Tangobunny's Blog

YES! Gracias! Oh my goodness .  . .is there anything more lovely than a tango waltz-(valz) . . . .danced sensitively, danced subtly, danced to dreamy, floaty music with a guy who actually gets it?  Soetimes we hardly move at all–No–no rushing and sweaping constantly about the floor–just deep, sweet and gentle moves, together, nicely together–sweaping only when the music becons . . .Geeze Louise–and a whole tanda of just that . . . yuuuummm.  Yes, I came to waltz. Bailas?  Sigh . . . .  I’ll be back!  Soon.

Many have said long before me that Argentine Tango is a great metaphor for life. Looking deeply at some of the elements of this genre can open possibilities of illunination for our individual journey. Even my beloved teacher, Alex, not a particularly religious guy, once said “Dancing tango is the closest thing to God I have experienced.”  Take the parada, or stop, a common tango movement. We don’t actually stop, at least not more than a second or so, but our movement is adjusted or perhaps redirected, and we are called in the parada to a certain instant awareness of the present moment. A death in the family is like this too. It stops us, at least momentarily, and calls us into an acute awareness of life and it’s deeper opportunities. My aunt Nadene died earlier this week and today I am in California for the funeral. Last night I was blessed to share a little time with some of my cousins. We sat and chatted in a restaurant where others of their family had shared supper but departed to rest before today’s challenges. We shared old family stories and pushed as much as we could into the deeper connecting places that families and friends sometimes find the courage to explore. We wanted to go there, to find those connections which before these moments we had not allowed time to explore. But death reminds us as nothing else can: life is short. In our connecting we spoke of faith, our common Christian faith, Jesus’ teachings, the Jesus Seminar’s view of all that. Finally we settled on a place of common belief: what’s important is the heart of Jesus’ teachings: love God, love others and love yourself without condition. And one cousin added, “It’s that love yourself part that is the hardest.”  Yes, it is, but it’s also crucial.  This is where following your bliss comes in (Joseph Campbell’s advice to all his students: Follow your bliss!); it’s about finding joy and choosing that.  And this is why I pursue Argentine Tango.  Jesus’ words are actualized in my dance: “I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly!”  For me this is not about more stuff, but it is all about more joy in my life! (New tango shoes and that cute new tango outfit notwithstanding! Natch!)

I spent the fin de semana before leaving AR with friends in Sante Fe. The pain in my leg and hip grew worse. Lili wanted me to see a doctor but I didn’t want to take time from our visit and I was managing with the last pills Chino gave me.  But after arriving in Davis to spend Turkey day with family the new element, a splotchy red rash, was getting worse. So off to urgent care. The wait wasn’t long, not many there on the day after Thanksgiving. That’s the good news. The other good news is I didn’t pull a nerve or break anything as I had feared. The bad news is I have shingles and have now passed thru some unbelievable pain.  I have meds now too including heavy duty pain killers which make me a little loopy. I had to delay my return home as I was not fit to travel on Friday.  Today is Sunday and I received word earlier that my wonderful church stepped up and covered all my bases and everything went well in my absence.   My dear family here has taken very good care of me, waiting on me and seeing to my comfort.  Sadly I could not visit my aunt Nadene in the hospital as the risk to her was too great.  I return to Portland in the morning and hope for a return to the tango floor before too long, God willing.

So, for my last day of a very short visit in BsAs, Chino and German arranged an afternoon and overnight in the suburbs.  We went to German’s family summer house. It is a small, two bedroom place with a nice yard and a pool. Chino was so disappointed the pool wasn’t usable: only a foot of green, slimy water at the bottom.  And of course I’d bought a suit because I hadn’t brought one . . . .alas, I was a little disappointed too.  Chino and I traveled on his motorcycle the one hour distance to our “mini holiday.”  German and his girlfriend came by train and bus.  The traffic was horrible so they were late.  German and Shamilla went off to get food and brought back hot dogs, which the others scarfed down like they were starving.  I managed to choke down half.  I thought that was it but I was wrong.  Along came Pedro, another friend I’d met at his studio the previous Friday.  He came on his m.bike and brought dough he’d made earlier for pizza!  After some banter about how the pizza would best be cooked German asked me if I had ever seen pizza cooked on the bar-b-q (Everone here in AR has an outdoor grill especially for preparing the famous and to-die-for Argentine asado.) I said “no,” so that cinched it—I was to be treated to an amazing culinary experience: barbecued pizza!  Turns out Pedro is something of a gourmet cook.   He boiled fresh tomatoes and made fresh sauce.  Toppings included fried egg, sauteed onion, red bell peppers and some kind of cheese I wish I had right now!   I am generally not much of a pizza fan, but I could eat this kind every day! Yum! There was a LOT of pizza being prepared and I begn to be concerned when more guests arrived at the front gate, old friends of German’s who he happened to run into at the market earlier.  Six more people, so we had a real party feeling among us.  My Spanish is so poor I miss a lot, but some of the women spoke enough English to chat with me a bit.  It was midnight or later by the time we gathered around the table and 3 a.m. when Chino tapped my leg rousing me from a little dozing off.   “Want to sleep?”  I smiled as he led me off to my room for the night, grabbing my bag from the front room as we passed thru.  Resting was sweet but not long enough.  Very early in the morning it gets  light, and very early the children arrive at the school next door.  They are full of energy, enthusiasm and laughter . . . . . entonses, nothing to do but get up.  I wander thru the sleeping house and out to the backyard.  The grass smells fresh and the trees are lovely, speaking softly with the wind.   I feel amazingly tranquil though surrounded by a small town teaming with activity.  I lay down and stretch out on my back to enjoy the leaves moving across the sky and the feel of earth and grass beneath me.  My sweet friends spared no cost or love to give me this kind gift.  Beautiful Argentina!  I miss you already!

More specifically, it´s been a pain in the right hip. I have no idea how I injured myself but somehow I did. Bruising appeared on my right thigh five days ago and pain in the leg. Later I found pain in the lower lumbar region of my right hip. Sheesh. Chino gave me some pills but they didn´t do much. Heat helped a little. One night when Chino couldn´t find his heating pad he helped me with hot towels. And I took a hot shower often. Last night I left the Motivo practica very early because of the pain. Oddly when I was dancing I had no pain, but I wasn´t dancing much.  No one knows me at El Motivo except Chino and German; Chino works and German was practicing with his partner, entonses . . . . (isn´t that a wonderful way to say “so?”)  Today, after five days of sickening and increasing pain which tapping couldn´t touch, I asked Chino for some meds for a headache, like Tylenol.  I took three and now am pain free.  Love those drugs!  Now I can have a nice day, my last in BA this time.

He was in the class at Motivo. Luciana didn’t come so Gabbi taught with a guy I didn’t know. A couple of the guys I danced with were quite weak, or the sort that likes to instruct and blame even tho they are the problem. Then there came Mark who has been in BsAs for maybe 10 years. He was lovely and he likes to play . . . .even better! After the class he asked me to dance and we enjoyed several songs. No tandas just continuous music cuz it’s a practica. Lovely and I hated to see him depart. Didn’t dance again til the end when Chino came for me. We only dance maybe three songs cuz I was the end and he had to work then to close up the event. Nice tho. Very. Spent a long time chatting with Shana from Portland. Nice opportunity to get to know here a little. The show was amazing with the female star from DNI school. Crazy good and very exciting to watch. Modern, flashy, creative and soo musical! The crowd of maybe 300 went wild. Maybe next Monday I’ll get back from Sante Fe in time for the class and a chance to dance with Mark again. Sweet.

Adults are full of wisdom. Take Nancy for example. She’s here in BsAs at the same time and I have enjoyed so much hanging out with her a bit. The other day she was talking about how long everything takes here and how it’s really not a good idea to get attached to one’s plans and time lines. “Once I just decided to take things as they come,” she said, “and just open myself to the very real possibility that my idea of what the day would look like might not be that at all, I began to enjoy the new things happening and it’s always good. Something good always happens, but maybe not anything you dreamed of.” And that’s my experience too. Every day is an adventure here. Yesterday I went off to Abasto Shopping area to find tango shoes. Alas, all the tango shops were closed. Shopping center was open but since it was Sunday all the little shops were closed. So no tango shoes. I did however enjoy a lovely long walk in the neighborhood of Abasto, happened on a children’s fair with clowns and children twirling ribbons on sticks and sinning hula hoops. Lovely and joyful on a sunny Sunday! I walked to the Subte and along the way found a great kid’s shop and bought a musical mobile for Nico’s baby which I would deliver later in the evening. Then I jumped on the Supte and got of at Corranza, my stop, but just barely as I was daydreaming and almost missed it. Andeen restaurant is right there when u come up from the Supte so I stopped in for a couple empanadas, (tomatoe, cheese and altuna) and una copa tinto! Yummy.  I was looking for Gabriella, a waitress I met there last year, but her sister said she is infirma(a little sick.) I watched the football game a little on their big flat screen and saw a great goal by BA over Columbia. Then walked to the nearby store only to discover the shelves nearly empty. This one is going under. This is the first clear sign I have seen of the anxiety over the economy here but people talk about it all the time. Then to the Chinaman’s store to see if he has Gin. Success . . . .and he even had tonic and lime as well. I picked up some beer for Nico and Aricelli and headed for Lunallena, just half a block away.  As I approached the door I heard music from within. Strange I thought, maybe someone is having a party Sunday night? But upon entering I discovered the dance floor filled with dancers and a practica in progress. Wow, wish I had known, I wouldn’t have taken so long to get back.  This is something new since I was here a year ago.  I put my bags down and grabbed my shoes from upstairs and danced for 30 minutes only because Nico and his lovely wife were waiting for me. I had some very nice partners and the teaching was superior. An older guy, maybe 80s was teaching and demonstrating. Then two other guys, one quite lovely and near my age too, assisted in teaching. I was sorry to have to leave before it was done. But off I set again and had to walk about three blocks to find a taxi. I arrived at Nicos and buzzed for him. He came down to unlock and let me in. We shared big smiles and big hugs! What a joy to see him again. Their baby Inaki, is two months and soooo beautiful and calm. Ariceli is just 21 and Nico is about 40 and they are perfect tether. Last year she stood back from me a bit but now she embraces me and was a perfect hostess, serving lots of meats and cheeses and pickeled things from the fridge to go with our beer.  I was happy to learn of Nico’s new and thriving taxi dancer business. He was struggling last year but now he’s found his niche. Ariceli and fatherhood is good for him!  We had a lovely party with lots of laughs and I finally left reluctantly about 12 because Nico had to rise early to get to work by 11am. Yes, this is early for the tango world. Before I left Nico gave me some instruction on how to buy the best bombilla, the metal straw for the matte. I need to find one for my teacher at home. So it goes in BsAs . . . another day, another adventure and deeper connections with good friends.

Last night Chino came for me on his motor to go to Milonga 10. He said he’s come “after dinner.” I wasn’t sure if that meant 10, 11 or what. I was ready at maybe 11 to go. He came about 12:50. He put the big helmet on my head and in a moment that hour I spent making my hair lovely was gone. I didn’t care. I was happy to climb up on his bike and set out in the night for dancing with one of the loveliest dancers and sweetest human beings I have ever known. Chino and I have a heart connection that does not see the differences and barriers others may see. He’s in the late 20s and I’m in my 60’s. But somehow thru he magic of the tango world we met and now we are forever friends, heart connected friends. So we danced a few tandas in the night, he danced with several lovely young women and we watched a great exhibition dance. I met several of his friends and had a long warm chat with his professional dance partner. We stayed to the end, 5pm. He said bye to everyone. Chino seems to know everyone. Then we climb back on the bike for a nice ride home in the clean air of the morning light. Yes, it was light and six o’clock when we arrive back at luna llena, my hotel. Then we talked for maybe 20 minutes, mostly about the young woman he loves, and finally said goodnight at my door.  Back in my little room on the third level enjoying the fresh morning air and the lovely tree outside my window, but too wired to sleep yet, I sent the first of several texts back and forth, just fun unwinding chat.  Finally I wrote, “good night sweet prince.” (because he is that, a prince of a man in every way) and he wrote back, “Good night little hada.”  This afternoon I looked it up, my Spanish so mal!  It means fairy!   See what I mean?

Molasses pours slowly, thick stuff that it is and that’s exactly how things move in BsAs. Of course on must take into account the change in routine. For example, my day today began at 12:30 pm when I first opened my eyes to the hammering from the construction next door. I had closed my eyes about 5am, after a lovely night with included watching my dear friend, Chino and his partner, Carla, dance at Cafe Tortoni on Aveneda de Mayo. The show was great, Chino was awesome, Carla was stunning. After we went to dance and Nancy, my friend from Portland joined us. We went to el Baldosa Milonga in Flores. It was large, maybe 300 to 400 people there. There was a snger, an older guy who sang with DiSarli. He was awesome and it was a privilege to oberve how the ordinary peple of BsAs admire and show respect to these older trailblazers. We also got to see some performance dances, two different couples well known here and both very accomplished. I danced with Chino a couple of tandas and with a stranger, the chacarrea(sp), a well known folk dance. We dined on canneloni with spinach and cheese with lovely white and red sauce. Homemade and awesome. Chino left about 3am, Nancy and I stayed on til closing at 4am. So it goes. Now it’s 9pm next day and all I have accomplished is showering, eating at my fav. cafeteria down the road, getting some pesos from the bank and buying a few necessities. Oh yes, and getting credit on my cell which Chino loaned me today so I wouldn’t be isolated. Learning it’s quirks is yet another matter. So, my day has been slow as molasses, but then, from another perspective, it’s just about to begin. Where to go, that is the ?

It’s only 30 minutes point to point for me to get to Alex’s studio from my home in Beavercreek. I have done the trip so many times that sometimes now my car goes there on it’s own! It’s a place I love. Buenos Aires is another place I love but this time it took nearly twice as long to get here: 36 hours. It was going to be long anyway, just over 24 hrs as I had stops in LA, Lima and Santiago, but the plane was canceled in Santiago due to a volcano erupting south of Santiago and the winds carrying a cloud of ash to the skies above EZE airport in BA. So after arriving in Santiago at 5a.m. I finally left at 3pm! It was long and tiring but once I arrived in the city I began to breathe easy and began to inhale the joy of being here. My first night was lovely because my friends Chino and German came to visit. We were so very happy to meet again after one year apart! They brought wine and empanadas and we sat at the table in the kitchen at Lunallena and visited and laughed for hours. Unfortunately we were more loud than we realized and, while meaning no disrespect,  disturbed the sleep of the couple above the kitchen who became quite irate and let us know this clearly and also loudly, if not politely.  This morning I was reminded of the rule about quiet hours, twice.  At the earliest opportunity I apologized but now am remembering my two months here last year when everyone, people from all over the world,  was happy to party to all hours. Everything changes . . . and people are different with different needs and expectations.  Sometimes we aren’t totally aware of this.  Even a person you once hosted in your own home may one day become so angry that they yell at you quite surprisingly.  So it goes.  We are always learning.  Now, after Tortoni tonight the party goes elsewhere!