Trying to Tango: Learning to Walk in Montevideo

When Jessalyn Massingill introduced me to yerba mate (pronounced ʝerβa mate) two and a half years ago, I remember thinking I would never have a chance to try a drink like that again.  I never dreamed that I would be sitting here in Montevideo, drinking mate and studying for my Spanish and Greek classes tomorrow.  But, before any rumors start flying about what I am drinking in Montevideo, I guess I should  tell you what all we have been up to in our first week here.

 All week long we have been trying to get our feet on the ground here in the big city.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that things are different here, but I have to say big city life here is nothing like anything I've experienced before.  Taxis and motorcycles fly by our house all day long and any false step when you are walking somewhere could end in disaster.  And everyone seems to be going somewhere very quickly. People hustle and bustle to the bus stops and little street stands that sell everything from sunglasses to hamburgers, to fresh cut flowers.  It seems like everything moves faster, including their language!!! It is a whole new world and we have had to dive in to this language learning craziness to keep our heads above the water.  All of a sudden ordering a pizza (muzzarella) or buying ice cream, fruit, or flowers takes two or three members of our group to figure out.  So, between trying to figure out this big city life, going to different markets and stores around the city, and going to class it has been a really busy week.

Over the weekend, we went sight-seeing alot.  It seems like everywhere we go there is some new historical event that happened here or this building has special significance.  But, I guess that is to be expected when the city was founded in the 1720s.  Even our house is a recognized historical site, but more about that later. 

Here are a few pictures I stole off of different people's facebook pages, these will have to do until I can upload my own from the cameras.

One of my favorite experiences so far was getting to lead a conversation club at the Alianza.  The Alianza is a center designed for native Spanish speakers to learn English.   One of the programs they offer allows students to interact with native English speakers.  So, once a week two of us go to the Alianza to have conversations in English with some of the intermediate students enrolled there.  It was so much fun to get their perspectives on American culture and the English language.  We talked about everything (TV, food, education).  Amelia and I had a blast.  It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the week.

Last night marked our one week anniversary in Montevideo and we celebrated with some (ACU approved) tango lessons.  It was an experience of self realization for all of us.   (I realized that I dance more like Bob Strader and less like the tango master I always assumed I would one day become.)  I will definitely remember learning how to tango with Eduardo and his wife (pictured on the right) as a humbling experience. 
We started the lesson with an in-depth look at the history and evolution of tango in Uruguay, and then we stepped out onto the patio to try out our skills.  It was alot of fun, but before we got to dancing away like Eduardo, we had to learn how to walk.  They told us that this was the most important part of the lesson and I was surprised at how hard it was to tango walk around the room. 

I am definitely still in the Tango Walking Stage of figuring out this whole Montevideo experience.  Looking like a local and learning (VERY SLOWLY) how to speak like one is the first goal (maybe the second goal to passing my classes and graduating).  It is definitely easier said than done; but lately, some Spanish words have even been sneaking into my emails and notes back home.  I am guessing that might be the first baby step towards this Uruguayan Tango.