Thursday, March 26, 2009

buenos aires, part 4



Not much happened during the day, so I'll combine the posts.

The weather got better, in that it was less humid, and much more tolerable. I went back to NonnaBianco for cafe y medialunas. This time, I got 3 medialunas. And still only AR$9. Crazy. I also wandered into a shop in the afternoon and bought grilled chicken leg, flan, and Fanta. Total: AR$13.50. Wierd how I have these cravings when I'm travelling.

At 9PM I head to a tango class in San Telmo. The address is Peru 708. I get there, and it turns out that the class doesn't start until 9:30PM. So I head up the street and end up back at Cafe La Poesia. Order a glass of Finca Gabriel tinto (see above), which was only AR$10. And did they load up on that glass.

Took the class, and afterwards headed over to a milonga a block away, at Peru 571. I invited the instructor to come along, and she came for a tanda. Which is always good in a milonga, when your first tanda is with someone who is recognized. This milonga has a live band, and damn, they are good. There are a lot of non-dancers there, who simply go to watch the performance, but they leave soon after midnight.

I see Rebecca, the woman who I danced with on Sunday, and who had invited me to this milonga. We talk a bit, dance a bit, and she gives me more BA insider tips. One of the things she mentions is that the level of dancing at the milongas in San Telmo is a whole step below that of those in Palermo. And she is right. Canning was probably 3 times more crowded, but I never had a problem with people bumping into me. At this place, people kept crossing the line of dance and doing more nuevo moves, thereby resulting in more injuries.

At PracticaX, I had discussed the embrace with Emily, and she pointed out that mine is too subtle, and does not convey an intension of desire. So she gave me some tips about how to convey that sense of "I want to be here dancing with you" in el abrazo. I see what she means, and it will have to be something to work on. I try to work on it at this milonga, but I struggle. Ultimately, I enjoy distance-- both emotionally and physically. We'll see how that goes.

The milonga ends at 2AM. I'm pretty hungry, but don't want to eat that much, so just get a grilled ham sandwich on the way back. Costs only AR$4.50. Once I get back, there are some people sitting around the outdoor patio smoking and drinking beer. I join them. We start off with 6 people, but by 4AM, it's just two of us left. The other person is Laura, a Canadian woman who came with us to Canning the other night. So we keep chatting, and keep buying bottles of beer from the receptionist. I think we went through 4 1L bottles. Soon the sun comes up. At that point, we decide that we're hungry and go for breakfast. cafe con leche y medialunas (3 of them)-- AR$9.50.

Afterwards, I head straight to bed, and finally wake up close to 3PM. As I walk out towards the common area to come blog, the receptionist strikes up a conversation, and laughs at me. I am confused... Apparently she was there when we returned from breakfast at around 8:30AM, but I just didn't see her. And I guess I'm earning a reputation for partying... A different person has seen me return home early morning each day. I suppose that means its a good vacation...

2 comments:

christine zoe palau said...

my favorite line, "Ultimately, I enjoy distance-- both emotionally and physically. We'll see how that goes." ;p

Sachin said...

WTF, all you do is eat.