Since we came back, it seems that everything is working to erode the beautiful feeling of Buenos Aires right out of our bodies. There's work; there's the naughty cat who pulled all the kitty kibble off the top of the fridge (yes, we're talking to you, Mr. B); there's the charming spectacles of Toronto Tango with the "Are you kidding me, you really think that's tango?" and the tango professional/just a regular dancer ratio of 100:1; and last but not least, there's the marvelous weather forecast that includes wind, bone-chilling temperatures and SNOW:
Make no mistake, this is not Buenos Aires...this is Toronto in APRIL
So what can we do to keep Buenos Aires with us just a little longer?
We tried calling our porteño friends. They missed us too, and talked about the milongas they were going to tonight. Sigh. That makes us wish even more that we were there.
Instead of indulging in Neo-no-no-Tango, Ta-Chango, Craperango etc. as is the wont of many of those tango-ing here in "The Big Smoke", we danced the traditional way that the porteños danced, with old-fangled embraces and old-fashioned sentiment. With my eyes closed (and therefore not paying attention to some of the nastier atrocities on the dance floor), I could almost feel myself gliding along the tile or sprung wood floors of our favourite Buenos Aires milongas.
It also really helps if you have visiting porteño friends here - for example, Maestro Alberto Dassieu.
If all else fails, you can book your next trip now. Or you could try this, a trick that I've stumbled upon that works like magic.
Every time you go to Buenos Aires, buy a new bottle of perfume from the duty-free shop at the airport. Make sure it's something nice you could live with - and something you haven't tried before.
While in Buenos Aires, spray your chosen scent liberally every time you go out. Proceed to have the most wonderful, exciting, pleasant time possible. The key word is pleasant. Avoid anything all things ugly - like arguing with waiters and taxi drivers, hanging around and having conversations with tango tourists who rub you the wrong way with their arrogance and self-importance, watching tango performances with too much visible underwear, etc. Gravitate towards sublime dances with milongueros and milongueras, and anything involving big hugs and lots of affectionate kisses.
Your perfume will be infused with the great memories you have created.
"Really?" asked Man Yung.
I took the bottle of "Terre D'Hermes" we bought and sprayed it on a pulse point. We both inhaled deeply.
"I feel like we are in our hotel room in Buenos Aires, just about to go out to a milonga with Osvaldo and Coca!" said Man Yung.
Until someone can distill the essence of banana licuados, asado, mozzarella pizza, freshly baked empanadas, cobblestones, ruby red malbec wine, diesel fumes, taxis, air conditioning, Gardel, humidity, congested and lively tree-lined streets, tango*, and warm embraces of friends who are more and more like family - into a crystal-cut bottle...this may just be the next best thing.
Chacarera at Lo de Celia
