Being
An interesting think happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I joined a friend of mine who is taking tango classes since the beginning the year. She wanted to share her new passion for dance with me and I am open minded and a bit naïf. I went to this Tango & Milonga party.
We were at a cultural centre built an antique "recycled" warehouse. Exposed brick walls, tall ceilings, wooden beans, rustic and appealing. Beautiful place. After the class, while some people danced others mingled and chatted with a glass of wine in their hands. Maybe after the second glass, I accidentally mentioned that I was Argentinian. "Oh! From Buenos Aires! So you must know how to Tango, right? Please! Show us!" exclaimed one of the ladies I was talking to.
For me, dancing is an already embarrassing moment. I am clumsy and someone usually ends up hurt because of my lack of coordination. But on top of that, I don´t know how to dance Tango! And I was expected to show them my skills based on place of birth. That did not end up well, and I won't go into the details of it.
But while I walked back home covered in shame and a damaged dignity, I realized one thing. Any person with a minimal notion of Argentina highlights three things: Tango, the quality of the meat and soccer. As it turns out, I proved that I don´t know how to tango, I'm not a good grill & barbecue man and I suck at soccer. Let me tell you that the word suck is underlined. I guess I can blame my lack of coordination again.
If none of those things made me an argentinian, nor made me who am I then, who am I? I may have an idea of who I was, who I would like to be, or whom I am expected to become, but none of those answers the question. And I can´t use the classic argentinian stereotypes since I apply to none of them.
None of this would have happened if I wasn't here in Canada. Here, I am a foreigner. And well, that is a hint. I have a strong belief that we are defined mostly for what we do. Not for what we are supposed to be, or what we think we are.
I have travelled and worked always trying to cover the widest possible range: from sitting in a board of directors to pour concrete in a construction company, being a research assistant and a sailing coach. I have a social commitment. On top of that, I am eager to grow by experience, to think but also to do. Get things done, that was my motto for the last years. There are too many thinks I won't be able to do, I will eventually run out of time, but at least I will try to cross as many things I can on this bucket list.
We were at a cultural centre built an antique "recycled" warehouse. Exposed brick walls, tall ceilings, wooden beans, rustic and appealing. Beautiful place. After the class, while some people danced others mingled and chatted with a glass of wine in their hands. Maybe after the second glass, I accidentally mentioned that I was Argentinian. "Oh! From Buenos Aires! So you must know how to Tango, right? Please! Show us!" exclaimed one of the ladies I was talking to.
For me, dancing is an already embarrassing moment. I am clumsy and someone usually ends up hurt because of my lack of coordination. But on top of that, I don´t know how to dance Tango! And I was expected to show them my skills based on place of birth. That did not end up well, and I won't go into the details of it.
But while I walked back home covered in shame and a damaged dignity, I realized one thing. Any person with a minimal notion of Argentina highlights three things: Tango, the quality of the meat and soccer. As it turns out, I proved that I don´t know how to tango, I'm not a good grill & barbecue man and I suck at soccer. Let me tell you that the word suck is underlined. I guess I can blame my lack of coordination again.
If none of those things made me an argentinian, nor made me who am I then, who am I? I may have an idea of who I was, who I would like to be, or whom I am expected to become, but none of those answers the question. And I can´t use the classic argentinian stereotypes since I apply to none of them.
None of this would have happened if I wasn't here in Canada. Here, I am a foreigner. And well, that is a hint. I have a strong belief that we are defined mostly for what we do. Not for what we are supposed to be, or what we think we are.
I have travelled and worked always trying to cover the widest possible range: from sitting in a board of directors to pour concrete in a construction company, being a research assistant and a sailing coach. I have a social commitment. On top of that, I am eager to grow by experience, to think but also to do. Get things done, that was my motto for the last years. There are too many thinks I won't be able to do, I will eventually run out of time, but at least I will try to cross as many things I can on this bucket list.
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