Dateline: Singapore October 2-8, 2006

                                                          WEEK 1

I didn’t realize that I’ve already spent two weeks in the lion city since I arrived from Bali. I hardly noticed the passing of time because of the workload concerning the organization of TANGOXPOSED. Barely six weeks into the event, and there’s still so much to accomplish. But I have to be realistic though and content myself with the fact that my team has made considerable progress since we started going out in the open last August for the promotion of this event. I should be thankful which I am indeed, but you could not fault me if I ask for more as I have this obligation to my producer to deliver and provide her with concrete results. The burden of proof as an events organizer is just too heavy to bear, thus it is unimaginable on my part to just be sitting on my laurels when I know that I can still push some more to obtain the desired results to satisfy her. I have already conditioned my mind that I have so much to lose if this project does not come up to my expectation. And my expectation is just too high.

On Tuesday, I saw myself meeting up with good friend, Fred Ho, regarding a web design for my events company Tango-Oriental. Actually, I didn’t realize that he already had registered Tango-Oriental on the net a month ago and now I feel obliged to have him create the web design for my events company. We sat down over a cup of coffee at Mc Donald’s at Novena Square and agreed on the idea he presented concerning the webpage. I was satisfied with the brainstorming we did and promised to meet up in a couple of days for the final presentation of his work.

I then went to call-up Zee, from Tango Singapore, to inform him of the events scheduled in November. Zee, who’s an active member of the Tango Singapore, is a nice Malay chap whom I would always bump into in places like Xenbar, Brix and sometimes the Upper Club. The guy has been quite noticeable lately, as he has been exposing himself to the dancing crowd in Singapore, endearing himself to the ladies through Argentine tango. Quite admirable for somebody who is affiliated with a cliquish group, who goes out of his way to make them like and enjoy the dance by just being warm and friendly .Clever move I’d say. Keep it up Zee. The tango scene in Singapore needs people like you.

I then went to draft a letter for Ms. Sumiko Tan, the chief editor of the Life section of the Straits Times as per Ms. Angeline Jansen’s instruction. Since I was serious in my intent to really launch TANGOXPOSED to everybody’s consciousness, there was no other way to do it but to have the event publicized in a leading newspaper. Through Angeline’s friend, we were able to get access to one of the most elusive people in the world, the editors-in-chief. This is no hyperbole and what I’m saying is a fact if I were to base my assumption on my past experiences in Manila when I use to organize tango events as well. The only way I can obtain press releases back then was through my very good friend, the late Ms. Inday Cuachon, who acted out as my public relations officer, as she has direct access to almost four editors-in-chief of four leading news dailies back home  while doing  pr works for me. I remember her with great fondness. Wherever she is now I know she must be very happy in the arms of her Creator. I miss you…. Inday!

With a totally new working environment, I have to make sure that I get the right connection to get to the right people. Having been away from events organizing for more than four years, and having to do it all over again in a foreign land such as Singapore, this task is a challenge to my ability. I was optimistic to obtain positive results because somehow, I am no longer a stranger in the island republic brought about by my frequent visits that netted me an extensive network of friends from various sectors of the society.

And true enough, Angeline managed to make a headway into Sumiko’s attention and soon our press release is in the bag. It’s just a matter of time before TANGOXPOSED gets featured in Straits Times.

I did my usual teaching rounds in my spare hours. Lily Tsao who just started taking lessons three months ago was seen taking lessons again with me. I’m happy at the enthusiasm this lady from the Bronx, as she’s from New York, but she’s Chinese mind you, has been showing of late. She really was bitten by the bug and now she takes privates with me to further improve her dancing. Well there were quite a few things that needed to be highlighted during our discussion, and these things concerned more about her ability to stay on her axis as she is prone to losing her balance each time she stands on one leg while she walks and her tightness on the shoulders which arises brought about by her own imbalance. I gave her quite a few exercises that will make her improve on these important aspects of the dance and she was very pleased having understood all these at the end of the lesson.

The tango twins Shirley and Angeline carried on with their lessons at Xenbar and again we had a wonderful time together going over some new routines which we started working the last time I worked on them.

Before I went on with my next lesson, I had this dinner invitation from the bureau chief of Tatler Indonesia, Ms. Maria Lukito over at Marriott Hotel in Orchard. I went to see her at the designated time at 8:00 pm at the Chinese Restaurant at the 2^nd floor and found her engaged in a tete a tete with some friends in the dinner table. As I came to join them, she introduced me to her friends Marco and Louella who were very nice people. Dr.Marco is one of the top Brazilian surgeons in the world and he permanently resides in Singapore doing his practice as he shuttles between the lion state and Sao Paolo, Brazil while Louella is a top executive for a big hotel in Shanghai and has been based there for more than twenty years now.

Maria’s daughter Minnie Stephanie later joined us and we all feasted on a sumptuous Chinese dinner which we all enjoyed. Maria and I then went to discuss this project regarding a tango tour which we intend to do in March and we both agreed to carry on with the project as I prepare a draft or a plan for its’ implementation..

After dinner, I rushed to meet up with Ming and Wayne at the former’s residence at Leedon Heights where I conducted a two hour private lesson with both of them. Ming has been my student for many years now since I started coming to Singapore. She loves tango so much and she’s one of the many students I have in my pool who is so much in passion with the Argentine tango. Intermittently, she will be taking lessons with me whenever I am in town, and I would say she has really progressed a lot as a tango dancer. But with the new things I have been learning as a teacher, I needed to update her as well, to keep her in tune with the latest style, techniques and development in the world of Argentine tango. I taught her some ideas on tango Nuevo as I corrected some little bad habits that she acquired brought about by the long absence from dancing because of her busy schedule as CEO for her many conglemorates .

Soon after it was Wayne’s turn to hit the dance floor. I remembered this guy taking lessons with me several years ago. Wayne’s a nice fellow and has always been driven to dance the tango since he started learning about it. He told me that he took some lessons with some teachers from Tango Singapore and has managed to make some progress and understanding of the dance. He resumed learning a month ago in one of the workshops I spear-headed and was once again hooked into the dance as he found the people he worked with during the workshop fun and exciting. Tonight he comes for his first-ever private lesson and he asked me to just build-up on his basics even better. I made him walk for sometime to improve on his balance and made him define his frame for better embrace. Then I asked him to dance with Ming so he could feel the progress he more or less has achieved concerning the things I mentioned and was just delighted to realize his improvement in so short a time.

The following day I had lessons again with Angeline & Shirley. My two “tangueras” have been steadily taking lessons preparing themselves for Roberto’s workshop in November. Keep it up ladies! You’re both making fantastic progress as can be seen from the way you are moving. I tell you this, you won’t just end up as social dancers, but quality tango dancers with an in-depth understanding of what tango is all about. I’m so proud of you.

In the evening I ran a “practica” at Colleen’s studio in Dalvey Court. I had like fourteen people joining the session. Henry, Angeline, Shirley, Grace, Kevin, Wayne, Nurdi, Marvin, Debbie and the rest stayed on for two hours and did their “practica” with great enthusiasm. We all later adjourned for coffee at Newton Circus and had a nice chat as we engaged in animated conversation.

On Thursday, Rose Dieu did a one hour lesson at her Clementi place. Rose has been shuttling lately between KL and Singapore putting her to an advantage insofar as tango is concerned. Why? Because, in KL she gets to dance with the Tango Malaysia people whom she had known for sometime now and gets to practice with most of the tango people there. Her daughter, Aylin, who is a resident of KL is the reason for her frequent visits. I would say that after three years of learning tango with me, Rose like Bg has managed to understand what the dance is all about. Gone were the days when she would ask me to teach her steps which I adamantly resisted of course. But because she kept an open mind, now she has come to embrace the tango as an improvisation dance. While it took her a long time to really build up on her posture, but she has made fantastic progress through the years. She doesn’t take tango just as a dance, but as a means to socialize and meet friends while having fun which is exactly what it is in Buenos Aires. She goes up to KL to visit her daughter and grandchildren, hook up with the Tango Malaysia people to dance and bind ties with them. Well done Rose!

Today is Friday and tonight I’m set to take off again to Bali to meet up with Facundo and Bruno and to wrap up some works concerning TANGOXPOSED. In the morning, Nurdi, together with Alvin, her dance instructor from the Philippines took lesson to improve on their dancing. While Nurdi is much more advanced than Alvin, this lesson was actually arranged purposely for him to improve and understand the dance even better. The two-hour marathon was indeed intense that as soon as we finished he was gasping for breath and perspiring a lot brought about by the information he received in the two-hour lesson. But he said it was worth it and that he looks forward to the next lesson when we both come back to Singapore sometime next month. Also, I would say Nurdi is such a nice and kind lady having to sponsor his lesson just so he learns how to dance the tango. You’re great Nurdi!

I then rushed to Sunset Way where Rose is again to take her lesson. As soon as we wrapped up our session, she drove me down to my place and volunteered to drive me off to the airport to catch-up with my early evening flight to Bali. Thanks Rose.

By 6:00 pm I was already at the Changi airport ready for my flight to Denpasar via QF 144 which departed on time at exactly 7:30 pm. Three hours after, I was seen getting out of the airport terminal rushing to get to Stefani’s tango house in Sanur where Facundo and Bruno are staying. As I met up with them, Stefani, Facu and Brunito as they are fondly called by those names, were seen having a wonderful time exchanging banters as our meeting was cut short when I left Bali for Singapore two weeks ago. Now that I am back, I have to carry on with an unfinished task and that means lessons and more lessons and more lessons with them.

The following day, Stefani and I managed to squeeze in a one hour lesson with Bruno. And we did something about un-natural cruzada, a new element which one learns in Tango Nuevo. Bruno is a young chap at twenty-three and he already shows great promise as a teacher. It was fun learning with him. He is contained and gives valid discussion for someone his age. His forte is Tango Nuevo of course and he gave me many new insights into this much talked-about and much bally-hood dance form. I would say Stefani and I did learn many things in the one hour we learned with Bruno. Great experience indeed.

After my lesson, I then went on to discuss with my printer regarding some important matters concerning TANGOXPOSED. Yes I met up with Kade my printer here in Bali and discussed the printing of ticket vouchers, name cards, and invitation for the art exhibition. There were many things to sort out concerning printing and gee! this entails a lot of details.

After my meeting with Kade, I then met up with my web designer to lay-out the design for the workshop/gala performance/art exhibit flyers. After which we started sending some more TANGOXPOSED flyers to prospective participants. By the time we finished, it was past 11:00pm and I was dead-tired as I went back to my villa to take the much needed rest I deserve. Bon soir!

On Sunday morning, Stefani , Facundo and yours truly drove-off to Kintamane for a sight-seeing trip with Facu sans Brunito, who went out with the French ladies headed by Lola for a beach party in Seminyak-Kuta. It was fun to have Facu in that trip as he proved to be a trouper when we brought him to see interesting things in this side of Bali bringing along with him his camera, and always taking shots of whatever would interest him and not only that, he even does his annotation as though he was a TV reporter. Well done Facu! You must be a frustrated newscaster back home that’s why you love doing it. Funny guy.

We went to show him the triple volcanoes in Kintamane and from there we went to one of the biggest temples in this side of Bali. We made a long trek up the hill as we left our car at the designated car park and on the way up we would see stalls selling native products and local food delicacies. It was good exercise though and we hardly feel getting tired as there were many things to see along the way and throngs of people, both foreigners and locals alike dominated the scene. With the scenic Hindu temples standing prominently from our view and with the volcano as background, I would say that this temple is one of the best temples in the island of Bali. There was even a story surrounding this temple that during the volcano’s  last catastrophic eruption, it left the temple unscathed when lava coming from the eruption just surrounded the whole edifice saving it from total destruction as compared to a Moslem mosque that was buried under tons of volcanic mud. Well, I just want to be politically correct so better no comment.

It was past 10:00 pm when we got back into town feeling tired and exhausted from today’s activities but satisfied nevertheless, especially Facu. He even regaled Stefani with some nice English songs on our way back to keep her awake. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear anything from his act as I was asleep but only through Stefani’s account that Facu did an almost one hour concert singing English and Spanish songs to her. Hmmm! Another prospect to join my singing sprees on Fridays in Singapore.

Dateline: Bali/Kuala Lumpur  October 9-15, 2006

                                                         WEEK  2

Today is Monday and at 2:00 pm I’m off to Kuala Lumpur for my next destination. But before I leave I went on to thresh-out the remaining things I have to do concerning TANGXPOSED. Stefani’s paintings are in progress and by now she has around thirteen paintings which are almost done although still short of four more from her intended target of sixteen. In so far as other matters concerning TANGOXPOSED event, everything else during this short trip of mine to Bali have been fully attended.

In the morning Stefani and I managed to squeeze in another lesson this time with both Facu and Brunito. We had a very interesting lesson concerning changes in direction, a topic which we learned from Gustavo and Giselle last March but Facu and Brunito gave us a deeper insight into this tango Nuevo element. The discussion was so intense that I have to cut it short as I have to run to the airport to catch-up with my flight via AK 910 to KL.

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 5:30 pm and the weather was generally fine. I am coming to this city purposely to join Marguerite’s tango event featuring everybody’s favorite in the region, husband and wife Fernanda and Guillermo. Although I am four days earlier from the scheduled event, I have another reason to meet up with some Filipino friends who are coming over to Malaysia this week. I am taking this chance to promote TANGOXPOSED so they can help me disseminate information around the Philippines concerning this November happening. These are colleagues in the industry in Manila who are on holiday in Malaysia. Thank goodness I have this vast network of connections around the region, couple it with the fact that I move around very often that I am able to facilitate something concrete such as this. For three days I was with them briefing them about the TANGOXPOSED program and was very pleased at the enthusiasm they have shown. If this was any indication that TANGOXPOSED will be a success then this is one of the indicators that it’s sure bound to happen.

In between these three days, I managed to conduct some private lessons with my students, Sook, Cheah and Shungyen. Yes it was so nice to see old friends again after having been away for three months from KL. Sook who took the first slot was very enthusiastic once more to work on her tango. She’s looking very lovely these days as she sport’s a new hairstyle which is very becoming of her. I discussed with Sook  the “giros” or turns. I also fine tuned her movements making it more fluid. We had a fabulous time going over some new inputs into her dancing which she enjoyed very much.

Shungyen then came with a new recruit named Stella. And yes, he took his one hour refresher to go over his past lessons. This guy really has the heart for tango. In the less than two years that he has been into it, he has imbibed the feeling for the dance. He is one of the better leads in KL. We did nothing but revise everything that he already knew except for some few ideas added that would help enhance his dancing.

Stella then came in next. She has been into tango only recently, so she says. To be exact she’s three months old and very much a tango baby. When I started moving her around I immediately felt that her basics were quite sound. Her lessons with Marguerite at Little Havana for the last three months benefited her much to understand tango at this level. I then defined axis to make her aware of being balanced on every step and went on to discuss the other elements that would improve her dancing at her current level.

Cheah came a bit late but managed to catch-up with the group. Since the gender balance by now is perfect, I decided to bring them into a “practica” by asking all four to keep dancing and exchanging partners while I watch and do the necessary corrections. It was an instant party that we had and everyone really had a good time.

The following day I started doing my TANGOXPOSED promotion to my friends and students in KL. I managed to get confirmations from friends like Shungyen, Cheah, Stella and others.

In the evening I went to see another student/friend Keisha to do a salsa class. As usual, I saw her at Kampung Warisan where she runs the coffee shop. I always love coming over to this place and conducting classes. I feel very much at home. And Keisha has always been very nice and accommodating allowing me to hold tango classes at her place.

In a day or two Fernanda and Guillermo will be arriving in KL and Marguerite’s event will be officially on. I wrapped up my work with my Filipino friends as they are set to leave tomorrow back to Manila. I was constantly in touch with people in Singapore like Philo, Collin, and Annie reminding and asking for updates on the sales progress of TANGOXPOSED. I also contacted the Argentinean embassies in KL and Manila regarding possible messages of support from the ambassadors to be printed on the souvenir program I intend to have for the event. Aside from this, I am also negotiating for a workshop/performance stint to be undertaken also in November in Jakarta. I am in talks with Mrs. Fathma Hakim, the IODI chairman, finalizing a date to seal this agreement. Busy. Busy .Busy.

On Wednesday morning I went to Marguerite’s house, .and she was there to receive me. I have not seen her for a long time so it’s been always a delight and pleasure to see this wonderful lady who’s very active, exuding so much passion in whatever she does from tango, to rolfing, to golfing, tennis and motherhood. Another wonder woman I know off. 

We had a brief chat as she then excused herself to do some chores concerning her event. I went straight into my designated room and chilled myself until I was settled.

In the evening she invited me for dancing at Q Bar at Westin. This place is the happening place in KL, The Colombian band that plays here is really one great fantastic band that plays very good Latino music. I never miss the chance to come to this place whenever I am in the city. Marguerite and I had such fun time dancing to the music of Los Caballeros. Great to be back in KL. Give me five!

The following day, everyone is scheduled to arrive for the F & G event. Participants from Singapore, Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding region will start arriving today. Angeline and Henry from Singapore are expected to arrive sometime at 3:00pm. Fernanda and Guillermo are set to be in by 7:00 pm The KK people are in by 12:00 noon. Wow this promises to be one great fun. I ‘m glad I came.

At 9:00 pm everyone staying at Marguerite’s house was seen seated at the dinner table wanting to take a respite and just relax and chill. Angeline, Fernanda, Guillermo, except for Henry as he is to stay in Runa’s apartment in Kampung Warisan, and yours truly were all relaxing and having a good chat, Marguerite prepared a fantastic dinner of beef stew with some sidings and we all feasted on this sumptuous meal she cooked as welcome dinner for F & G. She opened a bottle of wine as we tossed for success, good fun and great friendship.

We all decided to just stay and laze around since everyone is tired from traveling. We talked about tango, tango and more tango talking about our past outings from the time Marguerite started this event two years ago in September till the succeeding one in Bali. In between red wine, desserts and coffee we were all laughing at the events that transpired during this three years. It was going down memory lane with friends who matter…..

We ended our camaraderie at half past one in the morning as we brace ourselves for a heavy day tomorrow because the F &G festival starts at 6:00 pm for the opening workshop And besides each one of us have got things to do in the morning and we just want to have a good night sleep before we begin with tomorrow’s activities. Selamat malam!

Today is Friday and I woke up rushing to the internet café in Ampang Point to check my emails. Everyday since I launched TANGOXPOSED, I would always be seen glued to my computer to check on the registration status and progress of this November event. I have such a terrific web designer who did all these things hi-tech if I may say, and things were just too easy to handle. I really marvel at the magic of these computers and how it can make things (i.e. people, business etc.) move with just a click of a finger. Amazing! 

I met up with Rose Dieu at her daughter’s Susana Central abode after which I rushed back to Kampung Warisan to meet up with Kacee for a one hour private lesson. I am very proud of my elderly “tangueros” who goes out of their way to take lessons to improve on their dancing. Kacee I would say has improved a lot in terms of posture and musicality that I now see him more stable each time he walks. Except of course for his weak center which makes him loose it from time to time brought about by age perhaps, but everything about his dancing at this level is extremely very good. He is a hard worker and has the ability to discern discussions that will make him undo whatever bad habits he has to undo to improve his tango. These people from the “old school” are really a disciplined lot and can take things very seriously to achieve their ends. I take my hats off to these people. I wish I can see more of our younger sets as focused as they are.

At 6:00 pm I went straight to the Royal Selangor Golf Club where the F & G event is to take place. As I entered the room, I saw some fifty participants to the workshop. People from Singapore, the Philippines Kota Kinabalu and of course KL residents dominated the scene. Judging from the figure just mentioned, unanimously this event is a big success. “Congratulations” is in order to the lady who organized this event, dear friend Marguerite Brodie. She was seen beaming with pride and joy as she officially opened the event by introducing the stars Fernanda Ghi & Guillermo Merlo who were received with a thunderous applause signifying their high acceptance rate to the participants.

For two hours F & G brought us to the many important elements one must learn to better understand and appreciate the Argentine tango. The workshop was similar to the first two they conducted in the past insofar as intensity and detail is concerned that everyone after one and a half hours of intense training were seen exhausted to receive more information from our teachers. Most of them are first timers, especially the group from KK and Brunei who were seen groping and grappling as they were mostly total beginners, the ladies specifically. Spotted among the KK group were mother and daughter Mrs.Kim and Nicole, ditto with their Filipino partners Oliver and Jorence. A dozen other ladies with their Filipino DI’s whose names I couldn’t remember were seen as well. It was indeed a very good workshop provided by the formidable husband and wife team of F & G and as always they were given a resounding applause by the participants at the end of the workshop.

We all adjourned to the bar at the ground floor where a band is playing. What was suppose to be a time to relax and chill after that grueling workshop ended on a wacky and fun night as everyone went on a dancing mood when the band started playing Latin stuffs. Guillermo was very game enough to have danced with the ladies ditto with Fernanda. Marguerite, Angeline, Henry, Vivian, and many more as everyone jumped in to join the fun. It was chaos, pandemonium and nothing but fun, fun and fun was what dominated the air during the evening. If these were any indication that more exciting things are to happen, then the party has just begun. Let’s party!

We ended on a very high note feeling exhausted with all the dancing and the singing as provided by our dear “tanguera” from Singapore Ms. Angeline Jansen. From the Latin beat to jive/rock n roll to swing to reggae, these were all the music provided by that great Malaysian band regularly performing in this club. Fantastic men!

The following day we have to start with our workshop at 2:00 pm. I managed to squeeze in some private lessons with Rose Dieu and Feona Jinu from KK at Runa’s apartment. Feona took the first slot together with her Filipino partner Roy and although Feona has had a few private lessons and workshops to her credit but I still brought her to the fundamentals of walking and understanding weight changes for better balance. Both of them were very focused as I was doing my discussion and at the end of the one hour lesson I finally got what I wanted. I made it clear to them that everything that they are to learn from me will only concern form and not steps. They did not understand this in the beginning, especially her partner, but at the end of the session, they finally understood my position.

Rose then took the lesson after them. She says she wasn’t joining the workshop this afternoon so I decided to just build up her frame and “voleos” which needs some thorough discussion. By 4:00 pm though very late because of a heavy downpour, I rushed to the RSGC to catch up with the F & G workshop scheduled for the day, and was lucky enough to take a few rounds of discussion with them before they adjourned the class.

Marguerite then made the announcement concerning the gala dinner performance scheduled for tonight, the reason why the workshops were held earlier to give everyone ample time to prepare for tonight’s spectacle.

I received a call from Iris who just planed in from Bali. I was actually expecting her since yesterday but there were no tell tale signs that she was coming so I just shrugged my shoulders and decided to forget about it until this call. She told me that she is on her way to Marguerite’s house and asked if I could wait for her. I told her to come straight to the house immediately as we are preparing ourselves to get ready for tonight’s event. In a few minutes she was there at the door with her luggage and looking stressed as she lost her mobile phone. She told me to call Pablo, and inform him that she’s fine and that she lost her hand phone. I did just that as I asked her to get ready too as we take her with us to the RSGC.

All roads lead to the RSGC tonight for F & G’s performance and every one of us are just dying to see this lovely couple perform once more. Having been Tony awardees themselves, and world class performers no less, make it even more interesting to watch them perform and be enthralled by their wit and charm as they display their abilities to fore. Can’t wait to see them dance once more….

Guests started coming in as early as 7:30. At exactly 8:30 dinner was served. By then some seventy people have already been seated while tango music was being played. Dancing also started as “tangueros” swarmed to the dance floor and displayed their passion anew. By 9:00 pm Marguerite took the microphone and started making some special announcement after which she proceeded to introduce Fernanda Ghi & Guillermo Merlo to do their first number. The show went on for half an hour with intervals. During the intermezzo some easy-to-answer questions were thrown to the audience were winners are to receive special prizes. Birthday girl Sharon, who’ is celebrating her birthday today, no wonder she’s looking very pretty tonight,  won one prize ditto with birthday boy Eddie Chew, who celebrates his birthday tomorrow won the other half. What a coincidence!

F & G’s show were divided into two acts. The first act was traditional where the couple were seen dancing to the dramatic piece of “Gallo Ciego” and the lively Milongueando 1940. While the second act presented a comic stuff where F & G were donned as over-sized fatso “tangueros” which brought the house down because of its’ comic appeal. It  then segued to a fantasia/Nuevo presentation where the couple danced to the playful melodious rhythm of El Arranque’s  “Aeroplano” As they finished they were received with a thunderous applause and the audience even gave them a stranding ovation for a job well done. They obliged to the crowd’s request for an encore and of they did their finale to the music of “Libertango.”

After the show everyone got into the dance floor and started displaying once again their passion for tango. The dance floor was packed as everyone hanged loose to relax and enjoy a wonderful evening. Non-tangueros who are RSGC members were very thankful to Marguerite for having organized and brought F & G to perform. It was indeed a very good turn out. In fact, in one part of the evening, Marguerite invited F & G to lead everyone to do the “chacarera.” Everyone participated and that even gave enough energy for the crowd to stay longer and have fun as the night progressed.

Dancing, drinking, talking and more dancing were the order of the evening. It was fiesta a la Malaysia. It was a great evening worth remembering as we all dropped dead-tired by 1:30 pm.

Sunday, being the last day of the 3-day event, I woke up to see all four of them Marguerite, Angeline , F & G at the breakfast table engaged in animated talks discussing about last night’s euphoria. I joined them at the table and added more stories to spice-up the table talk. Again we were seen laughing, exchanging banters as we head-off for the last workshop scheduled at 2:00 pm.

The same number of people came during the final workshop and at the end of the session we all had a group photo opportunity as souvenir for this event. Marguerite opened the scheduled guided “practica” soon after where everyone by then was feeling exhausted after that marathon workshop earlier. In two hours we were done and off we went for the farewell “milonga” at Frangipani. This is hectic indeed!

Every one of us who stayed for the guided “practica” took our shower at the club and changed our clothes then after which proceeded to Changkat Bukit Bintang where Frangipani is located. I saw the KK people upon our arrival. The buffet table was spread and lavished with sumptuous food prepared by the Frangipani kitchen no less. I saw everyone already dancing and it was party time again. KL friends from Cheah, Teo, Chris, Sharon, Stella, Sook, Shunyen and many more came and gave their full support. It was a beautiful evening of friendship and bonding with people who share the same passion for tango that transcends boundaries.

What a way to spend a week-end, where lots of action, tango and fun were the main ingredients. This event is well worth remembering because of the good energy it provided everyone who joined it. In terms of attendance and audience response, I can safely say that the project was a big success. Kudos to our hard working and efficient friend Ms. Marguerite Brodie-Eu! Applause please!

Dateline: Singapore  October 16-22, 2007

                                                        WEEK  3

The following day I joined Ms. Angeline Jansen for a drive down to Singapore. I can’t wait to get into the lion-city as many things are waiting to be accomplished and I can feel a mounting pressure now as TANGOXPOSED comes near. Stress, tension, migraine is what I am feeling at the moment. I am leaving no stones unturned to make this event the most important event in Asia. And I will make it happen come hell or high water.

As we reached Singapore, I immediately went to BG’s house where I’m temporarily staying. She’s in Australia now which means to say I’ll have my mornings free to attend and find more time to plan my agenda and logistics for the remaining weeks prior to the main event..

As I went to check the registration status with Philo, it was quite clear that the figures were way below my expection to make me work with ease at least three weeks before the event. Although I know for a fact that such scenario is bound to happen, as people are used to doing late registration and I know very well too that a lot of them are still joining but have not just signed up, I then started mapping out a plan to counter this discrepancy in my chart. With fifty confirmed registration on hand, I decided to push the promotion of TANGOXPOSED to the expat community. The Latin and the German community was my likely target, and I did just that. With luck on my side, I managed to reach to the Argentinean community through this lady named Ines Garcia, who came for Fernanda & Guillermo’s performance at Upper Club. Ines later would be my featured guest singer which gave TANGOXPOSED another facet to showcase, the tango “cancion” or songs.

During this week too, F & G came down to Singapore upon the invitation of one tango enthusiast, Ms Helen Teo, to do a series of private lessons and workshops with Tango Singapore. This is a good pre-event for TANGOXPOSED as it brings tango to everyone’s consciousness making it advantageous for my event to benefit much from the hype that would be generated.

I went on to do my rounds of private lessons and workshops before I leave again for Indonesia in two weeks time. Despite the pressure and tension I am undergoing, I still can focus on my teaching which is quite impressive if I may say. Doing two things simultaneously, wow, this is no laughing matter! But I see my teaching more as a promotional tool to advance the interest of TANGOXPOSED to the people thus I see myself working double-time to make things happen.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ms Rose Dieu was back in Singapore and was seen taking lessons at 2:00 pm. At 6:00 pm Angeline, took her slot to carry on with the progress she had made during the F & G workshops last week. As I brought her anew to do a few rounds, I immediately felt a change in her stability and she is moving a bit more fluid this time. This must be the effect of the one hour private she had with the couple. I then brought her to the stuffs and combinations she already knew to enable her body to apply the things she had learned with F & G.

In the coming days, I will have Mei lin, Debbie, Angeline, Shirley and Bie lan for their private lessons. Mei lin has been a past student for the last three years. With her busy schedule as a charity fund raiser, she takes tango lessons with me only when her schedule permits her. I would say she is one passive tango student who will always make herself available when she has time. But she is a very good dancer only that she needs to be transformed into a real fine “tanguera” to translate her talent into real tango passion. If this happens, it’s guaranteed she will be one of the best in the region.

Her lesson today was anchored on solidifying her basics which needed a lot of fine tuning. I remember her last lesson with me was a year and a half ago and this requires a lot o revising and adding new inputs into her existing knowledge about tango. She was cooperative as she listened to the discussion concerning posture, musicality and other important details. I was very happy at the way she received all the information I gave her as she puts them into practice. Quite a fast learner indeed!

Bie lan who’s another student in the not so distant past was seen taking a couple of private lessons this week. I am surprised at the sudden call I received from this lady wanting to learn the Argentine tango the second time around. Why not! Tango is for everybody and I’m just too happy to see people turning up to learn this dance. I have to re-orient Bie lan from her usual bearing which is that of ballroom. Because there is no way this posture will make it if one wants to learn the dance. I made her realize my point and like the true executive that she is, well she’s a top executive of HSBC, she kept an open mind and listened to every words I said in my discussion She felt good results that she reminded me of her coming lessons in the next few days.

Another new kid in the block is Debbie, who was introduced to me by Royston and Annie Yeo during the first workshop I spear-headed last August. For a few times now, she has been taking private lessons and has since progressed a lot since I first saw and worked on her several months back. Because she is keen and determined to really improve on her tango, there is no other way for her to go but keep improving and progressing because of the passion she is showing. There were many things that have been corrected concerning her tight shoulders, her weak center and all things concerning posture, and she has managed to improve on all these as I can now feel that she’s getting better as ever.

Despite a heavy teaching schedule, I still can find time to attend to my TANGOXPOSED obligations. But of course! Like I said I will do everything in my stead to make this event the success I envisioned it to be. No ifs no buts.

I started checking out the studio at Gillman Heights called Studio Renegade owned by a former student Vincent Koh. As I came to see the place, I was impressed with its’ location more so its’ set-up. The place is big with high ceilings and impressive motif in red and blue colors. The primary studio is in red and the other one in blue. We discussed on the price, his terms and conditions and finally made an agreement to use his space for the intended workshops of Roberto & Tamara in November.

I again met up with my producer Ms. Annie Goh to hand over some payments collected during the one month that I have been promoting the event. Based on the figures that have been turned over and the actual account that has been presented, I m optimistic that the project is headed for a win. I seldom feel this kind of confidence but when I feel it I am 100% sure that it will happen.

On Friday evening, I went to see Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo at Upper Club who will be doing an exhibition as arranged by their benefactor. I was hesitant at first to go but because they are my friends and their doing this exhibition at the most unlikely condition they were asked to do it, that I decided to come and show my support to them. By 11:00 pm the show started and the crowd had already swelled from the time we got in at 9:30 pm. I saw ballroom people and Tango Singapore people all taking positions to get a better view of tonight’s spectacle. True enough, F & G held the crowd by the palm of their hands as they delighted the audience with their mastery and command of their tango performance. Everyone was in awe. Everyone was stunned at the magnificence they saw. Both Fernanda and Guillermo have endeared themselves to the crowd as they shouted for an encore. And encore they did, being the real trouper that they are known for. Bravo F & G!

On Saturday I ran my next round of workshop and I had a few good turn out. The attendance increased the following day which is a Sunday and we had like some fourteen people taking the intermediate class. As usual, the lesson was confined to improving their posture and musicality to prepare them for the coming Roberto & Tamara workshops in November.

On Sunday evening, Shirley and I went for a night out at Brix with the intention of still pushing the promotion of TANGOXPOSED to its’ regular Sunday habitués. The band Los Caballeros was of course there and still unbeatable insofar as Latin music is concerned. They’re the best in Singapore.

Dateline: Singapore   October 23-29, 2006

                                                  WEEK  4

On Monday I had lessons with Shirley at 5:00 pm where I took her into a foray of “voleos” from many possibilities. Since Shirley has now imbibed this tango discipline, giving her advance elements such as the “voleo” would be mush easier to her understanding. I brought her to the many possibilities of doing a “voleo” using her right and left leg doing both back and front “voleos.” She was so stunned at the way she is responding to the lesson as she never imagined herself doing these stuffs which she just used to see in Angeline. Now she’s doing it herself and she’s just too euphoric about this new development in her learning of the tango. Ms. Shirley Tay was so pleased at the end of the lesson that she was seen grinning from ear to ear.

Bie lan came in at 8:00 pm and we carried on from the last discussion we had concerning the tango walk and the development of her posture from the usual ballroom discipline which she is so used to, to the tango form that I’m introducing her into. It is quite understandable if someone gets into an uphill climb trying to undo habits which are not necessary when learning new things. But like I said, because she is a willing and a dedicated learner, that she is ready to give it a try, Bie lan finally manifested signs of adapting to a new form despite her body’s heavy inclination towards ballroom. Yes, impossible is nothing from a willing individual. And it’s all about will power.

Earlier in the day, as I was about to settle my bill at Popular bookstore, I had the chance to meet a lady who’s working for a charity organization called IKAMVA. I was actually looking for a charity to benefit an auction that Stefani suggested concerning two art pieces containing Roberto & Tamara’s shoes they used during their recent highly successful stint at the Rome Tango Festival. The lady introduced herself as Diane DAranjo and we promised to meet up later this week to finalize this possibility of working together. Done deal!

The following day I received a call from Mei Lin Chan as her friend’s daughter wanted to learn the tango. Her name is Clarissa and I met up with her in the afternoon to introduce her into the dance. Clarissa is only seventeen but she has a mind of twenty-three years old. I brought her to the usual waking exercise as part of her initiation into tango and was seen always smiling while she traverses the dance floor on foxtrot-like motion. Of course being the total beginner that she is this seventeen year old lady will take sometime before she gets into the tango mold. My main concern now is how to make her like the tango so she stays and take it to be her passion. With my discussions and making her execute those movements easily, I can finally see that she’s getting to like it. In one hour, she managed to understand and hold herself to do the basic element of walking and the embrace. She was happy about the idea of partner dancing as she has never done this before. I told her that if she wants to continue learning, she has to look for Marguerite in Kl, as she is Malaysian who lives there and is only on holiday in Singapore this time.

Angeline took the next slot at 8:00 pm. She just got back from her golfing spree up in Aruana with her golfing buddies for five days. She’s back again and ready to resume her passion for tango. While she has improved a lot insofar as tango is concerned, but she is one student who will always be open to the idea of re-learning past lessons which I think needs to be stressed out to get the desired result I want each time I bring her to dance the tango. Because this dance has many complexities, learning and perfecting is a lifetime process. Matters concerning, tortion, tight shoulders, swivels turning in one piece while keeping the upper and lower body isolation were once again enforced. My strategy in teaching tango to my students is always to EMPHASIZE, DEFINE & RE-DEFINE the same elements as they progress and climb up the tango ladder from basic to advance level. I am happy at the progress this “tanguera” had made so far but even happier as I see her always as a student ready to accept inputs that will make her improve her dancing. She knows her limitations and incapacities and she gives her total trust to her teacher to do the necessary work. I wish to have more students like her.

My days as an events organizer are numbered. Barely a few days and October will be over. I can feel the mounting pressure in my body as TANGOXPOSED comes to a draw.

This is one of the most uncomfortable feelings one could ever experience when staging a big event. How I wish to just have stuck to my normal life as a tango teacher and content myself with the day-to-day activities that I’m so used to doing. But no, this thing must happen because I made it happen. I am armed with so much belief in the project and my ability to do it, thus TANGOXPOSED must happen. Everyone is watching….

The press release arranged by Angeline with Sumiko Tan of The Straits Times Life section is coming to fore. I received an email from her specifying the date of the interview sometime next week which is barely five to six days from now. Things are falling in place .I also got a confirmation with the Philippine Embassy in Singapore stating the ambassador’s confirmation to send a message of support to be printed in the souvenir program. I also got a call from Mrs. Fathma Hakim that she has forwarded my letter to the Argentine embassy in Jakarta asking for a similar request. Ms, Maria Lukito of Tatler Indonesia did her part as well by providing me the name of the Charge d’Affaires as she knows him very well. I feel like I’m trapped in a whirlpool and I just have to let go as I keep doing what is required of me. There is no more turning back.

In between teaching and organizing, I still have one project in the works concerning my forthcoming tango workshop and performance in Jakarta together with Ms. Stefani K. of Tango Bali fame. This event has finally been set for November 11-13 as organized by the IODI Dancepsort Indonesia under the leadership of Mrs. Fathma Hakim. Looking at the turn of events it seems I am headed for a triple whammy. Really when it rains it pours. And I thank my God for all these blessings.

I ran a 2-day ladies’ embellishment workshop on Wednesday and Thursday over at Spans. The workshop netted in some eight lady participants. I brought them to understand the “ocho” patterns or the forward and back crosses emphasizing tortion each time they swivel on their axis. I added the “voleos” as this comes from the same element making the workshop even more exciting for everyone. The “giros” or turns were also discussed as I added a special lady’s embellishment called “saludo.” I gave them some “adornos” or adornments into their “ochos” and they all loved it. By the end of the 2-day workshop they were all satisfied having taken this special class as they get to do new things to revitalize and re-invigorate their liking for tango.

I also met up with the IKAMVA spokesperson Ms. Diane D’Aranjo at the Coffee bean in Millenia Walk and promise to feature the IKAMVA as the recipient for the charity auction we intend to have for the event. We agreed on many terms and promised to meet up once more as she introduces me to the IKAMVA chairperson in Singapore Ms. Florence Jabour who is currently in France for some official duties.

I had my next meeting with Ines Garcia over at Kallang at her friend’s house. We finalized our deal concerning her participation to be the featured singer of TANGOXPOSED. Ines is a very nice lady who’s loaded with enormous talent. She is gifted with a sweet melodious voice which is so distinct as compared to other tango singers whose voices are strong and forceful. With ten songs to be sung during the gala dinner and one song as sneak preview during the art exhibition, we have finally sealed an agreement. She also asked me to find out if I can manage her career in Asia which I obligingly did. She will now be among my talents to be handled under my events company Tango-Oriental.

On Friday I met up with my singing buddies Sadnah Bryan, Shirley, Angeline, Fadil and friends. It’s been quite awhile since I last saw Sadnah and Bryan and it just feels good to see them each time we get together for our quorum. Add Angeline and Shirley plus Fadil, and what you have is one happy group ready to sing and party anytime at a drop of a pin. That’s how crazy we all are for singing.

Ms. BG Pang arrived from Sydney the other day and so she resumes her lessons with me once again. She was seen taking lessons yesterday and today and was very pleased to have gone back to dancing.

 On Saturday afternoon I ran my improver’s workshop which was attended by ten people and we went over past lessons concerning the beginner and intermediate courses. This was making them ready for the TANGOXPOSED workshop with Roberto & Tamara as I earlier mentioned.

On Sunday afternoon, I flew to Bangkok to meet up with Andreas of Tango Bangkok to promote TANGOXPOSED to his group and eventually make in-roads to the city’s tango scene. I arrived at 3:00pm, Bangkok time via Jet Star and two hours after I was seen headed into the city for the scheduled “milonga loca” tonight.

By 6:00 pm I reached the venue as I found my way into the maze of Bangkok’s busy streets and meeting Andreas finally. He did a lot of direction as he coached me by phone on how to get in. Thank you so much Andreas.

The place was a cozy bar & restaurant situated at the ground floor of a condominium. As I got in, I already saw this tall Caucasian guy fixing something at the music booth and without much hesitation I asked if he were Andreas and he simply uttered back by mentioning my name. We shook hands and asked me to relax and feel free as he ushered me inside. I saw a buffet table lavished with delectable dishes of mixed Thai and international flavors.

Andreas is German and has lived in Bangkok for over four years now. Before coming to Bangkok he was stationed in Nepal where he founded a tango club in the city of Kathmandu. When he moved to Bangkok four years ago, he carried on with his passion by putting up what is now known as Tango Bangkok.

Andreas doesn’t only teach tango but does other stuffs like salsa, merengue, jive rock n’ roll and the likes but he doesn’t adhere much to ballroom standards and techniques, but only he loves doing them social dancing style. As compared to tango, when he learned it twenty years ago, and has been to Buenos Aires many times, he has worked with the great masters of this generation. He learned from Antonio Todaro, where most of the present day’s masters did learn as well. The name Antonio Todaro is one of the most revered names in tango. His name has a niche in the annals of tango like Gardel, Piazzola, Petroleo, Pugliese, and many more. And I have nothing but envy for Andreas because of Todaro. If he were still alive, definitely I would have learned from him to complete my credentials as a tango teacher

Bangkok “tangueros” slowly started coming in at 7:00 and I have the chance to meet most of them. The group is a mix of locals and expats alike which is the same thing that can be said of other clubs around the region. I’m so excited to see Thai “tangueros” dance the tango. I can’t wait to see till the party gets started. Ten minutes after, the music played, and I saw everyone jumped into the dance floor to display their passion. Most of them can dance and has been properly coached by Andreas. But what surprised me was seeing Thai “tangueros” dancing incredibly good tango and with so much display of form and rhythm. When I asked Andreas where this “tangueros” learned from he said from him. I take my hats off to Andreas for doing such a marvelous job.

Tango was not the only flavor that evening, Latin stuffs such as salsa, merengue, bachata, rhumba, rock n roll were played keeping the party’s energy level to fever pitch at all times till finish. Drink, dine & be merry as we danced was what kept every one moving the whole evening. Towards the last part of the gathering, Andreas made an announcement by introducing me to his group to promote TANGOXPOSED. I was so pleased at his gesture and was even doubly pleased at the very warm reception Bangkok “tangueros” received me. Thank you so much Tango Bangkok. Thank you Andreas!

I had such fun memory of this short visit I had in Bangkok. I didn’t realize how much progress the city has made concerning tango, to think that while the rest of the region know about their existence, but they seem to have always been detached from the mainstream making people think that there is nothing much to expect in the city. But they proved me wrong and I can tell everyone that theirs is one of the vibrant tango scenes I’ve ever seen around. And credit goes to the man who started it all, Andreas.

I left Bangkok the following day back to Singapore where I’m to wrap up my remaining work for TANGOXPOSED before flying to Indonesia. It’s the last day of the month and my deadline to fulfill my quota is over. The figures I have on hand concerning TANGOXPOSED sales is way below my target. The registration is doing well but this is no guarantee that it could be converted into cash. I’m getting tensed. I’m stressed. I’m sweating. But I know I will make it. I must…. prevail.

                  For more information about tango in Bangkok visit: www.tangobangkok.com/

                          tango in Bali visit: www.tangobali.com tango in Malaysia visit:

                                    www.tangomalaysia.com tango in Singapore visit:

                                                     www.tangosingapore.com