Neigborhood Holiday Party

I had a great experience last night. I attended a neighborhood holiday party. Due to a decrease in school age children some of the old school buildings have been turned into community centers. One such school is my old elementary school Giuseppe Mazzini in the Biondella / San Pio X area in the eastern part of Verona. It was a brand new school when I started first grade in 1964, now it serves the community well providing classes for maily the older generation, gym, dance, art, computer, and many other.

As I walked into the school and joyned the group of people attending the fest, I kept looking for familiar faces, hoping to recognize teachers or students from long ago. A group of ex-Alpinis (mountain soldiers, pround and tough) was performing a typical repertoir of mountain songs. The old men stood proundly sporting the feather on their characteristic hat, sang loudly and with pride. Their last song was a typical one for the Alpinos and they invited the audience to join in:

La me morosa vecia....
la tengo de riserva....

My old girl friend....
I keep her as a spare....

A poem by Berto Barbarani, the Veronese poet, concluded the program- The Alpini cooked Risotto con il Tastasale (Risotto with some sort of pork sausage) for the entire group. I like the Alpini!

A live band with a repertoir from the 60s provided the dancing music, not the best band, but no one seemed to notice. Familiarity was certainly prevalent as many accomodated the old woman who clearly loved dancing, and who, when no one could keep up with any longer, went solo on the dance floor.

Food, wine, dancing, lottery prizes, family and friends, what more? It was a familiar time for me as well, although I no longer am part of this community. It does not take much to fit right back in when family and neighbors open their arms wide for you...