Missing Buenos Aires

I'm having a hard time re-adjusting to life at home. I miss Argentina so much it resembles homesickness. I think every night of the dancing and how much I want to return to once again experience the crowded milongas. How much I long for that certain embrace, the sense of complete bliss from a perfect dance.

I dream of the men and their tender kisses. Thinking about it today, I realized I had forgotten how wonderful it feels when someone kisses you like they want to give you something, not take it from you.

Every day I check my email, just in case kikki and Eduardo found something for me. And I'll continue to check every day until they do.

That's It

Well, the last milonga has been danced for this trip. Tomorrow I catch a plane home. I spent an absolutely wonderful day with kikki and Eduardo. It was the perfect ending to the time I spent here. We went to a corner parillia near Eduardo's new studio and ate so much carne I didn't think any more would fit. Then we went for coffee and dessert and sat some more. We talked about tango and culture, connection and so much more.

kikki is going to keep her eye out for an apartment in Palermo for me. Yipee. That makes me very happy. She said that as the US economy suffers, the Argentine has gotten stronger. I'm sure that is true elsewhere as well. I'm not in a rush, though. Hopefully I'll know enough Spanish by then to be able to communicate. They want me to come back again in November (of course). OMG, do I wish I could.

Sigh, Almost Over

Wow, down to three days remaining. I find myself unwilling to run around and do the tourist thing. Much like my last trip, I behave more like I live here. I haven't yet picked up anything for two of my girls, mostly because I don't know what to bring back for them. Neither would wear the exquisite silver jewellery for sale at the street markets. I'm thinking maybe scarves, but I'm not sure if they would use them.

So instead, I bought a small bag of strawberries--the best I've eaten in years. I remember picking wild strawberries with my mom. These taste much the same. OMG, moan worthy.

Then, I thought of the small bookstore, Fedro Libros, on Carlos Calvo. I purchased the new Bajofondo CD and Truman Capote's book In Cold Blood. In Spanish. That meant I needed a Spanish/English Dictionary. The whole thing cost me 80 pesos (so little less than $30). Now to try to read a book without really comprehending what I'm reading--sort of the way I learn anything.

Such Sore Feet

Last night at Boedo Tango I danced solid from 8:30ish until well after midnight. I only left because I couldn't stand up any more. My feet were so sore, but in a good way. I didn't sit out one single tanda in an entire evening of dancing. Not one. All without once having to use cabeceo. The guys came to me and asked. One after another. I was in heaven. Until my feet started to ache at about 11:30 from the constant dancing. But did I go home? No. Not until 12:30.

Ooh, the Beads

I spent part of yesterday in Once with Mollie. This is the fabric/fashion area of Buenos Aires. Well, more than that. Shops with everything from shoes and bras to bead and fabric are clustered together in about a six block radius.

Bead stores line both sides of one block. At home, metallic beads are extremely hard to find and a bit pricey besides. For twenty pesos (about seven dollars) I bought several bags. We wandered across the street to another store, and I fondled larger bags of bugle beads but didn't buy any.

Of course this morning all I could think about were those large bags of beads. So I went back and purchased more beads. I couldn't believe that these huge bags of bugle beads are only five pesos per bag. They are huge. To give a sense of scale, the coin on the bag is a loonie.



Now to figure out if I should go back and buy even more beads. The tricky thing is I usually go hunting for beads when I want something specific for a project I'm working on. Sometimes I have them, but often not. I can imagine the frustration at home when I think "If only I could go to Once."

Banking Problems--Again

Once again with the banking issues in B.A. One bank spit my card out telling me I wasn't allowed to bank there, another told me the transaction or card number were invalid. Like last time, I've emailed the bank to ask if there is a way to access my money. Maybe they only need to verify I'm actually where I'm trying to use my card. Aargh, no pesos = no milongas. And limited anything as most places only deal in cash.

Went to Maipu 444 last night. Another horrible milonga with only a few people in attendance. Not fun. Not like El Beso with wall to wall bodies. So I'm going to compile a list of places to dance as well as places to purchase shoes.

I found two new shoe stores yesterday (ooh, bad girl), but mostly only tried on shoes. One (ToDo Tango located near Darcos and Flabella) has wonderful sexy shoes for only 310 pesos. The red pair I found were about the same (hum, name of store slips my mind and I'm in a cafe so can't look at the shoes for the name).

My time here won't be much fun without pesos, so hopefully this gets sorted out soon. Last time I was here, many machines had no money and won't let you complete a transaction, but with the one machine spitting out my card, it makes me wonder. Ah well, things always work out.

Still Here--And Alive

I arrived safely in B.A. (although more than two hours late). My ride gave up on me so I had to hire a remis and try to contact him when I got to the apartment. Try talking to a person that speaks only Spanish when you speak only English! Ha, that was fun. Thank god for the taxi driver who could act as an interpreter for me.

The apartment is small but serviceable. For the price, it is very nice. No stove, but a hot plate and a fridge that sounds like an airplane when the compressor kicks in. I can still sleep through it.

So much to say, and so little time. Here are the highlights:

Jose, the apartment owner, took it on himself to take me to Gricel my first evening. Old time milongeros. I managed to dance fairly often as he knew a woman that introduced me to people after she danced. And okay, some might be lower on the dance order, but still wonderful.

Saturday evening, I decided to go to Ideal in the hopes of connecting with friends from Victoria that I know were there. Except they were at the dinner theatre at 9pm. I saw them from the balcony (along withEduardo), but not at the milonga. Bummer, Nino Bien is apparently the best milonga on a Saturday night. Now I know for next week though.

At Ideal, someone fell in love with me. At least that is what he said. I understood enough Spanish (and his few words of English) to know I'm the love of his life. As he said: "I love you for you." Whatever the hell that means. But he could kiss fairly well. He thinks I'm going back to Ideal next Saturday, but the dancing was so bad that isn't likely.

Went to El Beso last night. The woman sat me at the back so I knew I wouldn't dance much. But I saw Marissa. That hit all my happy buttons (and enough that not getting to dance didn't much matter). One fellow from Friday night was there and was more than willing to dance with me.

Bought three pairs of shoes already and only one were on the promised "I'm only going to buy two pairs of shoes). Oooh, sexy black half pump, half open toe. They are so exactly what I wanted for a black shoe. On an interesting note, Neo Tango is so close in price to Comme il Faut now (only 40 pesos different). Susana Villerolle is also only in the same price range. It makes Comme il Faut an acceptable purchase.

So much to do! I'm taking more pictures this time and hopefully will get to upload some to my computer in the evenings so I can post them as I go along.

Stay tuned!

OMG, Panic or What

On Sunday, Mollie and I agreed that homestay would be a wonderful way to stay in Buenos Aires. She wants to become fluent in conversational Spanish (and I want to learn enough to say yes--or no--when the guys ask to kiss me.) We found a place, available on the necessary dates, via one of those online booking agencies. Received a nice little email stating that "your request was successfully sent." Not that the space is confirmed or anything. And that they would confirm the request within 72 hours. Omg, three days? Don't they know I'm on a tight schedule?

So I waited. I didn't sleep well. But I waited. Nothing. So I sent an email asking them to please confirm the booking. Still nothing.

In the meantime, another friend sent me a list of potential apartments for rent. I sent an email to the one she stayed at last year and had a confirmation of booking this morning in my inbox. It is even less than the homestay option. And the best thing? It is like going home. Only a couple doors down from the guest house I stayed at last time I went to Buenos Aires.

Okay, now I'm excited!

Buenos Aires Bound

I booked my ticket! I leave on April 1st for approximately three weeks in Buenos Aires. A friend will join me for approximately two weeks in the middle section (and she'll stay for a bit longer on the other end) and OMG, I'm going to Argentina again!

Argentina ?!?

Airfares are only $700 round trip from Seattle to Buenos Aires during April ($770 from Vancouver). Time off is confirmed (omg) and now I only have to wait for a friend to figure out dates. But hey, if hers and mine don't quite coincide, I'll book the tickets and go anyway. How can I afford not to?

Milongas

So far, the dancing has been interesting. Working my way up the pecking order, I've started with the old, old (old) men. Some are very good dancers. Some are not so great. One fellow shakes so hard it is hard to determine whether he is leading or just quivering. Then there is a fellow that dances a semi-open embrace that seemed to be hard to dance with. Other apparently great dancers seemed to have problems as well. From there up the ladder, is a fellow who has fairly solid technique, but no variations on a theme. Once I figured out how he led, it was the same each dance.

Georgio tells me up, up, grabs me just above the panty line to emphasize his point, then says bring those beautiful breasts up where the world can see them. Just about enough to make me sink, sink.

Of course, you go to another milonga and have to start all over again.