10 DAYS THAT SEEMED LIKE A YEAR!

FIRST BALLROOM COMPETITION: SOUTH AMERICAN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Seriously?! How could I have started out that week any better?? I don't need to mention how much I was looking forward to it before-hand (because most people already know), but all day Saturday was the amateur competitions. Here I was able to see and get to know all of the Dancers from IBD (the studio I'm attending) compete. Anyone who has competed before knows that practice and competition are completely different -- Yes the technique may be similar but the atmosphere and peoples personalities explode. The ONLY bad thing was that I could not stand still! I would sit down for about 5 minutes and then I'd be back up tapping my toe at the least. It was at this moment that I realized I could not go without competing for 5 months. It would be tough creating routines and learning Paso Doble in about a month but there it is still completely worth it.

AND YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO I RAN INTO... 

This world (and especially the dance world) is incredibly small, and as I was cheering on one of our couples I realized one of the judges looked very familiar. He didn't have black hair anymore but I could have sworn I knew him?? So I creepily walked closer and stared at this guy -- I wasn't 100% sure, but he looked a LOT like Forrest Vance, 7-time American Rhythm champion and studio owner of where I took lessons while working in Sedona last year. After a couple questions from other officials I found out it was him! I think he was just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. We caught up a bit on his break and even planned to grab lunch a couple days after the competition. Unfortunately he was pick-pocketed and got his wallet and phone stolen so we were never able to meet up,  but it was still great to see a familiar face!

SUNDAY
Stepping back a little bit, only Melissa showed up at the airport Saturday. Her and Leah had been flying stand-by and it turned out a couple behind them was pregnant and they would have had to be split up so Leah gave up her ticket so they could ride together (somehow I think this had to play into some of the luck we had later that week...). She was able to catch a plane the next day though and arrive Monday morning.

That night was were the show dances and the final pro-am competition dances. The pros were Anna Melnikova (the girl who dances with Slavik in "the ballroom dancer") and Justinas Duknauskas & Evgeny Smagin y Paulina Kazatchenko (from that I'm sexy and I know it routine). Like always it was extremely impressive and inspiring to watch them dance (sometimes I think I'll get tired of dance... but in reality I don't think I ever will).

SUNDAY NIGHT: AFTER PARTY!

After the competition, there was a party hosted on the top floor of the hotel. For the first 1.5-2 hours most of us just talked and socialized with each other and the various pros in attendance. Then some people started to get antsy (what's new) and began to dance to the DJ's music. There was a good mix of rap/hip hop and latin songs. Eventually the pros started to join in.

I had been talking to the russian group that included the Russian Commissioner of Dance, Evgeny, Anna, and some other competitors that had made the long flight because the only other language they spoke was English (unlike Spanish which the majority of others knew) -- by talking I mean very small talk haha. Before I knew it though, Anna Melnikova was up and dancing to Black Eyed Peas. I don't blame her - need to break out of that ballroom shell some time or another! It was fun to see one of the best girl dancers in the world let loose!

What I didn't expect though was that I was being coaxed into the same circle by another Russian lady I had been dancing with earlier. I timidly entered for about 15-20 seconds. Afterward some friends from my studio said I looked a little intimidated... umm YES! Ha Next time though!

I ended that night going to pick up Melissa who had met up with Mariano, her friend from Brasil who was in BA for the weekend. It was going to be a good week!

BACK IN TIME!

Can't believe I haven't written about this yet! BUT THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP SO FAR - TANGO!!

It has been about 3 weeks since I've been here and I hadn't danced tango yet... that's like a crack addict quitting cold turkey or Cournal Sanders eating vegetables. The time had FINALLY come though. It was a Friday night and half of the group was set on going out to a boliche located on the coast, the other half was sick, and I felt like changing it up a bit/couldn't stand not tango-ing yet. During our weekly "family" dinner Laura mentioned that she wasn't really up for a boliche either so we agreed to make a trip out to Viruta - a local place that was recommended by a local Argentinian that attended the same ballroom studio as me and by the dance teacher from the University.


IT WAS BETTER THAN I EVER EXPECTED!
Literally, it was like walking back in time/into a movie. The building was not a restaurant by any means (more like a government building than anything), but we walked into the basement, and we immediately realized we were the only Americans there. At least 200 people filled the room: about 75 sitting in chairs and oldish/cheap looking tables and everyone else was on the floor. The majority of the crowd was over 30 and many people were in their 70's or 80's -- but these were the best dancers! I couldn't stop watching them because they knew how to tango.. not just the steps but the attitude and the feelings behind it.

Tango is so much different than other dances. It's not a show, it's not flirting, it's just you and the other person (all the while requiring a lot of floor craft!).We  just had to watch for 20 minutes..

We eventually decided to try it out though. Think we caught on pretty fast! Having a floor filled with that many people definitely creates an atmosphere -- there's so many people it's almost as if there aren't any there at all.. if that makes sense??

After about 45min-1hr of open tango dancing (there are different types of Argentine tango by the way, which I never knew -- I have some learning to do!) they had a mini competition! After that they actually started to play a mix of salsa and rock music. Finally something we were a little more familiar with!! Laura danced salsa back in the states so we ended the night with some underground latin dancing.

At the start of the night, it was raining and after walking 15 blocks to get to Viruta we were completely soaked. We dried off a bit but then got covered in sweat. When we left it was still raining so why not?! Another shower -- it felt great though, one activity checked off the bucket list and countless more to come!!

The tango video won't upload but you can see it HERE!

Melissa and Leah are visiting this Sunday and we'll be heading to Mendoza for the 2nd bucket list item -- wine tasting! And lots of it.

STRIKE!!

So here's what's going down - the Argentinian (national) government and the Buenos Aires government are arguing over who's responsibility it is to maintain the subte (subway) system. Over the past year,  there have been a couple accidents -- some minor and some that have caused a couple deaths. In short, they have to be better maintained; however, no one wants to take responsibility/spend the money on it. As a result, there has been a subte strike and everyone is forced to take the colectivos (bus system).

It's not like in the US where almost everyone has a car -- the majority of people use public transport -- many of which take the subte. For a city that resembles Chicago/NY you can only imagine how packed it gets when everyone is forced to take one type of transportation. For the past week, it has taken me 1.5 - 2 hours to get to class, activities, downtown, etc (when it usually takes 35-40min). There is obviously no sitting as you are literally pressed up against the doors to fit into the bus. Yesterday though I struck up a conversation with a couple people on the bus though and this made the ride seem much shorter -- think I'll try to do this more often!

Although it's an inconvenience at times, I still think the situation is a great experience! The way the government(s) are run and the way people function here are so different than in the States. A lot of times I just feel like an audience member sitting in on a movie.

I was just talking to a friend who is in China until November and we mentioned how Argentina is almost opposite in terms of the government/society. In China a person could get beaten up on the street and in front of his/her family for speaking out against the government, but here it is a daily occurrence. It seems like there is always some protest going on. Both situations would be interesting to encounter (think I prefer that of Argentina's more though)!

This was just a quick entry, but now I'm off to the gym, dance, and then hopefully tracking down a tango place for tonight!

Things to come: 

- Tango
- First days of class!
- Mendoza!!

RANDOM ADVENTURES

Okay so only have a few minutes for this one but think it aught to be mentioned because these are the little things I'll miss or what define the culture here! 

RANDOM ADVENTURES / THE LITTLE THINGS

One common tradition that occurring on a very regular basis is talented people singers, musicians, and I've even heard of mini play productions get on busses or other public transport and perform. Yes - most ask for a couple pesos, but 2-5 pesos is less than one dollar and listening to a live authentic tune, helping you pass the time in the same one hour transit every day, and making you smile is worth that and more. This is when I wish I knew how to sing, tap dance, or anything talented of that sort by myself. Jumping bus to bus is probably a better paying job than a lot of others here (especially in the service industry because people barely ever tip here: 5-10%)!

The Clown Who Stopped People... and Traffic!

I returned to Recoleta Market because my homemade shoes were having a couple problems (no worries though because the maker fixed them without a question when I brought them back), but when I was wandering around just enjoying the area I saw a clown on top of a pyramid...

Wasn't sure what he was at first but then realized he was a street performer of sorts. I returned about 30 minutes later after getting some ice cream and he had drawn a crowd of about 50 people. He was directing traffic, getting dragged by cars, getting into taxi's, walking people across the street, and eventually stole my ice-cream! These are Horrible descriptions, but trust me that I stayed there laughing for about 40 minutes straight. Again, it was the little things have started to define Buenos Aires for me.

FIRST RANDOM OUTING FROM AN ARGENTINE INVITE

Okay so it wasn't completely an Argentine invite.. but a couple day ago, I met a young couple on the bus -- the girl was German (even though she spoke with an almost perfect Argentine accent) and her boyfriend was Argentinian. I was an obviously lost and it turned out they were getting off at the same stop and were heading to the same location as me. This led to a pretty long conversation of mostly all small talk.

When the clown stole my ice cream

When we got to our destination though, they offered to connect on Facebook and hang out sometime/tell me about activities they were going to. Obviously I accepted, and just tonight they told me about an English Improv class they attend. It was only a 10 block walk from my class that ended an hour before so I decided to check it out. Although they didn't come tonight because the girl was sick I still met some really awesome and fun people (from America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and England)! It turns out the wife of the guy who teaches the class is a costume designer for Circ du Soleil (but she's on tour now) and another girl works for Time Out Buenos Aires, and she had some great recommendations for various entertainment activities in the city!

We played a bunch of acting/improv games (my THTR133 class from sophomore year might have actually come in handy!) and overall it was a fun and spontaneous couple of hours that I look forward to returning to soon!

DANCE!!!

NO I have not stopped! A major reason I chose Argentina in the first place (there were many reasons though) was because it gave me the most potential to continue dancing. Yes - Argentine

Tango is a must -- I have not taken a class yet, but that is on the schedule for next week. A friend from back home actually connected me with a professional tango dancer who grew up in Buenos Aires, and now she works in New York as a professional dancer. I reached out to her and think I'll do some private lessons when she comes to visit at the end of August. Can't wait!

BALLROOM-wise, I think I got really lucky... In general, trying to find Ballroom/Latin dance in South America is like trying to find a  needle in a haystack.. Latin Dance not in LATIN America -- weird right?? Nevertheless, I did some research before I came down and found one studio that looked pretty legitimate. I planned on visiting once I got down here.. but I just realized what a good location I was in!

I mentioned in the last post that I was about 30min-1hour from most popular locations... but guess where the studio is? IN BELGRANO - where I'm living. It's only about a 10 minute bus ride from my house, and I found out that the current Argentinian amateur Champions train at the same studio... This means the coaches must be good quality too! Moreover, I had just joined a gym a half block from my house that coincidentally had a dance floor on the second floor. They have a lot of classes in it, but I should be able to get some open floor space. I could not be happier with this location!!

MY FIRST LESSONS

My first open practice consisted of doing my own drills for a little bit, then meeting a good number of the other dancers (it was a pretty crowded floor because they have a competition coming up in BA on August 19), and dancing with many of them too. There were many questions exchanged about dance in Argentina, dance in America, what I was doing in Buenos Aires, etc. but overall it was a very welcoming and fun group! Next up was my first group class. 

The levels in Latin America are different than those in the United States (B,S,G, novice, pre-champ, champ, professional) and in Europe/Asia (alphabetical system). Here they have various levels of bronze and then various levels of silver. The highest amateur level (so far) is silver II. However, this level has a wide range of abilities -- in my opinion everywhere between the US gold and Champ divisions. The reason for this is that Ballroom dance is still very young here. There are a few couples who have committed A LOT and could definitely compete against Champ dancers in the US (i.e. the Argentinian Amateur Champs) and others that are still working to get there. Nevertheless, the resources are here to achieve a high level. 

That being said, my first silver group class was with the Amateur champs and about 2 other couples. This time, I switched in dancing with the pro (Yanina) and at the end of the lesson she mentioned she might try and ask/find a girl for next time. This would be extremely convenient as we all know it is much more efficient to advance if you have someone to practice with. 

Everything is in Spanish too. At first I thought it may be hard to learn dance terms (never taught in Spanish class), but we've been able to figure it out!

MY SECOND LESSON(S)

For the second lesson, I went to standard class as well. I was definitely Embarrassed in the beginning because they were practicing quickstep (and all I had been working on so far this summer was foxtrot and walz). It took about 20-25 minutes to get the rust off but eventually it started to feel a little better! Latin and Standard REALLY do help each other/over-lap though. The new concepts I've been implementing in my Latin have already made my standard posture/frame improve a bit (or at least I hope!). 

Oh and there was a girl for me to practice with this time! And she was actually at a pretty advanced level. We started off doing standard.. gosh I am going to be doing so much work on this this semester. I really want to improve! Ha! But as we were talking one thing we had in common was that Latin was our preferred style. During the Latin class we just warmed up and then I taught her one of my old routines just for time's sake. Overall it was really fun!

PASO DOBLE

LOVE AT FIRST STOMP! This was my first private lesson! I have NEVER had an official lesson on Paso Doble... All I have ever done were some fun dances that consisted of marching around, acting aggressive and rolling on the floor. However, unlike in universities, all levels of dancers here dance it. I've always wanted to learn, and now I have to! It'll probably take a while but I'm looking forward to the 5th and final Latin Dance!

Some Places Haven't Lost It!

There are so many places that have lost it... we go go go, make it on time, get the job done -- and not saying this is bad at all. In actuality this is a main reason I chose Argentina-- it's hard for me to stand still (reference Footloose: click and check out the song stuck in my head) and this bustling city helps me do this, BUT what we Should Not lose during all of this commotion is basic tradition/manners.

In Argentina they have definitely not lost it. The main location I see this is on the colectivos and subtes (public busses and trains). I travel at least 2-4 hours every day on public transport (literally- because I live in Belgrano which is north, and most of the activities, other students, and schools are further south). I can probably count the times I have sat down on any form of transportation on 2 hands. This is because whenever there is an older person or woman standing, EVERYONE offers them their seat. Kind of refreshing at times. Somehow standing up on a bus and constantly bumping into people makes it pretty easy to meet people too -- it all works out!

CAFE'S

No one should really worry too much about all that standing though because over the past couple weeks I have probably sat, eaten, or drank tea/coffee in at least 40 cafes. I'm serious! There have been multiple days when we have spent 1-2 hours in a cafe, gotten up and walked 20 minutes just to find another one. It's amazing! I don't know how they are all successful with so many of them around.. Nevertheless I'm happy they're there! Most stops include some coffee, tea, empanadas, or a small hand-made sandwich. One thing I still have not done but plan on doing once I have a somewhat fixed schedule is finding a "regular" cafe around my house/schools. Then I can meet the workers and get to know the city and life through their eyes. Probably get some good recommendations too!  Some friends and I just started planning our trip to Mendoza in a couple weeks in a cafe that seemed like a big home with 3 floors. All the food was organic (which seems to be an increasing trend here like it is in the US and not badly priced) -- will definitely return!

My take away from Cafes: They're delicious, relaxing, and even though I like to be active all the time, this atmosphere can actually make us more efficient (because of the comforting atmosphere).

If Fun Events were Meals... I'd be Real Big!

Today deserves it's own blog entry. Although most of us woke up pretty late catching up on the 4-6 hours we had been getting last week, we quickly started to fill the day. 

It started with the Recoleta Market.

For anyone who has been to a farmer's/craft market this is Argentina's equivalent. It's a traveler's paradise! Not only are items homemade, but their cheap, authentic, and usually have a story behind them. I started out the day looking for a side leather bag as I heard these were better to protect against theft than backpacks and because of the country's specialty leather. But then I found something... 

Hand-Made Leather Shoes

These things were right out of The Chronicles of Ridick, Waterworld... or Chicago. I'm not one of those people that collects shoes or anything but how often do you come across this? And especially for only about $35 (200 pesos)?? My other shoes were already getting dirty and these seemed pretty sturdy. They either look obviously hand-made or "urban"-- either way I only had enough money to buy one item. As leather bags were common I went with the latter. The shoe maker even gave me a free leather wallet as I was walking away... Seriously cannot beat Argentina!

FOOD

Now for the important part. So far I've had the steak, Malbec, cheese, and Dulce de Leche (which could all each had a blog of their own), and today were a couple more specialties/good finds. The first was a circular bread with tomato, mozzarella, and jamon at the market. For the past few days we had been spending more than we wanted because of touristy areas and simply because we were treating ourselves to the area's specialties. This loaf of deliciousness was the perfect meal though. It was fresh (could still feel the hot/warm bread melting in your hands), extremely affordable, and filling (as it spread in our stomachs and kept us held over until a 9:00 dinner). 

The next treat was a Submarino. Sometimes (well almost all of the time) simplicity is the best! All this is is hot steamed whole milk served with a chocolate bar and a small cookie. It's the winter here now and this basically made me feel like I should be coming home to a Christmas tree and fire. I will never make hot chocolate the same again! Just have to make sure we always have some good quality dark chocolate on-hand. 

Edward Water Hands

We ended the afternoon with a show at the cultural center theater called El Hombre Vertiente. Don't ask me what it was exactly... because I still don't know. I also don't know why they would drench us with water in the middle of winter?? BUT it was SICK!! Everyone I was standing around decided that the plot of the show was one big nightmare... a nightmare with real good music ha! I don't know exactly what to say other than it was acrobatics, water, and music -- and I somehow ended up in the middle of it. Maybe this video can show it better than I can: 

First night out and I am COMPLETELY Lost!

Listening to Spanish 24/7 is exhausting!!! BUT still fun - don't get me wrong. Just need to get used to it.

The first couple days here have been FILLED with orientation. What there is to do in Buenos Aires (BA), how to take the public transport, where to go and not to go, other means of staying safe, classes, concentrations, volunteering, and the list goes on!

Although it's a lot of information, it's actually all pretty useful. The most useful for me is the directions/ public transport. The closest city to compare BA to is probably NY so public transport is a must and anyone who knows me.. I am actually really good at directions. HA YEAH RIGHT! I have so many stories in the first few days of getting lost and potentially getting robbed/mugged. But I am actually figuring it out! Here's the story of my first night going out...



BACK TO THE MEDIEVAL AGES OF COMMUNICATION



On Tuesday, I was the only one in my group without a phone (trying to unblock/get my phone working was probably the most frustrating thing so far), so I was left with communicating with everyone via Facebook. Unfortunately, this day was the first day I went to check out the dance studio and I didn't get back before most people had signed off and were getting ready/leaving. They thought that I might meet them from talking with them earlier but never received a confirmation from me, so by the time I had arrived at the girls house to meet them they had already left. Luckily they left a couple general directions with the door man... however, they were VERY general.

It was probably over 15 blocks of walking which including making wrong turns and walking down smaller streets with some homeless/night walkers. I probably asked someone how to get to the Plaza Serano every 2 blocks but everyone had a different way. Eventually I finally made it there, BUT it turned out to be an area with a circle of about 12 bars. I felt like I was the guy who cut off his arm in 127 hours if he would have died on the walk home after cutting off his arm! I had figured out the hardest part but could not actually meet up with the group!!
I couldn't call them, text them, Facebook them (no iphones) -- SO Frustrating!! Hmm.. Go home or walk through every bar until I find someone... Well had made it this far so I started window looking around the entire circle at least 3 times. Then I just started to walk through every one. I had been through every bar and nothing... and in desperation I asked a door lady at the last bar "Has visto algun grupo con muchos blancos, una negra, y un hombre muy alto con pelo rubio??" Her response: "Lo siento, no los vi."

THEN I SAW IT - a bar off to the side that was not in the main circle. I walked inside and there the group was in the very back just about to order drinks. They were just about as surprised to see that I found them as I was. All the work was worth it though as the night went on to meet people from Colombia and BA and a fun bar hop to many of the Plaza's locations!

Little Sketchy Man = Big Pockets

So I'm finally here! And finally getting time to write something in this blog! I'll come back to the beginning of the day (I arrived) in a second but first.. what exactly would you do when you first come to a foreign country where theft is a major issue, the government is a bit corrupt, and you are obviously an American foreigner and thus the most likely to be taken advantage of?
Well if you answered that with: I'd go to a random street corner with a sketchy dude who only whispered and was constantly looking out for the police and give him almost all the money in your pocket -- then you did the right thing!! ... At least that's what I did..

Because the government is over controlling and a bit corrupt here (according to the few Argentineans who I've met so far) and other economic issues, the dollar is extremely valuable. This doesn't mean that it costs less here though.. In actuality, most things (clothes, electronics, drinks) actually cost more! The physical dollar is valuable because its stability in terms of inflation/exchange but all the prices here are just jacked up to be the same/more than what they are in the states. I HAVE NO IDEA how Argentineans have to money to buy what they have.


HIGH RISK HIGH REWARD???
Back from that tid-bit of education. I was informed that in order to get the best exchange rate, you can exchange dollars for pesos under the table. So what we did was call a random guy and told him the exchange rate we wanted. He was "desperate" for dollars so accepted our rate. I was then dropped off (by myself) and had to knock on a metal door of a building that was "closed." The man then met me outside, only talked in a whisper, and he was constantly looking around  -- paranoid as hell. He told me to meet him in a shopping center where it would be easier to make the exchange. I did this, and with a quick change of hands and money count to make sure we each held up our side of the deal it was done. After talking to the other students I did get the best exchange rate!

Other things worth mentioning:

THE PLANE RIDE 
The person sitting on the plane next to me from Chicago to NY was in my program so made the first friend right away!

MY HOUSE
It's in Belgrano, an upper-middle class neighborhood which is pretty safe and overall a nice area. It's also only about a 15-20 minute bus (colectivo) ride from the night-life and one of the downtowns. Pretty convenient!

What's the MOST convenient though is that the studio I'll probably be training at (for ballroom) is in my same neighborhood and is only a 10 minute bus ride too. Couldn't have asked for a better location!!

My host mom, Tete, is SOO nice. She has been more than helpful and is already trying to help me with developing a better accent. I have my own room and bathroom and the apartment itself is pretty big in Buenos Aires terms. If I can figure it out in the time that I have I'll post some pictures/videos.

DULCE DE LECHE

Words cannot describe... most people know I have a sweet tooth but this stuff is amazing! Tete said she has never met anyone who doesn't like it... including her cat. It can literally go on anything that is a dessert - I'll be bringing home a few tubs to say the least.