TANGOTANGOTANGOTANGO

Me encanta mucho la música Tango!!  Last Wednesday night , my roommates and I trekked the whole half block from our house to a small, intimate bar called El Boliche de Roberto. Mikael and Aliya were heading to Brazil the following day for a couple of weeks, so we thought it necessary to celebrate their brief departure. After a few bottles of wine, some cheese, some excitement from the fútbol game on tv and the usual debatable topics of conversation coming from Mikael, a woman came to a stage which was no higher than maybe 10 inches off the ground and no wider than can fit 2 people. The second she took to the stage, the entire bar fell silent and all eyes were concentrated in her direction. Our table was directly in front of her and I sat inches away from the music that would capture me the rest of the night. When she finally opened her mouth to sing, that first note had suddenly transported me to some unknown place and time, an era of passion and submissiveness to sexuality.  I know it sounds dramatic, even for me, but I can’t even begin to explain how oddly beautiful her raspy voice was and how emotionally intense and even a bit comical Tango music can sound. I only understood about less than half of what she was singing but the passion behind what she was singing was evident in her voice, her face, her body language and even the guitarist was moved by his own guitar playing. I was obsessed. She sang about five songs and then while she walked around collecting tips in a basket, which I was glad to hand over, her younger male apprentice came up to sing and as I suspected, I had not been disappointed. Now, on to DANCING Tango!

CASA POTOSI

Kip has finally arrived in Buenos Aires! And his welcome to the city was met with 3 new roommates and a charming old-fashioned home in the neighborhood of Almagro. I can’t say enough about our new (and sadly, short-term) living situation. Our roommates are phenomenal. They’re intelligent, well-traveled and enjoy having a good time. In the past three days alone we’ve spent nights cooking together, purchasing and drinking several bottles of wine and have had the pleasure of meeting their close-knit group of friends. My first night at Casa Potosi, Sylvia cooked up a feast of two different types of curries while eight or so of their close friends mingled, introduced themselves and played Wii. It reminded me so much of the group of friends that Kip and I share in San Francisco and suddenly, I felt a slight twinge of homesickness. It’s got an inviting indoor patio encased by the kitchen, two bedrooms and the living room. It’s great for studying, having dinners or just hanging out and chatting. It’s actually my favorite part of the house! This house does have its disadvantages, though. While it’s perfect for warm, balmy Argentine nights, it’s unbearable in the winter. It’s an old, open-air type house so there’s hardly any insulation and the room that Kip and I share is the largest and in front of the house facing the street so we definitely feel the bitterness of the cold. But I wouldn’t trade it for the experience and the company. It’s a house with character and characters and it should be a very interesting month at Casa Potosi!

Sylvia, the curry master

Dinner with the Roommates: Mikael, Syl, Rob, Kip y yo