I have learned much since I moved down here last October. If I hadn't I wouldn't still be here. The process of adapting to my new environment posed many initial challenges, and I believe I spent the first 6 months or so recovering from ever less frequent bouts of culture shock. I now appear to be in the adjustment stage, and all that was overwhelming and daunting before has become mainstreamed, streamlined, "the norm" if you will. Yet surprises still happen on a daily basis, and usually they are rather bizarre and quite enjoyable.
Take, for example, last Wednesday. I was giving a class to one of my elementary level students at home when my buzzer rang. As I wasn't expecting anyone it came as a surprise, although I just figured it was the Salvation Army, which comes by every so often to ask for clothing donations. When I answered the man at the other end told me he was from Telecentro and was here to repair my internet. I was puzzled.
Why? my internet had stopped working in early July and after calling technical support a few times I gave up on the internet. I reasoned it was better to not have internet at home, as I could focus on other things like reading and "disconnect" for a while from worldly stresses. The months rolled by and now, in mid-September, the Telecentro team decided to pay me a surprise visit! I was flattered in a perplexed and inquisitive way. First of all, they hadn't notified me that they would be coming. Secondly, they arrived during the only working hour on Wednesday in which I was home, as before and after that class I had other classes elsewhere in the city. Instances like these leave me smiling and thinking to myself, "this is Argentina."
Now my internet works, for better or for worse, which means I can add to my blog with greater frequency and more flexibility. I've also started researching reverse culture shock, as I'll be returning home in November and want to be prepared for the changes that I'll inevitably experience.
More on that to come.
Besos for now!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
LIFE Volunteering
Hey guys,
Quick update. Life is hectic as usual and because of this I have been unable to write as frequently as I would like. Also the lack of internet in my house means I have much less access to my blog and therefore less time in which to write.
A few weeks ago I delivered some solar lights for a friend to a local non-profit organization called LIFE. They work primarily with children in the slums of Buenos Aires. It's basically an afterschool program for kids with little or no access to such programs. The solar lights are now on their way to Missiones province where they will be used to provide much needed light where electricity is limited.
While I was there they discussed with me the opportunity of volunteering, and last Friday I attended a volunteers orientation meeting. I hope to begin volunteering and helping soon, although with my busy teaching schedule it may be a week or two before I can begin.
Below are a few pictures of the LIFE headquarters. More photos hopefully on the way.
Quick update. Life is hectic as usual and because of this I have been unable to write as frequently as I would like. Also the lack of internet in my house means I have much less access to my blog and therefore less time in which to write.
A few weeks ago I delivered some solar lights for a friend to a local non-profit organization called LIFE. They work primarily with children in the slums of Buenos Aires. It's basically an afterschool program for kids with little or no access to such programs. The solar lights are now on their way to Missiones province where they will be used to provide much needed light where electricity is limited.
While I was there they discussed with me the opportunity of volunteering, and last Friday I attended a volunteers orientation meeting. I hope to begin volunteering and helping soon, although with my busy teaching schedule it may be a week or two before I can begin.
Below are a few pictures of the LIFE headquarters. More photos hopefully on the way.
Testing one of the lights to be delivered!
Lights successfully delivered!
HQ
Un gran abrazo a todos
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Voting, the Pope, and the cafe culture
Hey everyone,
It's voting day in Argentina. Sunday, 11th of August; a beautiful, luminously bright day with a cool breeze hinting at Spring just around the corner. Channel TN is showing all the major candidates for the primary election heading to the voting stations to cast their ballot. From Filmus Cabandie of the Victoria Front (the Peronist party of current President Kirchner) to Gabriella Michetti of PRO, (a progressive party with it's strongest support in the capital) the primary is well under way.
From what I have heard there is little doubt that the Peronists will secure a solid win. The main question is which Peronist party will claim the victory. One of my students who is adamantly opposed to the current president and the Peronist party, is voting for another Peronist party, not because she supports it's policies, but because many Argentines believe any party that has a chance at winning the election is better than the current party in power.
I don't know the exact number of parties on the ballot but I believe there are upwards of 30, and in Argentina it is mandatory under most circumstances to vote. If you do not vote and you did not notify the government of your reason for abstaining, you will be fined for not participating in an involuntary "democratic" process. I find this rather strange, but perhaps it works to the advantage of the current party in power who relies heavily on the lower classes and less educated masses to maintain its power. Whatever the case, and for better or worse, mandatory voting has been a mainstay in Argentina since 1914.
On another note, new street art has appeared on Pacheco de Melo. I wrote a blog post several months ago when I first noticed some new street art created two blocks from my house. Well, just recently, more street art has been installed at the corner of calles Melo and Austria. This new art depicts many of Argentina's most prominent minds of the 20th century. Many are Nobel winners, some are prominent doctors or scientists, even the current Pope, who is from Buenos Aires, is among them.
Here are a few photos I snapped one sunny Sunday afternoon.
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| "For a strong will, nothing is impossible..." |
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| The first time I saw this one I thought it was the actual artist at work |
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| Es la Papa |
Finally, as I've mentioned to many friends and students, one of the benefits to not having internet at home is that I can now appreciate the strong cafe culture that flourishes here in BA. This culture seems to have been brought over by the Italians when they immigrated in large numbers during the 20th century.
Personally, I enjoy being able to go to a cafe, order a "cortado", the drink of choice for many Argentines, and work for several hours. "Cortado" can literally be translated as "cut" and is a coffee that is cut with milk to make it less bitter. It's not uncommon to pass 1, 2, or even three hours in a cafe. I recall spending 5 hours one day at a cafe just sitting and speaking with a fellow English teacher.
Many cafes have their own unique style or theme, and for me it's fun to explore and go out on occasion and find a new cafe. I mostly order coffee, but sometimes I will order medialunas or facturas (pastries) to accompany my drink.
Here are a few pics of the cafes that I frequent most often.
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| The Americano I ordered at the Felfort Cafe on Avenida Pueyrredon. Cafes usually give you a few galletitas (cookies) or a chocolate and a glass of sparkling water to go with your drink. |
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| Societa de Caffe: This cafe located on Beruti and Ecuador is a bit pricey ($20 pesos for cafe con leche) but it has a peaceful, friendly atmosphere. |
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| A cafe on Beruti and Aguero that has a wonderful assortment of reasonably priced facturas (shown below). |
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| Cafe con crema y canela (coffee with cream and cinnamon) accompanied by a factura and medialuna. |
Cheers to coffee and pastries!
Friday, July 19, 2013
Some much needed R&R: Cooking and spicy apple butter
Abrazos a todos,
This past week I had been feeling a bit melancholy. I've been in the delicate process of recovery from a seeming barrage of winter maladies. In general these would seem relatively insignificant, but I've observed that when living alone little things tend to get exaggerated, and I've been working on training myself to maintain a balanced perspective. This perspective is surprisingly difficult when you have no one to bounce ideas off of or tell you to suck it up. I'm learning though, and I think overall battling these ups and downs has been a positive experience. One way I've learned to overcome the more somber periods is by doing something I enjoy, such as reading, cooking, or writing.
The other day was unusual because I had no classes. I had the entire day open to me, which can be a good or a bad thing. If I can't find a way to occupy my time in a positive and productive manner then I find I sometimes allow the negative ideas to creep in. After a slow morning and a couple episodes of Friends I headed to Starbucks, ordered a Cappuchino, and set to work.
In the afternoon, as I was cleaning the apartment, I hit on the idea of making apple butter, which is usually a day long process. My rationale is that while I usually spend about $15 pesos on a jar of jam, which is mostly just sugar with a little fruit flavor; why not buy a kilo of apples for $12 pesos, boil them down to make apple butter, and add no sugar? I immediately dropped the vacuum and headed for the local verduleria, purchased my apples, and rushed back to begin the boiling process.
Below is the step-by-step guide I created for my process of cooking the apple butter.
Apple butter can be enjoyed on toast, flatbreads, in sandwiches, pancakes, or a host of other dishes. Be creative! I like mine spicy but if you want a sweeter version add some vanilla extract or a little cinnamon. The possibilities for spicing this dish up are, if not endless, at least extensive. While apple butter is time consuming, it is not labor intensive and can largely be left to cook on it's own, an occasional stir every 45 minutes should suffice to keep it from burning.
I've found cooking can be a wonderful and fun way to be productive. It's an outlet for stress, which seems to disappear almost instantly when I set myself to the task of preparing something. For me, cooking is also highly meditative and conducive to thinking, and is a way to balance my day and accomplish something that I can subsequently enjoy.
Good luck with the cooking and buen provecho!!!
This past week I had been feeling a bit melancholy. I've been in the delicate process of recovery from a seeming barrage of winter maladies. In general these would seem relatively insignificant, but I've observed that when living alone little things tend to get exaggerated, and I've been working on training myself to maintain a balanced perspective. This perspective is surprisingly difficult when you have no one to bounce ideas off of or tell you to suck it up. I'm learning though, and I think overall battling these ups and downs has been a positive experience. One way I've learned to overcome the more somber periods is by doing something I enjoy, such as reading, cooking, or writing.
The other day was unusual because I had no classes. I had the entire day open to me, which can be a good or a bad thing. If I can't find a way to occupy my time in a positive and productive manner then I find I sometimes allow the negative ideas to creep in. After a slow morning and a couple episodes of Friends I headed to Starbucks, ordered a Cappuchino, and set to work.
In the afternoon, as I was cleaning the apartment, I hit on the idea of making apple butter, which is usually a day long process. My rationale is that while I usually spend about $15 pesos on a jar of jam, which is mostly just sugar with a little fruit flavor; why not buy a kilo of apples for $12 pesos, boil them down to make apple butter, and add no sugar? I immediately dropped the vacuum and headed for the local verduleria, purchased my apples, and rushed back to begin the boiling process.
Below is the step-by-step guide I created for my process of cooking the apple butter.
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| First bring about a cup and a half of water to a boil. |
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| Take 1 kilo (about 5 large apples) and slice into wedges, placing the wedges in the water as each apple is sliced. |
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| Cut the apple and add slices one by one over low heat. |
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| Here's where the spice comes in! I added three chilis, with the seeds. You can add spice if you wish or leave it out entirely, it depends on your preferences. |
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| Mince the chilis and add to the apple mixture. |
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| A little butter or lard (In this case I used about a tablespoon of lard) helps with the caramelization process although it is not necessary. |
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| All the apple has been added and is beginning to look like apple sauce. I forgot to mention that the skin of the apple may be left or taken out, depending on personal preferences. |
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| Now it's necessary to sterilize the jars. I used two leftover marmalade jars. |
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| Rinse the jars with soap and water and then add boiling water and some vinegar, filling them to the top, to remove any unwanted critters : ) Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Use a cloth when holding the jars to avoid getting burned. |
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| This is what it should look like after about an hour and a half. The apple sauce begins to boil down. |
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| I left the apple mixture on low, went to the gym, returned 2 hours later, and found it was almost finished! I also prepared flatbreads and baba ghanoush that evening as well. |
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| When the mixture turns dark brown, and has a thick, almost syrupy texture, it is ready to be transferred to the jars. Let the butter cool and carefully transfer to the jars. It should fill a little over 1 jar of butter - que rico!!! |
Apple butter can be enjoyed on toast, flatbreads, in sandwiches, pancakes, or a host of other dishes. Be creative! I like mine spicy but if you want a sweeter version add some vanilla extract or a little cinnamon. The possibilities for spicing this dish up are, if not endless, at least extensive. While apple butter is time consuming, it is not labor intensive and can largely be left to cook on it's own, an occasional stir every 45 minutes should suffice to keep it from burning.
I've found cooking can be a wonderful and fun way to be productive. It's an outlet for stress, which seems to disappear almost instantly when I set myself to the task of preparing something. For me, cooking is also highly meditative and conducive to thinking, and is a way to balance my day and accomplish something that I can subsequently enjoy.
Good luck with the cooking and buen provecho!!!
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Dinner with Friends
Hey folks,
I am always surprised, when I have a moment to reflect, at how quickly the time passes here. I think all the activities I'm doing, including the Tango lessons, teaching, Spanish lessons, and daily exercise, give me little time to pause and write. when I do have free time I often prefer to relax and read or watch a little TV, or cook a nice meal. However I do have a little more free time this week, as tomorrow is Argentina's independence day and I don't have classes, so I'll take this opportunity to write a little update to my life in Buenos Aires.
As the title of this post suggests, I recently had a dinner party with some friends of mine. One of them, Kristina, was a fellow TEFL graduate, and she arrived for the dinner with a friend of hers from Colombia. One of my ex-students, Hernan, also came. We held the dinner at my place and we all prepared a different dish. I prepared la entrada, or appetizer, and I decided on flat breads, hummus, and guacamole. Hernan cooked lemon marinated chicken and oven fried potatoes, and Kristina brought the postre, brownies and fruit.
It was a typical Argentine dinner, as we didn't begin eating until after 10pm. We conversed in mostly Spanish, with a little Spanglish thrown in, usually when Kristina or I had trouble with vocabulary. Here are some photos from the dinner.
In other news: I'll be traveling to Uruguay tomorrow to relax in Colonia and get that Visa renewed. I also finally got the gas heater back from the repairman so my apartment won't be quite so cold anymore. I've also started contemplating what I wish to do come November.
I had my mind made up about returning to the states but now I'm reconsidering my possibilities. I would like to return to the states in late November to visit the family and celebrate the holidays. The question I'm now considering is whether I want to return and teach another year after the holidays. I think in the end the deciding factor will be whether I can afford a flight home and back, and be able to pay a month's rent on the apartment while I'm away. I don't want to leave, come back, and have to find a completely new place to live. This is just one possibility and I'm keeping an open mind.
I'll start considering my options more in earnest in a few months. Until then it's just business as usual.
Cheers from BA!
I am always surprised, when I have a moment to reflect, at how quickly the time passes here. I think all the activities I'm doing, including the Tango lessons, teaching, Spanish lessons, and daily exercise, give me little time to pause and write. when I do have free time I often prefer to relax and read or watch a little TV, or cook a nice meal. However I do have a little more free time this week, as tomorrow is Argentina's independence day and I don't have classes, so I'll take this opportunity to write a little update to my life in Buenos Aires.
As the title of this post suggests, I recently had a dinner party with some friends of mine. One of them, Kristina, was a fellow TEFL graduate, and she arrived for the dinner with a friend of hers from Colombia. One of my ex-students, Hernan, also came. We held the dinner at my place and we all prepared a different dish. I prepared la entrada, or appetizer, and I decided on flat breads, hummus, and guacamole. Hernan cooked lemon marinated chicken and oven fried potatoes, and Kristina brought the postre, brownies and fruit.
It was a typical Argentine dinner, as we didn't begin eating until after 10pm. We conversed in mostly Spanish, with a little Spanglish thrown in, usually when Kristina or I had trouble with vocabulary. Here are some photos from the dinner.
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| Preparing the flatbreads, guac, and hummus! |
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| Flatbreads almost ready! |
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| Cheers to good food |
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| Profes de Ingles y el estudiante |
In other news: I'll be traveling to Uruguay tomorrow to relax in Colonia and get that Visa renewed. I also finally got the gas heater back from the repairman so my apartment won't be quite so cold anymore. I've also started contemplating what I wish to do come November.
I had my mind made up about returning to the states but now I'm reconsidering my possibilities. I would like to return to the states in late November to visit the family and celebrate the holidays. The question I'm now considering is whether I want to return and teach another year after the holidays. I think in the end the deciding factor will be whether I can afford a flight home and back, and be able to pay a month's rent on the apartment while I'm away. I don't want to leave, come back, and have to find a completely new place to live. This is just one possibility and I'm keeping an open mind.
I'll start considering my options more in earnest in a few months. Until then it's just business as usual.
Cheers from BA!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Living in the groove
Hey folks,
I'll begin by saying that I know it's been a terribly long time since my last blog post, and I admit to feeling slightly guilty about that. I've had plenty of opportunities to write in the past several weeks but, for various reasons, I always found an excuse to occupy my time with other diversions. I guess I'll call it living in the groove. I felt compelled to write this morning after a long and slow wake up time, and three cups of tea and a cup of coffee to wash away the grogginess. Now with a clear head I can begin.
I don't think I truly settled in until a week or so ago, because it was about a week ago that a profound change happened. I think I'll call it living in the groove. I can't really explain it other than that I finally felt completely at home. I guess before that change I had sort of been keeping myself in mental limbo. I never fully accepted my surroundings as permanent, or myself as a permanent resident. In the back of my mind I seemed to harbor a thought that somehow I was only living here temporarily, and thus didn't need to "fully" settle in. With my now more peaceful and, dare I say, homely frame of mind has come many changes in how I act, most of them for the better.
The first change is that I've drastically changed my diet. For months I'd been sustaining myself on bread, potatoes, onions, and cereal, not a very healthy diet in the long-term, but a diet that appeased a slightly unsettled mind, and an appetite constantly on the go. Now I've embraced full-on vegetarian. Well, not fully vegetarian. I do eat meat on occasion, but I don't really trust the meat here. The chicken meat, for example, looks like it came from small dinosaurs. I've been eating tons of greens, apples, pears, oranges, and bananas, and I feel much more in control of my daily diet than I used to.
I have also finally joined a gym. The weather has been terribly frosty the past couple of days, and the freezing temperatures haven't been conducive to outdoor training. Indeed my apartment itself is quite drafty, and the little space heater has quite a time keeping out the cold. This past Wednesday a repairman was supposed to come with my old heater, which he took to repair in February. Unfortunately he didn't show up so my space heater must continue to do the job on it's own.
As for the gym, it isn't anything spectacular, but it has all the weight training equipment I need as well as bikes and other machines. It's only $180 pesos a month, which is about US $40, which seems like a reasonable price for me, especially if I go 5 times a week (that's the plan). I tried the equipment there for the first time yesterday and was not a little surprised by how scrawny I'd become. I've been working out in the local park for months, doing pushups, pull ups, and sprints, but I think it had been at least 6 months since I'd touched free weights. The weights were all in kilograms so I had to experiment and find the adequate weight for me. When I woke up this morning my body felt like a rock and my arms were quite sore. I guess it'll take some time to get back into the groove.
On some minor news, I chipped a 2nd tooth yesterday. I think it happened when I was eating my homemade guacamole and flat bread. Who new guac could be so deadly to one's teeth : ) Well, that gives me all the more reason to see the dentist when I return to the States.
I also attended the Buenos Aires Chili Cookoff, which was somewhat disappointing. Most of the chili was bland (except for one outstanding chili that set one's mouth blazing), and it was all served in tiny sample cups so you couldn't just buy a large bowl of the stuff.
The next two days are rather quiet because they are holidays here in Argentina. Today is Flag day, a celebration of the national flag, and the entire country has tomorrow off as well so I'm only teaching several classes which gives me a nice break as well.
I'll leave off with a salad recipe I've been making quite a lot recently. It's super delicious and super simple. In fact it's not much of a recipe because literally anyone with half a brain, spinach, tomato, avocado, onion, and red pepper can make it.
Kyle's favorite salad recipe
Servings: 1
Half a bunch of spinach, chopped
1/3 red pepper, cut into 1-2 inch strips
1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
1 small avocado, meat cubed
1 egg, hard boiled
1/3 small onion, cut into thin strips
*1 small apple (green or red) thinly sliced is an excellent addition to this salad
*If you want to add some extra density to the salad you can fry 1/3 small potato (thin strips, thinner than French fries but similar shape) in a small pan with a little olive oil and vinegar.
Combine all ingredients together into a large salad bowl.
Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple vinegar, or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Mix together until well blended and toss with the salad until the salad is evenly coated.
Voila! A deliciously healthy, amazingly tasty salad!!!
Cheers and buen provecho,
Kyle
I'll begin by saying that I know it's been a terribly long time since my last blog post, and I admit to feeling slightly guilty about that. I've had plenty of opportunities to write in the past several weeks but, for various reasons, I always found an excuse to occupy my time with other diversions. I guess I'll call it living in the groove. I felt compelled to write this morning after a long and slow wake up time, and three cups of tea and a cup of coffee to wash away the grogginess. Now with a clear head I can begin.
I don't think I truly settled in until a week or so ago, because it was about a week ago that a profound change happened. I think I'll call it living in the groove. I can't really explain it other than that I finally felt completely at home. I guess before that change I had sort of been keeping myself in mental limbo. I never fully accepted my surroundings as permanent, or myself as a permanent resident. In the back of my mind I seemed to harbor a thought that somehow I was only living here temporarily, and thus didn't need to "fully" settle in. With my now more peaceful and, dare I say, homely frame of mind has come many changes in how I act, most of them for the better.
The first change is that I've drastically changed my diet. For months I'd been sustaining myself on bread, potatoes, onions, and cereal, not a very healthy diet in the long-term, but a diet that appeased a slightly unsettled mind, and an appetite constantly on the go. Now I've embraced full-on vegetarian. Well, not fully vegetarian. I do eat meat on occasion, but I don't really trust the meat here. The chicken meat, for example, looks like it came from small dinosaurs. I've been eating tons of greens, apples, pears, oranges, and bananas, and I feel much more in control of my daily diet than I used to.
I have also finally joined a gym. The weather has been terribly frosty the past couple of days, and the freezing temperatures haven't been conducive to outdoor training. Indeed my apartment itself is quite drafty, and the little space heater has quite a time keeping out the cold. This past Wednesday a repairman was supposed to come with my old heater, which he took to repair in February. Unfortunately he didn't show up so my space heater must continue to do the job on it's own.
As for the gym, it isn't anything spectacular, but it has all the weight training equipment I need as well as bikes and other machines. It's only $180 pesos a month, which is about US $40, which seems like a reasonable price for me, especially if I go 5 times a week (that's the plan). I tried the equipment there for the first time yesterday and was not a little surprised by how scrawny I'd become. I've been working out in the local park for months, doing pushups, pull ups, and sprints, but I think it had been at least 6 months since I'd touched free weights. The weights were all in kilograms so I had to experiment and find the adequate weight for me. When I woke up this morning my body felt like a rock and my arms were quite sore. I guess it'll take some time to get back into the groove.
On some minor news, I chipped a 2nd tooth yesterday. I think it happened when I was eating my homemade guacamole and flat bread. Who new guac could be so deadly to one's teeth : ) Well, that gives me all the more reason to see the dentist when I return to the States.
I also attended the Buenos Aires Chili Cookoff, which was somewhat disappointing. Most of the chili was bland (except for one outstanding chili that set one's mouth blazing), and it was all served in tiny sample cups so you couldn't just buy a large bowl of the stuff.
The next two days are rather quiet because they are holidays here in Argentina. Today is Flag day, a celebration of the national flag, and the entire country has tomorrow off as well so I'm only teaching several classes which gives me a nice break as well.
I'll leave off with a salad recipe I've been making quite a lot recently. It's super delicious and super simple. In fact it's not much of a recipe because literally anyone with half a brain, spinach, tomato, avocado, onion, and red pepper can make it.
Kyle's favorite salad recipe
Servings: 1
Half a bunch of spinach, chopped
1/3 red pepper, cut into 1-2 inch strips
1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
1 small avocado, meat cubed
1 egg, hard boiled
1/3 small onion, cut into thin strips
*1 small apple (green or red) thinly sliced is an excellent addition to this salad
*If you want to add some extra density to the salad you can fry 1/3 small potato (thin strips, thinner than French fries but similar shape) in a small pan with a little olive oil and vinegar.
Combine all ingredients together into a large salad bowl.
Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple vinegar, or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Mix together until well blended and toss with the salad until the salad is evenly coated.
Voila! A deliciously healthy, amazingly tasty salad!!!
Cheers and buen provecho,
Kyle
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Tango lessons
A quick hola to all my Argie and Yankee followers,
Just a brief update. I participated in my very first Tango lesson this past week. It had been a goal of mine to learn a bit of Tango while living here, but I had never pursued any lessons. Yet when a friend invited me to take lessons on Thursdays I jumped at the opportunity. Conveniently, my classes on Thursday evenings had just concluded as my then student at the time had recently left for Greece, thus opening up my schedule and permitting me to take the classes.
I think one reason I hadn't bothered to pursue lessons was a preconceived notion I had created in my mind of groups of tourists paying exorbitant funds for an hour lesson and an expensive and mediocre dinner and Tango show. While this notion may be true in many instances,* it definitely did not fit my first experience in Tango lessons.
For one, I was the only English speaker there. This made the lessons all the better because it forced me to communicate only in Spanish. Second, the lessons are wonderfully priced, and the professors are more about having a great time and teaching Tango than about making a handsome profit.
The lesson lasted an hour and a half and was focused primarily on building proper technique. Sandwiches, empanadas, and an assortment of beverages were served afterwards while two of the lesson participants provided beautiful vocal accompaniment to traditional Tango ballads.
I quickly felt right at home in this chilled out, yet festive atmosphere, and I didn't end up leaving until nearly two in the morning. Despite having to wake up early the next morning for 3.5 hours of Spanish lessons.
Tango on Thursday, Spanish on Friday, and cooking with Brad again today. Despite some student cancellations, I have been very productive this week, and am looking forward to more Tango, Spanish, and the Buenos Aires chili cook off in the weeks to come.
Abrazos from the South!
*While Tango is widely recognized throughout the world, according to my Tango instructor only 2% of Argentines actually know how to dance Tango, which is probably what makes it much more of a tourist oriented custom.
Just a brief update. I participated in my very first Tango lesson this past week. It had been a goal of mine to learn a bit of Tango while living here, but I had never pursued any lessons. Yet when a friend invited me to take lessons on Thursdays I jumped at the opportunity. Conveniently, my classes on Thursday evenings had just concluded as my then student at the time had recently left for Greece, thus opening up my schedule and permitting me to take the classes.
I think one reason I hadn't bothered to pursue lessons was a preconceived notion I had created in my mind of groups of tourists paying exorbitant funds for an hour lesson and an expensive and mediocre dinner and Tango show. While this notion may be true in many instances,* it definitely did not fit my first experience in Tango lessons.
For one, I was the only English speaker there. This made the lessons all the better because it forced me to communicate only in Spanish. Second, the lessons are wonderfully priced, and the professors are more about having a great time and teaching Tango than about making a handsome profit.
The lessons were held in a beautiful Palermo home, in a spacious room with a real art nouveau Porteno feel. The atmosphere of the building, along with the energy of the professor and the participants blended to create a genuine sense of community.
The lesson lasted an hour and a half and was focused primarily on building proper technique. Sandwiches, empanadas, and an assortment of beverages were served afterwards while two of the lesson participants provided beautiful vocal accompaniment to traditional Tango ballads.
I quickly felt right at home in this chilled out, yet festive atmosphere, and I didn't end up leaving until nearly two in the morning. Despite having to wake up early the next morning for 3.5 hours of Spanish lessons.
Tango on Thursday, Spanish on Friday, and cooking with Brad again today. Despite some student cancellations, I have been very productive this week, and am looking forward to more Tango, Spanish, and the Buenos Aires chili cook off in the weeks to come.
Abrazos from the South!
*While Tango is widely recognized throughout the world, according to my Tango instructor only 2% of Argentines actually know how to dance Tango, which is probably what makes it much more of a tourist oriented custom.
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