“Superlative” teacher
Over at Arlene’s London Tango pages, the following question was asked: “What makes a superlative teacher”? Basically the original questioner wated to know: what makes a superlative tango teacher as opposed to just a good teacher?
My take on this is a little different from the comments that have already been posted. In fact, I was halfway writing a comment for the post when I realised that it was going to be too long, hence this post that you see.
After having learnt from a number of teachers over the years, I am now of the opinion that there are really no absolutes in how “great” a teacher is. For example, someone whom I used to rate highly may be pegged back over time, whereas someone I did not rate so highly a few years may be near the top of my list now.
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Trip planning
Not long ago, some bloggers commented on how it was not really worthwhile to be taking short trips to Buenos Aires since it was not possible to get a good taste of the . Well, in a way, I do agree but – shrug – what can you do short of taking a premature retirement?? 
Well, now that it’s my turn to plan for my upcoming trip to BA in a few days’ time, here is a smattering of ideas that I have gathered:
- Attending milongas with good Golden Age music.
Did plenty of that!
See also my post on Likes and Dislikes. - Taking group classes.
Took classes from some excellent teachers at Escuela de Argentina Tango, concentrating more on milonga. - Taking private classes with 1-2 miliongero-style teachers.
Took a few privates but only one from a recognised milonguero. - Shoe shopping – yes, men need shoes too even though I can personally attest that my trusty suede shoes from PH have lasted 6 years and going strong. In particular I will be looking for a good pair of dance sneakers and suede shoes with rubber heels.
Found 3 pairs (2 pairs from Fabio Shoes because they are light and I like the thinner soles) of nice dance sneakers which are the less track-shoe-looking types. Also found a nice pair from Alpie 2×4. - CD shopping.
Like you wouldn’t believe… - Tango show – well, perhaps at least the one Sally has highly recommended.
The ticket price was quite affordable, especially given the current exchange rates. However, could not find time… - Try out some nuevo practicas.
Attended Practica X once. - Catch up with friends, other bloggers, people we (hopefully) meet at milongas…
Well, once or twice but only at the milongas. - Visiting markets – those with and without fleas in the name.
Went to the San Telmo market and La Boca. - Sample some fine cafes, restaurants.
Cafe Tortorni but no other well-known brands… - Visit art Museums.
Unfortunately, no time. - 3-4 day trip out of Buenos Aires? Iguazu Falls?
See above.
Anything else I can try to do in 3.5 weeks?
** Updated on 15 May. Now that I have come back from the trip, a quick recap in italics.
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Connecting the dots
For many people, making the trip to Buenos Aires from Singapore is quite a big deal. There is the time involved and also expensive air fares to contend with. However, even having made the decision, there still remains the question: how do I get there?
Buenos Aires and Singapore, with (currently) a time difference of 13 hours, are almost at the two opposite sides of the globe. While researching for my own upcoming trip – by searching online and discussing with with past travellers – as far as I am aware, the possible routes for going to Buenos Aires are:
- Singapore – South Africa – BsAs (Single carrier)
- Singapore – Frankfurt – BsAs (Single carrier, mostly, because of a code-shared component)
- Singapore – London – Spain – BsAs (Single carrier, mostly, because of a code-shared component)
- Singapore – Sydney – BsAs (May require multiple carriers)
- Singapore – New York – BsAs (May require multiple carriers – need more research)
- Singapore – Major European city – BsAs (Multiple carriers and requires local knowledge)
In the end, the choice is probably down to cost, and time available for travelling. I believe that it is definitely worthwhile to explore all options because the shortest route may mean a more exhausting journey. As for me, I chose option 4, largely due to the cost savings.
Two caveats:
- Zuji surprisingly was not able to find the best deals in my case, possibly because these days airlines are introducing promotional fares at a much faster rate? My suggestion is to book directly with the airline office or online.
- The most direct route may not be the cheapest. In my case, by choosing a route which uses two carriers and adds an additional day of travelling time, the savings – “in real terms” – is approximately two pairs of Comme Il Fauts…
ps. If anyone is aware of more options, please do let me and I will add to the list.
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Technological Tango
Finally, a real of example of nerdy gadgets for Tango! Actually I am rather doubtful of the benefits of these devices but hey, it’s cool to bring some VR into the real world, no?
ps. For those less familiar with geeky acronyms, HMD = head mounted displays and VR = virtual reality, of course…
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