v o l . 12 no. 5 february 2011 ::febbraio ... - il...

I L P O S T I N O

I L P O S T I N O • O T T A W A , O N T A R I O , C A N A D A

w w w . i l p o s t i n o c a n a d a . c o m

V O L . 12 NO. 5 FEBRUARY 2011 ::FEBBRAIO 2011 $2.00

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St Anthony’s Annual Fundraising Dinner a

Social Success!

Una Festa in Famiglia!Photos by Giovanni

I L P O S T I N O FEBRUARY 2011


IL POSTINO865 Gladstone Avenue, Suite 101 • Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7T4

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PublisherPreston Street Community Foundation Italian Canadian Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc.

Executive EditorAngelo Filoso

Managing EditorMarcus Filoso

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Special thanks to these contributors for this issue

Gino Bucchino, Nello Bortolotti, Dosi Controneo, Giovanni, Goffredo Palmerini, Maria Rizzuti, Renato

Rizzuti, Emma E. Speed, Stefano Vaccara,

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BARZELLETTA DELLA SETTIMANADal diario dell’avvenente passeggera di una nave da crociera: - Lunedì: magnifica giornata,

la nave è splendida, ho conosciuto il comandante. - Martedì: il comamdante mi ha sorriso. - Mer-coledì: il comandante mi fa la corte. - Giovedì: la corte del comandante si fa sempre più serrata. - Venerdì: il comandante dice che se non sarò sua farà certamente colare a picco la nave. - Sabato: ho salvato la vita di milleottocento persone.

On Ida’s 91st Birthday, they remember the Canadian immigrant experience

Ottawa – MPP Bob Chiarelli visited the home of Ida Caluori today to present her with a scroll from the Pre-mier of Ontario recognizing her 91st birthday.

The occasion was the most recent step in a decades-long relationship between Bob and Idas’ families that illuminates the course of Ottawa’s immigrant history.

Ida Caluori was born on Dec. 15, 1919 in Savuto, Italy. As a student, she passed the Chiarelli family residence daily on her walk to school.

Her husband, Francesco Fata, was killed on April 22, 1942 while serving in the Italian military in the Second World War. Her son Chico was born on July 13, 1942. She entered a life of poverty and struggle.

At that point, Bob’s father, Eugenio Chiarelli, had immigrated to Canada and after years of work in northern Ontario mines, was running a small grocery

in Ottawa’s Little Italy. Eugenio sponsored Ida to come to Canada, and met her at the old Ottawa Train Station on Oct. 13, 1949.

Once settled in Ottawa, Bob Chiarelli’s uncle, Tony, became Chico’s godfather. Even after Ida remarried, the two families maintained the close relationship common to Ottawa’s tight-knit Little Italy – her grandson Frank Fata, for example, has been one of Bob Chiarelli’s most loyal and hard-working campaign volunteers.

Ida’s birthday was another opportunity to celebrate family, community, and the amazing success stories of Ot-tawa’s immigrant families.

“Ida represents the new Canadians who endured challenges and difficult times but endured to contribute to Canada and, in this case, Ottawa.”

-- Bob Chiarelli, MPP Ottawa West-Nepean

A tribute to those that died in the line of duty as well as those that left a legacy of courage

Dawna Erskine from Remax Affiliates purchases a spot on the donor wall in her fathers name (Dawson McVeetors) who is the founder and president of The Ottawa Fire fighters Community foundation memorial site.

I L P O S T I N OFEBBRAIO 2011


Photos By Giovanni

Italian Canadian Cummunity Centre of Ottawa commits $25,000 to Reconstruct the Community Centre in Castelvecchio, Aquila, Italy

Mayor Pietro Salutari with Councillors and Guests



THE RIZZUTI CORNER

The Italian Nature of LoveBy Renato Rizzuti

Cupid is the Roman god of love which makes Cupid Italian. This is very appropriate considering the Italian nature of love. Love is a very heightened emotion and Italians are known for being passionate people.

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love stories of all time. Shakespeare set the play in Verona, therefore, Romeo and Juliet is an Italian love story. In fact, Shakespeare based the play on a French translation of the Italian novella “Giulietta e Romeo” by Matteo Bandello. Romeo describes love as “a madness most discreet.” It is a component of all passionate love stories that love is compared to madness. It is very Italian to describe a love struck person as being a bit “pazzo” or “crazy.” Romeo also displays the determined character of the Italian/Latin lover by going against all odds to win over Juliet. He re-alizes this is not going to be simple when talking about Juliet: “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow.”

In a modern movie like “Moonstruck” we find a some-what exaggerated but humourous Italian love story. It is about a woman who has her fiancée’s brother fall in love with her. While the characterizations and emotions may seem a bit “over the top” it is all in good fun. The movie also plays up the “lovestruck” or in this case, “moonstruck” nature of love that is depicted as being influenced by the moon or “luna” hence the “lunatic lovers.” The film was directed by Canada’s Norman Jewison. Cher won an Oscar for her portrayal of the “innamorata” Italian woman.

The classic Walt Disney animated film “Lady and the Tramp” is about a

dog romance. There is that cute and funny scene where the two dogs share a romantic spaghetti and meatballs dinner while the song “Bella Notte” plays.

Bella notte means “beautiful night.”Some of the great lyrics are: “look at the skies, they have

stars in their eyes, on this lovely bella notte.” Even Disney was aware of the Italian flavour of love!

Italian love songs are popular all over the world. Older songs like “Parlami d’Amore, Mariu” and “Non Ti Scordar di Me” are played in their instrumental versions as “back-ground music” in restaurants and public places around the globe. Everybody knows the song “Speak Softly Love” or as it is also known as “Theme From the Godfather” which refers to the blockbuster film. “Ti Amo” means “I love you” in Italian. It is also the title of the big hit song made famous by Umberto Tozzi. Laura Branigan used the same title and same “ti amo” phrase in her English cover version of the song.

The serenade is an Italian tradition. This is where the male lover gets some musicians to play music for his love outside her bedroom window. The man can also sing and play an instrument if capable. Late night is the preferred

time for this activity so that the lady can be surprised from her sleep. How romantic indeed!

When do you know when you are in love? According to the lyrics of “That’s

Backround Image: Cupid “http://www.tattootemps.com/images/cupid.jpg”Photo: A painting by Frank Dicksee “www.theatrehistory.com/british/ romeoandjuliet.jpg”

Passion. Romance. Lust. Love. These are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of Valentine’s Day. Who could it be that is responsible for these feel-ings? Could it be Cupid? Perhaps. If it is Cupid, then who exactly is he? “Cupid” is the Roman name for Eros, the Greek mythological god of love and lust. Eros was the son of Aphrodite, the true goddess of lust. His ar-rows were responsible for encouraging the feelings of love and passion in a person’s heart. He was known to

use his arrows for love, but sometimes for retaliation as well. One day, Eros came across Apollo, the archer-god of medicine and healing.

Eros was an archer, but not as great as Apollo. Apollo caught sight of Eros’ archery skills and began to mock his abilities, or lack thereof. Eros grew angry at his insults and shot two arrows, one dipped in gold and the other in lead. The arrow dipped in gold had the power to create uncontrollable lust and desire,

which struck Apollo. The other arrow created total revulsion to all things passionate and romantic. Whoever that was struck with this arrow, in this case it was Daphne, would never have any desire to love anybody.

Daphne was the nymph daughter of the river god Peneus. She had told her father that she never wanted to get married because she hated marriage and she wanted to be a strong and liberated woman. She had felt this way even before she was struck by Eros’ arrow.

Apollo, filled with passionate lust, pursued Daphne and she ran from him endlessly. He chased her and chased her, falling more in love with her with every step that he took. Eventually he caught up with her. But just as he had a good grasp on her, she cried out to her father and asked for help. Peneus complied, and transformed his daughter into a laurel tree.

Her hair turned into leaves, her skin to bark, her feet into roots, arms to branches, and her face a treetop. Despite this drastic, and permanent, trans-formation, Apollo was still madly in love with her and enamored by her everlasting beauty. Heartbroken, he broke off a few of her branches and made a wreath for himself to wear, as a constant reminder of his love for her. He proclaimed the laurel tree as

his sacred tree, making it one of his many symbols.The story of Apollo and Daphne is a perfect exam-

ple of love and lust, and the sacrifices we make when enamored by another person. Artist John William Wa-terhouse depicted this “lust” in Apollo and Daphne. He captures the precise moment that Apollo embraces Daphne, just as she’s turning into a laurel tree. You can really feel Apollo’s love for her in the way he’s deeply gazing into her eyes, seeming almost surreal. We find ourselves envious of Daphne, wishing someone would gaze into our own eyes just as Apollo is gazing into hers. He’s so determined to have her, and his body is stern and fixated on his “true” love.

He holds a lyre in his hand; one of his famous sym-bols that represents harmony and reason. His clothing is a salmon color, a softer and less vivid red. Red is a very strong color, an emotionally intense representa-tion of strength and love. Although Apollo’s love for Daphne is intense and strong, it’s also very innocent and blind. Therefore, the color of his clothing is a physi-cal reminder of those feelings in which we cannot see or touch, but rather we can only feel.

Daphne looks somber, having accepted her fate and knowing what is about to come. Her facial expression suggests that although she’s content with her fate, she is also remorseful for the hurt that Apollo will be feeling. Daphne is dressed in blue, very peaceful and tranquil and representative of loyalty. Again, by rec-ognizing the colors of the clothing we can understand the feelings of the individual. Blue is also a color that is usually associated with purity. Could this perhaps be symbolic for the pursuit of purity? Could it be a metaphoric story for our own pursuit of purity, in all aspects of our lives?

Love is such a complicated feeling, ever changing

Dangerously In LoveBy Natasha Hazrati



LOCAL NEWS

The Sculpture of Victor Oriecuia From Nature into Art and Ice to Marble

By: Ariella Hostetter Sculpting ice during the long winters in Thunder Bay brought Victor Oriecuia

one step closer to realizing his dream. Ice was cheap, plentiful and great practice material. What he really wanted to do was to sculpt marble ----- to give life to a slab of stone.

Practical matters like having the right equipment and blocks of marble to work with stood in his way of becoming a sculptor. During his years as a student at Lakehead Univer-sity, Victor slowly saved up enough money from his part time jobs to buy the tools he needed. One piece at a time he ordered chis-els from New York. But it wasn’t until he moved south to Kingston that he was able to buy his first piece of marble.

Standing in the beautiful light filled rotunda at the Museum of Nature during a recent show, Victor’s sculptures reflected and absorbed light in a way that gave the impression that even a slight breeze could move them. The sculpture of a leaf looked as if it was ready to fly in the wind.

“I draw on the marble taking into account the dimensions, grain and flaws. As I come across potential weaknesses in the stone, I adapt the design”, said Victor. Farfalla, one of his sculptures in the exhibit, Nature into Art, a slim, nude torso of a woman with flowing hair was cut from a rectangular slab of Bancroft marble.

To date Victor has been able to complete six sculptures, all made from Canadian marble. Canada has some of the best marble deposits in the world and Victor wants to take advantage of that. His supplier is located just south of Ottawa in Seeley’s Bay. Loading up his truck and trailer with the marble, Victor hauls it about 40 kilometres away, just outside Kingston, to garage studio where he literally chips away at it.

It’s Victor’s dream to someday be able to work as a fulltime sculptor. In the meantime, though, he has a full time job and a family.Working under artificial light, he has a pick-me-up of a caffè corretto on Friday evenings and sculpts in his garage until 3 am on Saturday. This routine makes it possible to give the time he needs to his young family.

His daughter, now eight years old, has started to work on a piece of onyx and keeps her dad company in the early evening, learning the skill of sculpting from him. “ I promised her that she could begin to sculpt when she was old enough to do so safely”, said Victor.

And safety does play a large part in sculpting. Dust masks are essential and

the chisels are sharp. With the amount of marble dust created, Victor takes care to make sure that his garage is sealed and that none blows into his house of those of his neighbours. That keeps his neighbours happy and healthy. When he has a few buckets of marble dust, he takes them outside and turns it into the soil. Dust to dust.

While chatting at the exhibit, two of Victor’s cousins came by to introduce them-selves. Anna and Romano Specogna of Ottawa remembered Victor’s mom and dad, Luigina and Enzo from their youth in Friuli. Enzo, Victor’s father is still active in Sloveni community activities in Thunder Bay and is known for his wit, his ability to tell funny stories and for the poetry that he writes. Throughout his years in Canada, he worked in the lumber industry and at the pulp and paper mill in Thunder Bay. Luigina still works in housekeeping at Lakehead University.

Anna and Romano, like many of us who immigrated to Canada, mused somewhat wistfully, about what the generation that arrived as young adults could have achieved if they had the same educational opportunities as their children.

Victor’s, sculptures are really a testament to this generation that has given us the work ethic, the love of learn-ing, commitment to family and the desire to share our skills with a younger generation.

Next summer Victor will tour Italy with his young daughter and wife, part of their time will be spent in the area around Naples, where Victor ’s wife has roots and north of

Cividale in Friuli to visit family. There will be a few “must stops”. One is to visit Possagno near Treviso, the home of the 19th century sculptor, Antonio Canova and the other to the cemetery Staglieno in Genova, where Giuseppe Mazzini is buried.

Victor feels strongly about the inspiration that he derives from his Italian heritage and feels equally strongly about the high quality of stone and marble that is available literally under our feet here in Eastern Ontario. That’s multiculturalism at work.

Victor’s works were part of the show “Nature into Art” produced by the National Capital Network of Sculptors (NCNS) that ran at the Canadian Museum of Nature from February 5 to 13, 2011. It was an inspiring show by talented local sculptors whose work is not seen nearly often enough. The stunning new gallery at the Museum of Nature seemed to have been perfectly designed for this occasion.

Membership in the NCNS is open to full-time or part-time professional sculptors, aspiring amateurs, students and interested patrons of the sculptural arts. The group meets monthly. For more information go to www.sculptureottawa.ca.

2011 Spring Festival (Wednesday, June 1, to Sunday, June 5)294 Albert Street, suite 602 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E6 Tel.: (613) 241-0999 Fax: (613) 241-5774

www.ottawachildrensfestival.ca



ITALIAN NEWS

IL SERMIG ALLA CAMERA DEI DEPUTATIErnesto Olivero e Gianfranco Fini presentano

la campagna “Condividiamo il pane quotidiano”

Un messaggio semplice per dire no alla fame nel mondo e proporre la fraternità e la condivisione come nuovo stile di vita. È il filo conduttore della campagna di comunicazione “Condividiamo il pane quotidiano”, lanciata dal Sermig di Torino. Lunedì 31 gennaio, la presentazione in Parlamento a partire dalle ore 16, nella Sala della Lupa di Montecitorio. Interverranno il presidente della Camera Gianfranco Fini e il fondatore del Sermig Ernesto Olivero.

Ospite straordinario dell’evento sarà Andrea Bocelli, che canterà il “Panis An-gelicus”, accompagnato dal Coro del Laboratorio del Suono di Torino diretto dal Maestro Mauro Tabasso. Sarà proiettato un filmato dal titolo “Sermig: una storia di Dio in mezzo agli uomini”. Marco Maccarelli, del Sermig, eseguirà il brano “Tre secondi”, tratto dall’album “Mama” (testi di E.Olivero - musiche di M.Tabasso, distr. Alabianca/Warner 2010), uscito nel maggio scorso e rimasto in classifica per quat-tro settimane.

“Ogni giorno, – spiega Olivero – la fame uccide direttamente o indirettamente 100mila persone. È un fatto terribile e inaccettabile! Il mondo però si può cambiare! Non è utopia, non è buonismo. Io ci credo veramente. Ho visto con i miei occhi che basta un pugno di giovani con un ideale per cambiare il corso della storia di una città, di un quartiere, di una famiglia, di un gruppo di amici”.

Bucchino a Mantica “Per i vice consoli onorari siamo ormai all’emergenza”

La situazione dei vice consoli onorari sta andando incontro ad una vera e propria deriva a seguito del dimezzamento delle risorse assegnate nel 2010. Dopo la chiu-sura di molti consolati,i un altro grave colpo per i nostri connazionali, che vedono restringersi progressivamente la possibilità di usufruire di servizi essenziali.

L’on. Gino Bucchino su questa situazione ha inviato una lettera al Sottosegretario Sen. Alfredo Mantica, il cui testo è il seguente:

Caro Mantica, ti scrivo per richiamare la tua attenzione su una situazione di drammatica attualità

riguardante la rete degli uffici consolari di seconda categoria, che da tempo integra utilmente l’attività dei nostri consolati, oberati da crescenti carichi di lavoro.

Si tratta di una questione, come ben sai, che riguarda in particolare le nostre comunità situate in paesi di grandi dimensioni territoriali, dove per tanti nostri con-nazionali è difficile l’accesso ai consolati o quelle che hanno a che fare con carenze di servizio aggravatesi in conseguenza della riduzione del numero delle strutture e per la mancanza di personale adeguato. Una situazione destinata, purtroppo, ad aggravarsi in conseguenza della riduzione dell’intervento pubblico in questo campo, a seguito delle scelte di contenimento finanziario adottate negli ultimi anni.

Non ho bisogno di ricordare che i titolari degli uffici di II categoria, in base all’art. 72 del decreto del Presidente della Repubblica n. 18 del 1969, rispondono direttamente delle spese effettuate e ricevono dal MAE unicamente il rimborso per le spese postali, telegrafiche e telefoniche effettivamente sostenute e contributi per le spese di ufficio e di rappresentanza.

Si tratta, in sostanza, di incarichi onorari, che tuttavia comportano un impegno notevole prestato per puro spirito di servizio a favore delle rispettive comunità.

Questa preziosa integrazione della rete consolare ha subito un duro colpo dal punto di vista delle risorse finanziarie dal momento che le disponibilità previste per il 2009 in 1,7 milioni di euro sono state quasi dimezzate nell’anno successivo scendendo a 935.000 euro.

Solo per fare un esempio significativo, nel mio Canada la riduzione delle risorse è stata del 65%, dal momento che si è passati da circa 140.000 euro a meno di 50.000. Eppure stiamo parlando di un paese nel quale diverse nostre comunità distano dal consolato di riferimento da cento a oltre mille chilometri, con la difficoltà di contatto che si può facilmente immaginare. Esempi analoghi potrei portare per altri paesi dove le nostre comunità non sono meno numerose né meno consistenti.

Su questa questione, a metà dello scorso mese di dicembre ho presentato, assieme ai colleghi Porta, Fedi e Garavini, un’interrogazione che non ha ricevuto ancora risposta. Poiché da medico, caro Sottosegretario, so bene che talvolta ac-cade veramente quel che comunemente si dice, cioè che mentre i medici discutono il malato muore, mi sono indotto a scriverti la presente sollecitazione per cercare di guadagnare tempo.

Ho fatto questo passo anche per avere potuto verificare personalmente il pro-fondo malessere che c’è tra coloro che hanno meritoriamente assolto a questo delicato compito, con il rischio reale di rinuncia o di non accettazione dell’incarico. Dobbiamo tutti tenere presente che i vice consoli onorari debbono anticipare le somme occorrenti, con il rischio realissimo di non recuperarle. Uno di loro, ad es-empio, mi diceva che a fronte di un fabbisogno consolidato ammontante a 35.000 euro all’anno, di fatto per il 2010 ne ha ricevuti solo 5.000. Credo che converrai che se è lecito richiedere a queste persone sacrificio e spirito di servizio, non al-trettanto lecito chiedere che ci rimettano di tasca propria per supplire a carenze dell’amministrazione.

Affido a te l’impellente esigenza di modificare questa situazione, che tra l’altro non comporta l’impiego di risorse insostenibili neppure nell’attuale momento di difficoltà, con la speranza che tu voglia e possa fare qualcosa di concreto per superare questa emergenza.

Intanto, ti ringrazio per l’attenzione e ti saluto cordialmente.Gino Bucchino

LA MIA PROPOSTA DI LEGGE PER IL RIMBORSO DEI CONTRIBUTI AGLI STRANIERI CHE RIMPATRIANO

Una proposta di legge al fine di tutelare i diritti previdenziali dei cittadini extracomunitari che hanno lavorato e versato i contributi in Italia e decidono di rimpatriare prima del compimento dell’età pensionabile o della maturazione del diritto a pensione di vecchiaia in Italia. L’ha presentata l’On. Gino Bucchino che in questo modo cerca di supplire al blocco delle convenzioni bilaterali di sicurezza sociale con i Paesi di provenienza degli immigrati extracomunitari.

“Sono migliaia – sostiene il parlamentare eletto nella Circoscrizione Estero – i lavoratori extracomunitari che versano i contributi in Italia per alcuni anni e poi tornano nei loro Paesi di origine senza aver maturato un diritto autonomo a pen-sione italiana perdendo così la contribuzione versata, anche a causa del fatto che l’Italia da anni non stipula o rinnova più convenzioni di sicurezza sociale a tutela dei nostri emigrati che vanno all’estero e degli stranieri che vengono in Italia; con-venzioni che consentirebbero ai lavoratori di ottenere una prestazione pro-rata da entrambi i Paesi contraenti”.

Fino al 2002 – ricorda Bucchino – i contributi versati in Italia venivano rimborsati agli stranieri in caso di rimpatrio. La legge sull’immigrazione Bossi-Fini varata in quell’anno abolì il rimborso dei contributi e introdusse una norma che consente agli stranieri rimpatriati di ottenere una piccola pensione al compimento del 65mo anno di età ma solo se i versamenti rientrano nel sistema contributivo – che si ap-plica a tutti coloro i quali hanno cominciato a versare in Italia a partire dal 1996 - escludendo tutti gli altri, e cioè coloro i quali hanno versato i contributi prima del

1996 oppure sia prima che dopo tale data (sistemi retributivo e misto).Secondo Bucchino si è creata così una situazione di disparità di trattamento tra

categorie simili di lavoratori che penalizza paradossalmente quelli che rientrano nel sistema retributivo o misto e i quali sono immigrati in Italia in periodi più remoti nel tempo, (quando vigeva solo il sistema retributivo) hanno forse vissuto in Italia più a lungo e hanno versato un numero più alto di contributi.

La proposta di legge intende sanare in parte la discriminazione succitata re-introducendo nella legislazione italiana l’istituto del rimborso dei contributi. Il rimborso sarebbe quindi alternativo alla conservazione dei diritti previdenziali maturati in Italia in caso di rimpatrio previsto dalla legge attualmente in vigore (e che rimarrebbe in vigore) a favore degli extracomunitari i quali maturino il diritto a pensione nel sistema contributivo a prescindere dall’anzianità contributiva fatta valere, e si applicherebbe anche ai lavoratori extracomunitari i quali non rientrano nel sistema contributivo, bensì in quelli retributivo o misto, introducendo così il principio di parità di trattamento.

La proposta di legge stabilisce che ai lavoratori extracomunitari, compresi quelli che avrebbero titolo alla pensione di vecchiaia con il sistema retributivo o misto, in caso di rimpatrio hanno la facoltà di richiedere, nei casi in cui la materia non sia regolata da convenzioni internazionali, la liquidazione dei contributi che risultino versati in loro favore presso forme di previdenza obbligatoria maggiorati del 3 per cento annuo.

La campagna di comunicazione è stata realizzata gratuitamente dallo Studio Armando Testa: un’immagine su sfondo giallo raffigura un panino tagliato in due. Al posto del companatico, la frase “Il pane sia con te, come il pane è con me”: una speranza, un impegno di vita.

Il Sermig - Servizio Missionario Giovani - nasce a Torino nel 1964 da un’intuizione di Ernesto Olivero e dall’impegno di un gruppo di giovani decisi a sconfiggere la fame con opere di giustizia, a promuovere sviluppo, a vivere la solidarietà verso i più poveri. Si trasforma in Fraternità della Speranza, composta da giovani, coppie di sposi e famiglie, monaci e monache che si dedicano a tempo pieno al servizio dei poveri, alla formazione dei giovani, con il desiderio di vivere il Vangelo e di essere segno di speranza. Attorno alla Fraternità della Speranza, centinaia di volontari e il movimento internazionale dei Giovani della Pace si ispirano alla spiritualità e al metodo del Sermig.

A oggi sono stati sostenuti 2800 progetti di sviluppo in 89 Paesi del mondo. Dal 1983 la sede del Sermig è l’ex arsenale militare di Torino ora Arsenale della Pace, una superficie di quarantamila metri quadrati che migliaia di giovani, di donne e uomini di buona volontà, con il loro lavoro gratuito e i con contributi volontari, hanno trasformato in un monastero metropolitano, aperto 24 ore su 24.



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LOCALValentine’s Day Shmalentine’s Day

By Dosi Cotroneo

Airmetrics Heating and Cooling

It’s coming and there isn’t a thing we can do about it. No, not spring, not tax season, but the dreaded Valentine’s Day. Every year, women around the globe are plagued with the Valentine’s Day “anticipatory anxiety”. Will he remember? Will I get flowers, chocolates, a dinner out, a three-foot wide glossy H a l l m a r k card?

A wise man once said, “expect nothing, and you will never be disappointed”. As a young girl, madly in love with my would-be fiancé, ev-eryday of our courtship felt like Valentine’s Day. The countless cards, poems, dinners out, romantic walks, hour-long phone calls about absolutely nothing, surely this is what real love was all about.

Once married, mortgaged, and a mother, reality set in, and the days of hopeless romance slowly turned into the days of “for the last time, who will take out the garbage and the recycling?” Children coming and going at all hours, car keys lost, gas tanks found on empty, countless trips commuting future scholars to university, future hockey players to arenas, those delusional days of love and romance have become the days of rushing and fatigue.

Why the very thought of putting on a pair of panty hose and a silky dress, not to mention the trip from the warm confines of my home to a cold car, is enough to send this hardened married woman into a tailspin. The thought, the very thought of sitting across a candle-lit table in a fancy restaurant gazing into my beloved’s eyes, knowing full-well what we are both thinking. No, not, “my darling, why don’t we do this more often?” The reality - “when the heck will this be over so we can get home to our beloved flannel pyjamas, remote control, electric blanket and purring cats?”

After close to a quarter of a century of my “married with children and must tend to Italian parents who don’t drive and speak little English” lifestyle, I have happily let go of the “illusiveness” of true romance. Yes, in the real world, true love and

romance happens when I pull into the driveway and the husband has shoveled it down to the asphalt, the garbage and recycling are lined up at the curb, and even the cats have been fed. Following his weekly trip to Farmer’s Pick, the sound of his key in the door means, “fresh panini, Calabrese salami, pickled veggies, and when in season, my favorite - chestnuts”. In my book, Hall-

mark cannot even begin to capture that kind of love and appreciation. The very fact that this

man painstakingly picks out a pineapple, determined that it is “just ripe to per-

fection”, when he is fatally allergic, is nothing short of heroic.

It is these daily acts of selfless-ness that create real romance in a relationship. Yes, the glossy Hallmark cards, the Belgian chocolate hearts, the flowers, they too play their part in

love and romance, but alas, like a drop in gas prices, short-lived. The real test

of love and romance comes after years of the roller coaster ride of courtship,

marriage, children, aging parents, careers, and the time, money, and energy expended to

maintain a home.I suppose this old married woman may not be a

relationship expert per se, particularly to the Dr. Phil’s out there, however, at the end of the day, when one can look

forward to a quiet evening (the young brood out of the house, God willing), a foreign film, a glass of Chianti, a bowl of popcorn, the

beloved flannel pj’s, the remote control, the cats purring at the foot of the bed, and the husband straining to see the English subtitles –that my friends,

is true love and romance.So if the husband does not produce a glossy three-foot tall Hallmark card, a big

chocolate heart, or a dozen roses on Februrary 14, will I contact a divorce lawyer? I think not. I would be happier to receive a hand-scribbled note, on the back of his grocery list, simply stating, “I love you”. It doesn’t get better than that.

OBAMA INVITED TO ITALY’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

(ANSA) - Rome, January 20 - United States President Barack Obama is among the heads of state who will be invited to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in June, Cabinet Secretary Gianni Letta said Thursday.

The heads of state of the 27 European Union countries will also be invited to one of the leading events in this year’s anniversary celebrations on June 2, Italy’s Republic Day national holiday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the heads of other nations with deeply rooted Italian communities will be asked to come too, including Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.This means Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff will not be snubbed de-spite diplomatic tensions between the countries over her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s refusal to extradite former Italian terrorist Cesare Battisti.

Italy is appealing against the decision Lula made on his last day in office last month to Brazil’s supreme court. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has also threat-ened to take the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague if Battisti, a former member of a militant leftist group convicted of four murders committed in the 1970s, is not handed over.

Letta said the leaders will be invited to the military parade held every year on Italian Republic Day on the street running next to the Colosseum and the Ro-man Forum in the capital. He also hinted that another big day for the anniversary celebrations, March 17, the day celebrating Italy’s tricolor flag, will be a national holiday, this year only. ‘’I don’t think people will go to school or work on March 17,’’ Letta said.

The committee for the anniversary celebrations said Italian President Giorgio Napolitano will go the Pantheon on that day to pay homage to Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the driving forces of the ‘Risorgimento’ unification movement. His tomb lies in the ancient Roman monument that is now a church along with that of his successor Umberto I and Umberto’s queen, Margherita.

The committee said this should not be interpreted as a sign that a request by the deposed Savoy family for the tombs of the last two Italian kings, Vittorio Emanuele III and Umberto II, to be moved there too will be granted.

The Savoy family were banished from Italy after it became a republic in 1946 following World War II before being allowed back in 2002. Italy is also feting its 150th year with a plethora of initiatives, restoring memorials, building new national museums for key historic figures in unification Giuseppe Mazzini and Giuseppe Garibaldi, and staging exhibits and conventions in Italy and abroad.

Italy Natives Upset ‘Jersey Shore’ Plans to Film Fourth Season in Italy

Reality TV World; By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski,Italy natives are apparently just as stirred up as their Italian-American brethren

about MTV’s plans to film the fourth season of Jersey Shore in their country. Although the network has released few details about what the cast’s adventures

in Italy will entail, drinking heavily, sexual activity and loud public displays are sure to be part of their itinerary abroad. “That’s the last thing we need,” Beppe Severgnini, a prominent Italian commentator, told The Wall Street Journal, adding that he’s “not worried about the characters feeling out of place.”

According to The Journal, Italians may not be ready for the invasion of the cul-tural phenomenon that is Jersey Shore. “I’m afraid,” Aldo Grasso, a TV critic for Corriere della Sera, Italy’s biggest daily newspaper, told The Journal. “ The image of Italy abroad is already weakened.”

While many Italians reportedly deem the cast’s wardrobe to be too risque and provocative for their standards, the cast will apparently still be accepted into Italy’s nightlife scene. “We let Americans in even if they have a different style and culture,” Stefano Volpe, manager of the VIP Roman night club Babel, told The Journal.

Last week, UNICO, the country’s largest Italian-American service organization, also voiced its displeasure about MTV’s plans for the reality show’s next season.

“It will not only hurt Italians but all Americans. Their outrageous, reprehensible behavior will make us look like buffoons and bimbos,” a UNICO representative said. “People used to go to the circus to see the freak show. That is what this will be.”

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I L P O S T I N O FEBRUARY 2011I L P O S T I N OSt. Anthony’s Church Annual Dinner!

Over Thirty Years in the making ST. Anthony’s Church Annual Dinner was held at the St. Anthony Banquet Hall and Conference Center to raise money for projects around the Church. In the Past years stained glass window repair and conservation, painting projects, the Church Hall renovation to name just a few.

The Gala was jointly hosted by the Ottawa St. Anthony Italia Soccer Club and Father Javier M. Ramirez, with his new Parish Council Committee. The popular fundraiser was attended by approximately, 400 people, all of whom had the chance to win one of more than About 25 door and raffle prizes. The generous donors were Nicastro Foods, DiRienzo’s, Prescott Hotel, Calabria Restaurant, Trattoria Cafe Italia Restaurant, La Favorita Restaurant, Pasticerria Gelateria, Snelling Tool and Die Company, Home-sense (from the Church), and assorted anonymous donors.

The event got off to a rousing start, and picked up momentum as Em-cee/comedian Joe Cacchione from Montreal, kept things moving along smoothly in his comedy story telling. The Showtime Party Band, which performed an eclectic mix of classic oldies, disco, and more current popular songs, made sure everyone was up and dancing.

This year’s chairman Tony D’Angelo has been chairing the commit-tee, which made the event a huge success for the past year. This year’s committee of Italian-Canadians included Vince Biasone, Vittoria Romeo, Giuseppe Pasian, Claudio Pagani, Pina Germano, Carla Minoli-Lappa, and Trina Costantini-Powell.


Photos and Article By Giovanni



Community SnapShotsI L P O S T I N OSt. Anthony’s Church Annual Dinner!


Photos By Giovanni



Remembering an Italian Canadian Inventor 1915-2010

Life is never easy and mostly full of hurdles and obstacles. However, Dr. Aurelio Siranni has tri umphed over all of these and has proved

himself to be an extraordinary man. Dr. Siranni moved to Canada from a little town

in southern Italy in 1925. One of Preston street’s first inhabitants, he and his family planted their roots in Ottawa when he was ten years old. At first, many things did not come easily for the young boy, and a few years later he dropped out of grade eight to pursue a technical career. He gained a lot of knowledge in this field but soon realized the im-portance of education. Upon attempting to re-enter the system, he received much resistance from the school board who did not believe that his technical background constituted an education and therefore would not allow him to attend university.

However, with the help of one teacher’s guid-ance, Dr. Siranni did attend university and received a Bachelor of Science from Mount Alison followed by a Doctorate in Chemistry from McGill Univer-sity.

“Mr. Mcarthy said you go ahead and do what you want. If you put your head to it you can do it,” remembers Dr. Siranni. He notes that in following this direction he became the first Italian immigrant in Ottawa to receive his PhD.

During the summers between school years Mr. Siranni worked for the National Research Council (NRC). “The first work I did was for a private com-pany which had nothing to do with the NRC but I worked directly for them. This company paid a cer-tain amount of money to support somebody, myself on this particular project, because they wanted me to do further research.”

The recognition of one’s work at such a young age does not happen often however, so Siranni’s dedication to his work must have been apparent to many people. Dr. Siranni worked for the NRC until his retirement in 1979 at which point he still continued doing some research for them.

During his time there he worked on a project to create lubricating greases with-out a melting point, a discovery which led to much publicity and acknowledgment of Dr. Siranni’s research. His discovery made it possible to almost eliminate oil changes. A test car went over 30,000 kilometres without an oil change and was still working fine.

“This discovery was what gave me a little bit of notoriety but it’s really minimal to what I did at the NRC,” says Dr. Siranni, chuckling.

He proceeded to explain how he worked on many important projects including one whose aim and was to reduce the amount of mercury in coal. The effects of this would help decrease air pollution. In addition, Dr. Siranni was given the title of principle researcher, a title given to less than 3 per cent of NRC staff.

Not only has Dr. Siranni been very involved in the scientific community but in the Italian one as well. He was the founding and current president of the Dante Alighieri Society. The society is committed to promoting the Italian lan-guage throughout the region.

He is also a member of the Order of

Dr. Aurelio SiranniAn Italian Innovator

by Oliviana Mingarelli

Interview / Intervista

Italo-Canadians, the Italian Business and Professional Men’s Association and while it existed, the Sons of Italy. This very ac-tive man also participates in a sport well known to Italians: bocce. In fact he and his partner won the bocce championship four or five years ago. He told me that when he is not playing bocce he loves to take care of his plants. He even has lemon trees in his garage.

His connection to his culture is evident. When I asked him about how he felt the Italian community had changed his answer was filled with touching memo-ries.

“Life changes all the time. You’re interacting with more people so it’s difficult for things to stay the same unless you isolate yourself and forget you’re native language. When you start learning other languages like English and French you begin to disperse.

“I remember Christmas Eve, the way we celebrated it at home, it was beautiful. Now it’s different, it’s an Anglo-Saxon atmosphere. At home we had the prese-pio, I built one for my family last year. Christmas Eve in Italy was beautiful, all the young children like my-self would go out and find wood, there were a lot of chestnut groves and some of the branches would die off and fall. We would pick all those sticks up and pile them together and make a big, big fire Christmas Eve. It would last all night.

“At midnight the older people would march off to church and the younger ones would stay to have apple cider and stuff like that. The adults used to make some-thing with flour and honey, it tasted really good.

“When we came to Canada, my grandmother con-

Conversation

—OM

Q: Can you tell me about your work with the National Research Council (NRC)?

A: At this point the war was just about over and there was one company interested in making lubricating greases which had no melting point. Lubricating grease was usually made with soaps and oil. They heat them up to a certain temperature and when they cool down the soap particles are very finely divided in the oil

and they thicken that oil to a grease-like consistency and that’s what the grease is. However, they wanted greases that were stable and good for very high temperatures. Now, if you want high temperatures and you have an organic system like soap and oil, at a certain temperature they melt and become a liquid instead of a grease, it looks like gel. So actually what we started was small particle technology, it was a special study of the properties of these fine particles, what could they do? I found something that gave us a grease which did not have a melting point. We could get temperatures up to 150 degrees centigrade, maybe even above that.

Q: What was the importance of obtaining the lubricating grease with no melting point?

A: It’s important because, for example, when you went to a gas station they had a couple dozen greases for all different parts of the car. Well, these greases have a high melting point and high stability, we found that the same grease could work on them all. That was it. If it worked, the oil would only have to be changed once a year.

Q: Can you tell me more about your work with coal?

A: A major issue is the pollution from mercury produced by the coal. We did some work concerning purifying coals however, the problem about what to do with the waste has eluded us. We produced almost pure coal with low sulfur through agglomeration. The factories probably don’t even know about our agglomeration process since our paper was published in 1968.

tinued the tradition of the presepio however, over time you get away from that, it’s strange. I still prefer a nice Christmas Eve when we go to the church, the old fashion way. There’s something in that you know.”

A man of many facets, Dr. Siranni is a remark-able and a successful member of both the Italian community and the science community. Through-out his life Mr. Siranni has attained over 40 patents, both in Canada and the United States. Even though his peers have acknowledged him many times for his research he has remained a very modest man, proud of his heritage and family.

Dr. Aurelio Siranni with NRC colleagues at his retirement party in 1979.



The story of Joe and Tony Ierullo:

The Ierullo family is one of Preston Street’s oldest and most loved families. Joe Ierullo was the first member of his family to immigrate to Canada from

Vallalonga, Calabria in 1928. Upon arriving in Canada Joe was sent to work in the mines in Timmins, Ontario. However he soon found himself joining a crew of workers who would help in building Canada’s railroad.

When Joe arrived in Ottawa with his crew he came to an important decision: he would quit the railroad and stay here.

Though he remained in construction for some time, his decision allowed him to meet his future wife Vittoria Maviglia. “The story of Joe and Vittoria was a wonderful love affair,” says his sister-in-law Marie.

Joe did not wish to spend his life within the construc-tion industr y, therefore with the help of some good friends he was able to mas-ter the art of barbering. In 1936 he bought a house on Preston St. and converted the front into a barber shop and the back into a home for his quickly growing family.

His first and only son, Tony, was born in 1934 and was to be followed by three sisters (Theresa, Rosa and Silvia) all only one year apart.

Little did Joe know what an impact his barber shop was to have within the Italian community. The barber shop, which remains one of Ottawa’s oldest businesses, became and still is, a hub for gathering and sharing interesting conversation.

“We could always see people coming and going” says his eldest daughter Theresa, “I remember as a child when sitting around the supper table my father would recount many stories dealing with health, politics, history or whatever else he felt was good for us to know. It made me feel proud to see how knowledgeable he was.”

Silvia, the youngest of the family recalls busy Saturdays and how her mother used to make zambaglion with cognac and how she, having the least amount of housework, would stay behind the shop door holding the food until her father had a minute to gulp it down.

The existence of a place like the barber shop was very important to the com-munity. “It was a form of communication” explains Theresa, “This took the place of Il Postino, The Ottawa Cititzen or CJOH for an earlier time. In the winter people would come by simply to talk, nothing else” she finishes.

However, even though business was an important part of his life, Joe never worked on Sundays and would often bring his family to Constance Bay where they would enjoy an afternoon of fishing and swimming.

The Ierullo house acted on Sundays much as the barber shop did during the week. “Sundays was a day to receive friends and family” says Theresa, “My dad always had to have his music, so after our family lunch, he would turn on the music and people would drop by throughout the rest of the day.” Niece to Joe, Angela remembers, “There was always lots on the table, my aunt would always have a pot of pasta on

the stove.” “We never feared anything” concludes Theresa fondly.Being a very proud and family centered man, Joe wished his eldest son

Tony to follow in his footsteps and work at the barber shop. Of course his intentions were of eventually leaving him the business.

Though Tony struggled with this for a few years (preferring to go into construction or following his leather-working hobby), he did eventually agree to pursue the barbering trade.

“Legacy is very important to Italian families” says Silvia, therefore the fact that Tony followed in his father’s footsteps meant the world to Joe. Joe and Tony became a true father and son team, both bringing unique qualities to their trade.

Tony grew to love barbery as much or perhaps more than his father. His wife Gail explains, “people would come in to talk about anything, sports, children etc. At 5:30pm one of his friends used to come in after work, get his haircut and sit there and chat for hours with Tony. I would have to go

to the door and knock to say ‘dinner’s on the table dear’ but he still wouldn’t leave. He would say ‘just a minute, just a minute’ but he couldn’t turn anyone away.”

Tony not only loved his job, but the peo-ple as well. He took pride in his barbery and believed that as an entrepreneur he also had a responsibility to the community.

Therefore, like his father before him, he attempted to give to the community as much as it had given him. His father had helped many immigrants enter the country and by no means abandoned them when they got here. He wanted other people to be able to come to Canada, establish themselves and then be able to send for their families (much as he had).

Joe and Vittoria helped many people find jobs, houses, whatever they needed. This tradition was passed on to their son Tony.

His daughter Gina remembers that he would sometimes pull out money, without any expectation of ever seeing it again, and give it to a friend or person in need.

He knew how hard life could be and was thankful to have been able to do so well for

himself. “Joe and Tony helped people make a connection” says Marie, “If everyone within the community hadn’t done their little part, then this community would not be as strong as it is and that connection wouldn’t have existed!” adds Theresa.

The barber shop on Preston St. was a place where everyone knew your name. People felt like family and this created a bond that is stronger than any brick and will therefore exist forever.

Gail says that the family has no intention of selling the business any time soon. For now, due to Tony’s declining health, his children are looking after the business.

However, even if one day they do sell the barber shop, the connections they made in the community within the walls of that barber shop will never fade.

The respect this family has earned for their prominent role within the Italian community will continue from one generation to another.

by Oliviana Mingarelli“Helping people make a connection”

“We could always see people coming and going”

Left: back : daughters Theresa, Rosa, Silvia front: mother Vittoria and son Tony Middle: Tony and his wife Gail.Right: Tony began helping his father at a young age.

Top: the original barber shop.Right: Proud owner and founder, Joe Ierullo stands before his barber shop.

Remembering Tony Ierullo an Icon of Preston Street 1934-2011Piccolo Italia



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Fulfi lling Her ‘Destiny’ New head of Fiat brand relishes historic opportunity

Shortly after she traded a secure job at Volkswagen for the uncer-tainty of relaunching the Fiat brand at Chrysler Group, Laura Soave’s father dug up an old photograph.

In it, a three-year-old Soave is perched atop the hood of a Fiat 500 during a family vacation in Italy. “My fa-ther brought the picture back to me and said, ‘Look, destiny.’”

Stationed inside the Chrysler display at the North American International Auto Show, Soave has spent the day fielding one interview after another. Pos-sessing an effervescent personality, the 38-year-old daughter of Italian-American parents relishes the challenge of reintroducing Fiat vehicles to Canadian and U.S. consumers after a 25-year ab-sence. “I don’t even think of it as a task. I grew up with Fiat because my parents are Italian, so for me, this is just exciting that I can share a part of my cul-ture, my childhood with Americans and Canadians.” Above all, “it’s an opportunity to make history.”

Sought out by Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne to serve as head of Fiat Brand, North America, Soave’s initial instincts were to de-cline the offer. “I said in my gut I wasn’t going to do it,” the native Detroiter recalled. As general manager of experiential marketing at Volkswagen, Soave “had a great job. I was safe working for a company that keeps saying they are going to be No. 1 in the world,” she said. “But at night when I’d go to bed, I’d say to myself, ‘Can I look at myself in two years when this thing is a huge success and it’s not me who’s doing this?’”

Success is far from certain. In its first foray into North America, Fiat’s reputa-tion was tainted by poor quality issues. The new version must strip itself of the Fix-it-again-Tony stigma. The Cinquecento is debuting just as American consumers’

buying habits are shifting from passenger cars to larger vehicles and light trucks, noted Tony Faria, a business professor and auto industry expert at the University of Windsor. In Canada, light trucks outsold passenger cars for all of 2010. “I don’t think it’s going to be real easy to sell a lot of Fiat 500s. There will be some market for it for sure in some Italian communities in Canada and the U.S. Windsor has a nice Italian community. But, in general, Americans do prefer bigger vehicles to smaller vehicles.”

In Canada, the Cinquecento, the first of four Fiat brands to turn up in showrooms over the next two years, will be sold in 58 stand-alone dealerships, including two in Windsor. In the U.S., the vehicle will be available in 130 stores in select markets displaying growth potential in the small-car segment.

Chrysler’s plant in Toluca, Mexico, is to crank out 50,000 units for the North American market this year. Yet, BMW’s Mini brand, the granddaddy of minicars, sold just 45,644 units last year in North America, a slight increase of 0.9 per cent from 2009. “In 2010, if we look at the Mini, Smart and some of the subcompact vehicles, their sales declined in the face of a U.S. market that was up 11 per cent and a Canadian market that was up almost seven per cent,” Faria said. “The Fiat 500 might get those early year’s sales boost, that the others did. The question is, can they hold on to it?”

Soave points to projections indicating that the small-car segment in North America will double by 2014. As well, gasoline prices, while having fallen from the highs posted in 2008 when the price of oil reach US$147 a barrel, are steadily creeping

up. Fiat’s competitive edge lies in its expertise in small cars, she said. “Fiat has been building small cars for over 100 years.

This isn’t a new car. This car launched in 2007 and quickly became an icon. Every country that we’ve launched has

become a huge success.” Chrysler engineers also modified the subcom-

pact to suit North American tastes and priorities, Soave said. “Safety is the No. 1 thing we hear from

consumers, more so in America, than in Canada, because the perception is bigger is better and safer.” To address safety concerns, the North American Cinquecento is equipped with seven standard airbags.

Unlike the European model, the domestic version also features cupholders, arm rest, steering-wheel controls and a covered glove compartment. A six-speed automatic transmission

will be offered in the U.S. and Canada, whereas, in Europe, the 500 comes only with a manual gearbox. “We can

give you the style and design, we can give you safety features, we can give you fuel economy, we can give you all the amenities and content

that would normally go to a larger car, all at a great price,” Soave said. Fiat, she predicted, will be an easier sell in Canada than in the United

States. “You’ve always been much more open to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles than Americans,” she noted. “The number of Italian Americans total 27 million but the Italian population in Canada is stronger, relatively speaking. Then we have areas, like Quebec, where this brand is super popular. This is something we don’t need to push as much as we do here in America.”

North Americans have had a long love affair with Italian culture, Soave said. “Canadians and Americans love Italian shoes, Italian food, Italian clothing, art, culture. So now, we can give them an affordable, Italian car.”

The Windsor Star; By Grace Macaluso

Laura Soave, head of Fiat brand, stands in the Fiat showroom at the North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center, in Detroit, MI, Photograph by: Dax Melmer, The Windsor Star


I L P O S T I N ODICEMBRE 2010

Therese Maloney CousineauHave been recognized by the Ontario Catholic Trustees Association for 25 Years service as a Trustee

Continue to fight for the right to retain the catholic education system in Ontario

Increase communication with our communities, parishes, schools and all our catholic organizations.

Review our french immersion programs in our schools, so that our students are fully bilingual

Study the possibility of teaching another language due to world exchange programs and increased world trade

613-235-2024theresemaloneycousineau@

ottawacatholicschools.ca

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BARZELLETTA DELLA SETTIMANACarabiniere dal dottore: “Dottore, se mi tocco qui ho male (indicando

il fegato). Pure se mi tocco qui ho male (indicando la milza). E anche se mi tocco qui (indicando il gomito).Ecc, ecc. Cosa può essere?”. Il dottore: “Mi sa che lei ha un dito fratturato!

Social Networking in Italian Mi piace Facebook. I like Facebook.

“Gli italiani vanno matti per Facebook” (The Italians are going crazy for Face-book), a friend from Rome tells me. They certainly are. Of the 600 million users (utenti) of the world?s most popular social networking site (sito web di reti sociali ) almost 18 million are Italians, representing 30.57 percent of their country?s popula-tion and 59.15 percent of Italians online.

Chi sono gli Italiani su Facebook? (Who are the Italians on Facebook?) As in the United States, most are young adults: 28 percent are between ages 25 and 34; 26 percent, between 18 and 25. Another 26 percent are middle-aged, between 35

and 54.Italians vanno su Facebook (go on Facebook) to connect (connettersi) and

remain in contact (rimanere in contatto) with the people of their life (le persone della loro vita). They create profiles (creano profili), post photographs and lists of personal interests (pubblicare fotografie e liste di interessi personali) on their wall (la bacheca), exchange personal and public messages (scambiare messaggi privati o pubblici), join groups of friends (unirsi a gruppi di amici) and play games (gio-care). And, of course, they respond to Facebook prompts to comment (commenta), share (condividi), hide (nascondi) or change their status (stato).

They also use Facebook all? italiana (in Italian style) A Mafia boss in Calabria with the user name ?Scarface? kept in touch with his associates via Facebook?until the police tracked his Internet address and nabbed him. Italian doctors recently reported what may be the first case of Facebook-induced asthma. After his girl-friend decided to ?unfriend? him (rimuovere un?amicizia), a rejected suitor began wheezing whenever he went online and saw photos of her with new male Facebook friends (amici di Facebook).

I am always happy to ?friend? (aggiungere come amico) an Italian. A lovely Romana uploads fabulous footage of her great passion: il tango. An artist sends images of his bold abstract paintings (dipinti astrati). Last Christmas a fan meticu-lously tagged (taggare) every face in a classic Nativity painting with the name of a contemporary. Much to my amazement, I was tagged as the Madonna.

I have clicked the ?mi piace? (I like) buttons on fan pages for Dante, Michelan-gelo, Leonardo, Marcello Mastroianni, Florence, our favorite restaurant in Rome and hotels in Florence and on the Tuscan coast.

LA BELLA LINGUA also has a group page. Inspired by my book on the world?s most enchanting language, it celebrates Italy?s people, history, food, traditions and culture. Vorrei invitarvi a diventare amici del mio libro su Facebook! (I would like to invite you to become friends of my book on Facebook!)

Benvenuti a tutti! (Welcome to everyone!)

Faster Times; Dianne Hales;



In Remembrance of Tony Alloggia pg 12-14I L P O S T I N OV O L . 12 NO. 5 FEBRUARY 2011 ::FEBBRAIO 2011 $2.00

Chieti, ItaliaLa Sportiva Restauri

Before After

Gino Buffone, Carlo Pantalone, Francesco Daddario, Marcus Filoso

Francesco Daddario and Son

Original Mille Miglia Car



National Federation of Italian Canadian

Associationswww.foica.ca

CANADIAN NEWS

L’AQUILA – E’ in corso di stampa e sarà presto nelle librerie il volume “Tra do-menica e lunedì” di Anna Ventura, pubblicato da One Group Edizioni (pagine 88, � � � � � � � / ·RSHUD� GHOOD� VFULWWULFH� DTXLODQD� � � XQ� GLDULR� VXO� WHUUHP RWR� GHOO·$TXLOD� HQWUDWR�nella Lista d’onore del Premio Nazionale “Pieve Santo Stefano” - è una straordi-naria testimonianza civile, un toccante viaggio tra l’angoscia e la speranza. Solo la generosità e la sensibilità di una scrittrice straordinaria come Anna Ventura potevano regalarci un’esposizione dell’anima così sincera e profonda. Una testi-monianza coraggiosa, che mette in comunione con altri i sentimenti più intimi, e lo fa con intensità e sofferenza, ma anche con grazia, eleganza ed ironia. Nato sotto la spinta emotiva e drammatica del terremoto, il diario di Anna Ventura si apre il 7 aprile 2009 a Montesilvano, meta - come molte altre - di una improvvisa e dolorosa diaspora. Il 21 novembre il diario si chiude, sempre a Montesilvano: il dramma è stato elaborato, la vita è ormai trasformata ma non annientata, e c’è nell’anima una nuova determinazione e un’impensabile energia. Il volume reca la prefazione di Goffredo Palmerini. Con il consenso di Anna Ventura e dell’editore, viene di seguito inviata come anticipazione alla stampa.

Ho letto più volte il diario di Anna Ventura. “Tra domenica e lunedì” è un diario insolito, non comincia con il primo dell’anno, come normalmente accade, ma tra il 5 e 6 aprile 2009. Sì, dalla notte della tragedia aquilana. L’inizio d’una nuova era per la città, martoriata dal terremoto. Ho esitato non poco a scrivere questa nota, da quel giorno di luglio quando Anna mi propose di redigere la prefazione al diario che aveva già deciso di pubblicare. Il suo un gesto d’amore per L’Aquila, diventata con il sisma patrimonio universale. Ma anche un atto di grande coraggio, come dirò appresso. Sebbene avvertissi la mia inadeguatezza al compito, trattandosi d’una scrittrice prestigiosa verso le cui opere ben altre competenze si sono cimentate, della richiesta mi sentii onorato. Ritenni che, per essere un diario, i sentimenti di amicizia ed affetto che nutro verso l’Autrice e la sua famiglia avrebbero potuto agevolare l’impresa, rendendola possibile alle mie modeste risorse. Così non è stato. Mi ha molto impegnato, sul piano emotivo, scrivere queste scarne righe. Per-ché questo di Anna Ventura non è soltanto un diario, ma una testimonianza civile di grande rilievo che contribuirà non poco a fissare, nella memoria collettiva della comunità aquilana, un’altra tessera di dignità e d’orgoglio civico, nella storia del dramma che L’Aquila ha vissuto e che ancora vivrà per un lungo periodo.

Ho avvertito quel tanto di trepidazione nell’accostarmi ad una scrittrice straor-dinaria e sensibile, qual è Anna Ventura. E se da un lato quel che mi era apparso possibile, trattandosi d’un diario e non di un’opera letteraria per la quale sarei stato del tutto inadeguato, mi ha invece rivelato altri inimmaginabili risvolti, perché queste pagine sono appunto un’eccezionale testimonianza: forte, profonda, coraggiosa. Chi sarebbe disposto, infatti, a mettere in comunione con altri - molti altri, quanti una pubblicazione preziosa può interessare - quel mondo d’intimi sentimenti e di emozioni che sono quanto di più privato e riservato esista?

Eppure, Anna Ventura l’ha fatto. E lascerà non solo agli Aquilani, ma anche alla comunità più lata di coloro che per anni osserveranno, studieranno a fondo il nostro dramma, scandaglieranno il cuore aperto della nostra sofferenza, delle nostre ansie, del dolore che non geme, Anna lascerà - dicevo - un patrimonio di sensazioni che oscilla dal desiderio di futuro vissuto tra le spine delle difficoltà quotidiane e la speranza di riconquistare i luoghi della nostra vita, nonostante tutto. Questi, appunto, i registri dominanti dei giorni descritti con asciutto rigore, con la consapevolezza della difficoltà, con la determinazione di sopravvivere nel luogo diverso e disadorno dell’esistenza, rispetto a quello perduto d’una convivenza fatta di serene abitudini familiari, sociali e culturali.

E allora, per quanto alla durezza della perdita di Fausto, il compagno della vita, appena elaborata, si sia aggiunto l’indicibile sconvolgimento delle cose e dell’anima, è necessario andare avanti, “ricostruire” temporaneamente la propria dimensione, in altro luogo, a Montesilvano. Dapprima in albergo, poi nella casa al mare, anche se al mare non si volge lo sguardo, che piuttosto indugia sul profilo delle colline che accostano ai monti, dove, oltre l’orizzonte, il pensiero declina verso L’Aquila. Nostalgia, certo. E dolore silenzioso, persistente. Eppure c’è necessità d’adeguare

“TRA DOMENICA E LUNEDI”, IL TOCCANTE VIAGGIO TRA L’ANGOSCIA E LA SPERANZA

Presto in libreria il diario di Anna Ventura sul terremoto dell’Aquila, una singolare testimonianza civile di Goffredo Palmerini

quella nuova casa, metter su un luogo dove anche nella precarietà vivere con i custodi del proprio spirito - poesia, scrittura e critica letteraria - dove allestire una parvenza di biblioteca rispetto a quelle piene e ordinate della casa aquilana, las-ciate in fretta tra la polvere dei calcinacci, anche se fortunatamente illese. Quello letterario è provvidenzialmente un mondo dove le affinità elettive si esaltano in sensibilità, con tante amicizie premurose che da ogni angolo d’Italia sono vicine, solidali, condividono e rinfrancano.

Commuove tanta attenzione. E’ bella tanta partecipazione. E va bene, allora, per meglio superare gli scogli delle giornate nel forzoso esilio dalla città squassata dal sisma e con le sue macerie isolata dal mondo, concedersi qualche evasione: una sera in pizzeria o un buon desco condiviso con un’amica, una visita data o il piacere d’una visita ricevuta. E poi un po’ d’ironia, che non guasta, contro ogni depressione. Come pure l’autoironia, che aiuta a sopravvivere, con leggerezza. E man mano che i giorni da quel 6 aprile scorrono, l’assiduità del diario si stempera, si allunga, si dirada, fino a chiudersi il 21 novembre. Sembra che assecondi una lenta eppur progressiva elaborazione del dramma. Con la vita che riprende, nella sua pienezza, emerge l’incoerenza dei contesti obbligati, il disagio della privazione della propria città.

In questi mesi, numerose sono state le testimonianze pubblicate, molti libri, tutti utili a tracciare una memoria della nostra angoscia. Eppure questo diario è un tas-sello importante nella descrizione della tragedia aquilana, della nostra storia civica. Nel diario di Anna, più d’ogni altro contributo, si legge il travaglio dell’anima, lo smarrimento della nostra vita, il significato vitale dell’ecosistema urbano e sociale della nostra città, che coltivava le abitudini quotidiane, l’unico - come per certe felci il loro terreno - a far vivere con dignità le nostre giornate, a dargli un senso. Ora ci mancano i luoghi, le atmosfere, i casuali incontri, le ragioni delle nostre con-suetudini, gli alimenti delle nostre curiosità culturali, i suoni e i colori dell’Aquila, il profumo antico e sapido dei muri delle case, le ombre dei vicoli, l’organismo composito - con i suoi pregi ed i suoi difetti - della nostra comunità aquilana, ora dispersa in una diaspora che purtroppo resterà per anni irrisolta.

E tuttavia dal diario si leva una consapevolezza civile, dolorosa, per quel che s’è temporaneamente perso, con una sottile, dignitosa, lucida, delicata eppure forte invocazione alla speranza, alla ricostruzione della nostra bella città, certamente materiale, ma sopra tutto spirituale, al recupero più alto della sua anima, quella che fino al 6 aprile ci aveva intrigato con le sue meraviglie e con le sue suggestioni, linfa d’ispirazione lirica ed humus per le altre arti. Domani, tra qualche anno o tra qual-che secolo, questa sincera e generosa esposizione dell’anima sarà un riferimento significativo, senza mediazioni e senza le scorie dell’apparenza, lo specchio della nostra esistenza nei giorni tragici del terremoto, la tenacia della speranza, la voglia di futuro, la riconquista dei luoghi e delle consuetudini della nostra vita nella città che fino a quella terribile notte li aveva così armoniosamente combinati. E questi registri dell’anima, nel diario, emergono lungo la cadenza dei giorni in tutta la loro solarità, con la grazia, il garbo, l’intensità, la sofferenza, l’ironia, l’eleganza, la raf-finatezza e l’amore civico che sono la cifra più trasparente di Anna Ventura.

Anna Ventura è infatti una scrittrice straordinaria, feconda, sensibile e gen-erosa. La sua sensibilità l’ha portata, negli anni scorsi, ad affidare tutti i suoi diari all’Archivio nazionale del Diario di Pieve Santo Stefano. L’ha fatto anche con questo “particolare” diario. La Giuria del “Premio Nazionale Diario” di Pieve Santo Stefano, che dapprima ha iscritto Anna Ventura nella Lista d’onore per il 2010, ne ha poi dato menzione con la motivazione vergata da Silvia Bertocci: “Il diario del dolore, della devastazione, dell’impotenza, dell’attesa, dell’incertezza, del ricordo, della speranza. Una vita che torna ad inventarsi, quando tutto pareva stabilito, quando tutto pareva volgere ormai al tramonto. Una vita che il terremoto sconquassa e tras-forma ma non annienta: la metamorfosi di una “dolce signora paffuta” in “manager affaccendata”, in donna grintosa e determinata. Una vita che torna a pulsare con forza, con dignità e con una nuova, impensabile energia. Forza, dignità ed energia che mi hanno avvinta”. Senza dubbio un giudizio e un riconoscimento di grande valore. Giusto quanto Anna Ventura merita.


I L P O S T I N ONational Arts Centre brings together Ottawa and Canada’s culinary

superstars for First Annual Canadian Celebrity Chefs event!

The National Arts Cen-tre and some of Ottawa’s most popular chefs will host Canada’s top culinary stars at the First Annual Canadian Celebrity Chefs event.

The event – hosted by Kevin Brauch, star of The Thirsty Traveller on Food Net-work Canada –will showcase the best talent and cuisine coming from Canadian chefs and feature demonstrations, discussions and food and wine tastings that highlight the importance of modern Canadian cuisine.

Top Celebrity Chefs from across Canada will come together to match their cu-linary spirit with renowned local chefs for an unforget-table gourmet experience. The all-day event will consist of two parts:

Participants include sev-eral Food Network Canada celebrity chefs including the National Arts Centre’s Execu-tive Chef, Michael Blackie; David Rocco, Dolce Vita (To-ronto, Ontario); Brad Long, Belong Café (Toronto, Ontar-io); and Michael Lyon, Hotel Eldorado (Kelowna, B.C.).

Some of Canada’s biggest culinary stars will take part, including Anthony Walsh, Canoe (Toronto, Ontario); Michael Howell, Tempest Restaurant (Wolfville, Nova Scotia); Ray Bear, MIX (Hali-fax, Nova Scotia); Paul Rogal-ski, ROUGE (Calgary, Al-berta); and Mathieu Cloutier, Kitchen Galerie (Montreal, Québec).

Hosting the group of cross-Canada chefs are some of Ottawa’s top chefs, includ-ing Clifford Lyness, Perspec-tives, Brookstreet; Cesare Santaguida, Vittoria Tratto-ria; Charlotte Langley, The Whalesbone Oyster House; Robyn Bowen, Empire Grill; Marc Lepine, Atelier Restau-rant; Michael Moffatt, Beckta Dining and Wine; and Norm Aiken, Juniper Dining.

Canadian Celebrity Chefs event is made possible by The Ottawa Citizen, ARC The Hotel, C.A. Paradis, Testek Instruments Inc., Savvy Com-pany, Orleans Fresh Fruit, Summit, Chef Works Canada Inc., Van Houtte and Food Network Canada.

Proceeds from the Cana-dian Celebrity Chefs event will go to support the NAC’s National Youth and Educa-tion Trust which furthers artistic education, training and mentorship for young Canadians.


Photos and Article By Giovanni

v o l . 12 no. 5 february 2011 ::febbraio ... - il...

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