I'm relishing Rick McGarrey's stories, pictures, and advice at Tango and Chaos in Buenos Aires, especially his explorations of the codes of the milonga. He starts with a story about being scolded by a milonguero for half-hearted dancing. That's where he learned the phrase "Todo la carne en la Parrilla" -- all the meat on the fire. This vegetarian loves the phrase!

Posted by Michael on 11/5/06; 6:13:00 PM

Like many English speaking tango dancers, I've developed an interest in learning Spanish. When I was an arrogant teenager (as opposed to an arrogant adult), I chose to avoid Spanish as a language alternative in school because I associated that choice with the less ambitious kids. Foolish mistake. Fortunately, growing up with several other languages in and around my home (Swedish, German, and English) and studying other romance languages in school (French and Latin), has prepared me at least a little for learning Spanish as an adult. One of my regular exercises is learn the lyrics to tango songs, for which I use several lyrics sites, including (the TangoDC.com Lyrics Homepage. Although they sometimes have the structural challenges of poetry, tango lyrics are not known for their sophistication.

Posted by Michael on 11/5/06; 3:00:45 PM