I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.
- Jessica Rabbit
Posts
The Election Speech CFK Should Have Given
4 hours ago
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Dream Pale Sister
I really messed up one of my blogs, and since Tango hasn't been strictly Tango of late. I just reposted the memories I liked the most here.
Sweet dreams Pale Sister.
Sweet dreams.
What would Jung say?
I removed an old china plate from the dishwasher. The pattern had faded from washing, it was a brown pattern, like a picture, an grandmother like figure with a young girl, set in the country, with Paris in the distance. My mother said "Look the picture faded, you can barely see the Effiel Tower anymore." I felt a little guilty about being lazy and not handwashing the dish.
Memory
Daytime memory: Trigger walking near ex-boss's home in Kitsilano Beach.
"We could really use your help down here at the spa, R. is overwhelmed at the front desk all alone." I say
"Oh but I am doing lots of work at home for you guys," she said, "I am sending you golden bubbles of light."
Cinnamon Sensations
Lately I have been hyperaware of my daydreams and memories and also what triggers them. Just a few moments ago I was eating these cinnamon hearts and the flavour triggered a memory around the age of two. I was with my mother at a bus station in California, we were purchasing candy from the vending machine and I wanted the Hot Tamales candy. The daylight around us feels like the intensity of 3 to 4 in the afternoon.
Catepillars smell of Spring
When I was six and in first grade, we lived in a small idyillic village on a lake. Spring returned and the children ran around and played in the fields and forest during recess and lunch. The air was sweet and fresh, and this was due to the catepillars that were nesting in the trees (or that is what my six year old brain decided). Masses and masses of catepillars.
Now every spring when I am out walking in the crisp, sweet fresh air the scent of catepillars return and so does my six year old self.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Quote du jour 04.29.06
Seduction isn’t making someone do what they don’t want to do. Seduction is enticing someone into doing what they secretly want to do already.
Waiter Rant, 11-29-05
This quote is very Tango, don't you think?
Poem by Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its funiture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing ,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
-Rumi
Friday, April 28, 2006
Quote du jour 04.28.06
A woman must be held as if she were the most precious gift.
-Carlos Gavito, Tango Maestro
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Promises in the night sky
When I was a little girl around 3 or 4, my favorite spot at my Grandma's apartment was the heating vent by the window in her sunny yellow kitchen. I would stand over the vent and the forced heat would blow up my flannel nightgown warming my skinny little legs and turning my nightgown into a bell, as the smell freshly percolated coffee and bacon impregnated my senses. At night, I would stand at the window for hours contemplating what everyone was doing? The big W on top of the Woodward's Department Store building dominated the Vancouver skyline. It was my beacon that held promise to my fantasies of the glamourous cosmopolitan nightlife of adults, and what was to await me when I grew up. Disco dancing, seductive dresses, makeup and high heels.
Much to my disappointment, disco dancing was replaced with Grunge and then Hip Hop. Around the same time, the big W in the sky was extinguished. Woodward's closed down and was boarded up. I was sorely disappointed in my twenties and even now at the lack of elegance and chicness my ideas of adulthood would be like fed by my childhood fantasies and Vogue Magazine. Thank goodness I discovered Tango! Now I have a reason to wear high heels and indulge my passion for playing dress up.
Around the same time that I discovered Tango, big plans were put in place for the Woodwards building, and my night beacon has returned. Lighting up the nightsky, the W returns the siren's call of promising new fantasies for the urban lifestyle.
Quote du jour 04.27.06
"...'let's go out and do something for the economy' if nobody spent, it would be a disaster."
- Azzedine Alaia
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Copa de vino, por favor
After a long hard 30 minutes of patio gardening, I rewarded myself with a couple of glasses of Argentina's Lo Tengo. The Torrontes variety is a new product at our local British Columbia Liqour Distribution Board, in BC we can't purchase alcohol at the corner or grocery stores. You have to purchase alcohol at a government regulated liquor or private wine store. Very inconvenient!
I never saw the Lo Tengo brand in Argentina,it is under the Bodega Norton brand so I suspect it is probably made for export. Especially with the catchy labels, that are sort of 3Dish. We do have Norton brand wines here, which are very inexpensive in Buenos Aires, 8 pesos or so, $4 cdn, but even my poor friends won't drink it, and I think it is sold here for $18-20.
Lo Tengo has a lovely Malbec, but my alcohol tolerence is way down, so I find it a little too heavy, especially in warmer months.
Anyways, the evening was a lovely one, so I called my friend Karen to come over and have a sip, and she brought over a Californian bottle, Smoking Loon.
No dinner, plenty of wine equals the loss of 4 pounds in 24 hours.
Apparently I belong in Milan...
| You Belong in Milan |
 Stylish and sophisticated, you want to enjoy a truly European life - away from tourists! Milan fits you perfectly. Great shopping, high quality food, lots of culture... with very little hype. |
That doesn't sound so bad!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Quote du jour 04.24.06
Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.
- Anais Nin
New paths taken
air Spring in Vancouver is heartbreakingly gorgeous. The air is fresh and crisp, fragrant with all of nature's flora and fauna.
I feel ready to be reborn. I can't bear taking the road I have walked before anymore. I went to get my coffee for the week yesterday morning and just intended to go around a new loop I just discovered the other day and ended up walking for hours, discovering many new paths I have never noticed before.
With full intentions of completing my favorite path, The Stanley Park Seawall, I stopped at Third Beach for a rest. If I had known it were going to be so hot, I would have come prepared with my bikini, towel and sunscreen. So I had to content myself by watching the children swim in their underwear, enjoying the refreshing salty waves. For a moment I had wished I was seven again. I don't think Logan would dare at nine years of age to swim in her panties in public anymore. Although at eight she hesitated, but with Auntie's approval she whipped it all off and jumped into the waters for an impromptu summer evening dip.
If I had walked to Wreck Beach not having a swimsuit would not have been a problem, but I think it is more fun to go there with your girlfriends, so you have someone to chat and gossip with.
Regardless I was walking at a nice clip, when I stopped, so when I finally got up I felt like an old lady and the blisters on the bottom of my feet set in. My hips and knees felt out of alignment, and I hobbled home like a ninety year old. Seriously eighty year olds were passing me! I must have done 12 or 15 miles. I arrived home feeling a little blue and defeated. Thankfully I had a nice msn chat with M. and then G. sent me a lovely text message, and with a lighter heart I slept very soundly.
This morning I woke up with a refreshed outlook on life. After walking out my yayas, I would have to say I do feel reborn and hopefull again.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Quote du jour 04.19.06
Never marry an actor. All they do is look in the mirror all day and ask "is my hair ok?" and steal your beauty products.
- Joanne Whalley, actress, ex-wife of Val Kilmer, as told to Miss Tango In Her Eyes in 1999
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Quote du jour 04.18.06
There comes a time when a woman has to chose between her ass and her face. I chose my face.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
Monday, April 17, 2006
Mummy's lost her mojo!
It is official, my mother has lost her pie making mojo! My mother was famous for her pies, but since she has gotten remarried her crusts are terrible! Hard, not flaky or golden and weighs like 3 lbs per piece! It is like the evil witch cursed her and said "If you wish to get married again and live in a cute little house, you must give up your one and only talent of perfect pie crusts!" Ahh haaa haaa ha!
Jose Maria un bailarin!
If you are lucky you may find Jose Maria tangoing at La Confiteria Ideal. If you are female you just might get lucky, and have a twirl around the dance floor with Jose! He really brightened up my afternoon by teaching me tango tricks I didn't know I had in me!
Jose Maria, will show you his photo album of all his past partners and dance triumphs. There is one photo in there though of a partner in a very very low bend. I don't know how to put this delicately. Well, um...she hasn't visited Brazil.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
The Easter Eve Massacre Round One
Did I mention Griffin's Restaurant in the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel has a dessert buffet? Someone went duck hunting!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Haikus to the Cherry Blossoms
Saw these Haikus to the Cherry Blossoms on the Skytrain to Metrotown. When I took the photo of the Cherry Blossoms and saw the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, I knew where Logan and I would have dinner tonight!
Latte Break
Logan insisted we go to Caffe Artigiano for the artistic lattes. This cafe has been one of our traditions of when she comes to visit.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Quote du jour 04.14.06
I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
- George Burns 1896-1996
oops!
My nine year old niece Logan arrived by seaplane this afternoon to spend the Easter Weekend with me! Ooops! Forgot to sign the release papers with the airline and kidnapped her! Well at least the airline was on top of it and was constantly phoning. Only thing was we were in a very loud restaurant and couldn't hear the phone. Dinner was tasty I had a full on salad with feta, cranberries, pumpkin seed and lightly cajuned chicken. Sounds strange but very tasty! Auntie MT needed her afternoon cocktail and ordered a Bellini. The kid had a bacon cheese burger and virgin Pina Colada. We finished the meal off by sharing a Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla gelato and raspberry sauce!
Tomorrow it's shopping, and our favorite coffee shop Caffe Artigiano. "Auntie MT, can we go to the cafe that makes pictures in the coffees?", and a movie Ice Age 2. Hopefully it will stop raining. I am trying to think of something kidlike to do, but I am not doing Science World again. There is somesort of Pirate theatre sports at Granville Island, perhaps she might enjoy that. Logan is very much a comedienne and can ad lib funny characters that she makes up. Ernie who lives in the trailerpark is my favourite character and he really likes blueberry yogurt! His best friend Bradford fell out of the back of a pickup truck, so Hell yes he's dead!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Quote du jour
"There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion."
-Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's
Time Travel
My mother suggested that I pack all my photos and videotapes in the large Rubbermaid container to protect them while in storage at her house. Before I packed them away, I decided to revisit the past, and took a few out to bring home with me. My scanner and computer don't seem to want to communicate right now, so you will have to wait. Really it is Holly's fashion parade 1974 to 1995.
1974 was not a bad year for me, in fact I managed not to have too many fashion crimes, considering the 70's and 80's had many many fashion misdemeanors to fall victim to.
My hair is very Jane Birkin, straight and long past my shoulders and bangs to my brows.
My mother has me posed sitting on large boulders in Stanley Park, in a Bianca Jagger type sunhat,plaited pigtails, mini pale blue floral summer dress and brown leather open toed sandals.
In another it must be early spring, just before I got the chicken pox, my mother is in the back ground and looks very modern, this photo could have been taken today. She has got on the big squ-oval brown sunglasses on, men's baby blue oxford shirt tucked and belted with a thick brown leather belt, into a classic pair of levi's cuffed and the shoes lady like and low heeled brown leather. I am pretending the mop is my future pony Charlie, and I must have on a cotton nightgown, yellow with a aubergine quilted jacket with hood, my headband matches the jacket.
Then there is the Santa photo. My mum really went all out that year in 1975. She sewed a full on Holly Hobbie Christmas Extravaganza to wear. Red velvet underskirt and red and green holly print pinafore with long sheer red sleeves with white pindots and to top it off matching holly print "Little-House-on-the-Prairie-Laura-Ingall's" hat! I did not receive the sewing gene.
Then I like to pretend 1980-1989 just did not happen to me, emotionally and fashionably it just was not a good decade.
1991 my best friend and co-adventuress Erin Morley and I move to the big city of Vancouver. Oh I had such high hopes! I was coming home to my birthplace that I was forced to leave when I was 9. Vancouver was a huge metropolis compared to the sleepy boring unfashionable village of Nanaimo. We decided to move to North Vancouver, because the air smelled fresh and there seemed to be better looking straight men in North Van. So our commemorative Polaroid photo is of Erin and I posing on her orange and yellow floral sofa circa 1977. Erin is the spitting image of Audrey Hepburn (have I told you how much I envy this?) topped off with a mushroom head of frizzy hair, wearing a grey blazer with heavily padded shoulders and turquoise cotton ribbed sweater. Erin looked great in a garbage bag. Tall and slim, the men just loved her!
Me, I have great hair freshly bobbed to my chin with a heavy fringe (surprisingly shiny and healthy, considering I had havana-ash bleach blonde hair two weeks before), matte crushed velvet short jacket, pinned shut with a tiger broach, and jeans. Fancy top and jeans my favorite look.
Erin and I broke up as roommates 7 months later, but were still inseperable. Every night after work from November to the end of January 1991 we would head down to the Roxy on Granville Street. No line ups for us. No cover and lots of free drinks. I was loosing about one pound a day. My breasts were the smallest they had ever been. B cups! I was soooo happy! Collar bones are sticking out. And the Holy Grail is I am wearing my mothers Gold plaited Coin Belt, and it is falling to my hips, because of my 23 inch waist. In February I moved back to Nanaimo and immediately gained back the ten pounds plus another 25 over the next 3 years, and I am back to fashion hell.
Hmmm Fashion Hell = Emotional Hell...seems to be a formula here.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Lost in Transition
Today I will be moving my household items from one storage unit (friend's basement) to another (mother's house). Only my mother lives about 2 hours with a ferry ride from here. This is my first time in my exsistence driving a vehicle on the ferry. So I am a little nervous!
Now that commuting to Buenos Aires twice a year has become a regular thing, I had to give up larger apartments for much smaller living quarters. Therefore I need less stuff. But L.Ron it is amazing how much one accumulates. I like to think that I don't buy books very often, but I do and it is difficult to let a lot of those go, like the art and reference books. Although most fiction I can easily give up. Although yeah! I am ready to have new bedroom furniture. I love my vanity table, but so does my niece and so she will be getting that. When she was still a toddler she would come over and immediately run into my bedroom straight for the vanity table. I had moved it to a different part of the room, but she ran to it's previous place and said in her baby voice "Auntie MT! Where are your treasures?!" turned around saw it "Oh thankgoodness, it's still here!" and proceeded to open all my drawers and look at all the treasures of femaleness. Lingerie, perfume, makeup and sparkly jewellry. Which is what I loved to play with in my Aunt's room, wigs, dancing costumes and shoes!
I like to think that I am not a sentimental person, but I think I must be. Lastnight I was thinking if I had to leave right now what would I bring with me? I couldn't think of anything really. Everything can be replaced except photos. My laptop, because I have yet to back up the pictures on cd! Tango shoes and a poem that was written for me. (Not the one that is on this blog), and perhaps if I could my first piece of art that I purchased.
I guess I am in a transitioning period, letting things go to make room for the new.
Friday, April 07, 2006
I wish I had said this first...
“All I’ve done all my life is disobey.” Edith Piaf
http://naughtyparis.blogspirit.com/
Check out the above link for the Good Girls Guide to Being Bad in Paris!
Naughty Scopes for the month of April
Click title to see what sort of naughtiness your sign will get into!
Waterfall Building
This is the inner courtyard of The Waterfall Building, designed by celebrated Canadian Architect Arthur Erikkson. It also happens to be the sister building to the one I am in. Quite a few films have used this building in their shots. Although the only one that comes to mind is Paycheck with Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck, I know this only because of when they were filming that day I was walking through the courtyard. I walked past Ben, and he checked out my butt! I guess it reminded him of J-Lo's ;)
I've never seen the movie. Have you?
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Kamchatka
Last night I went to the Vancity Theatre for the first time to see Kamchatka with my movie buddy Dave. I am in love with this theatre! The carpet has a soothing circular pattern, the seating is well padded and high backed, and arranged in a way where you do not need to worry about sitting behind a tall person. No annoying trailers or trivia questions on the screen. And glorious velvet curtains in a shade of deeper than pumpkin, but not quite crimson.
Kamchatka (2002) is a story about an Argentine family going into hiding not long after the military takeover in 1976. Click title to read Ken Eisner's review in The Georgia Straight. It stars the sublime Cecila Roth (All About My Mother), Ricardo Darin (Nine Queens), and Milton De La Canal, who plays their older child who takes the psuedonom Harry, and the sweet little one, I just want to bake him in a pie and eat it all Matias Del Pozo who plays Tiny.
I felt suspence throughout the movie, knowing there was not going to be a happy ending, and anticipating when 'it' was going to happen.
Trivia Fact: Kamachtka won the Vancouver International Film Festival's most popular film in 2003.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Vancouver Stencil Art
I went to look for a cat that lived in a house I was in for 18 months. His name is Muffin, and he looks like he was a background actor in "Pet Cemetary" and the inspiration for Phoebe's song "Icky Cat". Anyways didn't see Muffin around. But I saw this stencil art. Couldn't decide which photo I liked the most, so I posted both. Which do you prefer?
Sunday, April 02, 2006
It's my site and I will write about trite matters if I want!
I love the site meter. I just never know exactly how y'all are getting here? The site meter tells me how. I especially love reading the google referrals. Let me list the ways.
I am so happy I can help my friends and teachers:
Miguel Angel Pla
Susana Domingues, Tango
Carlos Gavito (well he doesn't need help anymore)
Hockey and High Heels
Argentine related:
Busquebus
Bar Britanico
tourista postcard
Comme Il Faut Tango Shoes, of course
And then there are some very productive people out there:
Cleaning Balcony
The Rooster, David Sedaris (this good building reading skills)
Salted Meat
Brandy's Show Lounge
and big drum roll...
Building a Stripper Pole! Someone in Fort Wayne, Indiana is a very resourceful and Martha Stewart do-it-yourself kind of person!
Ok ok I am going to get dressed and leave the house now, it's not raining and it's a lovely sunny-ish Sunday!
Robert Duvall
Does Robert Duvall have it in his contract to have the word tango mentioned in any film he is in now, and if appropriate to have a tango performed somewhere in the film?
I saw "Thank You For Smoking" Friday night, in which Robert Duvall plays a southern tabacco magnate. William H. Macy who plays a senator says something like "I know how to tango with these corporate SOB..." ok I took a little liberty with the exact dialogue.
Then I was reading about Pablo Veron, and apparently he choreographed and danced tango in "The Cup" in which Robert Duvall acted and produced. "The Cup" also known as "A Shot a Glory" is about soccer/football in Scotland?!
The lovely lady is the photograph with Robert, is his lovely young wife Luciana Pedraza an equestrian and events planner orginally from Salta, who also starred in Assination Tango with Robert. She was born in 1972, he in 1931. They have been a couple since 1996. You do the math. Although I heard rumours that they were together since she was 18. Anyways they seem extremely happy and at least they never lack a tango partner. And if you happen to be a Hollywood starlet reading this piece, please look to Luciana as a fashion do. Sexy, uncluttered and age appropriate. (Her clothing that is!)
Geraldine Rojas y Ezequiel Paludi
I was researching on the net lastnight to find tango classes with Sabrina Masso or the above combination. Back on my first trip in January 2005, Sabrina and Ezequiel were together and they taught in an old tile factory on Colombres. Of course by October when I arrived things had changed considerably. Ezequiel was in an Avenida Corrientes production translated to the Glamour of The Corner of Corrientes! An all out showgirl T&A production with blinding sequins and implants, slapstick comedy, singing and dancing and of course a couple of hot little tango numbers. The partner Geraldine Rojas. For those of you who are unfamilar with Geraldine, who I was somewhat ignorant of her fame, she played the hot tamale tango sister in Assination Tango with Robert Duvall. She also toured the world performing and teaching with Javier Rodriguez.
Back to January 2005, Katinka and I were at Salon Canning one night not long after our class with Sabrina and Ezequiel, Ezequiel we often saw out at the milongas, but Sabrina was never around. It was some man's birthday and when it is your birthday you are brought onto the dance floor and perform a dance only your partner is constantly getting replaced by a challenger. Well 3 girls in, this gorgeous woman from Ezequiel's group at the table cuts in, she was wearing an emerald green dress and looked hot with her long luxurious hair tumbling down her back. She ruled the floor and no woman even dared to cut in on her.
Cut back to November 2005 in the Teatro Metropolitan who is dancing with Ezequiel? The woman in emerald green on the dance floor! Geraldine Rojas! Their performance was spectacular!
So now that the Sequin Spectacle "CORRIENTES esquina Glamour" has finished it's run, at least with E&G, go see them perform while you can at:
Not sure what the name of the club is
Cabrera 4139
4867-0277
00:30 Fridays(Viernes)
$30 (includes a copa de vino, and I am assuming this is pesos)
They should be there until May or so, as they will be teaching in Europe come June.
So if you ever find Sabrina's contact numbers for teaching please let me know!
And Javier Rodriguez is now teaching with Andrea Misse.
*if you are confused to who is E&G in the photo, they are the two short ones on the left!
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Neo Tango vs. Tango
The debate goes on and on...
I personally have never danced Neo Tango or even seen it performed live. But bring up Neo Tango, Tango Nuevo, Electronica Tango and the Tango purists cry blasphemy! I do not have a Ph.d in Dance Studies, but from what I have read Tango has evolved from improvisation and more of an open embrace style, which is how Neo Tango is performed. It seems the open embrace of Neo Tango is where the Tangueros get up in arms! The next argument is the music.(Click title to read the full opinion article from Tito Palumbo)
Mr. Palumbo makes it sound as a lethal virus is killing off traditional tango and replacing them with electric tango robots.
"By no means is it acceptable to say that young people will start learning to
know real tango. Absolutely not. It is very difficult, not to say
impossible, that those intoxicated with that music may sometime be able to
appreciate tango."
This statement is laughable. If one enjoys listening to Rock does this mean one can not appreciate Bach?
Are you forgetting about Astor Piazolla Mr. Palumbo? Piazolla incorporated elements of jazz and was one of the first to add flute, saxophone, electric guitar and gasp oh my gosh! ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS!! and a FULL DRUM KIT!!
Personally I enjoy Electronica Tango, but I enjoy listening to and appreciate a variety of music.
In my personal opinion, the Tango community should appreciate the resurgence in the interest of Tango regardless of whether or not the interest started with Electric/Neo/ Nuevo Tango. Somehow I doubt that churches care how the new converts are getting in as long as they come in to worship.
The Cult of Comme Il Faut Tango Shoes
Like a Free Masons secret handshake signalling your membership of the cult, you can always tell which ladies on the dance floor have made the pilgrimage to the Mecca of Tango, Buenos Aires. And it is by their shoes. Comme Il Faut to be exact. Comme Il Faut is not a traditional closed toe t-strap tango shoe. No no no! The Comme Il Faut Tango shoes of choice are open toed and 10 cm! That is 4 inches of pure Sex in a shoe! Now if we were talking about a man 4 inches this would not be sufficient, but since we are talking tango shoes here, 10 cm sounds dangerously perilous! Once you have worn 4 inches a girl can never go back to a less endowded heel, it just isn't the same. The heel is firmly nailed, always sturdy, never disappointing, can do it backwards and always looking fantastic! The way the you balance on the balls of your feet, and the DANGER sharp curves ahead! of the arch. It is all in the arch of the shoe, that separates Comme Il Faut from the others. I do admire and covet the design of many tango shoes, but so far nothing I have tried has the same strut and glide as Comme Il Faut Tango Shoes.
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