Some thoughts and observations about my trip

[Joe]

I'm sure you can easily find empanadas in the area. Perhaps not Argentine-style, but certainly Salvadoran-style.

 

[new-ish]

Very nice trip review.

The other really good shopping item (if you are trying to build a collection) is Tango Music.

Zival's has the best selection, but there are many small music stores all over the place in BA. You can often get collections of most of the big Orquestas on the sale racks for US$5 or under.

There is alot of fine dining in Buenos Aires besides the steak places. There is a blog called "Go Where the Taxista Takes You" by Layne Mosler that is a great read whether you go to BA or not.

 

[Captain Jep]

I'm sure you can easily find empanadas in the area. Perhaps not Argentine-style, but certainly Salvadoran-style.

There's a lovely bar across the road from Practica X that does (did?) fantastic empanadas.

Now I'm back in England though I'd prefer a good Cornish pastie

 

[bafonso]

nice to know dchester! (haven't visited the forum in months)

Thanks for considering the odd tuesday the most authentic milonga ;-) we try our best...

 

[Light Sleeper]

What I did not see: Leg wraps, ganchos, volcadas, or anything in open embrace. (Actually, I was doing some leg wraps, until a friend (Argentine) pointed out to me that they were not appropriate for here. I later learned that leg wraps were fine at the nuevo places, but not at the more traditional milongas.)

Really enjoyed reading your notes, dchester and a welcome opportunity to bump up a less 'busy' thread

That's very interesting about leg wraps as I would've thought they were pretty unobtrusive.

All in all, it sounds rather lovely, I like the sound of the swing type music... and the empanadas

Out of interest - did you have a host to introduce you to the milongas or did you just go it alone as a couple or group?

 

[dchester]

Really enjoyed reading your notes, dchester and a welcome opportunity to bump up a less 'busy' thread

That's very interesting about leg wraps as I would've thought they were pretty unobtrusive.

All in all, it sounds rather lovely, I like the sound of the swing type music... and the empanadas

Out of interest - did you have a host to introduce you to the milongas or did you just go it alone as a couple or group?

There was one that we went to as a group, but the others were my wife and I going it alone (we did not sit together). I would ask my wife to dance soon after we arrived, so people could see that we were (at least somewhat) capable of dancing there.

 

[Lui]

… very cunning!

And thank you for sharing your observations, I like them.

 

[jantango]

There was one that we went to as a group, but the others were my wife and I going it alone (we did not sit together). I would ask my wife to dance soon after we arrived, so people could see that we were (at least somewhat) capable of dancing there.

Do you really believe the locals thought you were strangers to one another? The fact you danced together soon after your arrival only confirmed it. Two new faces in the room are seen on the floor -- of course, they are a couple!

 

[Lui]

But, it surly signaled, that they wanted to dance and it’s shows good will toward local customs. What’s wrong with that? In Bueos Aires, I always feel like having a big stamp on my forehead, saying FORGEINER. So there is no need to hide my origin, anyway. I wouldn’t like to spend all evening separated from my partner, but when it works for them. Why not?

Jan, what would you suggest to get known and dancing with the locals, given you had only 2 or 3 evenings?

They found a solution, that works for them, and I think that fact alone is smart (but table consuming).

 

[Peaches]

*snarky reply deleted*

 

[dchester]

Do you really believe the locals thought you were strangers to one another? The fact you danced together soon after your arrival only confirmed it. Two new faces in the room are seen on the floor -- of course, they are a couple!

That wasn't the point. We sat apart because I was told that if we sat together, it would be more difficult (especially for my wife) to get dances with some of the locals. BTW, at Canning (where Maria and Gustavo teach when they aren't touring), I sat with Gustavo, while my wife sat with Maria. I'm kinda guessing that people know they are a couple, too.

 

[hbboogie1]

That wasn't the point. We sat apart because I was told that if we sat together, it would be more difficult (especially for my wife) to get dances with some of the locals. BTW, at Canning (where Maria and Gustavo teach when they aren't touring), I sat with Gustavo, while my wife sat with Maria. I'm kinda guessing that people know they are a couple, too.[/QUO

Dchester
Forget BsAs I do the same thing you did at milongas in the US. I dance with my wife for a few tandas and then I high tail it to the other end of the room to socialize and also to let others know she’s open game. When I sit with her she doesn’t get asked to dance that much, go figure?
Side note: we went ballroom dancing last Saturday and sat together, I hardly got to dance with her. Obviously the men of ballroom have a different outlook on couples.

 

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

Dchester
Forget BsAs I do the same thing you did at milongas in the US. I dance with my wife for a few tandas and then I high tail it to the other end of the room to socialize and also to let others know she’s open game. When I sit with her she doesn’t get asked to dance that much, go figure?
Side note: we went ballroom dancing last Saturday and sat together, I hardly got to dance with her. Obviously the men of ballroom have a different outlook on couples.

By the way, this is very true. When I sit with a man in a milonga, I get asked less. Even though at times the guy is "very obviously" not my boyfriend. For example he lives in the same neighborhood, we carpooled to the milonga that night, came in and sat together. People just get mindful, when they are not sure what the situation is between those two, if by asking they might interrupt anything... and while in doubt, refrain.
So, if I want to dance a lot, I will not sit with one man for the whole evening. Also, I try not to enter or exit the milonga with a singe guy in tow.

 

[jantango]

Jan, what would you suggest to get known and dancing with the locals, given you had only 2 or 3 evenings?

Ask your teachers to take you to their favorite milonga and introduce you to their friends. This should be part of what the teachers do in addition to classes--to get you to use what you learn in class with other dancers. Taking classes without dancing at the milongas is pointless.

It is unreasonable to think that someone who has a few nights in Buenos Aires is going to have a night of great dancing with the locals. It takes months to be known and then regular return visits to build a group of partners who remember you and then dance with you. The majority of locals I see in a milonga don't feel any obligation to dance with foreigners. They are there to dance with people they know--just like dancers is any other country.

 

[Angel HI]

*snarky reply deleted*

.....