I have been away from home for almost two weeks now, and I am slowly learning to manuver myself around the city. Cordoba reminds me a lot of Denver, it is about the same size, has about the same amount of public transportation. So, since I know my way around Denver pretty well, I figure I will be able to learn my way around Cordoba. I bought a map of the city the other day, and always orientate myself on it when I venture into a part of the city I am unfamiliar with. As of now I have learned most of my neighborhood, and know how to get downtown, and to my dance classes.
Yes, you read correctly, I have started taking Tango lessons! I actually started taking them last Wednesday but haven't been able to get to a computer until yesterday. So yesterday I went to my second lesson with Brooke. The first time we went we met all of our instructors who were very welcoming, and learned how to walk, just a slow, rythmic walk that is the base of the Tango. We had only been dancing in the little old room with a cracked mirror for a little while when the instructors decided that the poor little celing fan couldnt fight off the opresing heat, and moved us out to the courtyard. There we danced the rest of our lesson, trying to master our ochos, a tango move. After the lesson Brooke and I navigated ourselves back to through the center and caught the bus back to her house, where we ate empanadas with her family around midnight. This is really normal here, to eat this late, and today with my dance lesson I realized that It is mostly because the heat here is so bad during the day, that no one wants to do anything at all until later in the day when it has cooled.
The next couple of days after that I spent at the Armenian club, which Brooke's family is a part of, in their swimming pool. Everyday somebody brings mate to the club, and then, always around 6 in the evening you see various people gathered around a few of the many picnic tables, getting ready to drink a mate. Somebody supplies the mate, and somebody else will pitch to buy the criollos, which are the costomary little breads that acompany mate. Then everybody enjoys a nice mate, passing it around, and talks with one another. I really enjoy this "tea time" as it has given me the opportunity to really meet a lot of new people.
Yesterday I went to my second tango lesson, and we didnt even bother trying to be in that little room, and went straight to the courtyard. This time we really worked on our ochos, and on combining them with a basic 8 step. At first we just practiced alone, and "on the wall," but then, as we have been towards the end of every class, we had to dance with one another. By the time class ended, each girl had to dance with each guy there was to dance with at least once. I thought this was a good way to learn because it really gave us the feel of actually dancing, and not just practicing steps. It was aslo very difficult, but good to see, how not everyone dances the same, and when you begin to dance with someone, how you have to learn how they dance quickly. Dance classes are a lot of fun, and I'm always excited for my next one!
The palce were I take my dance classes is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Cordoba, and each weekend they have kind of like a farmers market, but with arts and crafts thing going on that spans throughout the neighborhood, and lasts until late into the evening. It is one of the coolest things I have ever seen!!! All the shops and galleries around are then opened and there are crowds and crowds of people. It reminds me a lot of first friday, only it is every weekend. After my dance class we meet up with another cousin of Brooke's family, and wondered around the "paseo'' as they call it.
Today is Sunday, and here it is a day when the center is closed, and everybody stays around their neighborhood, and relaxes. I think I will be swimming again since it is so hot...
Hope everyone at home is well, and its not too cold there!

PS. I will try to upload some photos of my trip later today.