L'EROE DEI DUE MONDI/THE HERO OF TWO WORLDS

"Garibaldi fu ferito, fu ferito in una gamba, Garibaldi che comanda, che comanda ai suoi solda'!"  

This is the beginning of a very famous Italian song about Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the most important figure in the history of the Italian unification, which happened in 1861. He was an amazing strategist, politician, man. He was a sort of  Ulysses, because of his bright intelligence, his bravery, his need to know, discover and participate. Several intellectuals of that period admired him and wrote about his deeds and him as a person. One of those was Victor Hugo who wrote "he is a man, nothing more than that, but a man in the most sublime meaning of the word, so where his force come from? What does he have with him? People's soul."  But why am I speaking about him? What's the connection between me being in Brazil and him? A huge one. Garibaldi  spent about 12 years in South America, he fought for the State of Rio Grande do Sul, precisely the Brazilian state I'm in, helping them to fight for their independence from the Brazilian Emperor. Here he is a hero as well as in Italy. Amazing. He came back to Italy, bringing with him, memories, energy and other great ideas. And his peculiar outfit: red shirt, foulard, poncho e sombrero, commonly wore by people supporting the Republican dream. I mean, people who wanted Rio Grande do Sul becoming a Republic! So, happened that the other night Flav brought us to the "Nucleo de Estudos Fronteiricos"

and showed us a film about a national hero, Antonio Netto, called "Netto loses his soul". And guess whose letter he receives, saying he misses all of them and remembers their bravery and all the battles for independence they fought together and so fort..? It might sound silly, but after that moment I got emotional...how ridiculous I am!  Living abroad made me become patriotic, me?! Unbelievable. Comunque..that film had also some accidental comical moments.

The best and the one which inspired  me and the others very much is the one in which Netto declares his love to Maria. Marvelously kitsch,worthy the highest rate in Telenovelas competition: "Maria!" "No, Antonio, no!" "Maria, I want to tell you la palabra (word)" "No, Antonio, noooooooo!", "You have to listen to it!" "No, Antonio, la palabra nooooooo!!!" "Sì, la palabra, here is la palabra.,....AMORRRRR!!!!!" Ahahahhahahhahah! Hilarious! Here is a spoof of a telenovelas played by my favorite Italian Comedians http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogr-gIK7gT4 Since that day, at least once a day, Gwen and I  have started to have fun going through this scene. We did it even on a sort of stage in a party!

Anyway, today while I was walking in Livramento for one of our crazy tasks, engaging people's gazes, I saw this: Società Italiana di Mutuo Soccorso with Garibaldi's face on it. So proud!

Ok, I am ridiculous? Maybe, but Giuseppe is in my heart. 

Boa noite lencos colorados (means red foulards)! 

Camarada Sarah