- "Santa Teresa" - Verdeluna scopre, attraverso la medaglietta di Santa
Teresa, che il misterioso soldato che salvò la vita al Generale era suo
padre...
#131 - March 10, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "The Three Wise Men" - Sandokan is attacked by flying fish on his
galleon for sailing between the stars, then he recalls when he went with Yanez
to Belgium to buy chocolate.
- "I tre saggi" - Sandokan attacca al galeone dei pesci volanti per
navigare
tra le stelle, poi racconta di quando andò in Belgio con Yanez a comprare
cioccolata.
#130 - March 7, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Joint Ownership" - Ugly surprise for Verdeluna: the "old wind
mill" is not only the property of Carlo Torre, but also of Angela Torre,
his sister, who has absolutely no intention to sell it...
- "Comproprietà" - Brutta sorpresa per Verdeluna: il "vecchio
mulino" non è di proprietà del solo Carlo Torre, ma anche
di Angela Torre, sua sorella, che non ha nessuna intenzione di venderla...
#129 - March 6, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Restless Spirits" - Verdeluna shelters from a heavy downpour and
notices the voice of a spirit; Sandokan recalls his encounter with a ghost and
explains that a life lived with loyalty saves the soul.
- "Spiriti inquieti" - Verdeluna si ripara da un acquazzone e sente
la voce di uno spirito; Sandokan ricorda l'incontro con un fantasma e spiega
che una vita vissuta con lealtà salva l'anima.
#128 - March 5, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "Restaurant 2" - Valerio decides against Pedro Miguel's restaurant,
and an angry Pedro Miguel leaves him.
- "Il ristorante 2" - Valerio rinuncia al ristorante di Pedro Miguel,
il quale, offeso, lo lascia.
#127 - March 4, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "To win or to participate" - Sandokan participates in the annual
contest of sand sculptures, trying to carve the image of Verdeluna.
- "Vincere o partecipare" - Sandokan partecipa alla gara annuale di
sculture di sabbia, cercando di scolpire l'immagine di Verdeluna.
#126 - March 3, 2008
- story coming up -
Rai summary:
- "The Frogs' Chorus" - Sandokan listens to the song of a red-eyed
tree frog; Verdeluna starts the rehearsals of Schubert's mass in Walter's church.
- "Il coro delle rane" - Sandokan ascolta il canto di una raganella
dagli occhi rossi; Verdeluna comincia le prove della messa di Schubert nella
chiesa di Walter. |