when time cease to exist

when time cease to exist...
   Tango is often seen as.. passionate, vibrant etc... but in fact, if not danced in the more expressive show-off version...To dance tango is to dive oneself into a short moment of time when its possible to let go of everything else and surrender completely to the situation whilst expressing yourself through the music whilst being aware of every second .. every detail of movement of both yourself and your partner....
   Arriving one day to my class with Nora, I flagged immediately that I had been in contact with my office and that I had to much job in my head so she would not expect me to make the best turns in my life.. She just told me "start dance Robert, you will se, it will go away..." and she was right.
   Thats what I think is the magic with Tango, this deep connection that sometimes happens with your dance partner, that maybe even you have met for the very first time...and the pleasure and joy that can come along with that feeling... it can be like a meditation in movement with a total acceptence of another person through the embraze and with time an more intense interaction with your inner you... it brings harmony in life in a way I havent experienced in long time.. at least for me... the closest I have been was like twenty years ago when I spent a lot of time practicing martial arts. Dancing forces you to be attentive to your body, groundedness, balance, weight shifting.... and mind, concentration, musicality...to recognize the importance of connecting with another human..
    The only problem is time.. time to dance and your time to dive into the tango.. Raoul feeling a bit trapped from time to time.

... maybe

   Planning... next project will be to revisit Beirut.. always wanted to come back since my, lets call it "stay" close to 30years ago... so will go, for the country and the city but since tango is an international language.. in order to visit milongas and take some classes as well... but first, Menorca in july, lets see what that island can come up with in terms of tango..

BA tips

... Accomodations and tips
First there is a pricelevel for all needs coming to BA, I choosed maybe "convenient" as a brief to my trip. So I wanted to have an apartment on my own, where I could be on my own and with cooking facilities etc etc.
I booked mine through - www.BuenosAiresHabitat.com

and my appt is - http://www.buenosaireshabitat.com/apartment_n336.html       I payed in total 1.940 US Dollar for three weeks. As I said the place is ok, security and presence in reception 24/24.. a washing machine to be used downstairs, a rooftop with heated pool for sunny leisure time.. they serve in a resto on the rooftop breakfast with everything you wish for the breakfast table .. for 35pesos per time.. meaning 42sek.

The booking company is partly a US one so you get the full service through them with whatever you have need for.. cab to and from airport, tickets to events, tours ...

I chosed to stay in Palermo Hollywood.. close to Palermo SoHo.. the two most animated barrios when it comes to restaurangs, galleries, shops, clubs... and it simple to navigate from here to other parts of the town...

If to come here you can "like" Fierro hotel on fbook... its a hotel a couple of blocks from here, the staff is publishing regulary newsletters on what can be seen in BA and as well whats happening in BA on weekly and monthly basis

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/fierrohotel?hc_location=stream

http://insidebuenosaires.com/

Fridays they organize afterwork sessions where expats comes to mingle with local people, a casual event if you feel like chatting in english, french etc...

There is so much to be seen and experienced, this first time I have just surfed on the surface.. whats impressed.. and surprised me the most is the artscene and the food.

So will be back, for sure.

Tango in BA

Tango in BA.. or more like it, based on my experience during the three weeks I spent there..
   First, there is a tango version for all individuals, thats for sure. All levels, all nationalities, all dance styles etc etc.. thats the beauty.. its rich Buenos Aires.
For me it was working on the basics, getting some flow into it by practicing everyday, finding a way to use the lets say limited floor space using my skills.. my level. So having private lessons regulary every morning with same teacher, in my case Nora Schvartz, was perfect.
Then I added when I wanted, practicas with my follower in class, additional lessons with another teacher (tangopiola) etc.
   For the milongas, went once to Salon Channing, nice place but if was during early afternoon so a bit empty on dancers but Im sure that in the evenings its a nice place. La Virtua I really liked, all levels on dancers, different nationalities... and first time there when I arrived probably looking very much as a completely lost gringo.. I was immediately invited to dance by two women, argentinians, no english.. but anyaway it was a polite way of wishing foreigners welcome.. pretty good floor, casual ambience.. will return... I like!.
  I wanted to visit Le Cathedral, looked cool on pictures but was uncouraged by my teachers saying that I would need to hold on to my stuff because even local people get their belongings stolen... and last, went to the sunday milonga at Plaza Dorrega in San Telmo.. nice ambience as well its probably a really nice place to be in summertime when nice weather.. and of course La Glorieta.. up in Belgrano, I heard a lot good about it but I suppose my visiting in may.. BA autumn.. wasnt the best moment to pass this ouutdoor milonga.. but its supposed to be a very casual one with good ambience.
   As everywhere in the tango world, sadly enought, in BA as well... there exist this way of ranking the audience, ranking the leaders or followers.. this local club of people just dancing with each others... or the very skilled ones.. and then the beginners... and in the middle, the "intermediate" ones, not daring to dance with beginners because then maybe they will not be accepted by the top... I discussed with my class follower, and she said that she prefered to stay and dance in her local milongas and not going in to the more known ones in Buenos Aires just because of this...
  Its a bit said for something like the Tango, that supposed to be about the feeling, the embraze of two human beings etc etc.. and then as an opposite, fed by houndreds of bloggs this way of looking down on the how to say less performing...
  The only turn off .. I can imagine having experienced since getting tango into my world.. and being not possible to unit with my basic values that I normally run my life through...

open doors.. not closing them...

open doors.. not closing them...
Travel alone .. I think is a bit underestimated... because you will be more exposed to the environment you are in.. in a way you would never be traveling with family or friends. And even more importent, you are exposed to your self, your thoughts, idees, idees left behind.
So, important to live your life opening doors, not closing them.. because if so you will end up in a dark room one day.. without any doors or windows....
Anyway, back since three weeks at job... no tango since back in sweden.. retour to hectic professional life... but somewhere inside you, you are rich... so I start to realize, at least for me, the richess is not to be in one lifestyle or another.. but to have the opportunity to go inbetween them, hopefully living the best moments of each. Remember my second week in BA, having optimized tango in every way, lessons in the morning, lessons in the afternoon and practicas inbetween.. and after a couple of days I just thougt "please give me a day without tango".
   And finally, a video.. giving the answer on ... Why?.. two tango stars, caught in a moment of solitude, in the middle of a milonga...