Sundays at 3Esquinas

We have a very popular Sunday late afternoon milonga called 3Esquinas with different DJs.
My exceptional Saturday mood had calmed down but the dancing was still ok. The thing not ok was the loud volume preferred by the DJ and organizer!

I have on my phone a basic type of decibel indicator and the level for this night was constantly over 80db and many times 85db.

I did talk to the dj and he even came to the pista for a check and YES! he turned the volume down for a while but it did creep upwards again quite soon.

The organizer loves chacarera and every now and then there is a workshop and one or two dance options during the following milonga!

If you are interested to have a healthy music volume try to download an app for your mobile. When you can show the actual noise level in the room it is easier to discuss - maybe the only option - and to find a sound level below the harmful one.

(Today the only milonga (among the few I am visiting regularly) where they keep the sound level on a nice level is the RuntRunt milonga! )

The mystery of changed mood

Last weekend I started my Saturday round with very low expectations similar to the grey November weather outside. The first stop was Comme il faut - a monthly milonga with strict traditional setup - where I usually have good tandas. But not this time - I just couldn't get in to right mood, just couldn't get into the music or connect to the followers. Only the most experienced followers could reach to me at the bottom of this evening!

I left the place around 9PM to get to my second stop. It was a walk in the darkness.

At arrival I decided to fulfill my promise to dance some tandas and then go home. I started the tanda with my longtime partner and after a half tanda we nearly fell down when she suddenly went to an unleaded sideways volgada in a direction where I had just a fraction of possibility to support her.

But this was the start signal for an amazing night!

After that our bodies started to cooperate seamlessly in a amazing way. Her movements have never been so relaxed and exact! My body must have moved in a similar way because we got deep into an exalted flow and you can not reach there alone but both need to be in the same mood!

We did all the tandas we could manage before we noticed the first signs of fatigue. I danced just one more tanda and left for home. Such a highly memorable night!

           

 


Milonga RuntRunt








RuntRunt is also the only milonga keeping the ear-friendly volume!
I made some metering in milongas I visited during last 7 days and it is a huge advantage to be able to dance without earplugs!

Eleonora Kalganova Women's Technique 5

When you see her dancing you will remember her!

The footwork is fantastic and I understand why after seeing her exercise. They differ from other videos because the movements are so small that you are actually able to apply this on your dance, and use on the pista!

Enjoy!





Here you have a walz from September this year!

Sebastian Arce Mariana Montes interview subtitled

My top favorite, elegant artists in tango!

In this video Mariana is talking a lot also :) You will hear about the background for moving to Europe and their experiences while here.

TangoTalks - your traveling companion

Sometimes I feel that just listening the music and dancing is not enough. I have allways loved to study and my brain is often hungry wanting to know some theoretical explanations or stories about deeper personal experiences in tango.

Now I put my hope on TangoTalks. This website presents one hour long interviews with tango personalities.

I found this site for not a long time ago so I do not know how it will be working for me but I am traveling some days in the future and have a plan to listen to these episodes on the go.

Click this line to land the site!

http://reportango.net/RT/TangoTalks.html

a Milonga practica

I was asked to lead a milonga practica at Practica Humilde last Thursday and I did!

It was a long time since last practica - I was teaching mostly during the years 2005-2010 - so there was a wide gap of pure dancing until today. During these dancing years I have changed my perspective quite a lot and got some more understanding for mechanisms in movements.

The main issue was how slowly I answered to questions which were not on the theme of the day. I needed to recall my earlier ideas, check what I had learned during the last five years and then put together my answer: nothing ready from the shelves!

You can activate the Facebook video by clicking this very line!

Facebook posting
https://www.facebook.com/irina.gebuhr/videos/o.929095373830325/10201257705120984/?type=2&theater

Alejandra Mantiñan & Gabriel Missè

She has the fastest feet I have seen on the youtube pistas!  . . . . and as you see he is not running behind!

This must be filmed for some years ago because the song Pavadita has been blocked out from the tango world for too long!  It was so fun when it started to pop up on playlists here and there. That was the music I learned to dance to! One of the early musicality lessons was about to respect the 3 (?) stops build in here - Gabriel and Alejandra did it well!  :) Don't you agree?

Blanquita 90 years is performing!

This is an open posting at Facebook so I suppose you are able to see it even without an account!

In the text they call the lady for Blanquita and state her to be 90 years and still dancing well.

WONDERFUL!

Click this line to get a free ride to facebook and the experience!

I think the same lady is dancing socially at Sueño Porteño

FB link
https://www.facebook.com/100004031064184/videos/vb.100004031064184/578430015634695/?type=2&theater

Youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-saU4a85whI

Chicho & Juana and Ruben & Sabrina are experimenting

I can think these talented dancers did discus prior the performance what moves could be possible and maybe they tested some. But I definitely think that these performances are mainly improvised and show their ability to adapt to the others participating to a specific scene.

This is the first time ever I see Chicho to follow!

Tango Rap "Follow Through" and the dancers

THIS was something different!  The first time I hear rap and see people dancing to it!

What do you think?  Can the spoken rhythms be as addictive as the instrumental ones?

Dispari workshop weekend 2015

It was September and time for a Dispari workshop!

To live at the edge of Europe restricts your possibilities to keep up continuous contact with your teachers. That is the case here. I meet Disparis once a year and I need to be prepared for these hours so I can catch the skill and information as well as possible! The follower who was able to take the workshops with me had not met Disparis earlier so we decided to come together and rehearse prior the weekend. Three times we made it with intense work during some hours, rehearsing all the material I knew! I met also one of the followers on an earlier workshop to rehearse all the stuff once again.

During the weekend we mostly worked on our caminata and added some rhythmic variations on top of it.

The most interesting new detail was the instruction to pause until the next couple is advancing. This is the only occasion I can recall where the teachers are training us to activate habits promoting the synchronization of an entire pista.

This is the traditional group photo and it includes nearly all of us but the two couples who were in a hurry after the long hours in the workshops!

I have also collected some moments to a video collage you can enjoy at youtube! Two days in 2 minutes!

How do we make it as intuitive dancers?

Speech at Stallet in Stockholm
The main thema was the fact that the educated and intuitive dancers have different methods to learn and solve difficulties for example in their step/music connection. In a milonga the dancing mode is the same for both groups. (the interwiew was in Swedish and not in the list.)

Musicality In Dance: What Is It? Can It Be Taught?
http://www.danceadvantage.net/musicality-in-dance/

Educated vs intuitive knowledge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacit_knowledge

Vals: How does it look like when the dancers and music loose the connection sometimes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2caLFBid0pg

The development of an intuitive dancer

http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2012/08/my-odd-musicality.html
http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2014/04/feeling-of-musical-timing.html

Training
http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2014/04/musicality-via-feelings-and-emotions.html
(more options in the end of link list)

Checking the changes
http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2014/04/my-need-to-fit-steps-and-sounds.html

Musicality by others

http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2014/05/according-to-my-unscientific-opinion.html

The Pista becomes musical - it starts to dance

Kehl  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXBmuh3De24

Performers 

Today they have a strong contact with music          
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB9yuW6jZP4

Sometimes they release a tornado of ganchos as here around 3.20 - is it ok?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsBg-Ek57o

About Training

http://offpistaaction.blogspot.se/2012/09/hearing-and-moving.html

http://offpistaaction.blogspot.se/2012/08/august-training.html


Murat Erdemsels Indio Manso animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A6X49jA7M0



Joaquin Amenabar - TANGO Let's dance to the music! 
/http://joaquinamenabar.com/

. . . . .and afterwards we were dancing!

Links in Swedish


Barnets tidig musikalisk utveckling, s 11
https://dspace.mah.se/bitstream/handle/2043/7607/Examensarb09.pdf?sequence=1

Må bättre med MUSIK
Eva Bojner Horwitz & Gunilla Bojner

Tango - the healing embrace

The content is mostly clarifying the facts we maybe came across earlier but it is good to fresh up the facts again!

.... and go to the milonga!

http://www.argentinaindependent.com/life-style/society-life-style/tango-therapy-the-healing-embrace/

MARIA Y SEBASTIAN - Vals of the day

Quite not bad.       

(a Finnish expression of admiration at highest level)





Published on Jan 19, 2014
Maria Inés Bogado y Sebastián Jiménez, bailan "Dichas Que Viví", Orquesta de Rodolfo Biaggi, en la II Gala Aniversario de MIlonga "Tango Obsesión" de Puerto Montt, Chile. Sábado 11 de Enero, 2014.
https://youtu.be/caG_GEA0a9Q

Sebastian y Maria Ines - Vals

Sebastian and Maria Ines are among the highest stars on my vals sky and this time on the pista during the 2nd Shanghai Tango Marathon,

Their ability to create a flow with delicate changes in speed and still keep the performance live and interesting. They are exeptionel and they are great!




Sebastian Ariel Jimenez y Maria Ines Bogado
https://youtu.be/4u21IeM16V8

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Milonga - A Tango Project

A piece of mesmerizing stage tango and an interview with Sidi Larbi!

I find especially the beginning of this video extremely beautiful. There is a kind of bigger movement  surfing around on the group of dancers created by the individuals moving differently.




Guardian about the whole performance called Milonga

For Cherkaoui, the key image of tango is the dancers' close embrace, the motor of all their physical communication; it's this image that dominates the opening sections. Video footage of couples pressed together in a dance hall segues into the first live duet, which has two dancers moving in similarly intimate accord. Rather than facing front, the couple dance back-to-back, and in that startling reversal of tradition Cherkaoui makes us feel afresh the frisson of the dancers' mutual sensuality and trust.

(The whole article is enbedded here, click this line!)


http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/nov/08/sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-milonga-review

At Bennie Bartels' Tango/Feldenkrais WS

According to the information we got before the workshop, Bennie Bartels has a background as a professional dancer and a Feldenkrais practitioner.

With his own words about the subject:

"My focus in my teaching has always been to come to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of this "exotic" dance, to hand people clear and simple tools and a body awareness, to enable dancers to do what they want.
Understanding how grounding, uprightness, tension, travel of force through the body, intention and organisation, to be light but substantial, touch and energy work, is essential to dance a satisfying, pleasuralbe and communicative tango.

Feldenkrais is a non-corrective, exploring and playful technique through awareness and sensing. It is not static or abstract but works with process, movement and function (direction).
It is the best technique I have found in all these years of exploring movement and dance, that gives a great and helpful insight in all these processes. At the same time preventing injury and keeping you fit and with energy for your daily life.

The moving, dynamic and grounding side of the tango, next to a meaningful connection and a two way communication to create the music of the dance, is what I find very important to make people learn and understood.

The combination Tango and Feldenkrais create a philosophy for me, of an approach and a way of learning in which each person creates his or her own individual and unique style and dance".

We had 10 + 1 hours of training during this weekend with 2 h Feldenkrais and the 8+1 hour tango related exercises and games. The group had different backgrounds but he managed to keep us together quite well during these hours.

When I compare his pick of the teaching items, the methods and the pedagogical take with my earlier experiences with different teachers he is doing extremely well, especially on the connection issues and integrating the movements. Some of the delicate insights of technique and the responsibility of process within a couple were also well addressed during the hours.

Bennie and two students working on an abrazo exercise.

Two of my favorite principles we were working with!

The elbow management: If we both are stabilizing the elbows slightly in front of us - not stiff but stable - the feeling of connection is more easily created.

The integrated movement: We had several exercises and games to create a movement which involved the whole body. Many times we are creating the movement by moving just an isolated part of the body - we move the feet and the leg is moving from our hips - but the rest of the body is still. If the leader is just moving his leg and his chest is still it is impossibly for the follower to know what is happening. With his long experience Bennie could find different ways to explain and get us on board.

My special gratitude goes to his work to give the followers tools to take the responsibility for their own position and situation!

Thanks to you Fotini for organizing this weekend and Bennie for the insights!

The earliest youtube videos I found were from 2008 so he has been active with tango - as a dancer and teacher - for a long time.

https://youtu.be/B8SYn2vTL4I
https://youtu.be/FfelhJ9BH2w
https://youtu.be/NCkEVoA3ITE

I just love these sidesteps!  I found this video on Bennies homepage too.
https://youtu.be/d8Si3MHaqk4

Bennies homepage: http://benniebartels.me/about/

Our Last Tango - about Copes & Nieves

JUAN CARLOS COPES y MARIA NIEVES

A film about one of the mesmericing historic couple!





This video is more about the time when they were active in the 1974
Tango was danced in a different way and the technique and visual beauty ideals were different at that time but still you can get an idea why they were apreciatied!

(the dancing starts about 3:20 - but the  historical milieu in the beginning is fascinating too)

A story and an interviews are to be found at todotangos site at this address:
http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/info/1713/Maria-Nieves

      Then a inexperienced and daring young dancer, that she later 

would know that his name was Juan Carlos Copes, 

discovered her at the Estrella of Maldonado

http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/info/865/Juan-Carlos-Copes

His life and dancing by his own words:

There is a Tengo una pregunta para vos - done with Maria Nieves but it is without any English subtitles -  but for you with skills in Spanish please enjoy!

This is the part 1 of 3!


https://youtu.be/PkkeRYkq2XA?t=3m13s
https://youtu.be/ewlTss5oMQU
https://youtu.be/szsqKKoX9-0

TANGO BA final result

Finals for this year are as follows:

CLARISA ARAGON  y  JONATHAN SAAVEDRA 

Campeones de Tango de Pista 2015

CAMILA ALEGRE  y  EZEQUIEL JESUS LOPEZ   

Campeones de Tango Escenario 2015   

                                    The dance starts at 4.50

Dispari tango dynasty

Yes I should have become aware of the situation long time ago but I had a break through this summer!
Suddenly I just realized that many of the important tango influences are coming to me from Dispari family. It is definitely because of the way they dance, the availability of the workshops and the nice way they meet us!

Jorge and Maria Dispari
During the years the organizers here in Nordic have cooperated with Jorge and Maria! Thanks to them I have had possibility to participate once a year to their workshops. Here one of the most beautiful dances on Youtube.

Javier and Ceraldine
Geraldine is Marias daughter and it is said that even Javier has strong influences from Marias dance style. The early videos of this couple are the all time high among the tango performances. Here you get one of my favorites from Bologna 2001!

I met Javier first time 2004 and after that I have participated in his classes every now and then. He is one of the few teacher who is clearly pointing out the problems with our, students' dancing. He also starts the lessons by walking exercises to point out the importance of a good base for tango.

If you want to know more about her so check my youtube portal for her! (I am sorry but it is working only for computer - yt regulations) When a thumbnail and the title appears you can click on it and get more videos connected to that title.

Adrian and Amanda Costa
Costas are strongly dedicated students of Jorge and Maria! I have had possibility to study for them twice and will continue!

Jorge and Marita have also a daughter Samantha Dispari living on the pistas but I have not had opportunity to participate in her workshops.

https://youtu.be/-VK_Nyykfg8

https://youtu.be/p6rVh5i6xX8

https://youtu.be/fzBNiqwCwdg

https://youtu.be/PPJCjtWxz98
https://youtu.be/9wtokkp6qTg

TANGO BA semifinal result

Here are part of the list for the participants in final competition this August: The most happy information is that my Singapore favorites are ON!

The whole list you can find here:  http://festivales.buenosaires.gob.ar/uploads/admin/estaticos/db59bd928a1c90d9db035714bf949309.pdf

Los Laurels in B.A.

Mi tango nació en Sarandi - Elina Roldan (sub inglés)

A beautifully done film about tango!
The place Los Laurels is a beautiful gem among the tango venues in Buenos Aires. The food is not so - when we visited the place the stake was inedible - the second try was good for my friend but I just accepted a reduced price and got dancing on salad!

But still I would go back there again! 
The memory images of the people (wasn't he there that night?) and the details in the venue are still so beautiful . . . . 





https://youtu.be/IvL3UNCA-i0

Javier Rodriguez with followers

Javier Rodriguez is performing with different partners giving us an opportunity to se how a follower is having an impact on leader!

What you think?

MOIRA Castellano




CARLA Rossi

FATIMA Vitale


Would these followers have an impact on yours dancing?  In what way?

A tango during your surgery?

According to the news an old truth was confirmed: Music has impact on your wellbeing but it also lessens the pain during a surgery!

Doesn't this indicate that the effect is created below our awareness level; it is created and handled in a different part of the brain compared to the phenomenon which need our focused thoughts. Maybe this is the level of our true dancing?

You find the whole story here!
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-17525232

Lost my dance!

As stated in the earlier posting my dance has clearly two levels. The stepping mode where i just do the moves and the intense one when the dance comes alive.

To my surprise the daylight situation makes it difficult to reach the dancing level. If you add a crowd dancing in very different styles so the harmonious pista is not developed and I was left craving for my fix!

Stepping vs dancing mode

Sometimes I notice that I am just moving to the music and decide that this is not enough.

I change the mood and the dance comes alive.

There is a change of focus, intensity but not necessarily a change of steps or in musicality. I am though quite sure that this change is visible to an experienced eye!

A musicality play

I just love his creativity in finding new ways to visualize the things happening in a song!

Here one example:

A virtual marathon runner?

We come to tango for different reasons and our expectations are build on that ground. If we compare tango to walking/running it can be easier to make the variations in expectations and needs visible. The question why some dancers are training all the time and others not at all maybe get an explanation!

Yes we have the group of Sunday walkers. They come to the weekly milongas chatting with people, dancing some and if they participate in a class it is more for the fun than for a serious skill growing. In a large community you get all kinds of combinations of skill and fun; from the Sunday walk person to a totally focused marathon runner.

Along the way I have become aware of my deepest interest which lies in skill growing. I am as a marathon runner spending lonely hours to develop the skill, technic and strength. I am not chasing to be the best in the world - that dream was crashed quite early - but I am exploring my personal limits, exploring how far I can push myself!

Yes there are Sundays when the walk is absolutely wonderful, mutually appreciated and joyful. On other hand I need my training, my dancing moments when I push my limits to my personal extreems with a partner who is at about the same level. If this is not available my frustration level is rising making me irritated and sometimes even short tempered.

Are you a Sunday walker or a marathon runner?

Take a look about it and you will find what are the essetial needs for your tango life!

Tivoli Milonga on Fridays

This milonga is the largest and for continuous visitor the cheapest milonga in town!

It is opened in May and run every Friday until the end of September. A seasonal card - a green card - is valid for the whole summer and you can buy it for 240kr. There is Tango on Fridays and salsa, foxtrot or bugg the other evenings and all this is available with the same card same price.

Some pictures from last Friday, this year!

On this video you find the place from a different angle and in the beginning you get the directions to Grönalund tivoli by tram and in the end by the boat. The last one is a good summer option and easy to reach from the pieer at Slussen.  (the tram stop has been moved further down after this video was completed - just a some meeters more to walk in same direction, same street)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwGeCaYIzs8

Dancers, test to tape your feet!

During the encuentro I opened a Taping station for those who wanted to test the help a tape could do for the tired feet! There is different methods to do this - please test to find out the most suitable one for you!

This posting is to urge you to start experimenting, start to ask and to know that there is some help on the way!

Tape, scissors and instructions!

Don't be shy but let your dedication for this dance become visible!

Here a testimonial:

Hi Leena ! 
[...]
I just wanted to say that I use the "paddings" you were talking about and it has changed my life of tango dancer (follower). No more frustrations for the last tandas of milongas... For me, it doen't prevent of any pain, but the metatarsal pains arrive much more later... 

Of course, it's a little visible, with this piece of beige material of the upper band "escaping" of the shoe, but it doesn't matter ! I have 2 pairs and I wash them regularly without any damage ! I will never dance again without them (except if the shoes themselves have paddings like some of "SUR" brand)... 

I've never tried sport tapes but the colored ones can have an interesting effect with tango shoes !!... Hope to see you soon ! Chantal

(this is not Chantals foot but from the same occasion)

In Close Embrace: visuals

I call my photos for digital paintings because for me the most important thing is to communicate my experience and visual preferences than the actual environment. If you scan through several photographers work you will find your favorite way for visuals! Far down in this posting are the links to facebook and some more paintings!

I did not use my camera so much because of the execssive dancing but some videos I can share with you!

Two sets of facebook picture collections

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206400611686937&set=pcb.10206400627527333&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206388455943051&set=pcb.10206388461663194&type=1&theater

The body exceeds its limits!

During the last weekend I participated in the encuentro Stockholm in a close embrace! A wonderful event just a few minutes away from my home! We were offered 26 hours of dancing and the warming up as well as cooling down milongas added 7 more hours to the total number.

I usually get tired just after the midnight but not at this event. I came early and stayed around the pista most of the hours just squeezing out an half an hour here and there.

This was also the first time I withouth doubt experienced the effect of the skilled DJs. During the weekend I felt flames of frustration within me when a tanda was sounding and I did not managed to get a partner at once. Later on it was more difficult when the pista was filled up and it was not possibly to catch an eye on the other side. On Sunday the strategies were better and of my 5,5 hours at the event I danced 5.

I clearly experienced in my body an arousal level above of the normal, a level driving up the number of dancing hours. My usually so morning stiff back was nearly ok but I still expected that the body would be aching some days after the last milonga. It has been so earlier - but no, not this time. Even when all the happiness chemicals had thinned out from my system the pain did not reveal itself.

Here is the program for the weekend and the DJs who put my body in fire!

 I think the change of my basic training in to the cardio direction and the closer relationship to the music are the main reasons for the difference compared to the earlier encuentros.

In Close Embrace: premilonga

Stockholm in Close Embrace

Yesterday the enquentro Stockhom in Close Embrace had a premilonga at one of venues for our  ordinary traditional milongas. The crowd was nearly the double for an ordinary evening and we who came a little bit late could only be seated at the couple area with slight difficulties for mirada. But we danced a lot!

Some of us went for a beer afterwards and when the music catched our ears we could not resist but danced between the tables!

And the video!  When you hear the music you understand how desperately we still wanted to dance!

Follower navigating

Sometimes when the floor is uneasy some followers start to take responsibility for navigation by indicating for troubles behind the leaders neck. It is mostly a discrete pull with her left hand suggesting that the leader should change direction or something.

It has happened earlier but I can not recall any memories of these early warnings. Today I find it quite disturbing! Most of the times the warning comes just a fraction before my change of direction but still it interferes the dance rhythm, the natural flow of movements.

If the couple has been involved in several and severe bumps when the axes of the couples are shaking - then there is reason to interfere. But why should you do it in other cases?

Once when the pista was very crowded a follower commented: I opened my eyes and was frightened - the other couples were so near! I decided to keep the eyes closed during the rest of this tanda and the leader got to cope with the situation.

Two Brains in Sync?

NeuroTango Experiment: Two Brains in Sync

The first attemts to check in what degree you share a same experience during a tanda. The experiment leaders were suspicious about the blue couple - Are their brains this syncronized or is the equipment broken?
The lowest level of sync was found when the couple was listening a song in embrace or thinking of a song. So my conclusion is in direction of dancing - better to dance to get in sync with my partner.





Here you find the whole blog posings even with more videos!
http://www.werklig.com/solutions/kyro-distillery-company/

Environment Impacts the experience

Sometimes I am surprised how important it is to present the movements in a certain way so we can fully enjoy the dance. Here you get two versions of Hiroshi and Kyoko who are dancing in a cafe kind of environment and at a fully set up pista performance.

Does their movements look similar or is there aspects not visible in one of the videos but not in the other?



Hiroshi and Kyoko are champions from 2009

In their casuals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoFISpmlYA

A performance outfit
https://youtu.be/t3lRcGk-aw0

Korea: My best info

This is a personal collection of facts and observations which made my trip comfortable, or made it possibly to reach my goals.

Tourist help number 1330
The turist number 24/7 is an unbelievable service which you can call to to get detailed informations about traveling in South Korea or for translation services when you are standing on the street. Next time I will even skype call them from home when planning my trip.  (link below!)

Traveling email account
I have created a traveling email account  and during my trip all the mails from my ordinary accounts are forwarded to this account. This keeps me calm when I need to check my mails on less secure computers.

I was happy about this when the disastrous login happened! The hostel had a totally new, nice computer with Windows 8 - all in korean and I did not managed to change the language in a hurry. I did as I used to at home and checked the mails but when wanted to log out I could not!  After clicking around I understood that I had installed my mail account as the main account on this computer - with other words my mails were the first thing the visitors met when logging in to this PC. Not a good thing!

The guys in charge did not know what to do (I thought all younger guys in Korea were hackers - Disappointing!) I did not want to open an other account for a new disaster but a few days later I changed the PW - to my surprice it took nearly 2 hours to run through. 

Credit cards: Visa most reliable
I had problems with my card and the ATM messages were erroneous telling me: Your card has been closed down. or Your card is invalid. I was travelling alone and when getting these messages when I had 3 weeks to go - you can easily imagine that I felt quite stressed.

At similar situation you may try a different machine and look for a new, shiny machine a one with visible credit card icons. Some machines also spell - International card - All these machines provided me money - but they took an extra fee for the service.

Cash card
I bought this card for several years ago for the underground trips in Seoul and surprisingly it was still working now! I used it as mentioned below but I know that it is working in taxis too and far more occasions.

Underground: Seoul, Daejeon as well as in Busan
Cash card: In several convenience stores
Reload: I reloaded it at convenience stores /underground stations.

Long distance busses and train
I never made an reservation and still the departures were within 15 minutes after the purchase but I did not have strict schedule so I could take the risk. Trains work as home. Busses made a stop after driving about one hour - I took a photo with the licence plate and the buss stop number on the ground visible in case I went to the bathroom or shops. It is lovely to continue the trip on the same buss your things are on. This worked for sight seeing busses too

Directions: There is different buss terminals for directions - north going or east going bussies may have separate terminals. 
Type of buss: Intercity or express buss terminals may have different locations.
You always fix your own luggage: open the side of the buss, place your luggage and close.

Underground and local buses
The underground is the easiest way to get around - the maps are available and to follow the trip advancing is easy. I found it very helpful to take photo of the exit signs. Here is an example from Busan where you can see the information options!

Exit #8, 
Station name in Korean; 
Station number and name in 3 additional language.
Timetable information - see below the zoomed photo

Information about the first and last train in both directions

I used local busses only a very few times but the camera was very helpful here too. I showed my goal on the map (paper or saved in my camera or phone) and they discussed lively untill they gave me a suggestion pointing the right buss number.  The start /end stops are shown in the photo and I could follow the stops passing by on the buss' electronic sign board.

Accomodation and food
There was risk to put long hours on surfing among the different options for night and dinner. I decided to stick to my guide book and choose an option at suitable price level. I had a goal for average price for one night so sometimes it was higher and sometimes lower to end up at acceptable average level.

I think I know 2/3 of the alphabet and it was enough to read the most of the signs. I learned to copy the city names to show when buying the tickets - My nightmare was to end up at a totally different city because of my bad pronunciation - never happened though!


Internet translation
Usually the browser translation service was not working at all.  When needed I copied the most important text to google translation which to my surprice worked as usuall!!



Tourist help number and site
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/GK/GK_EN_2_7_1.jsp


Busses
https://www.google.se/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=south%20korea%20bus&es_th=1

Dancing in Busan!

In Busan they have several milongas and a few of them are listed on the Milongas-in.com site. (someone said the number was over 10 milongas)

I had possibility to visit one of them; the Friday night milonga organized by TangoBi.
This lady had the power over our music, loading energy to our feet!

As usual in Korea the community was friendly and talkative and easy going group of people.  Cabeceos were clearly answered and the followers were waiting seated until you get there. Friends were behaving as friends are behaving all over the world and just asked for a dance after a chat.

Later in the evening a group of teachers and other organizers were joining the milonga and even there I got a few nice dances and a chat.

Some milongas in Busan
http://milongas-in.com/milongas-in-asia.php?c=Korea&city=Busan#Busan

Dancing in Pohang!

I found information about the tango in Pohang on the milongas-in.com site, wrote to them and soon I got a friendly mail responce. We even met during the Seoul Tango festival and Patrick's wife was kind to dance with me at one of the evenings! 

When I come to a new town and plan to visit a milonga I often choose to explore during the day the part of town where the milonga is located. When the pista is placed higher up in the house in a djungle of small streets around you will for sure have  difficulties to find the address in the darkness, it is easy to miss the signs fully visible for the locals.

On the very evening of my visit the community had its birthday celebrations! Three of the members had their day within the range: Pay attention to the wine glases! So here you have the cake and the greetings! I am sorry not presenting any videos of that specific tango but I was dancing - even following here!

                    

This milonga has been run for about 10 years, organized by Ja Kang Jung. It is a warm, talkative, friendly dancing community. It was pity that the day with traveling and unorganized meals lowered my blood sugar level so I lost the energy before the milonga ended. I missed even when the group went out for a beer and continued birthday celebrations. 

With other words I definitely have a reason to return with better planning!

                                                                                                                        

Frederico and Selen have been teaching here for years while living in Pohang. Today some of the members are running the basic courses and the community is organizing workshops with visiting teachers to get more influences! Next couple to come is Andres Laza Moreno and Luciana Arregui - What a good choice! 

If you decide to visit Pohang I am sure these dancers will give you a warm welcome!

(The picture is taken by midnight and it seems someone has already fallen in sleep! :) )


My contact persons in town!     배성곤 (Patrick) and  이진형  - you find them in facebook!

Facebook link for the milonga
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152791235680846&set=a.10150644800240846.385539.638125845&type=1&theater

Organizers photos in Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152793812150846&set=pcb.10152793813240846&type=1&theater

Andres Laza Moreno and Luciana Arregui   a Facebook announcement   
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=482452801917239&set=gm.845901482163183&type=1&theater