Buenos Aires 2009
Tonight marks the start of my long and very first journey to Buenos Aires, THE place where Tango originated.
Right now, while the rational side of me is telling me not to set too high an expectation – and of course reinforced by what some bloggers have already written about – I guess it’s only human to be feeling butterflies in the stomach, and literally salivating at the thought of finally being able to dance in the place where it all started. The experience of staying in a place where you can’t understand a single word of the local language is priceless, no?
For the next 3.5 weeks, I will use this space to document the snippets of experiences in BA. I am not sure if this is too ambitious – for all I know, laziness or fatigue may take hold even just after a few days! – but I will certainly try. 😉
“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.
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.
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.