Tango

postcard from 1919

Daniel Trenner

It looks great but it is supposed to be one of the hardest dances to learn. Yet men who don't even dance much say they want to learn it. I wonder why...could it be that it's so sexy and you have to dance very closely? But I think that is a mistaken notion because there are some tango dancers who have the usual separation and others who are so close they can't look at each other in the eye.

This is what one tango teacher has to say:
"Many men are attracted to the elegant masculinity of male Tango dancers. Men who love football will recognise many of the signature moves of great football players mirrored in the Tango, and those who enjoy Martial Arts find that there are many resonances with the Tango. In fact Tango has been described as the tender Martial Art. And they get to practice it you in their arms!"
http://www.totaltango.com/acatalog/tango_beginners_guide_42.html



Wikipedia has a lot to say about the tango but I found this:

"Argentine Tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras of Argentina and Uruguay. The dance developed in response to many cultural elements, such as the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. The styles are mostly danced in either open embrace, where lead and follow connect at arms length, or close embrace, where the lead and follow connect chest-to-chest."

A LONG WEEKEND IN BELLINGHAM

I went up to Bellingham with the boyfriend and we broke up. It's a romantic setting for a break up! Actually, we were in the Travellodge which was expensive and a bit shoddy. Damn, I never even got the opportunity to call him a boyfriend! We were going to look for a better motel but inertia took hold. The pool was small and in the middle of the parking lot, decorated with wire and one lone life preserver. Ah, maybe it was the fault of the motel.

The photo was taken in Fairhaven, a sweet historic district. I like the Colophon Cafe and the attached bookstore. There is a plaza with live music on Sunday afternoons and outdoor movies at night.

Chuckanut Drive is very close by and offers many good hikes in the woods. Of course, if you want more there is Mt Baker not that far away.

IF YOU DON'T TALK TO YOUR CAT ABOUT CATNIP, WHO WILL? (an adult man of color)

I GOT OUT OF BED FOR THIS? (a thirty-something man)

YOU ARE ENTITLED TO MY OPINION (a male teenager)

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, LOOK IN THE TRASH FOR THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL (a boy)

MID-LIFE CRISIS IN PROGRESS (young Hispanic male)

These are t-shirts that people in the library are wearing

People seem to be expressing themselves through their t-shirts more and more. I saw a young woman with a shirt that had the UPS logo but it said OOPS and in small print underneath, lost your package.

I remember the shirts in Latin America were hilarious, at times by mistake. Sometimes the juxtaptosition of the wearer and the slogan were funny.

It is getting harder and harder to find clothes without advertising some company.