Crossroads

2am, 14th September

Post Chinese Milonga, International Dancers Performance Night

Taipei City, Swensens Restaurant;

Present: Javier Rodriguez, Andrea Misse, Gustavo Lin, Fish, me

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The mood was relaxed, especially for Gustavo and I, who were both on the edge for the entire night due to our performance with our individual partners. Javier and Andrea performed too, but of course for them, it was just another normal night on a world tour.

We were chomping down on our pastas, sipping our coke and having a laugh with the guy waiter with pretty eye lashes and make up; asking him why he seemed to ignore the beautiful Andrea while serving the rest of us with extra attentiveness.

Early morning, Taipei city was fast asleep, with a few neon lighted food places still opened and cabs trawling on the streets. We were all feeling laid back and comfortable in the company of fellow friends and dancers; no pressure of crowds or the helter skelter of the milonga.

The conversation centered on the performances of the night. No prizes for guessing whose performance Gustavo, Fish and I liked best; Javier and Andrea's dancing to Juan D'Arienzo has a kind of energy that makes even milonguero steps showy; It’s not the steps that are showy... But the energy in the dance is so much enhanced that it makes the dance showy... Imagine that.

As the conversation flowed, we started talking about how the individual performers' dancing style had evolved throughout the years. Gustavo then asked the question of the night, "Some dancers seek breakthrough and improvement taking lessons from different teachers and different styles. Do you think it works?"

Javier's remarkable reply came, "No it doesn't work like this. One dances up till a certain maximum level and he would never be able to improve past that level." His reply was met with wide eyed expressions from Gustavo and me.

"The biggest challenge is to keep dancing at this maximum level." Once again something casual, something deep.

Javier went on to explain, "When you start to dance, you are like an empty cocktail shaker. The lessons you take from a particular teacher with his particular style are ingredients for a cocktail. So as your tango journey continues..."

Taking up the empty cup in front of him, he continued, "...learning from different teachers, getting influenced by different styles; it is like adding a bit of rum, a bit of tequilla, a bit of coke, etc... and finally when the shaker is full, have a taste and viola its the Isaac cocktail, for example."

Shaking the cup gently, with a twinkle in his eye, "You have to let the cocktail stir a bit. Let the mixture sit a bit, for the full flavour of the Isaac cocktail to come out. It's unique and it is yours."

"But what happens is when you become greedy and start to pour away some of your unique mixture. Then try to add new things like coffee, or ketchup... Not only do you taste worse but you lose that original flavour you had that made you so unique." He gestured, shaking a bottle of Swensens ketchup.

Andrea nodded, "It will be difficult but the two of you need to be careful of that." pointing to Gustavo and me.

I asked the question running through my mind, "Ok Javier and Andrea, how about when you guys were learning, didn't you also learnt from different milongueros with different styles?" Once again I found myself the translator, this time between Chinese and Spanish.

"Yes but at that time, when we were learning, our shaker were still only half full." Javier replied with a smile; their style was not formed yet.

Andrea added to the conversation, "Also many years ago when we were learning, that time mostly at the Club Sunderland area, the milongueros, although they had their different styles, they all had a similar vision of elegance, essence, good understanding of tango and her techniques. They were all great dancers and teachers."

Andrea paused to take a gulp of her chocolate ice cream, "These days there are no longer so many great dancers and teachers around to pass on their knowledge. The students have to learn mediocre styles from mediocre teachers at times."

I thought to myself, then the two biggest challenges for us young dancers would be firstly to recognize our own limits; the moment to form and preserve our own unique flavour when the cocktail shaker is filled. Secondly, to choose the right teachers; for only the best gin and olive juice produce the best dry martini.
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"Gustavo dances so well." I told Javier as he fiddled with my PDA phone.

"Yes he does. Dances like Bichy." Javier smiled.

"I'm jealous. (Estoy celoso)" I grinned

"With bad feelings? You shouldn't be." Javier looked up.

"Well not with bad feelings, maybe envious (envidioso) is a better word. With lots of respect of course." I said.

"Both of you are still young dancers. Gustavo is dancing like a 16 year old teenager and you are dancing like a 5 year old kid." He gave me a pat.

"Don't worry you'll improve. Both of you." He returned to poking the PDA phone.

"Well the best is Fish! Slow and unhurried but taking steady steps on the right track." Andrea laughed.

Imagine handed a scripted contract that goes;

"I, _____, born in Singapore. Attended primary school, sec, jc/poly, uni. Graduated and found a job at 24. Got married at 28. Had my first kid by 30.

I work 10 hours a day from 8.30am till 8.30pm and raised them till I was 55. Retired at age 65 and and look after my grandchildren. Got my CPF and now passing time for the next 15 years. Died at 80 and this is the story of my life.

And these were the defining moments of my life."

But the only shining moment you had, was when you had your free will and filled in your name. After which, you just joined in as part of the production line.

I refuse to be a part of this name filling exercise.

"Your skills aren't up to standard, frankly speaking, if I was a client, I would not come back again. Your strokes are too repetitive and you don't have enough strength." The half naked man in his underwear lying in front of me said. "But you have the touch, and you are slightly better than the certified guy I interviewed a day earlier. You're hired."

That was the boss of Bodylite Massage Salon.

I had always liked giving massages to my girlfriends. But that was on a very amateur level and my only reference was the ‘A Complete Guide to Massage’ book.

This time round while spending time in Singapore waiting to go back to Buenos Aires, I decided to pick up the basic Swedish massage professionally. It’s a good skill to have in my current world, filled with dancers with sore feet; to give friends a treat; and especially when you want to pamper the one you love.

So I looked up various massage parlors, they were hiring alright, but all needed some sort of certified training. Not wanting to give up, neither did I want to spend SGD$1000 for a half year massage course. I sent out a bunch of emails to the various massage parlors and stated that I only gave amateur massages to my friends, have no formal training but willing to learn.

The first one that replied and agreed to interview me was Clemence from Bodylite. For my interview I had to give him a massage, which was not as weird as I thought. Although I had to imagine the naked butt in front of me belonging to a lady, and no I did not see dick. But my unprofessional skills showed and he said what he said.

But nonetheless, for some reason I had ‘the touch’ and I was hired. Three training sessions later I took my first two clients. I was tipped $10 and $20 respectively. The second client even said that was his ‘most relaxing’ massage ever and wanted me to be his regular masseur.

Heh… Just hope he truly liked my massage skills, and only that.