Tangobunny's Blog

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!

Tomorrow is Friday, Aug 13.  Oops-it’s already tomorrow! 1:00 A.M.  The way things have been going for me these first two weeks, one might think better of taking a plane to another town in Argentina.  But I’m going, and I’m gonna have a happy time!  I will see old/new friends I met on my last trip over four years ago. They are all Hope’s great friends from her time here in AR. First I’ll be met at the plane by Silvio, who has set up the agenda for my visit, then to a family fiesta-a birthday party for a four year-old. Then on Saturday we are to go sailing. The weather has turned chilly, rainy and windy so I hope the bad weather doesn’t move north.  I will get to visit Silvio’s home town and his mama too.  I return Monday evening. That day is a holiday here in AR so it’s a nice,long weekend.  And next week I have three lessons and one practice already arranged!  So much to anticipate! Now to finish my Spanish homework and pack for my first trip inside the country!

So today we were all invited-all three of us in our Spanish class-to say what we like about Buenos Aires.  I said: “Me gusta empanadas, spaghetti Florentina, dulce de leche, Malbec, . . .etc.” And I said “Me gusta Juan Carlos!” Juan Carlos works at Lunallena (say: lunashayna), where I am staying. He’s like so nice-a great guy-kind of a handyman-Jack of all trades! A very cool dude!  He works so hard–has to travel 2 hrs each way for the work-yet he is a kind and gentle soul, ready to help and generous to a fault!   Me gusta Juan Carlos-mucho!  Then we got to say what we don’t like. And would you believe my teacher almost skipped me on this part!? But of course I wouldn’t let him because I was way prepared! “No me gusta todos kaka de peros!” The dog poop is like everywhere you go!!!!  Oh mi dios!

It is Sunday morning and there is no pounding around this little tango hotel which normally begins before 8 a.m. Construction on both sides has driven all but two of us away! The building is cold and empty, save for the two of us. Yes, literally cold-no insulation I guess. But my little room has a heater and is quite cozy. It is also away from the street so it is quiet. Yesterday I completed my intensive week with Luciana Valle. It was indeed intensive! The assistants she hired to dance with us were splendid. Chino (his nicname because of his slanty eyes), Nico, QuiQui, Gasgon, Jose, German, Sergio . . .and one or two more I can’t recall just now-each have their special qualities and each are delightful young men. Sergio is clearly the most skilled technician and I discovered, also a pro who will go on tour with a company in October. Nico is the shortest and wears a black beret, has a great sense of humor. he wants to intro me to his dad who volunteers at a church. Says his mama doesn’t believe in God but sometimes prays anyway:-) I told him not to worry, God believes in her! Jose – well! Dancing with Jose is dreamy-and yes, he’s way cute! And has big muscles! But oh, the eyes–actually all these guys have amazing eyes! Anyway, dancing w/Jose is smooth as silk. He just places you where he wants you and there is not much guessing . . .lovely. Chino is my favorite . . . and I am not sure why exactly. He’s good, very good dancer, but not the best–just very good. I just like him, probably because I know he likes me. He told me more than once, “You are a very nice person.” I could adopt this one! When I work with him he is sincere in trying to help me and he is generous with his compliments (that doesn’t hurt!). I will call him to come and practice with me while I am here at Lunallena. There is a floor here for that purpose and yesterday Sussana, from Germany and the only other resident now, showed me how to reserve the space in the book! She also showed me how to purchase a subte ticket for 10 rides–11 pesos! 11 pesos is not quite $3. and each ride costs the same, no matter the distance. The subte is just 4 blocks from here. I can do this!
This afternoon I have reserved a table for Tia and me at Confiteria Ideal for the afternoon milonga. There’s supposed to be a folklorico show. So I am off to the milonga!

I have to confess that this project is a lot harder than I imagined.  One really needs Spanish-at least some-I have nearly zero at the moment.  It’s colder than predicted and I do not have sufficient warm clothing. I hate being cold!  The little hotel has almost emptied out. People don’t like the construction noise that begins early in the morning.  So, itś a bit lonely here.  They moved the venue for the intensive week so I have a one hour plus a few minutes walk to and from each day (instead of just a few blocks), dodging the all too prevalent dog messes and endless gaps in broken sidewalks, trying to avoid breathing in too many exhaust fumes and general smog and avoiding as best I can walking behind smokers who are everywhere. Not really a pretty walk, to be truthful.  Life here seems for many-maybe most-quite hard.  Each day I pass twice under a concrete structure that holds another highway above. Under it live several people. One day a woman was speaking loudly and passionately to the world, but I have no idea what she was saying. She stood there under the bridge, her belongings bundled nearby which included a mattress folded into a cart.  Life somehow did a job on her.  Not far from her was a man cooking his meal on an open fire.  I passed several street types as I walked, just sitting by the side of the road.  Yesterday as I made my walk back from the bank, another looooong walk, I was feeling a bit sorry for myself until I looked up to see a man coming towards me on crutches.  He had only one foot and was just maybe 30 some years old.  Last night I had dinner out with Mirabai and her partner Javier. Sheś a teacher I met in Hawaii when I last visited Amy.  She invited me to come along for a going away for one of her students who turned out to be from CA.  Another of her students was there as well, Jimmy, also from CA.  Jimmy is my age or so and has been here a couple of months doing street ministry, trying to feed and clothe people.  He said the need has just mushroomed.  I hope to learn more of this as we go along.

Today was my first day of intensivo with Luciana and her assistants.  She has one assistant for each student, each a good dancer.  These are all men and women in mid 20’s to mid 30’s.  Most are pretty nice, but some seem bored.  It was five hours of class today and pretty challenging.  I have danced mostly closed embrace and this is all open—quite different.  I seem to have developed some bad habits as I keep getting the same corrections. Imagine that!  Head up!  Shoulders down! etc, etc.  I danced in jazz sneakers as per our teacher’s instructions, so delightfully, my feet don’t hurt at all.  It’s just the rest of me that hurts!  Tomorrow Iĺl try this all over again!  I’m sure it will get easier . . . . . .

Itś Friday, July 30. My momś birthday-Happy Birthday, Mom! I will celebrate your birthday by going to a milonga-my first real outing into the BsAs tango world-tonight with Theresa, from Germany and one other gal here at Lunallena in BsAs. I have almost recovered from the trauma of landing here after a very long journey-noon on Tuesday until 5 p.m. on Wednesday-up and down four times — fighting some bug that was plaguing my throat and general sense of well being. I arrived safely- managed all the ins and outs of immigration, paying my hefty reciprocal fee to enter AR-$150, but good for 10 yrs, they said! Ha! Don lose your stamp-they put in the passport-even if your passport is replaced-bring the old one with the stamp and we will honor. Ha! Great idea if you can hold onto that passport, which of course, I assumed I would . . . .but in just a couple of hours hence, it would be gone!
Nico, the AR taxi guy related to Lunallena, my hotel, came to fetch me. I was not surprised he was late, as the plane out of LAX was delayed 2 hrs! So a 5 hr layover there instead of a 3 hr layover. I waited for Nico in the pickup place for almost 30 min-thatś a weird feeling–what would I do if he didnt come eventually? -finally he appeared with the sign bearing my name!  Hurrah! I couldnt wait to get to the hotel and sleep!
I had one large and two small cases stacked on the cart with my computer case tucked in the slot under the push handle. It had my computer, passport, personal papers, books and cameras . . .both the flip video camera and my digital 35mm camera. Nico offered to push the cart and I was ready to be relieved. We made our way to the parking lot and his taxi. He pushed the cart to the back of his taxi and then unlocked the passenger door for me. I took the cue and gladly sat down to rest my weary bones. Nico unloaded into the trunk and we were off, enjoying a chatty ride into the city, winding to Palermo, Palermo Sojo and finally Palermo Hollywood. It was a long nearly and hour trip worth $34. American. Nico unloaded the trunk and it was then I discovered my computer case missing. He was unable to comprehend. I entered panic zone. Wild efforts at communicating this horrible reality ensued. Finally I was able to make him understand that there was an important missing item. We tucked the cases inside, greeted waiting Ricarda, the owner, and headed back to the airport. Nico tried to help me as we went, telling me how much longer, how much longer. I just prayed and reflected on how things can spiral so quickly into a nightmare. Finally we were there again in the airport parking lot.  Nico found the spot and what he thought was the very same cart . . .empty! We spoke to a guard in a nearby tower who directed us to the inside office. We made our way there, thru the airport lobby, making one false stop at another police office. When we arrived it took forever to get someone to help us, and forever again to file the report once we were told my case had not been turned in. I was not surprised. I had to make a list of the contents. I knew I had more than two books but the only titles that came to me were Bad Times in Buenos Aires and Culture Shock Argentina. The irony was so thick! I smiled at it in spite of myself.  I figured I could do without those now as I was living out those realities!
They told us to call the next day . . . .perhaps something will show up. We returned to the taxi and . .the long, sad journey again, back to Lunallena, which now seemed musty and dark and not nearly as charming as the pictures.  Nevertheless, I was happy to get to bed even without dinner.   I didnt sleep well, not that night or the next.  Well, I had been sad not to have lost more weight before my trip . . .now at least, I was lighter!
Next day-Thursday-I made my way via taxi, to Rayuela, the language school I had chosen and my apt with the director of studies who turns out to be the owner, manager, Alejandro. Heś 52, has a girlfriend and a son, age 10. Alejandro was most sympathetic re: my crisis and offered to call the police at the airport.  He made several attempts and finally succeeded. He learned my case had been turned in, sans all electronics. BUT the passport was there!  So was everything else, save the computer and cameras.  I needed to go soon as after 24 hrs the police sent the found items to another office, so if I didnt want to spend more time chasing about I had to go again to the airport asap.  Alejandro called Pepe, who sometimes drives for the school.  Pepe is closer to my age . . .60 something and cute in a rustic kinda way. No English, but we taught each other some words.  He especially liked: traffic jam! We encountered plenty of those on our trip. Pepe stayed with me thru the process. He was great. We had to wait of course. It had been 90 min the night before, now we waited maybe 30 min to get help, maybe an hour in all.  Finally they brought out my bag. I identified it, they looked at my drivers license and were satisfied. BUT, hereś a cute bump: I had to sign a paper saying I was satisfied with the contents, in order to be allowed to take my case etc. If I wanted the police to continue to look for my lost items(read stolen) I would be required to leave everything with the police!  Hmm. I did smell a rat there!  Nevertheless, I signed. I wasń’t giving up my passport again!
There were two young women from Columbia there in the police “lost and found” when we arrived.  They spoke to Pepe in Spanish but finally one spoke English to me.  I was so relieved.  Itś an amazing relief to be able to speak and understand.   It is much harder than I imagined to be here and not really function in Spanish.  Claudia, who had graduated from college and was returning home from a year in Australia, was sitting with Anna, a college girl returning home after six months in Australia.  Both had been working on their English and had met on the airplane.  They commended Australia for its beautiful beaches and safety.  They were in the airport for just a few hrs before returning to Columbia.  They had gone to the internet cafe to talk with family.  Someone snatched Annaś wallet with all her credit cards, id, health cards and money.  She was as distraught as I had felt the night before. “Only five minutes and it was gone,” she sighed.  Finally seeing her head hanging low, I went to sit by Anna.  I asked if her passport was safe. Yes. Ticket? Yes.  So, don’t worry about the credit cards, you won’t be liable.  You just have to cancel.  She had already called her father in Columbia to do this.  The id and health cards are an issue.  They take maybe one year to replace in her country.  Do you have any money? No, it was all in my wallet.  How much do you need to get home?  Before she could answer I pulled a 100 peso note from my wallet and handed it to her.  No, no too much.  No, I insist. You’ll feel better and you won’t worry so much.  She smiled her first smile of the evening, hugged me and thanked me for my unexpected generosity.  Itś nothing, I said.  I am happy to help.  Then Claudia was smiling too and hugged me, and I turned and I saw Pepe had a big smile and was nodding his head in approval.
Good times in Buenos Aires.  Gracias por Dios!

It’s 7:50 a.m. I will call Lawrence, my Spanish teacher, in ten minutes to let him know I won’t be able to make my lesson in Northeast Portland this a.m. There’s too much left to do before I leave: people to visit, notes to write, rooms to clean, litterboxes to change, plants to water, walking shoes to find  . . . I could use a few more days, but even if I had them I know the last day would be just like this-full!  I am grateful for my very full and wonderful life, but sometimes I struggle to manage  all my lists. I look out my office window at the rolling hills and pine trees, the big Oregon sky and I try to take it in. I want to hold this feeling of peace and beauty and take some of it with me. Buenos Aires is a big, noisy and crowded city, I know I will love it but I will also miss this place.  My home, sweet home in Beavercreek: you’ll be soooo nice to come home to!

The goodbye party on Sunday evening was lovely. About 80 folks turned out to say “Farewell and have a great adventure in Buenos Aires!” My teacher, Alex Krebs, came out to the church and delighted everyone with an introductory lesson in Argentine Tango. They found him brilliant, funny and charming, as do his regular students at Tango Berretin. There was great food and drink, dancing to the sounds of the Black Magic Big Band and even a line up to dance a few seconds with “the pastor.” April, freshly back from her exchange in Denmark, showed up to present me with a Bible in Danish. There were many sweet notes of “farewell and come back refreshed” tucked into a little bag along with a few bills folks added during the line-up dance. A couple of other very thoughtful gifts will make packing easier: creams and containers-lovely. What an amazing church family! But, now the party is really over and today is when I meet with pastoral relations folks for my annual review-just 7 days before departing on sabbatical. Then comes the final cleanup of office and parsonage, especially the garage, and then the packing. Seven days and counting; one more sermon! I could use an extra week!

Today I met with our interim sabbatical pastor to get her oriented to the church and office. Now it’s just 11 more days and so much left to do before I leave for three months. I am at once excited and quite nervous! Dare I say, terrified! Yesterday at my tango lesson my teacher took me thru some challenging moves in open embrace. That was so much fun. This is the kind of dance I will focus on during my intensivo week with Luciana Valle the first week of August, dancing up to five and six hours a day—pure heaven! But, I still don’t have a suitcase! And I am only 1/2 way thru re-arranging the office to accomodate a space for the secretary’s desk. So much to do–so little time!

The Lily Foundation posed this question for any clergy from any denomination anticipating sabbatical leave and hoping for financial support.

Of course I applied!  It was my first serious attempt at a grant proposal and I found it both challenging and exciting.  I started early and poured over everything they told me to read, several times both before and during the writing process.  I reflected, prayed, conferred, dreamed, discerned, sought help.  Finally after months of work it was in the mail on time!  I am not good at on time–so this was great. Then I just let it go–what a long shot–was I crazy?  Why would the Lily Foundation give me 27K to go dance tango in Argentina?  Wild!  It made perfect sense to me, but to them?  They said they would send notification to winners in October of 2009. At the end of September I was shocked to find two large envelopes from the Lily Foundation in our mailbox.  I thought, “Ah–a rejection.”  But NO!  We got the grant–all of it! They didn’t even reject my tango shoes or the labyrinth for the church!  Wow.  I jumped into my car and dashed over to our church leaders -two gals who helped a lot on the project-Kathy’s and then to Jan’s to tell them personally. Unable to contain my joy I was jumping up and down and shouting all the while–very undignified, I am sure.  I am still amazed at our great good fortune. I say “our” because the church benefits in the funding of our sabbatical pastor, extra secretary time while I am gone, resources for a small group program, two celebration parties and a brand new canvas labyrinth!  God is good!