A new post at last

Hi All Isn't about time.....Well it's the 22nd Feb 2007 I am in Ireland and in 2 weeks I will be back in BsAs (for the 6th time) hopefully for at least 6 months if not longer. We'll see how it all pans out. The dancing still has me captivated. I plan to continue my studies and practice. Let it take me where it does. Hopefully I will update the blog occasionally and let you know whats up!!!. All the best for now.
Gerrysan

DJ of the Tango Practica during the World championships

Hi all,
In August between the 22nd and 25th, I DJ'ed each night for a 2 hour practica during the Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires. There are a few photos on my Flickr site here. Unfortunately I have to report that AZABACHE has closed it's doors for the time being.
I will be returning to Ireland on the 25th of September bring to a close another 7 months of tango study. As soon as the debt is cleared and a few bob saved it is back to BsAs.

Alive and well in Buenos Aires

I had lost my login stuff to here but figured it out and am back in. I returned to Ireland in September 2005 am arrived back in BsAs February this year. I currently DJ at a milonga "AZABACHE" every Tuesday night from 10 till late. If your into Tango and your visiting BsAs do drop in and say hello.

Split up ..Dance partner.....Tango dance championship

The last month has seen the life of me turning on a pinhead. I've split up with the girlfriend moved to a new appartment, found a dance partner and friend. There is lots to this but maybe I'll save it for the Biog. We've entered into a Tango competion to represent BsAs in the 3rd Tango world championship The first round was held last Wednesday in La Ideal We were one of 17 couples in the competition. 3 tangos were played for all to dance to. Trasnochando by Miguel Calo, Cara Sucia by Carlos Di Sarli and Pensalo bien by Juan Darienzo. I know these tangos very well so it was just a matter of getting on with it. Six couples on the floor at a time for the 1st 2 lots and 5 for the last display. 2 couple were picked by the judges and 1 couple is selected by the public. A dozen or so mates came to vote and support us. The venue was almost full as Gustavo Naviera and Gisselle Anne were performing.
We were one of the two selected by the judges so we are through to the semi finals in a fortnight. If luck continues on our side the finals are on the 26th of June. Followed by the world championship on August 12.

Intensive dancing.....Bandoneon in my house

Hi all, it's been over 2 weeks since my last blog, my excuse is I have been back dancing with similar intensity to the first time I was here. Up to 12 hours a day. 7 to 10 hours most days. Usually 2 classes and 2 milongas, every now and again there is a third class or pratica added. It feels like I've had a bit of a breakthrough in my dancing. It all goes very well at the milongas. There is still a mountain of stuff to study and integrate but bit by bit it is sinking in.
I am moving into debt again the whole world lives this way and survives and my debt is only a few thousand Euros, wouldn't buy you a car in Ireland. I'll survive a way will find me and take me with it if it's jail so be it.

In the last month the dancing has changed considerably much more relaxed and flowing. All the technical training allows the dancing to manifest itself without having to push or pull my partner around not that that's what, was going on. But it can take some practice so see where the pushing and pulling goes on, the more you practice 2 possibilities arise, ones habitual way of dancing becomes more ingrained or one develops sensitivity to the way one moves, there by enabling one to eradicate habits that choke natural movement in the dancing.
For me relaxing the mind is the key to enabling this awareness. As soon as you focus on one thing the 557,982 things are forgotten about. A relaxed awareness just noticing what's going on in both your body and your partners. In this space one can start to notice where the tension is, then you find the way to let it go. I find that when I find out about these possibilities I don't leave them on the dance floor but bring them with me into my life off the dance floor. It is interesting what comes to light when you use awareness instead of focus. Don't get me wrong there is a need for focus sometimes but I'm finding it less and less usefull.

Other news I've purchased a Bandoneón on behalf of a friend in Ireland. It may turn out that I'll bring it home which could be several months away. This allows me an opportunity to learn it. I played the accordion as a young fella 30 years ago, more recently I learned the Irish bagpipes, spent 2 years learning the pipes. So if the motivation arrives it will done with gusto.
The spanish classes have been a wash out I have missed most of them, being out till 3 or 4 in the morning doesn't make it easy getting up at 8.30. I am not motivated to learn it at any rate. Fortunately I have enought to get by and not just use hello, goodbye, please, and thankyou.

Cold drinks.....falling chandaliers........On TV

Well the fridge is back up and running running so hard there was a glacier starting in the ice box and dropped tomatoes were shattering. So a new thermostat was installed seems good so far. Fiona has arrived from Ireland and is nearing her first week in Tango Mecca. She is having a great time. Trying on some shoes yesterday all that was said "I could never wear these" we'll see about that. She brought a fresh supply of chocolate thanks for that. There's a bandoneon player visiting tomorrow to show me an Instrument he wants to sell. A friend wants to buy one so I'm the go between. Should be fun I plan to record it. First time I'll have recorded a Bandoneon. I'll see if he let's me try it out. Melina Braufman's week end seminar went fine it was about using exercises to feel the way energy moves in the body. 2 X 3hour class and not a single tango was played. In the same place on Wednesdays they hold a new practica called "Al Reves" where the boys pretend to be girls and vice versa, plenty of strange music also, on Sundays there is a Milonga I will be there this Sunday. In La Confiteria Ideal one of the chandeliers fell and hit an elderly gent who I 'm glad to say has survived. But on the news reports afterwards they show some stock footage of dancing in a milonga which featured me. So everywhere I go people tell me I saw you on the TV. I was wondering why there was so many funny looks recently. Had a fun night in Portena y Bailarin last Tuesday, but it used to be that here would be free in and you would have to consume a minimum of $4 of drinks. Now you have to pay to get in and again to get out. Seems silly to me, shouldn't it be one or the other?

Web Site offline

Hi A short post to say that I took the Gerrysantangoman website offline on the 2 April.
I plan to create a more comprehensive Blog in the near future stay tuned. Thanks to all who tuned in, hope to catch you later on.

Abrazos Gerrysan

Move....fridge is banjaxed....Chocolate has arrived!!!!!

What a fortnight it's been. We've been 3 weeks moving a business from one location to the appartment. Lugging a little everyday then a truckload at the last moment. I've done this moving 7 times since flying the coop but when you move abroad you really pare down and figure out what you need, which takes preference over what you want. Well it is all done and most things that can be stashed away have been, things are running smoothly once more. The fridge broke down the other day, it's an american import GEC which makes it very expensive to fix 3 quotes from ar$1500 to ar$500. We picked the lowest it should be up and running toworrow. I hope it lasts.

Finally the chocolate that Matias and Kara brought back from Ireland has arrived into my gruby little hand a welcome treat. Thanks to Eorna for organising that.

The milongas are returning to normal here as the clients from the last 2 Festivals return home. Next major Festival is 6/7 months away. Some new Milongas have opened recently. I shall eventually get round to see several of them. Some interesting seminars on the calender for April starting next Saturday with one led by Melina Braufman

Pic...3 Irish lads in Tango class together what a coup

Fergal on the right Silvina your's truly John and Sebastian. Is this a turning point in Irish Tango ? Hardly but it is still very cool that there are 3 of us learning Tango together in BsAs. John has returned to spread the gospel according to Tango Fergal is still here and will study some more before returning to Ireland as for me I don't know when I'll return when they throw me out of the country:-). I am waiting for Fiona from Ireland who lands next Saturday and will spend almost a month here.

Paddy's day

Hi Happy Paddy's day to all
March 17th seems/is to be very important to the Irish given that he(St Patrick) is the patron saint of Ireland it is not unreaonable to alay to this. Then again????????? This yahoo the author gerrysan has kowtowwed all of his life to so called authority no more and fec the begrudgers. The tears and laughter of any given moment and given that there is only this moment ever only has been he he he the past hiding itself as the present.
Bit of a tongue twister that last sentence. Such is life. And more besides. Attribute this to souly the universal manifestation of who ever wrote it.
Cheers Gerrysan
"todays intelligence is tomorrows rubbish" Gerrysan

Exhibitions...Kara and Matias return....Fergal from Ireland

The moult is 99% over I seemed to lose 2 layers off the shins. I regret to say I am no more beautiful now than I was before. The beard has been shorn which didn't help in the beauty stakes either, less stately in fact, fortunately I don't pay much attention to the look of me or the cut of me as others might say.
Tango classes continue, since Pablo and Dana are leaving for a 4 month world tour I will experiment with other teachers "sounds dodgy that" I have already had a milonga con traspie with Muma a well know milonguera in Buenos Aires it didn't get off to a good start as your asked to walk sort of flat footed which feels very unnatural to me, and since it is apilado ie. chest to chest both partners weight forward and off axis. I haven't been training or dancing this way for sometime but it all came back swiftly enough. The traspie exercises went well and this is what I want to get out of this seminar. Fergal is over from Ireland for a couple of weeks so I took him to Anna Maria Shapira for his first Tango lesson. He is a friend from my working side and not yet loco por tango. Following the class we popped over to La Fija which is held in El Beso here at his first ever milonga he won the sorteo of a bottle of wine he reckons I fixed it, then we just yapped the night away I'm afraid. I did get up for a tanda, as we embraced I was warned that quote "I've never danced tango I'm here with a few friends" in spanish. Okay fair enough I replied we'll just walk. So we made the best of it for a song then she just went straight back to her seat. Almost never happens separating before a tanda's over but now and again...........Yesterday I went to Canning to see Gaston and Marielle exhibit they gave a great show then Julio and Corina came on another good display. the place was packed as CITA starts to day. I had 4 tanda's all were great fun as much dodging the flying high heels and the odd speedy gonzalez who can't hear the music or see the other people as dancing. It will be like this for the next week and a bit. I may lie low for a while. A gang of us went on to La Viruta after to see Chicho and Eugenia do their thing, all very excellent, the milonga especially. Kara and Matias are back home after their trip around the world including Ireland. It was great to see them. I'm looking forward to working with them again. I got home eventually at about 6am.
I've signed on for a second set of spanish lessons starting on the 18th of March for 2 months, a little less intense than the last course only 4 days a week 2 hours a day. 64 hours in total should be grand.

Oscars........Plato's cave

Went to see Million $ Baby last weekend, good movie, I see now it's got 4 oscars. Once again Scorcese has been over looked, by all accounts The Aviator (only the Italian site is up ) is an excellent movie, it is on my viewing list maybe even this week. I used to me an avid movie goer aside from it being my work at one stage resume here but I seem to have let it pass me by these last few years. Time to get back into Plato's cave . Don't worry I don't plan to start reviewing if I like it I like it if not I don't.

Detail of Palacio Salvo in Montevideo 

Moulting nicely....Hugs back online...Snog free and stormless...Chicho's class

I am moulting quiet nicely now. Should be freshly skinned in a day or two. Hugs are back on the menu, unfortunately my lips are in a desperate state getting nice and crusty now, it will be a few days before any snogging action takes place.The weather is a little cooler here which helps. Storms were expected but now look unlikely, which is a pity as they can be spectacular. There is new milonga on Sunday nights in Dandi Royal Pablo and Dana will exhibit there next Sunday. Chicho's class on Thursday was about changing the dynamics in tango movement. I like to utilize these possibilities in dancing, with your own steps it works fine the class is an advanced one so you are offered something that is really tricky. The first few parts are fine but when you run it up to 5 which usually are the more difficult techniques it is really a challenge. Try 3 contra rebounds right /left /right follow thru with a forward ocho for the girl as the man leads it with 3 steps (contratiempo) around her then take a reverse sacada next weight change in contra weight on both partners right leg last lead a forward boleo using contra weight change ................Just a sec while I catch my breath and partner. Next week the classes are about Sacadas, Change of directions (alterations) I love this way of moving, Symetry and changing roles, Volcadas and Colgadas exciting stuff.

Lobster lad

Lobster Roche

Pidgeon Visitor

Hello to you too!!!!!

The Beach in Montevideo.

PALACIO SALVO

What a Building and I forgot to get it's name!!!!!!!!
This building in Montevideo from which you do not remember the name is PALACIO SALVO, almost a twin of Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires. Same architect, same mystical structure. Both palaces built in the twenties, el Barolo is a hommage to Dante Alighieri, the different levels (floors) represent the circles of his DIVINA COMEDIA, and they say it was the highest building in South america at that time.The HELL (of Divina Comedia) is in the levels of entrance and subsoils, there you can find expressive gargoyles and dragons, snakes and 9 fire circles in floor 9, like Dante Alighieri wrote in La Divina Comedia. From floor 1 to 14 we meet the purgatory —two for each one of the seven terraces of Dante's purgatory —, and from 15 to 22 floors, the paradise: 8 floors, corresponding to the quantity of planets that the Italian poet had identified by the ending of century XIII and beginning of XIV.
Thanks to Renata Lamborghini for the Info.

Barton Fink was here!!!!!

Hotel of Los(t) Angels...Burned alive....Pidgeon visit's

Hi All, I am back in BsAs. Got back late Tuesday night all travelling was uneventful. Montevideo wasn't much better. Expensive compared to BsAs by a long shot. Mind you we cut good deal on 26 meters of material for curtains, they were impressed at customs with the texture all was in order so no problems there. Spent a day at the beach I had a good book recliner and a beach umbrella. The view was good and the water warm. I put to much trust into the screening power of the umbrella ended up looking as good a lobster as ever there was. Skipped dancing yesterday as the old chest was too sensitive. I will take 2 classes today tho first one in a couple of hours. I took about 20 or so photos there are some lovely buildings there.
Our hotel was "Hotel Los Angeles" it's been awhile since any Angels stayed there I reckon. I was reminded of the Coen Bros. movie Barton Fink. I was disappointed by the lack of the sounds of bodies thunking over head. We even had a visit from one of the local pigeons who wanted to wish us well. One good meal out and 2 mediocre. The local beer was fine the wine grand. A weekend was more than long enough to spend there. I will need a very good reason to return. I have another 90 days permission to stay in BsAs. So on we go.