I’m writing this sitting in the lounge of the St. John, New Brunswick airport (although I will have to post it when I get home. There is definitely no wi-fi here, nor do I have it on my computer--yet). I have a four-hour layover on my way home from Montreal. When checking in I first asked the agent in Montreal if I could get an easier flight, but all other flights to Halifax were overbooked already. Then she said they had my name backwards. I said they often do. But she had confused the names and had Leya as the last name, as, I said, people often do. She apologized profusely but I really am used to it. What does get me a bit miffed is when someone says: “Are you sure?” when I tell them Evelyn is the last name.
When I asked her about getting an easier flight selection, I also said they probably have a good bookstore in the St. John airport. She smiled. Now I know why. There are two gates here, one lounge/luncheonette-restaurant/shop and only a few (very small) planes in and out each day. The Halifax airport (which is quite large now and still growing) was not much bigger than this the first time I arrived in it, twenty-some years ago. It feels nice, friendly, but I still wish I didn’t have such a long wait. And I wish there was a bookstore here. But Jessica lent me an interesting book (The Shadow of the Wind by Carolos Ruiz Zafon) so as soon as my airplane headache calms down, I will read it. (It will be far better than the constant CNN program on the (large) TV here repeating itself over and over and over.)
After a wonderful four days in Montreal, it is hard to go home, yet I’m looking forward to getting back to painting and going to visit my puppy. I have some pix in my camera and will unload them tonight. None of the tango classes though. That was a very intriguing few hours. Brigitta Winkler (from Germany) is an excellent dance teacher. Her enthusiasm is expressed best in her body language, appropriate for tango, what tango is essentially, a communication of bodies. There were people at the classes from all over: Bolivia, Quebec, Toronto, Maine, New Haven, Halifax and even Buenos Aires. I plan to look up some tango places when I go to New York in December. It’s an interesting community, spreading around the globe. Aaron said it is a known pick up place for singles in Montreal. It was easy to tell who was looking around for dates. I found the more advanced dancers were more accessible as dancing partners, felt they just wanted to dance. I mentioned to one (excellent) dancer I was partnered with for a while (we rotate partners often) that I am a good dancer when I have a good partner. He said that is so true for all of us. Yet some of the more advanced dancers make it so easy to follow, to feel the intentions of the leader.
The first class was one of seeing the dance as taking flowers from a bouquet (literally and figuratively), learning the many possibilities of movement, learning to choose this or that, or this and that. The second class was about the musicality of the dance. Brigitta had us walking around the room in alternating rhythms, counter to our partner, then in tune with the partner and also adjusting the volume of our dance, from normal to loud to whispering. I am hoping that our little tango dance community in Halifax will start growing more. It is good but still too small. The energy in Montreal was really different. Our Halifax group is still like the little engine that could (but still trying). Although I must admit, my idea that everyone in Montreal was a great dancer was a bit off. Everyone has to start somewhere. Yet, it is true, when they are good, they are very very good.