El Tango Argentino - Las clases de esta semana.

Today will be day five of tango lessons this week.  I feel like a farmer tromping down the floor.  Our teacher, who weighs 15 pounds, keeps saying "Smaller steps!   Smaller steps!"  Then she goes on and on, in Spanish, about how important it is to be "suave," as if I haven't been suave all my life.  Go ahead and try to teach a farmer how to glide smoothly as if he were a snake.  Last night was the largest class -- perhaps twenty-five students.  No Americans in any of our classes.  The other English speakers in last night's class were from China and Ukraine.  Previously we did meet an English-speaker from Paris, a guy who was a frustrated as I (and I thought all Parisians were naturally suave).  Almost all of the students are Argentines, who are not, it turns out, born suave or able to tango.  But no one seems to take steps as big as mine.  I wish I could have taken a picture of twenty five of us walking (tango-style) in three rows down the dance floor.  Picture, if you will, a giraffe marching with a herd of gazelles and you will have some idea how I felt.  I do have some companions in a similar situation -- sort of the wart hogs mixed with the gazelles.  Paquito is one of the guys who has been in several classes with us.  Last night, when I also was feeling particularly frustrated, Paquito pointed down at his feet and just shook his head.  Alas.