Hola! Andi here checking in from Rosario, Argentina (Juan’s hometown! Well, city). Karen invited me to contribute to her blog awhile back, so I figured I’d put my author privileges to use. Because while Karen describes with poise the details of our weekend together in Buenos Aires, she does leave a few things out. Things you could only imagine unless you see Karen and Mike in action (I’m sure Donna and Arlene will agree).
Por ejemplo, Karen speaks castellano, the Argentine version of español. And as Andrew puts it, she’s incredibly brave, describing to people she just met in tango class how she broke her toe and explaining to the host at a restaurant why we were confirming a reservation for 4 when we showed up with 5. I don’t know how she does it, but she demonstrates a command of the language that allows her to do more than tango her way through the streets of Buenos Aires. I’m impressed.
Another cosa: Karen and Mike’s apartment on the busy street of Florida is absolutely gorgeous. The vista from their balcony of the city below and the river just within reach is breathtaking. And most importantly, the bedroom has one open wall that provides a home for Karen’s long—and still expanding—line of tango shoes. Her latest find: three shoes of the same silver material, one of a larger size to allow room for her injured toe to breathe. Que buena idea. Or so I think.
Lastly, and I don’t know how to put it, but Karen and Mike are celebrities here. Everywhere we went they ran into at least one person they knew. From the corner restaurant in San Telmo where the entire wait staff recognized them to the milonga at Ideal where one of the feature tangueros invited us to a tango variety show (we were even greeted by the show’s director and producer). And here such an encounter does not warrant a casual glance followed by a quick hello and handshake. It’s besos all around. For everyone, including the amigos from PA.
To put it in a few words, we had a blast. Thanks again Karen and Mike!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Separation Anxiety Starting to Rear Up
Serious Separation Anxiety- only 2 More Days- But What a Night at Ideal
Since we’ve had no water for 3 days we’re a bit grungy. At home, I’d be mad and trying to control it all- phone calls, more phone calls and using my “in charge” manner that I leave behind when we live, notice I didn’t say visit, in BsAs. After a 3:00 AM turn-in, a shower would have been a nice change, but I’d rather NEVER have another shower then return to the life in PA where we busily push to exist in the phony fast-paced world I don’t understand.
Andrew danced with Stella at the Dandi. -moved at a quiet, graceful even pace and on the beat. His first lesson in Argentina and I don’t think it will be his last.
Andi danced with Pablo and floated. Mike and I stumbled along wrestling with each other-too much thinking about the new way of walking. Luckily we know our next few months at home will bring all the lessons together and the dance will flow again.
After 3 hours of Stella and a quick Musel dinner we headed for the show at Confiteria Ideal. Gustavo’s mom was there to see him too. Also talked to Eduardo, Kikki and Silvana.
Headed up to the milonga. Cecilia showed up because she heard we were there. CJ, Andi and Andrew got to meet our instructors and then they put on a show for us with 5 or 6 amazing tangos. Every day here I say to Mike, “This is the best day of my life.” The candy store winds down on Tuesday.
Since we’ve had no water for 3 days we’re a bit grungy. At home, I’d be mad and trying to control it all- phone calls, more phone calls and using my “in charge” manner that I leave behind when we live, notice I didn’t say visit, in BsAs. After a 3:00 AM turn-in, a shower would have been a nice change, but I’d rather NEVER have another shower then return to the life in PA where we busily push to exist in the phony fast-paced world I don’t understand.
Andrew danced with Stella at the Dandi. -moved at a quiet, graceful even pace and on the beat. His first lesson in Argentina and I don’t think it will be his last.
Andi danced with Pablo and floated. Mike and I stumbled along wrestling with each other-too much thinking about the new way of walking. Luckily we know our next few months at home will bring all the lessons together and the dance will flow again.
After 3 hours of Stella and a quick Musel dinner we headed for the show at Confiteria Ideal. Gustavo’s mom was there to see him too. Also talked to Eduardo, Kikki and Silvana.
Headed up to the milonga. Cecilia showed up because she heard we were there. CJ, Andi and Andrew got to meet our instructors and then they put on a show for us with 5 or 6 amazing tangos. Every day here I say to Mike, “This is the best day of my life.” The candy store winds down on Tuesday.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Andi Again.
A 4 hour bus ride from Rosario and Andi is here in BsAs to dance, eat- even though she's a vegan- and laugh. She and Andrew showed up at our apartment on Florida and after a taste of Malbec we headed for the Galerias for an 8:30 lesson with Claude. Claude turned out to be a woman. Claude? Would I name my daughter Claude after my grandfather- the only Claude I have ever known? For me she worked on my inability to relax when I need to let go. " Don't tense the muscles" she repeated and flapped her arms and legs like a rag doll. Changing partners I got to see Mike glide along with Andi. WOW. Andrew hung out with CJ and then we took the group for an early, 10:30, dinner at Filo. Filo has entertainment of a different kind. Watching the waiters and waitresses parade up and down the hallway from kitchen to customer is a show. They walk to the beat of the music that is tuned down in the background. You can feel the beat vibrate through the floor like a drum. If only I could teach Mike to find that beat in the tango. His beat is in his head to some unknown instrument or thought. Claude walked behind us for a few minutes clicking her fingers loudly to help Mike find the 1,2, 3, 4. He said, "I can't find it or hear it."
"So what?" I think every time. Go with the dance you feel and take me with you. Tonight we'll have our last "Stella fix" at the Dandi then on to watch Gustavo dance at Ideal. Winding down for our last few precious days here. Somber is the mood as the soon to see fast food restaurants ruin my mood. CJ said his first return trip to Dalton put him in cultural shock. How lucky to have 5 months here in an exchange program, but then how do you ever go back?
"So what?" I think every time. Go with the dance you feel and take me with you. Tonight we'll have our last "Stella fix" at the Dandi then on to watch Gustavo dance at Ideal. Winding down for our last few precious days here. Somber is the mood as the soon to see fast food restaurants ruin my mood. CJ said his first return trip to Dalton put him in cultural shock. How lucky to have 5 months here in an exchange program, but then how do you ever go back?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
JOHANA=#1
15 days of lessons- then Johana
All the figures run together in a blur and the worst part of this is that I hate figures.
Johana was so kind to take Mike and me into a separate room at the Museum of Tango at the Academia and work with us on basic walking for an hour.The floor was slippery , newly waxed, and I kept sliding nervously off my axis.
Julio wet a towel and put it in the corner where we could plant our feet every few minutes. My dancing has NEVER been worse and Mike was no better. All the skating lessons we had before our pairs competition didn’t help -the slippery floor worked under us like a sheet of ice. The 2 ½ years of hard work since we started with Johana in November of 06 fell away into awkward nonfeeling tango- the tango I can't tolerate. The more I worried about what she was thinking the worse I danced. Side step, short step, l-o-o-o-ng step. The V. Reach back, push back. Finally the last tango and we were free to stare at beautiful Antonella. Mike held her for a picture then we went to the street and hopefully better days ahead. Giving up the skating was easy. After all, 1 broken arm and 1 dislocated shoulder somehow meant I'd had enough. After this lesson I think giving up the tango might be the best choice for my old bones and broken little toe. Ah! But what to do with the 3 new pairs of 3" heels and all the many little leather flower shoe adornments that I bought for myself and as gifts. David at Tango 8 in Abasto has them made locally. These little clip-on flowers make the old shoes look elegant and new. A steal for 25 pesos a pair. My entrepreneurial mind says why don’t we buy 500 pairs and sell them in the US at dance events. Mike says let's sell them as a non-profit organization and pour the money back into the tango community in some way to promote the dance. I like the non-profit idea, of course.
All the figures run together in a blur and the worst part of this is that I hate figures.
Johana was so kind to take Mike and me into a separate room at the Museum of Tango at the Academia and work with us on basic walking for an hour.The floor was slippery , newly waxed, and I kept sliding nervously off my axis.
Julio wet a towel and put it in the corner where we could plant our feet every few minutes. My dancing has NEVER been worse and Mike was no better. All the skating lessons we had before our pairs competition didn’t help -the slippery floor worked under us like a sheet of ice. The 2 ½ years of hard work since we started with Johana in November of 06 fell away into awkward nonfeeling tango- the tango I can't tolerate. The more I worried about what she was thinking the worse I danced. Side step, short step, l-o-o-o-ng step. The V. Reach back, push back. Finally the last tango and we were free to stare at beautiful Antonella. Mike held her for a picture then we went to the street and hopefully better days ahead. Giving up the skating was easy. After all, 1 broken arm and 1 dislocated shoulder somehow meant I'd had enough. After this lesson I think giving up the tango might be the best choice for my old bones and broken little toe. Ah! But what to do with the 3 new pairs of 3" heels and all the many little leather flower shoe adornments that I bought for myself and as gifts. David at Tango 8 in Abasto has them made locally. These little clip-on flowers make the old shoes look elegant and new. A steal for 25 pesos a pair. My entrepreneurial mind says why don’t we buy 500 pairs and sell them in the US at dance events. Mike says let's sell them as a non-profit organization and pour the money back into the tango community in some way to promote the dance. I like the non-profit idea, of course.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Jesus ( Not the Easter One) and the S-L-O-W Walk
So here we are dancing every day- 15 in a row- and sometimes more than 2 hours. Jesus gives us a 1 hour lesson and what do we do for the hour. WALK. This walk just about did us in. Mike is hobbling around ever since and my feet are mostly in hot water for hours. This walk was painfully slow. We'd go slow and he'd say slower. We'd go slower and he' say slower. Slower than watching grass grow. Jesus, on the floor, planting my feet and then holding my hips level. 1 hour of this over and over. Almost at the end of the hour I said, "Oh, Jesus!". Mike's eyes widened and he suppressed a laugh. I laughed inside. Before our next lesson with this wonderful instructor I promised I'd practice every day. Now my dance is changing and flowing along gracefully. A little magic from an hour of slow walking. The lesson was at one of our favorite studios on Belgrano. After we climbed the stairs Severio greeted us like lost family. Even though Jesus and Severio speak no English we all laugh when he finds out that Mike and he are the same age and he has been dancing for 61 years and Mike for only 2 1/2. Tango binds us to so many.
Reminders of FAR OFF PA
Reminders of Home- People I MISS
ANTHONY- The best steak I’ve EVER had – Friday at the fast food court at Galerias Pacifico. Posteveccia. At the end of the cafeteria like line sits a basket of hard rolls. A gentleman who spoke neither Castellano or English picked up his tray and handled most of the rolls one at a time to find the one of his choosing. I got there next. Anthony would have thrown his tray on the floor and bolted for home. My logic said to pick the 2 rolls at the bottom of the heap and not think about where those groping hands had been. God were they delicious. The beef? How do you describe that in words. Now I hope Anthony isn't too mad at me for not practicing the Hanon's on the glass table in our dining room.
ANTHONY- The best steak I’ve EVER had – Friday at the fast food court at Galerias Pacifico. Posteveccia. At the end of the cafeteria like line sits a basket of hard rolls. A gentleman who spoke neither Castellano or English picked up his tray and handled most of the rolls one at a time to find the one of his choosing. I got there next. Anthony would have thrown his tray on the floor and bolted for home. My logic said to pick the 2 rolls at the bottom of the heap and not think about where those groping hands had been. God were they delicious. The beef? How do you describe that in words. Now I hope Anthony isn't too mad at me for not practicing the Hanon's on the glass table in our dining room.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Packing
First we had to go through a few things we didn't unpack from our three trips to BsAs in 2008.
Mike and I were determined to get it all in 2 suitcases and 2 carry-ons. About 1/2 way through the list my bag was already 42 pounds- only 8 to go to the 50 limit and my tango shoes were still in a pile. I scrambled to the attic to look for another smaller bag and threw in my tango shoes, plugs and a bunch of stuff on the bed totally disorganized. EVERY time we go away I say I won't do that, but at the last minute in it all goes in a jumble of junk.
The screeners at the airport will love this one. At least we decided to forgo the 5 jars of peanut butter that were lovingly packed in double zip-locks last November.
Mike comes along and says, "I need to charge my Kindle" I gave him a glassy stare and a glance at the jumble in the suitcase. He said he'd charge it in Buenos Aires. SMART MAN! The driver is coming around 3:30 and every time I glance at the clock my heart races a little too much. The 350 cholesterol lurks in the back of my mind when the ticker ticks harder. The driver today is Darryl. Darryl was supposed to drive us to Sloan Kettering for Mike's horrid Clinical Trial in February, but Gene came in as a last minute substitute. Darryl's 62 year old wife had died unexpectedly the week before. This also plays on my mind, as our ride to Kennedy is often filled with stories about Darryl, his wife and their interesting, never-again-to-be cruises. Being a Great Worrier instead of a Great Warrior, I worry that Darryl and "I Don't Even Know Her Name" never had or will have the immense joy from a 3 minute Argentine tango.
Mike and I were determined to get it all in 2 suitcases and 2 carry-ons. About 1/2 way through the list my bag was already 42 pounds- only 8 to go to the 50 limit and my tango shoes were still in a pile. I scrambled to the attic to look for another smaller bag and threw in my tango shoes, plugs and a bunch of stuff on the bed totally disorganized. EVERY time we go away I say I won't do that, but at the last minute in it all goes in a jumble of junk.
The screeners at the airport will love this one. At least we decided to forgo the 5 jars of peanut butter that were lovingly packed in double zip-locks last November.
Mike comes along and says, "I need to charge my Kindle" I gave him a glassy stare and a glance at the jumble in the suitcase. He said he'd charge it in Buenos Aires. SMART MAN! The driver is coming around 3:30 and every time I glance at the clock my heart races a little too much. The 350 cholesterol lurks in the back of my mind when the ticker ticks harder. The driver today is Darryl. Darryl was supposed to drive us to Sloan Kettering for Mike's horrid Clinical Trial in February, but Gene came in as a last minute substitute. Darryl's 62 year old wife had died unexpectedly the week before. This also plays on my mind, as our ride to Kennedy is often filled with stories about Darryl, his wife and their interesting, never-again-to-be cruises. Being a Great Worrier instead of a Great Warrior, I worry that Darryl and "I Don't Even Know Her Name" never had or will have the immense joy from a 3 minute Argentine tango.
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