What’s that, you say? Well . . . it’s a pod-cast and can be downloaded off the web. It’s produced in Scotland of all places and is soooo great! Working with this program, listening and speaking in short segments of 15 to 20 minutes as I travel on the subte or before I fall asleep a la noche, is making a huge difference in my ability to actually get some sentences formulated and moving out of my mouth and into the air! Entonces, esta es la media de la sabbitical! I have reached the mid-point of my time here this week and have had some important revelations and break-thrus in both español and tango dancing. I have begun to actually talk and can understand most of what I read . . . .amazing! My Spanish teacher, Ignacio, is smiling more and is now having fun with me as we learn. Before he was getting mucho impatient as I seemed to be so slooooow! After class yesterday he actually said: Good class! And, today as well! So, I am happy too. On the dance page:Yesterday I had three dance classes–each 90 minutes. One was with Mirabai Duranga, a lovely young American woman who has been a dance her whole life and has now fallen in love with Argentine Tango and has chosen to live here and teach. She is great fun and is very encouraging. I saw here dance with her partner in the world competition here at end of September. Yesterday I confessed my interest in leading so that’s what we did and I was able to learn a cool new move and three ways to resolve the lead. Fantastico! Then in a group class at Luna Llena, the small tango hotel I am in, I had great fun with one of the students just playing and improvising! Anoche, I went to Salon Canning and took another group class. I was so lucky! I danced the entire time with a lovely young man from Russia who has moved here to lean tango. At the end of the lesson he told me he’s a professional ballroom dance teacher in Russia! So much fun! The I danced a bit in the milonga that followed and finally headed home via taxista about 2 a.m. Another great day and I arrived home earlier than usual, pero tres horas dormir solamente! I was tired all day today . . . Tonight I will meet with Nico, one of my teahcers and now a friend. Tomorrow I will study dance with Ricardo, a new teacher at Luna Llena. He’s so cute and has an amazing embrace (abrazo). Then Friday it’s Mirabai and Saturday it’s Chino. Chino’s class is usually Monday but he got a call after he arrived with a bundle of factores (sweet rolls) at the appointed time for one hur of dance and one for practicing Spanish. His friend’s brother was in hospital with a tumor and the results from tests were coming back with very bad news Chino’s friend since age 6 was deeply upset and Chino needed to go off and be with him. So, Saturday I will, baring the unforseen, see Chino for tango and practica de español. Bailo todas los dias in Buenos Aires! Esta es muy bien. Mi gusto mucho! Gracias! Muchas gracias! Yo soy listo estudien mas tango y mas español!