El Inglés .... in Buenos Aires (and other places)

SLEEP EAT DANCE REPEAT

2010-08-17T05:38:00.001-07:00

We are looking for local tango hosts for our International guests:
We currently have dancers from Italy, Argentina, England, Norway, Iceland and northern Sweden who are looking for a place to stay during LMDC 4. If you live locally and have a spare bed, sofa, small piece of floor please let us know. It is a great way to meet new international dancers and also to get free accommodation in return the next time you travel. If you can help e-mail simon@lamilongadelcorazon.com

Coca

2010-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

First 'Tommy' went missing ( see previous post http://simoninargentina.blogspot.com/2010/07/has-anyone-seen-tommy.html), now 'Coca' - what is the world coming to with all these pet kidnappings?
Kirsty told me to go easy on the stray animal photos on my blog this time, but I hope she forgives me for the 'Lost Pet' shouts :)

The right mix

2010-07-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Not much time for updates as the days just seem to disappear.
We are still trying to juggle the days and the nights and to get the right mix of milongas and taking lessons and training. There are just not enough hours in the day.
Each time I come to Buenos Aires my favourite nights and favourite milongas change as new milongas start and people change the places they go to. But some, of course, remain constant favourites like Canning. Wednesdays and Thursdays are my least favourite evenings at the moment as there is no clear favourite place for me to head to. For example, on Thursday there is one place I like which has a lot of people but the music leaves a lot to be desired and the dance flow is non-existent and scrappy to say the least, last night it made me feel that I should have stayed home and rested for the next day of lessons.

The training is going well with private lessons and training almost every day. As Ney Melo says ‎"There will never be a step, sequence, or trick in tango that will come close to matching the power of the embrace." So as always I have gone back to basics to improve the embrace, walk and the lead and to make adjustments and improvements to the existing dance. Another element I am working on is training to see options and possibilities in every step, to be able to see the different alternatives at each step, which is essentially a crossroads that leads to a new route. This is a mathematical approach designed to implement more variety into the dance, I was never any good at maths at school so I wonder how this is going to progress.

Trying to get the right mix of day and night is tricky, as you can't burn the candles at both ends, at least not for a month. I am still hoping to get to Carlos and Rosa's practica at Sunderland, which I have heard so much about, and from next week we will introduce a new teacher into the mix, so maybe one of the evenings will have to be sacrificed? Looks like Wednesday or Thursday at the moment, but who knows a week is a long time in Buenos Aires anything can happen.

Other news
Shoes bought: Simon 2 Karolina 2
LMDC condoms have now been placed stategically at milongas in Buenos Aires
Everybody is missing La Bambi

Sunny Winter

2010-07-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

The weather gods have been on our side so far. For the most part we have had sunny days and blue skies it sure beats the winter in Sweden. It may pnly be 17 or 18 degrees, which pales in comparison to Europe at the moment but it is a pleasant and welcome surprise. But from past experience I am not holding my breath, it is liable to change at any moment.

Barrio Chino

2010-07-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

If you get tired of the empanadas, media lunas, pasta, pizza and parillas head of down to Belgrano and visit Barrio Chino - which is actually just 2 small streets. It is one of the smallest China towns I have seen but it still has all the most essential items. Soya milk, tofu, quinoa, miso, tahini, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, obscure vegetables, and off the shelf sushi - basically all the items you won't find in a normal Argentinian supermarket.
You can find Barrio Chino in front of La Glorietas outdoor milonga just on the other side of the rail tracks.

Has anyone seen Tommy?

2010-07-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

Something missing

2010-07-05T16:22:00.001-07:00

The last time I was at El Beso was on Monday, 22 June 2009. I posted the event on my blog. I mentioned one of my favourite milongueros who I called T and described how he magically weaved his way like a snake through the mass of dancers on the floor.
On my previous visits he has always been a joy to watch a larger than life characer becoming more and more eccentric as the years went by. Unfortunately he danced for the last time on 7 January 2010.
El Beso was not quite the same yesterday, something, someone was missing.
El Beso is a much emptier place without Tete.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCqBW9wv3RE&feature=player_embedded

Veggie Paradise

2010-07-05T06:04:00.001-07:00

Even if Argentina is reknowned for its meat and parrillas it is also a haven for vegetarians with more and more dedicated veggie restaurants popping up all the time especially in Palermo where there is even a raw food bar. Even the parrillas can offer great alternatives if you order from the side dishes. Spring vegetarian is a must with over 120 vegetarian dishes on their buffet to choose from, you can easily get dazzled by the vast choice. But the best so far has to be the 'tenedor libre' Marini Gourmet at sante fe 3666 near to scalabrini ortiz. It is not exclusively vegetarian but has more than enough for us herbivores, with different food stations where they individually prepare your own dish as you wait. Just make sure you are hungry when you arrive. A dedicated list of veggie eateries will be posted later.

Football Fever

2010-07-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

All roads were closed at avenida 9 de Julio as huge crowds gathered to watch the giant screen. Football fever. But the clinical tactical Germans spoiled the party as they put out the fire of the passionate Argentinians. The city is officially in mourning.

Nightmare journey

2010-07-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Finally arrived after 2½ days travelling. Left home 1415 Tuesday Arrived at apartment in Buenos Aires 2200 local time Thursday - 55 hours door-to-door, is that a world record? But our baggage is missing.
A very eventful start to our trip with missed connections and having to wait 24 hours for the next flight - detour to rio de janiro due to fog - lost baggage - lost mobile phone and wallet
On the plane I was reading the Alchemist with the message of listening to omens and I watched the film Deja Vu... maybe that was the omen of things to come.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Winter

2010-06-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

Waiting all year round for the sun to return to our cold country and then leaving for winter is becoming something of a (bad?) habit. With a clear blue sky and 24 degrees, I took my last dip in the sea yesterday, who knows when the next time will be. Only my fellow addicts can understand the absurdity of this annual winter pilgrimage. Follow my adventures as I return to Argentina in the height of the football frenzy, luckily for me England lost so they don't have to play Argentina on Friday and I don't have to hide.

Has Johanna gained weight?

2009-06-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of eating her way through kilos of beef I think it is beginning to take its toil on Johanna. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't she gaining weight?
Compare the two photos below and please let me know what you think. In any case she seems a bit heavier to dance with and if it carries on I will have to stop all volcadas as i don't want to risk back injury ;)

Fixing game!

2009-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Dancing with intermediate level dancers has taken on a new meaning and has become much more fun - as I now incorporate the 'fixing game'.
OC said to me that a couple of years ago he danced a tanda with a relative beginner and had fun (what he meant was - she was young and good looking) so later he asked her to dance again and she said NO. he found out from a friend that she said she didn't like his dance to which he said 'WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT THE F**k'. The reason was that due to her low level she made a lot of mistakes and didn't like to be seen making mistakes, so she blamed him. What he should have done and what he does now is 'FIX' and so he incorporated the 'Fixing Game'.
The idea is to correct the mistake before it happens. To not let the girl know that they have made a mistake but instead make them believe that they have invented a new step/move. This is very difficult and taxing on the brain but when it works it is great. Before I would get stuck and be making lots of pauses trying to get the follower back on track or be stopping and wondering what the hell is she doing. Now I am alert to her every move, knowing at every moment where she is, being alert, ready to implement the contingency plan at any given moment - or at least that is the idea. My 'Fixing' skills are at an elemenary level but something I am know working on extensively and it has brought a new element into the dance.
Sometimes, however, no amount of fixing can repair the dance. Last night at La Viruta,or this morning at 0552 to be precise, I had just come off the dance floor after a tanda when I heard the start of the last 2 songs. I quickly looked for a new dance partner to dance the last 2 songs with (at La vriuta the tradition is that the second to last song is played in the dark and the last song is played with all the light on). In the dark I found someone who wanted to dance but as soon as she walked to the dance floor I could see from her body language that she was a beginner. OK, I thought time to play the 'fixing game'. But, NO NO NO this girl was broken and could not be fixed. Her left leg was constantly in the air trying some strange form of voleo, I could not for the life of me get her to put her left foot on the floor. it was like dancing with a one-legged girl. After what seemed like an eternity the song was over and I quickly said 'muchas gracias' and ran away before the lights came on and somebody saw us hopping around, shame on me!!

All quiet on the blog front

2009-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

We have now been here 2 weeks and e-mails have been dropping in complaining about the lack of blog activity. Well, to keep you all happy I promise to upload a few posts this weekend.
The schedule is very hectic here with tango classes, private lessons, practising in the studio, pilates and all the milongas until the early hours. We have taken lessons in Milonguero style, Villa Urquiza style but have now settled with our original choice of teacher and style as it suits us more and is more flexible for us. So until futher notice OC will be our chosen maestro, it is still close embrace but with a slightly modern twist - if we now have to define it and put a label on it!
Johanna is alive and well eating like horse, sleeping like a log and dancing non-stop.
Current shoe score:
Johanna 3 Simon 2
Stay tuned for more updates...

El Beso

2009-06-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday is the best night at El Beso - one of the most traditional milongas. Once you arrive you are allocated a seat depending on your gender, the company you have arrived and whether or not your face is known. Seating is everything if you are given a seat in the wrong place then it is like starting at the back of the grid in a formula 1 race. After each tanda of 4 songs everybody returns to their seats and the charade of making eye contact with possible dance partners for the next 4 songs starts all over again. The milongueros here abide by the rules nobody asked Johanna to dance until I had got up and started dancing. And at the end of the night one guy came over shook my hand and thanked me for letting him dance with her. You can imagine what she thought about that!!

Two of my all time favourite milongueros were on the dance floor tonight. We shall call them CD and T, who has been dancing over 60 years. I will be taking private lessons with both of these icons as they are both very old school but have different styles. One main difference is that T weaves his way like a snake through the mass of dancers on the floor while OD always stays in lane patiently dancing behind the couple in front.

Here is a quote from one of OD's famous essays on tango:

"The milonguero dances level with the floor, managing space is essential for him, he follows the “ronda”. His steps, turns, and walks are always aimed forwards, he never overtakes another couple, he takes care not to cross other people’s path. He will do his thing (milonguea) in whatever space is left. He dances for himself and his partner, not for the spectators. He does not exhibit."

And a quote from T:

"Kids these days tend to dance in the air. You can do many nice things, but please do them on the floor. Great Masters did all those nice things but mostly on the dance floor. The music, the beat of Tango is very beautiful. It’s a shame to ignore this."

You will probably hear more about these two gentlemen later...

Parillilla - The Hunger Returns!

2009-06-21T10:31:00.001-07:00

And so normal service is resumed, Johanna has got her lust for life back and her appetite with it and the cattle farmers on the pampas are dancing for joy as she is in tango heaven and back to ordering humungeous plates of beef.
I see Johanna when we come into the milonga and then at the end and maybe sometimes in the middle standing at the bar munching her way through media lunas. The rest of the time she is being whisked around the dance floor as well as being subjected to Argentinian (and not forgetting Ecuadorian) chat-up lines. Johanna has a lot of favourite dancers but some more than others. I cannot say anymore on that subject as I am sworn to secrecy, so I will just say that 'Lima' is the new 'Footloose'. All will be revealed in my tango memoirs!

OC lessons

2009-06-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

The best teachers are not always the ones who look like the best dancers or at least not until you look closely. I am now back to taking lessons with the C family after having lessons previously with the father I am now having lessons with the son.
OC is a great dancer, not in a showy way but in the essence of all that is tango. There are lots of small details in his dance that the eye doesn't always catch but his partner surely does, loads of variation and energy. As a teacher I like him best for the following three things:
1. Critical eye - he has a nack of finding small (sometimes big) personal elements in my dance that with fine tuning or ajustment improve the whole experience.
2. Telling it straight - if you are not dancing well with OC then you he tells it to you straight. None of the empty 'buenos' or 'muy biens' that some teachers give you even when you know you are not performing. OC will shout out 'NO, NO that was horrible do it again' or 'Don't be a chicken make the step'.
3. Own Style - The simplest and best way to fix the dance based on your own ability/prerequisites. For example, at 190cm tall and almost 100kg I do not really have the physique of a ballet dancer and so planeos and enrosques when in a Giro affect the balance and axis. OC showed a host of variations of 'simpler' but equally or even more effective giros with energy whilst maintaining 100% balance an axis in close embrace, extremely useable.
More about OC and others later!

Breaking in

2009-06-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

What a difference a week makes. Last Saturay we went to Milonga 10 and sat most of the night. This week we went and danced almost every tanda. The milonga scene can be difficult to break into and if you come to Baires be prepared to go through an initial stage of sitting and watching with an icy atmosphere around you. On my first 2 visits I found this extremely frustrating, but this time I was resigned to my fate and knew that this ritual would soon be over.
The locals do not dance with people they don't know or who they have never seen dance, and tango tourists stick out like a sore thumb in this low season for tourists; especially if they are 190cm tall with blond hair. The good dancers sit together in small groups at tables and dance mainly within their group. You have to somehow break into these small groups of good dancers by prising one away from the group. Almost like a lion stalking a pack of buffalos, patiently waiting until one separates itself from the pack and then attack. Once you have one from the group others tend to follow and you slowly become accepted. It is also the case that people need to see your face around a few times before they accept you into the circle of people to dance with. We have also know refound some of our old favourites to dance with as well as many new ones and so the circle grows.

Pilates - Bodyzoom

2009-06-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

We have found a great Pilates studio at Corrientes 1878 1º C with equipment including - Reformer,Combo Chair,Ladder Barrel, and Cadillac. It costs 100 pesos for 4 sessions and as there is a maximum of 3 in each class you get lots of individual attention. Most of the clients at the stuio are professional dancers and the instructor Melina is a dancer in the show Tango Porteno.

Johanna's tango depression

2009-06-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

High expectations and great memories from Johanna´s last visit have built up into unbelievable expectations for this visit. So far the expectations have not been met. La Viruta, Johanna's number 1 place failed to deliver and in her words "the level was low and it was a total mess on the dancefloor".
Strangely enough when Johanna hits a tango depression her appetite disappears too, she went from a dinner of picture number 1 her regular 400g bifé de chorizo to photonumber 2 a cheese and onion empananda in less than 24 hours. She also becomes quiet and withdrawn almost sulky. Simon is just enjoying the peace of the silence and making the most of it because tonight it is Canning.
Canning should put Johanna back on track and tomorrow she should be eating her way through the cattle farms of the pampas again and driving Simon insane with her babble.
Stay tuned for the next update.

Boutique del libro

2009-06-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

A must visit is the cozy book shop/cafe in Palermo "boutique del libro" which is on Thames 1768. It is like stepping back in time with small wooden ladders to reach the top book shelves.

Manifestación

2009-06-14T03:04:00.001-07:00

Only in Buenos aires can demonstrators run onto the motorway with burning branches from trees and old car tyres and block off all lanes and just as we are in a taxi on the way from the airport to the city. All the cars came to a standstill and then one by one they turned 180 degrees and drove the wrong way back up the motorway. Chaos, with a capital C and a great start to our visit.

Krishna Revisited

2009-06-14T02:59:00.001-07:00

Saturday lunch in Palermo Viejo at Krishna - heaven! Palermo has something for everyone these days from the cosy eco veggie restaurant of Krishna to brash yankee coffee chains - which would you choose?

Blog versus Diary

2009-06-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Some people think the old system of writing a diary is a better way to keep a record than using a modern day blog. Johanna is one of these people still stuck in the 60s. Here she shows her diary that she started writing on her last visit to Buenos Aires. The idea is to present it to her grandchildren. As you can see it won't take them long to read it.

The heartbeat returns LMDC 2

2009-06-09T23:56:00.001-07:00

La Milonga Del Corazón returned in abigger and betetr version (was that possibl?) for the May Day holiday weekend with our guests this time being Pablo Rodriguez and Noelia Hurtado. Our action- packed tango weekend in Malmö offered 9 workshops and 4 milongas including our extravagant Saturday evening ‘La Noche De Los Campeones’ complete with show by Pablo y Noelia at the magnificent venue of HIPP.

Tangomagia, Amsterdam!

2009-06-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

26 December - 31 December 2009 Tango magia is a perfect way to send the days between Christmas and New Year, you miss all the crazy sales and save loads of money as you are not tempted to buy rubbish just because the price has been reduced.
Tangomagia is one of the biggest festivals in Europe, the only downside was that the after milonga only let in 130 people so you had to leave the offical milonga early or run between the milongas to be sure to get in.
We stayed at Stay OK which was modern and clean and breakfast started at 7am, perfect, just as we were getting home from the after party milonga - it couldn't be better!

La Milonga Del Corazón

2009-06-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

21 - 23 November 2008 was the premier of our event la Milonga Del Corazón with special Guests Diego 'El Pájaro' Reimer y Claudia Jacobsen

The highlight of the weekend was our Grand Milonga at the exquisite venue of the Mayfair Hotel.

The arriving guests were greeted by the sound of our signature tune 'la mionga del corazón' accompanied by the popping sound of champagen corks. El Pájaro & Claudia treated us to an exhibition as they danced to Donato, Rodriguez and Tipica Victor, if you weren't lucky enough to be there on the night you can click on the video links (www.lamilongadelcorazon.com) to see the performances. After the show we brought out the media lunas and coffee to give the guests the energy to get throught the last hours of dancing. A great night was had by all!

Workshops packages were held over the weekend in both Milonga and Tango, giving our guests the chance to learn the dance of El pájaro & Claudia.
*Belén was originally booked to dance with El Pajáro but the Argentinian authorities had other ideas - so Claudia stepped in and was a wonderful substitute.

Notti Di Ferragosto

2008-08-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15. In present days, Ferragosto is mainly a short holiday where Italian people have short vacations and head to the beach. In our case it was for all night tango. After the main milonga at Portali we headed to Azzuro La Plaza and danced until well after sunrise with ths smoky top of Mount Etna on one side of us and the gorgeous warm sea on the other side. After which it ws time for an early morning dip and a late breakfast of Brioche and Sorbet before retiring for the day - when in Sicily do as the Sicilians do!

Lido Azzuro Milonga

2008-08-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

A picture paints a thousand words! I will let the photos do the talking.

Pablo y Noelia

2008-08-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

Fantastic workshops with Pablo Rodrigues and Noelia Hurtado:
giros conenrosques, lapices y sacadas
milonga traspie
juegos milongueros, caminatas y contratiempos

Tonight they are performing at the milonga at Lido Azzuro.

Here is some info... check you tube for videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGMOYUZDh2o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XBNoYNNccQ&feature=related

In 2007 they were selected as Metropolitan Champions of Tango Salon of Buenos Aires and Metropolitan Sub-Champions of Milonga.
Noelia and Pablo made an intense investigation with important milonga professors acquiring the style and forms of tango as a popular dance as well as the new tendencies thus merging the traditional essence with modern tango. They combine the attributes of Villa Urquiza tango and milonga with new elements and techniques of contemporary tango. This couple builds an elegant style with the strength of traditional tango, great musicality and movement dynamic.

Sicily no bags agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!

2008-08-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

Caminato Festival, Catania, Sicily. 9 - 18 August 2008

Can lightning strike twice? Well with me it can! I arrived safely in Sicily after a long day of cancelled flights and rerouting but low and behold my bag has gone AWOL (absent without leave). History seems to be repeating itself but this time it is even worse as it is on the way out not on the way home! Luckily I had bought a couple of t-shirts at the airport as I had a strange feeling something would go wrong after the cancelled flight. The first milonga at the Excelsior hotel was danced in normal 'sneakers'... please say a prayer for me that the bag arrives before tonight's dance.
Now I am off to buy some toileteries and swim shorts but Kirsty says they only sell Speedo's here as the men like to show off their tackle - so Simon may be joining the macho Sicilian speedo club - check back later for photo evidence!

Stockholm 59

2008-08-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

A flying visit to Stockholm this time...taking in the first 3 days of the Tango 59 festival. Verdict- Unbelievable! Shame I had to leave early but the warmth of Sicily was calling. Not many photos from Stockholm due to intense dancing, sorry but I had to prioritise! Looking forward to the next visit up north to the Otono weekend at the end of October.

Happy as Bunnies

2008-08-05T05:57:00.001-07:00

Now I am as happy as a bunny
all luggage has been found and returned to the rightful owners including Johanna's mountain of 'comme il faut' and my giant strawberry and woolly hat from salta
Johanna on the other hand is suffering form CPBATS Chronic Post Buenos Aires Traumatic Syndrome and the only cure seems to ne a one way ticket back down south.

Lost Bags

2008-07-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

We are finally home....but our luggage is not!!! All 3 bags are lost without a trace and to top it all I lost my passport which had the luggage receipt tabs inside it - Nightmare!!!!!!
All shoes, music, dvds, my hat from Salta, dulce de leche, bombillas and mate pots, my giant knitted strawberry, the pixie bag, Viktor's present, Johanna's old photos from the antique shop, and all clothes...all gooooooooone... luckily we had all 72 Alfajores in our hand baggage... so we can comfort eat and be FAT!

Roger and Nico

2008-07-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Veronica, Johanna and Simon risking food poisoning.

If you are ever hungry after an all-night milonga be sure to head to the fantastic diner in Villa Urquiza where you will be met by the sociable waiter Nico and his shy friend Roger. The food is terrible, the place is run-down and shabby and the prices are dirt cheap with the emphasis on dirt. It seems like the Argentine version of McDonalds(**or Buenos Aires' answer to Stippe's) with the waiters in uniform complete with matching caps and big name badges. Nico was very sociable and told us his brother lived in a big town in England but he couldn't remember the name of it, we said is it London and he said yes that's the name of it - he had even been there for a week to visit, but had forgotten the name. They run a customer service campaign here where the waiters give you a small paper to fill in to rate the service, food and atmosphere ad you can add additional comments about the waiters- now we knew why Nico was being so friendly. We were each given a small book of recipes written by the chef of the diner (probably not a best seller).
Quote of the evening "Roger...manteca por favor!"
**For those not from the south of Sweden be sure to visit Stippe's next time you are here.

Buffet Libre

2008-07-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

All the sanwiches, cakes, biscuits and buns you can eat! We were back at Marina Santa Fe 3666 for the second time in 24 hours. Between 1700 and 1830 they have Tea and cakes. They open the doors earlier but you cannot help yourself to the food until 1700 then it just goes crazy as hoardes of old ladies rush to the buffet to grab plates and plates of exquisite sandwiches and cakes. These ladies have sharp elbows and look like they haven't eaten for a week,it is very dangerous to get in their way. The buffet is a set price of 21 pesos and is great value. The Marocchi family joined us for tea. The night before we were at the same restaurant with Pablo and Cinthyia for the 'Tenedor libre dinner' again there is a set price this time 40 pesos and you can eat everything from pasta, sushi, pizza, salad, meat from the grill. Al the food is very fresh and cooked individually as you order it. I lost count of how many dishes Johanna ate but I know she had lamb, sushi and beef steak, among others - this place would be going out of business if Johanna had found it earlier during our stay. I have never known anybody eat, sleep and dance as much as her, I think she is still a teenager inside even though she acts like an old aunt.

Guess the age!

2008-07-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Carolina told us that it was her birthday on the 30th June. We were very curious to know her age so we tried to guess - we came to the conclusion that she could be anything between 25 and 33. I finally chose 32 as my guess and Johanna agreed. When we gave Carolina her present of new headbands (her favourite accessory, see the photos)I plucked up the courage to carry out the cardinal sin of asking a lady her age. She said that we should guess. When I said 32 she screamed NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I am only 29 everybody thinks I am older. Then Johanna dropped me in it by saying well I guessed that you were younger...so I was left to try to dig myself out of the big hole by saying that she looked a lot younger but I presumed she must be older due to her vast dance experience and method of teaching. I had forgotten the most elementary lesson of life... if you are so stupid as to ask and guess a lady's age take at least 5 years off your guess. Quote of the day Carolina: "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I am only 29"

Last lesson - Carolina

2008-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Now we have had all the lessons with Carolina Calas in Belgrano and we have our heads full of instruction and hours of taped moves to watch and practice - the hard part now is to get the body to instinctively do what the brain wants it to. There will be hours and hours of practice in Sweden to continue the training. Dancing apilado with amagues, apile, giros, adornos, voleos, rebotes, enrosques, calsitas, putting intonation into the dance, working on the balance, finding the correct posture and most importantly the walk which is 90% of the dance.

Wooly hat!

2008-07-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

My new wooly hat a present from Pilar to keep me warm during the cold winter in Sweden. The hat is from Salta in the north of Argentina.

Villa Ballester

2008-07-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we travelled by train to the suburb of Villa Ballester to meet Cecilia, her mother Pilar, Batuque the dog and the cousins visiting from Spain. Pilar had been cooking for two days ahead of our visit and we were treated like royalty to a wonderful dinner, with lots of veggies for me. Batuque took a shine to Johanna and in particular her leg and he was banished to his little house under the fireplace for being a chico malo (bad boy). Later on at La Viruta Johanna told the story to one of the guys she danced with but he misheard the word 'dog' and he thought that during dinner there was a man under the table trying to have sex with her. The reputation of Argentinean men just got worse!! Quote of the day from Johanna's dance partner: "Yes, you have to be careful with the Argentinean men"

Pixie Bag

2008-07-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Now we have finally found Pixie's bag shop tucked away on a small street in Palermo. For anyone else with the same abstract taste as the Pixie the shop is called Puro amd is at Borges 2184 www.zapatillaspuro.com.ar

Crap

2008-06-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

The journeys on the underground trains are always entertaining. Sometimes you can be entertained by a singer with guitar or other times by the sellers that pass throught the carraiges. The sellers try to flog you anything from a pen with a light on it to bus timetables and knitted strawberries. As you can see from the photo I just couldn't resist the knitted strawberry, although we have no idea what it is for.

Bad Spanish

2008-06-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

Don't let Johanna order pizza for you, especially not if you are hungry. Trying out her new Spanish skills she went to reception of the hostel to ask them to phone for a pizza. 45 minutes later I went down to check if it arrived and the guy said that she has not ordered anything she had just come down and talked about pizzas then went back to the room. The guy must have thought she was very lonely or bored with my company that she has to start pizza conversations with complete strangers. I shouldn't have laughed so much because the next day I thought I had ordered salad and potatoes only for the waiter to bring me pork chops :(
Johanna meanwhile ordered rump steak, mashed potatoes and salad - if you look closely at the picture you might just be able to see her salad. Quote of the day Simon: "I am a Vegetarian" Waiter: "Then why did you order pork chops?"

Shop till you Drop

2008-06-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

More CD's and shoes. Johanna is winning the shoe buying competition by 10 pairs to Simon's 6 (2 tango 4 sneakers). But Simon is miles ahead when it comes to music now adding Tanturi, Di Sarli, D'arienzo, Calo, Canaro and D'angelis to his previous purchases from last week. The latest shop to be bought out by Johanna was Minassian at Cordoba 1190 a dance shoe store, stocking jazz shoes, run by a friendly old guy who was born in Greece in 1935 and came to Argentina in the 50s. Not only do you get good service here you also get the life story thrown in for free.

No More Kisses

2008-06-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

El Beso is closed until further notice, apparently due to fire regulations. So no more The Kiss, no more cabeceo to find your dance partner, no more 4 song tandas where it takes you almost the entire first song of a tanda to find and meet your partner in the mass of closely spaced tables, no more only moving one metre forward for each song, no more of the very traditional Sunday milonguero milonga. Buenos Aires is a poorer place this week...

Lost and Found

2008-06-22T15:04:00.001-07:00

After a full day wandering the streets of Buenos Aires, there was still no sign of Johanna so I returned home and was just about to ring the authorities and report her missing when I noticed a lump under the covers on her bed - there she was - she had been asleep aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall day.

Cafe Tortoni

2008-06-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

An absolute must on a visit to BsAs is coffee at Cafe Tortoni, people have been telling me this ages - but until today I have not been there. Now I know what all the fuss is about, this place is amazing it is not only the oldest confiteria in Buenos Aires but it also the most well-preserved. Small rooms at the back add to the quaint atmosphere along with two olde-wordly theatres and what has to be the plushest smokers-room I have every seen. Thank you Cinthya and Pablo for taking me to the world's most beautiful cafe. Ps I have been told by Cecilia to thank her too as she has told me to visit the place but I never listened to her

La Boca and San Telmo

2008-06-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to catch up with Cinthya and Pablo and spent Sunday afternoon doing the obligatory sightseeing stops of La Boca, San Telmo market and Cafe Tortini. Johanna was strangely missing this day...

Update

2008-06-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

A week has flown by all ready and we have fitted loads in, here is an update...

Milongas: Visited so far in chronological order: La Confiteria Ideal, El Beso, La Viruta, La Milonguita; La Viruta, Villa Malcolm, Canning, Practica X, La Catedral, Villa Malcolm, La Viruta, ??(forgot to set the alarm and slept all night)??, Canning.

Lessons: We have had 8 private lessons with Carolina Calas as a couple. Next week we will start some individual private lessons, Johanna will have some with Humberto and some with Carolina.

Food: Simon has eaten two carrots one whole lettuce, 5 tomatoes, 7 peas and 10 kilos of alfojores. Johanna has eaten a whole cattle farm, they are running out of beef in Argentina.

Midsummer

2008-06-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here we are on Midsummers Eve.
Wet feet, umbrellas blowing in the wind.
No we are not in Sweden - it does actually rain in other parts of the world as well at Midsummer. The only think we missed was the snaps otherwise it could have been traditional, so we made up for it with a bottle of Malbec from Mendoza. Glad Midsummer Skål!!!

Alfajores

2008-06-20T15:11:00.002-07:00

WE found the Havanna coffee bar, espresso and alfajores a perfect pick-me-up before the tour of the tango shoe shops. As you can see the photo was taken before Johanna had her dose of espresso, she woke up soon afterwards and bought 6 pair of shoes in just 2 hours.

La Catedral

2008-06-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

La Catedral remains one of the strangest but 'must visit' milongas in Buenos Aires just around the corner from Practica X it is a perfect finish to a Tuesday night. With an uneven floor, beer crates for chairs and a huge plastic heart hanging from the ceiling it is definitely a dress-down place - pity noone told Mariano :)

Weak at the knees

2008-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Johanna has a weakness for the Argentinien men but there is one particular kind that makes her go weak at the knees - the taxi-drivers. I don't mean the so-called Tango taxi drivers(the men that hire themselves out for the evening to dance with the ladies), I mean the real taxi drivers who sit behind the wheel in their black and yellow fiats. Here is one of her favourites!

Autumn

2008-06-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

Weather report from Buenos Ares. Glorious weather, well almost, colourful leaves adorn the pavements, the city is cooling down but the sky is still blue and the sun hasn't gone into hibernation, yet! Temperature around 9 - 12 degrees with a light south-westerly wind. Yesterday was apparently exceptionally nice for the time of year - but we missed it as our nocturnal habits meant that we never saw the light of day.

Dinner quiz

2008-06-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Can you guess who ate the carrot salad and who ate the medium-rare Argentinien steak?

Clue - maybe it will help if you look at the faces
Answers on a postcard to Geronimo Primero, Nicaragua 5765.

Zoega's Presso

2008-06-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Don't you just hate 'those people' that can't travel abroad with their precious tube of Kalles caviar,'knäckebröd' and especially Swedish coffee. I mean do these people think that coffee doesn't exist outside Sweden? After all it comes from Brazil or Colombia and is only brought to Sweden to be roasted. HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP...now I have become one of 'those people' taking South American coffee from Europe back to South America - but thank God I did, there is nothing like Zoegas ;) especially when the B & B serves 'lagrimas'.

REENCUENTR0 3 milongas 1 day

2008-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

The first day was long and just got better and better as it went on. The afternoon matinee milonga was made to the obligatory salon of Confiteria Ideal, the place is steeped in history and tradition and even though the dancers there are nothing to write home about a trip to BsAs cannot be made without dancing there at least once. The quote of the day came from a guy who tapped me on the shoulder and said "I'm 80 years-old and still dancing", when I told him my age he dismissed me and said I am double you and when I said Johanna's age he just laughed. The long-awaited dinner at the parrilla Reencuentro lived up to its standard of the past. I had 3 provaletas and salad (a strange choice for a place famous for its meat), while Johanna ate half a cow and was heard muttering, between mouthfuls, "This is how meat should taste". El Beso was the first evening dance. Johanna was not impressed at all why and was heard to say " Why did I travel all this way to dance with dancers at this level" it was not the best night at El Beso, Sunday is usually a lot better. La Viruta saved the day, say what you like about this place, they play crappy music at times, people can be drunk, chaos on the dance floor, not the best dance surface, dingy, tacky, like a basement nightclub but the dances here can be as good as anywhere else. Now Johanna's mood had changed and she now new why she had travelled so far and is quoted as saying "The best dances...ever".

Salsa queen

2008-06-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

0615 Johanna caught in the act, strutting her stuff to the tones of salsa at La viruta and she wasn't even drunk! While she discovered a talent she didn't know she had with one of her new found Argentine admirers Simon was left to entertain himself in other ways

Milonga De Los Morochas

2008-06-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Milonga De Los Morochas - El Beso - the brunettes milonga - lucky for me that I had two with me otherwise they probably wouldn't have let the blond guy in.

Krishna - food of the gods

2008-06-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

And so it was back to Krishna for food blessed from the gods. Last time I was here they closed for the holidays before I had managed to eat my way through the menu, so I started where I left off - empanadas with soja meat, tofu steaks - food to die for! Vishnu my hare krishna cat would love this place - I think he is thinking of opening a franchise in Sweden.

Gay Vodka

2008-06-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

The search for a typical Swedish present contunued at the airport, I had just run out of ideas and was becoming a bit desperate when I saw an unusual colourfully designed bottle of Absolut vodka - perfect I thought! So I bought the present and Proudly carried the bottle in its sealed plastic bag through the airports onto 3 planes and all the way to Argentina. It was only when I got to Buenos Aires and read the writing on the bottle that I realised that I had been PROUDLY flaunting Gay vodka from one side of the continent to the other. The bottle was a special Gay Pride festival edition and the colourful design was the rainbow flag - now I know why the steward paid special attention to me on the flight and served my food with an extra flirty smile.

Events on the way!

2008-06-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

The long journey from Copenhagen to Paris to Rome to Buenos Aires was nothing short of eventful. The first fright was when we couldn't check in at Copenhagen because our booked flight with Alitalia didn't exist, our agent had forgotten to rebook us with Air France. Once one the flight the next incident was when a a passenger kept pointing at me and then stood up shouting at the top of her voice in French - it turned out that she had taken offence to me taking off my shoes. Maybe time to buy some new insoles :)The steward asked me politely if I could put my shoes back on to avoid troubling her. Finally arrived at the B&B only to be locked out the girl on duty had fallen asleep a few phone calls later we finally got in just in time for breakfast, but when we asked for breakfast she told us " Not today" . The pictures are of us enjoying an espresso in Rome (well at the airport at least).

Midwinter soon

2008-06-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

Final packing before the trip to the other side of the hemisphere, swapping the Swedish midsummer for the Argentine midwinter, one question I keep asking myself is Why? Those of you who dance know the answer, for those who don't dance start dancing or it wil remain a mystery forever.
We are staying at Cecilia's cousin's B & B 'Geronimo' in Palermo Hollywood
www.bedbreakfastpalermo.com.ar
just a stone's throw (if you have a catapult) from Canning, Malcolm, La Viruta and not to far from Estudio Calas for the private lessons with Carolina - this is Buenos Aires so everything is relative, close here means a taxi ride in Sweden.
Tickets...check...I pod...check...tango shoes...check...camera...check...Passport...ch...where the hell is it....

Berlin Revisted

2008-03-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

22 May - 26 May 2008
No pictures from this trip as Kirsty the procrastinator has still not managed to buy a usb cable for her camera. So for the pictures from the sailing trip on the Berlin river you will have to use your imagination.
Thursday - Spee bar 3/5
Friday - Waltzerlinks 4/5
Saturday - La GloriBeta 3/5
Saturday - Rixdorf 5/5
Sunday - Tangoloft 1/5
Great weekend included two new milongas for me, the premier of Berlin's outdoor milonga La GloriBeta in kreuzberg and also Thursday at Spree bar (Osthaufen) by the river. Rixdorf remains by far the best milonga in my humble opinion while Tangoloft just goes worse and worse the aternative music they play has now gone totally 'whacky' and if you are lucky you might get two traditional tandas, still the food is good! Next stop Buenos Aires...

Malmö Festival - The END

2008-03-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

A fantastic week full of inspirational workshops and fanastic dances is over...the Malmö Tango Festival 2008 has drawn to a close. Tango of international quality arrived on our doorstep last Wednesday and we were treated to 5 days of top quality dances and dancers.
*No more deciphering the metaphorical language of Thierry Le Cocq as he explains the intricate details of the milonguero
*No more amazing dances with internation dancers of high quality
*No more delicious vegan dinners made by my imported Stockholm chef Julia and her willing apprentice Anna
*No more after milonga morning tea before bed as we sit up until 0600 chatting about the nights events
*No more Kirsty moaning about the weather, having to smoke outside and her lack of sleep
I am now in the stage of tango depression... so there is only one cure... find my credit card, surf and book... I have just booked two new tango trips Liepzig in April and Berlin in May

Back to Baires

2008-03-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

Well the flight is booked to Buenos Aires on Friday 13th June (Yes I know it is an unlucky day to fly and I know I will be swapping the Swedish summer for the Argentine Winter - but who cares when you are in he heart of tango)
2 weeks intensive training with Caro Calas (again) and no doubt lots of shoe shopping with Johanna.
A table is booked with Cecilia, Cinthya and Pablo at restaurant Reencuentro in Palermo on Saturday 14th before the milongas. And a week later at the same restaurant with Luba :)

Berlin Revisited

2008-01-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

I am escaping all my cardboard boxes that litter my apartment ahead of the move on 31 January and going back to Berlin for the weekend.
Schedule:
Friday - Walzerlinksgestrickt
Saturday Balhaus Rixdorf (my favourite)
Sunday at Tangoloft
Thanks to Easyjet's campaign and Pixie's friend the return flight and apartment for the weekend cost a total of 500 SEK (35 GBP) - lovely!!!
Photos to follow soon...

Berlin

2007-11-17T01:36:00.000-08:00

Berlin 6 Dec - 10 Dec 2007
With so many friends traveling to Buenos Aires there is only one thing to do... fly to Berlin and console myself in Europe's Tango capital. I have timed the trip to coincide with Kirsty and eight of tangueros/as making the trip from Brighton so it will be a big get-together. Who needs Buenos aires when you have Berlin? :O/

Warsaw Festival

2007-09-16T00:19:00.001-07:00

An intensive, enjoyable, eventful weekend with many unexpected suprises and events Living in Malmö it is easy and very cheap to travel to Warsaw to dance tango - for example, the return flight is less than the fare to Stockholm (unless you are like Pixie and book your train ticket 6 months in advance. So my trip to Warsaw was long overdue and what better time to visit than the last weekend in September for the festival. Having booked my trip I was happy to find out that one of my favourite teachers was at the festival and not only that but he was only teaching milonga. This gave me the 'röda tråd' that I find is missing at (most)festival workshops. The chance to go deeper and build on previous workshops and expand your dance all under the watchful eye of the same teacher. I took all the milonga classes at all levels with Diego'El parajo'& Victoria. The milongas were a joy to be at. Even if the Thursday venue was not ideal and the floor quite bad the dances and music more than made up for it. The Friday and Saturday milongas were more plush, being held in a beautiful old building and the dances were second to none. Unfortunately I had to fly back on Sunday and miss the last evening of the festival, but it was good to go out on a high. I will have to plan better next year to include the Sunday milonga. All in all it was a great festival to end a perfect tango summer! (Sorry no photos - too busy dancing)

Stockholm 59 Festival - August

2007-08-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

Just arrived back from 3 hectic days in Stockholm.
This time I managed to squeeze in some sun instead of just tango. 9 of us spent all-day Saturday on Arne's boat in the Stockholm archipelago a perfect way to recharge the batteries ahead of a long night of dancing. The festival was a fantastic experience, a great mix familiar and new faces. The official milonga finished at 3am and then it was a short walk to the 'after party' in the basement of Chicago. Now I can add Stockholm to the places I have danced in: Malmö, Lömma, Lund, Veberöd, Tylösand, Sitges, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Stockholm and soon to be Warsaw. I have just booked my flight to the Warsaw festival at the end of August.

Sitges Tango Festival 2007

2007-08-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

Well it lived up to its high expectations!
A mixture of fun dancing in the sand, serious dancing at the gorgeous milonga venue and narco dancing until well past dawn at the after party.

Tylösand

2007-07-11T01:59:00.000-07:00

Living room Practica

2007-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Why do I have a coffee table, armchair and foot stool if all they ever do is get pushed up against the living room walls? It has become essential to have as much free floor space in my apartment as possible. My 'living room practica' is open 24/7 Monday evenings, Wednesday afternoons, Thursday mornings but most frequently in the small hours as my weary body comes home from dancing out-and-about and my brain says just one more Tanda. The tango drug addiction gives energy and extreme pleasure with the bearable side-effects of sleep depravation and an empty living room.

Sitges soon!

2007-07-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

After a fantastic intensive long weekend at Tylösand it was back to basics in Malmö as I took 4 basic workshops to brush up on my skills ahead of the highlight of the summer in Sitges. Last year Sitges was a well-kept secret but now it seems like the cat is out of the bag as half of Malmö seems to be descending on the quaint Spanish resort not to mention all the other tango freaks from around the world. To refresh your memory of the festival here are some photos from last year's beach tango

Tango Camp Tylösand

2007-06-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

Time for a midsommar weekend of dance, spa, lots of food and no sleep!
Courses in Advanced Classic with Malin from Uppsala - see photo!

April Sun - SILENCIO in Malmö

2007-04-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

A perfect warm-up to the Malmö Tangofestival, today the sun shone bright and we danced in the park. It was a strange sight to see all the couples dancing yet no music could be heard.

Silencio

2007-03-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

This evening we danced to the silent tune of SILENCIO in the ampitheatre of Pildams park in Malmö.
We couldn't wait for Blue Sky tango and the dance by the sea at the West Harbour so on Pixie's initiative we took my I pod and two sets off ear plugs and danced in the park. Spectators soon appeared and were curious to see two people dancing to no music (at least no music that they could hear. We began to feel sorry for all those who could not hear the angelic tones of Vargas or the wonderful rhythm of Biagi, not to mention Gotan Project and Canaro so we plugged in the loudspeakers and carried on dancing. A wonderful spring evening in Malmö all thanks to Pixie!!

If you want to join us next time, hop along to claus ohlsson and buy a double earplug adaptor for 35kr.

Next?

2007-01-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

Back home to the Snow
Cold and windy
Practica that finishes at 2300
Few, very few milongas to choose from!

There are a few silver linings to the cloud
Malmö Tango Festival
Copenhagen Tango Festival
Sitges Festival in July
Tango Camp
Weekend in Berlin

but can any of them live up to BsAS? ...only time will tell...

Other Buenos Aires Photos

2007-01-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Last Full Day

2007-01-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Time for reflection! Have I really been here dancing every night for a month? Time really does fly.
Stocked up on CD´s today and found the Tanghetto remix versions of Depeche Mode (Enjoy the Silence) and New Order (Blue Monday).
Will go to la Glorieta one last time to dance outside, the next time will be at Blue Sky Tango in Malmoe in a May if we are lucky.
Will eat at my favourite Parilla the one with the best fresh sallad buffe including lentils and beans and of course great Provaleta.
Then it is off to my last milonga not sure where could be Sunderland or another place mentioned yesterday but I hope to be in La Viruta from 0500 - 0700 for the last dances and the last last last La Cumparsita in Buenos Aires.

Who´s the Hottest?

2007-01-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry to disappoint the guys reading this but I mean the ones on the pictures not Argentinian girls! Top prize for first correct answer to the following question

Who was the hottest in buenos Aires today?
a. The purple thing- Barnie?
b. the white thing?
c. simon el pata de perro?

Answers on a postcard to Luba Tango Guest House Buenos Aires by Monday 15th January 2007.

Taxi

2007-01-13T10:45:00.001-08:00

The best taxi service in Buenos Aires.

Pata de Perro

2007-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

I have become the original Pata de Perro walking the streets aimlessly like a stray dog shopping for tango shoes for the cheeky ones, converse for friends and baby converse for soon to be baby, visiting cafes, internet cafes and finding tango matinees and such like. The heat is increasing here but you won´t find me complaining soon I will be back in sub-zero windy, rainy, dark, miserable Sweden - the place I have chosen as home, don´t ask me why! But at least the cats and maybe someone else will be glad to see me and warm me a little.

Soho Tango

2007-01-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

Quite a humble little event every Thursday but one that is very endearing - Soho Tango is the new kid on the block in the Buenos Aires tango world, but one to recommend. Easy-going, unpretentious, relaxed, friendly and a small but great dance floor. Maria and Eugenia hold classes from 2100 after which the milonga starts. In the photo you see Emilio in True Italian style gripping the girl and refusing to let her go!

New Shoes 3

2007-01-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

Yes I know, more black and white shoes but the other pair were zapatillos (sneakers). Expensive but worth it! I remember Harald told me when he was leaving that he had ordered one pair from Artesanal and that he wished he had ordered more from there. Now I know what he means. They feel great to dance in and are so comfortable, absolutely worth the extra dosh.
www.shoes-susanartesanal.com

Sleepless Perrito!

2007-01-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

It is "impossible to sleep around here, no sooner have I managed to get my head down when...one of my brothers decides to chew my leg... and my friends jump on my head" quote from a poor labrador puppy Belgrano 10 Jan 2006

Sad Day!

2007-01-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

It was a sad day today as it was the last lesson with Carolina Calas. The teacher assigned the unenviable task of transforming this elephant with two left feet into a bailarina slash milonguero. I am not sure if the mission was accomplished but at least this elephant is a bit more agile and elegant on the dancefloor and I am forever grateful for the patience, hardwork, expertise and perserverance that Caro showed me.
I will miss laughing at her vocabulary slip-ups i.e, calling toes - fingers, and her inventive ways to describe tango moves i.e, picardia (mischief)
I will miss her saying hoppla as I mess up and the word Essoooooooooooooooooooo (the Es is said as I do a good move but the last syllable ooooooooo is stretched as she realised I cocked it up at the end).
I will miss the agua tonica.
I will miss the terrible sad lyrics of the tango that was in the middle of the CD that we always fast forwarded.
I will miss the words Muy Bien, Eso, Mejor, Mucho Mejor, the words that became a little more frequent towards the end.
Now I am on my own and have to work on all the things to make them work in the dance, practise makes perfect.
Muchas Gracias Caro yo estoy en deuda con tu siempre!
http://www.estudiocalas.com.ar/

Glamour and Gourmet - Not!

2007-01-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

The not so glamourous, inconspicuous entrance to La Catedral kind of sums up the bohemic atmosphere. One of the many things on the plus side is the meat-free menu, although it is far from a gourmet restaurant.

la CATedral

2007-01-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

I am going to miss this dancing cat, without a doubt he is the star of the show at La Catedral

Shoe Shopping!

2007-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Now I have shoes for all the ones that were cheeky enough to ask me to buy for them, Neotango is closed now as they have no stock left. I just hope I have room left in my baggage for my shoes and that I don´t get stopped at customs in Copenhagen they will think I am a transvestite with all the ladies shoes in my bag.

Canning

2007-01-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Canning is like an old friend. It is loyal and reliable and always there for you in times of need.
Other venues have special nights Catedral on Tuesday, La Viruta on Wednesday/Sunday (not not not Saturday), El Beso on Sunday, Villa Malcolm on Friday, Soho on Thursday Club Grisel on Monday? etc etc but Canning is consistent throughout the week so much so in fact that one tends to neglect it and go to the special days of the other venues. It is reassuring to know that Canning will always be there and that you know what you are going to get.

Club Grisel

2007-01-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

Club Grisel was a bit of a disappointment. The milonguera class was a milonga class and the teachers were not very enthusiastic to say the least. Still it was good to see a new venue and we still got back to Canning for the last hours.

Deadbeat!

2007-01-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

This poor doggy must have also been dancing at the milongas. This is how I feel as I am walking home in the early hours of dawn, dog tired!

New Shoes 2

2007-01-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

Burgundy and black with heel - sorry short girls, now I am even taller!

Empanadas!

2007-01-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

After the closure (temporary) of Krishna I have had to seek my daily munchings of empanadas elsewhere and decided to try the equivalent of McDonalds in the empananda world EL NOBLE REPULGUE. The verdict, not bad! At least i won´t starve here!

Cancelled Class

2007-01-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I went to Made in Tango Studio today at 1300 today expecting a group class only to find that it doesn´t exist and that it was cancelled even though there is a printed advertisment in the el tangauta magazine. Oh well I thought now I have time to go shopping for eeeeeeveryboooooooody else´s shoes, but then she said I can give you a one hour lesson that will be like a private but for the group price of 10 pesos. Now that is what I call service! and the lesson was excellent!
Off to Belgrano now for 2 hours private lessons with Carolina then quick shower and taxi to Club Grisel for class at 1930 and milonga until 0400 - busy day in Buenos Aires!

Malmoe in Buenos Aires

2007-01-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

Ponchik and Ruben are back home... but now Paul and Maria and Daniel have turned up. It is almost like being back in ´kallaren´with all the faces from home here.

La Viruta! On Sundays

2007-01-08T02:57:00.000-08:00

Maybe I am getting used to it - the tacky community centre venue, the slippy floor, the rock n roll enthusiasts but I quite like la Viruta on Sundays and Wednesdays. The Tango is more intense and if you can stick it out for the first hour of mixed tango and rock n roll tandas then it is aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall Tango for the last 4 hours. The problem is trying to leave, the dance floor starts to get less crowded and the music gets better. I keep saying OK just one more song, but with the angelic sound of Angel Vargas beaming out at 0400 it is impossible to think about going home. Long live La Viruta! (the photos are of Cecilia dancing swing with Right Said Fred)

Disaster has Struck!

2007-01-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

One week to go in Buenos Aires and Krishna has to go and close for holidays. Where am I going to eat now? I can´t eat normal empanadas after feasting on Krishna´s. Things just won´t be the same. And I didn´t even get through the menu, I was saving the best until last - the Thali Indian mix dish that looked incredible.
It just proves the point that you should
"live for today because there may not be a tomorrow"
That will now be my new mantra!

Osvaldo and Coca

2007-01-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday at La Nacional, I was witness to an amazing dance from Osvaldo and Coca, World Champions in Tango de Salon -they danced to the fantastic sad, melancholy, beautiful Tango 'Poema' by the orchestra of Francisco Canaro.
Osvaldo and Coca are 69 years old. In 2004 they participated, along with 665 couples, in the Metropolitan Championship of Tango Salon of the City of Buenos Aires, and won first place. Osvaldo was a brilliant dancer from a very young age. After marrying, the couple did not dance for thirty years, until six years ago when they returned to the dancefloor and became a legend. Osvaldo is proud of his nickname, "Honey Feet", which refers to his smooth steps. He
says: "When I walk on to the dancefloor I close my eyes. When I open them, the floor is completely red, filled with fragile red hearts. I step among them delicately, so as not to break them."