1615 Recuerdos de Buenos Aires 7/8
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 15:19:40 EDT
From: Charles Roques <Crrtango@AOL.COM>
Subject: Recuerdos de Buenos Aires 7/8
Tues 7/8
Today I need to shop a little - the usual; souvenirs or gifts for friends.
Took the Subte to El Abasto. A huge area near the port, Gardel used to live down
here and perform. A huge barrel-vaulted warehouse that has been renovated and
is now much like a up-scale shopping mall. It is good that they have
preserved it but it is a little too modern and pricey for my taste, many of the stores
being Cardin, Yves St. Laurent, stores I can see back home. So I people
watch, stroll around, have a coffee. I don't hang out too long although there is a
store with native artisanry where I pick up some more postcards. Went back to
Corrientes and walked around some more then mailed the cards.
Postage is very expensive relative to other costs. Stamps to the US cost
$4.50 pesos, almost two dollars. That will get you into a milonga or buy a couple
of empanadas. Wander down some side streets off Corrientes on the way to my
place and find a used bookstore. I ask about tango literature and the clerk
finds an old edition of "Todo es Historia," a magazine from 1974 which contains a
lengthy article about the history of the bandoneon. Great! This is what I like
to find.
Phone calls are made in "locutorios" or phone store with private booths and
computers for checking e-mails. Phones on the street are rare but these stores
are always open, some 24 hours and are cheap (by the minute) so that is the
best way to make calls. You can also buy a cell phone/service for a limited time
while you are here which is good if you are with someone and want to stay in
touch. Back to nap and rest the feet.
To El Beso tonight.
After another good dinner across the street, off to El Beso. Nice club, good
atmosphere and music. Saw the the usuals again. Got a corner table - good
vantage point. See some other gringos over in the corner but decide to stay to
myself. I have better luck dancing on my own. I stay a few hours then head down
the street to Porteno y Bailarin which is crammed full of people and both
floors are full. Ernesto Balmaceda (Julio's younger brother) and Stella Baez do a
couple of dances. Not bad but not enough to entice me to take classes. Men
often dress up here as do the women although there are some dress-down milongas,
like some of the afternoon ones but even then you don't see many sneakers or
jeans. I have heard that La Catedral is more casual but I've also heard
different opinions about the crowd so I miss that one this visit. See some familiar
faces from the past, hang out until 5:00 AM then leave.
Note: Etiquette for women. Rick expressed some irritation at the older
milongueros trolling around for women expecially foreigners but that can work both
ways. Women going down there often get a little snobbish about not dancing with
their fellow countrymen in their quest to dance with the authentic
"milongueros" but that can be carried too far. You might want to remember that they
might be the only ones you will have to dance with when you return. If someone is
a mediocre or maybe a beginner dancer, one doesn't have to always dance with
them but be sensitive to always turning them down (especially if they are
accomplished) in your quest for contact with the "real thing." Don't dance too
many tandas with the same person or you may find yourself being invited home or
the "classic" - an invitation to take privates. Many women are seduced by
milongueros telling them they are good (but of course they will make you even
better) and it is often about something else once you are in their "studio." Avoid
taking classes by invitation or becoming too enamoured by the sweet old guys
or you may find yourself in an awkward position, literally, and have a very
angry friend to deal with (if you are not on your own.) Many people there dance
well, but that is also a tool they can use to attract you and seduce you.
Hasta Manana,
Charles
