Nothing wrong with Paradise.

Ah, Sardinians. When you are being criticized, you are being praised. Critics don't know it. But they are heaping plaudits on your Sardinian island mentality.  An Australian exchange student, on the Internet, meant to be critical, when he wrote:

'Everything they do is crazy patriotic for this island. They speak Italian but they make a point of speaking Sardinian even if it's just the words 'aju' (come on) and 'eja' (yes) to the point where I've barely heard anyone at school respond to a question with 'si'. They pride themselves on being themselves, they choose to go to Cagliari or Sassari, the two big universities.  The equivalent of the Southern Cross tattoo, either the 4 moor (their admittedly bad-assed flag) or a nuraghe (ancient towers), at least one of these will be on everyone who has a tattoo. They talk up 'la sardita' (sardinian-ness) so much that often they forget they are a part of Italy...Until Italy does something well like win a big soccer match. They all aspire to serve their (expletive) island. And that's it! First question they ask me, every time: 'Oh, sei australiano? Ma ti piace la Sardegna? E bella, no? (Oh, you're Australian? Do you like Sardinia? It's really beautiful, isn't it?) They are all (expletive) obsessed with their traditions, their dancing, this one event called the sartoglia...Like obsessed. Which is okay. But at every public festical, political rally all there will be is a group of traditional Sardinian dancers because that's what works. None of them want to leave the island. For them the whole world is Sardinia. And even when they go travel around Barcelona, Luxemburg, London, wherever else...They always say Sardinia is better...All that is okay I guess. I mean it's their home and they are proud to be part of a group of people with such strong traditions. Yet all the Sardinian people I've met who've gone on exchange have had their horizons expanded or something. Literally, every single one of them has said something along the line of 'I have to (expletive) escape this island.' If that's not indicative of some deeper problems I don't know what is.'

Now that sums up exactly what I like about Sardinians. They are being themselves. Please pardon them for that. After all, that's an attribute. It's all right to feel a bit superior. I'm an Americano. Which is nice, too. But I wouldn't mind being an honorary Sardinian.  I like the island. Especially it's 1,200 miles of Mediterranean coastline. I like Sardinian ways. I'm comfortable in Sardinia. In the wintertime, even more comfortable than I am in Minnesota.  My Italian true love. She's really a lifelong Sardinian.  Anyway, if told that I could never leave Sardinia, I'd adjust. Quite well. Nothing wrong with living in Paradise. --Jim Broede