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.

Red sky in the morning

Is this a warning or what the sky at 6am

Ingredients

Drool as much as you want Water cress, Basil, Peeled Tomatoes, Pickles, Roast chicken, Crispy Bacon, Cheese, French bread sticks and a few other tastes for the sambos

Montevideo, Sambos Gratitude...what a life

Half an hour to midnight in BsAs. Preparations are in hand for the trip to Montevideo tomorrow. Backpack is packed sambos made check the pic drool quotient is high. We set sail at 9am and arrive at 3pm I am on for the slow travel for this trip. We flew to Ushuaia last year 3000Km south in 5 hours. Water friction is a serious business. Just one book I AM THAT is with me a pair of dance shoes just in case a milonga is spotted. Spare pair of kaks and t shirt ready to emigrate and return in two days. On my return I shall have permission to stay for another 90 days in Argentina. More Tango maybe more Spanish lessons more everything. What am I doing to deserve this life what ever all I can say is endless gratitude. See you all the other side of the border crossing.

9th of July

The main thoroughway in BsAs Nuevo de Julio (9th of July). This pic was taken beside the Obelisco.

Chicho is back....Michael goes home....mediocrity on display

I am back on the dance floor. Almost 2 weeks with hardly a dance. Yesterday was all go, 3 classes and a milonga. Chicho Frúmboli is back in town. So he is, with his partner Eugenia Parrilla holding 4 classes a week. They started last Tuesday and will continue till March 15. I plan on taking as many as I can get to which should be most. I only took the intermediate classes when they were here last year. This year there is no holding back. I have a partner to take the advanced class with which makes it much more productive. So yesterday I attended 2 classes the first featured planeos and enrosques the second ganchos, straight from there to Pablo and Dana's class, then after a short break and a shower off to Niño Bien.
Michael was having a goodbye party as he is flying home today. He has enjoyed his 6 weeks here and plans to return. Dimitri was there as well he had a great surprise for me when he put his hand in his bag and pulled out nearly 1/2 a kilo of chocolate oh the simple pleasures in life.
Niño Bien was packed. The 7th Tango festival of Buenos Aires starts on the 25 of Feb and runs till the 6th March A week later CITA the 7th Congresso Internacional de Tango Argentino 2005 begins March 12-20. These bring in a big influx of tourists. The dance floors can become a dangerous place. It seems to me and I could be wrong but almost everywhere other than BsAs there is loads of space to execute what ever step one knows in whatever direction one feels at what ever speed one likes. Not everybody who visits BsAs like to put their mediocrity on display, those that do clearly don't have a notion and while it is dangerous on the floor it can be entertaining sitting on the sidelines.

The Obelisco in the heart of Buenos Aires 

Effing tooth ache......umeboshi is magic medicine

I'm still of the dance floor and will be for a few more days. A tooth ache has grounded me for the last few days. The worst is over.
I keep it wrapped in umeboshi for a night or two and that usually does the trick. The tooth will be sent to toothy heaven once the inflammation has died down. Dimitri has arrived from Ireland via Brazil. He had his birthday celebration last Saturday which I missed due to the above. The first 3 months is 2 weeks away which means I need two leave Argentina to have my visa reviewed. I plan on a weekend visit to Montevideo in Uruguay. Tickets have been bought two nights in Montevideo and two half days. Taking the slow boat across the Rio Plata to Colonia and the bus to Montevideo.
A few non tango friends are on their way here next month. Colleagues from old jobs I had. They have asked to take them into the secret world of tango which I'll gladly do, I wonder if the bug will bite.