Everywhere I look as I travel to morning Spanish class, people are blowing their noses! Winter is waning but our colds are still with us. Mine seems hard to shake in this humid climate. It’s not so cold now but I still must wear a light coat when I go out. But n the subte(subway) when we are packed in like sardines, it gets quite warm! Most people read on the subte, sitting or standing (as I usually am) and hanging on to a pole or rope to prevent falling as the train bounces forward. We read. Few visit and many stare vacantly, waiting for their exit. Life is hard for most people in Buenos Aires. Those who work-and most do-work hard, many with more than one job. I met a lovely young woman on the subte the other day who told me she works 9 hours a day, goes to school for 4 hrs and then goes home to care for her 2 year old child! Many tango teachers must travel abroad a couple of times a year to make enough money to carry on through the rest of the year. Often they are moving from place to place each week. It’s a hard life for artists this tango teaching business. Last weekend Nico, one of the lovely young assistants at my tango intensivo when I first arrived, asked me to go with him to his parents’ town, about twenty minutes from here in Palermo. So on Sunday he came by, video camera and another friend from Texas, and the three of us went together. We had lunch with his parents and cousin and grandma who suffers from dementia. The lunch was splendid: homemade caneloni with spinach and ricotta, pluse yummy roasted beef, wine and bread, topped off by homemade flan! Wow. We rested in the little patio filled with potted plants, played with Nico’s nephews when they dropped in and then, at about 4 p.m. we set off by car to a benefit being held in the neighborhood for a school. The school is for teens who are trying to clean up their lives and reenter mainstream life. It receives no support from the state, thus the fundraisers. Nico asked me to dance tango with him. I was so nervous, not feeling very confident to dance as a performance. But Nico encouraged me saying, “Trust me!” So, we danced. First with a small group who were playing live, then to some recorded music. We danced one vals, one tango and one milonga. I made it through and enjoyed it, but I did not dance without mistakes. Nico, however, is so good he is able to make things appear smooth. He’s really a very god dancer. The people remind me of my home church-just regular folks, only they happen to live just outside Buenos Aires in a town that reminds me a little of Fresno when I was growing up: simple, quiet, nothing special. The people clapped loudly for us and several individuals were enthusiastic about congratulating me after the dancing. I hope to see Nico again soon. We are having a nice conversation about all things theological. Currently we have been chatting about the book I am reading, Sitting With the Sufis. It was written by an American woman who is also Christian. The book is concerned with the human’s desire and need to experience God’s presence in our lives. This of course, is my favorite topic and main interest in life! So, I thank God for Nico, his family and last weekend in the provincia!