Imagine waking one morning to discover your sex has changed!

On the last episode of Your Story we heard from Sophie, about her time in Berlin from before “The Wall” came down in 1989 to today.

Sophie at Another Country Books

Today we hear Part 2, a completely different story to what we heard last time, about her amazing story of gender transition and how it all came about and evolved.

Just imagine that!

Imagine waking one day to discover something as fundamental as your gender, which seems to be locked in stone for life, suddenly changing.

Despite the momentum of a lifetime Sophie found herself in this situation and she takes us through how it came about and how she dealt with it along with the reality of what it means to move through transition. This is not the standard story of gender transition that we hear from time to time but a medical condition that has lead to a change but then, as Sophie mentions maybe it was a transition that was always going to happen when the situation was right and the medication was what tip the balance.

Another Country Bookstore

We talk about the reality of what it’s meant for Sophie, both emotionally, mentally and physically. The way it’s impacted her personal and professional relationships along with the continuity of running the business at Another Country Books in Berlin along with family and friends in her greater community. Sophie generously shares with us some incredibly personal aspects of the transgender journey and how living real can be the most import aspect of gender transition.

Website: AnotherCountry.de
Address: Riemannstr, 7, 10961 Berlin, (U7 Gneisenaustr)
Phone: 030/96401160

If you’re in or ever get to Berlin make sure you check out Sophie’s bookstore.

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← If you want to record the Life Stories of others, listen to my other podcast at Create Your Life Story.com or on iTunes.

…Or have a look at some other great shows available at LifeStyle Pod Network→

Music is from

Stereoglyph
“Comatose” (mp3)
from “Neon City”
(Muti Music)
More On This Album

Vodovoz
“Hottub” (mp3)
from “Mantra”
(Night Drive Music)
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More On This Album

 

Berlin change & Another Country Books.

From the beginning of her time going back to 1987, Sophie has been part of the culture and changes in  Berlin. Back in the day, Berlin was a divided city with “The Wall”, still very much in evidence.

Sophie in Another Country Book Shop

Sophie tells us about Berlin before the wall came down and what those dying days of the East/West divide were like. What was it like to live in the city that was the most likely starting ground for WW3 and then what was it like to see the end of the Cold War and the fall of the wall and the changes reunification brought to Berlin?

Chatting amongst the books.

While remaining an ex-pat Brit, Sophie has now very much settled as a local in Berlin with her eclectic Another Country English Language Bookshop. A blend of club, reading room, library and book store designed to bring people together, especially those interested in meeting like minded English speakers and travellers.

Each week Sophie puts on a open house dinner for anyone to drop-in and meet other interesting people. On a personal note I can vouch for the wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with people from around the world while enjoying a great value meal, drinking wine and the wonderful German beer. Take the time to check it out if you happen to be in Berlin

Her website is AnotherCountry.de
Address: Riemannstr, 7, 10961 Berlin, (U7 Gneisenaustr)
Phone: 030/96401160

Ian's Birthday bash amongst the books

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Music is from

← If you want to record the Life Stories of others, listen to my other podcast at Create Your Life Story.com or on iTunes.

…Or have a look at some other great shows available at LifeStyle Pod Network→

Music is from

Bright Moments
“Travelers” (mp3)
from “Natives”
(LUAKA BOP)
More On This Album

POLIÇA
“Dark Star” (mp3)
from “Give You The Ghost”
(Totally Gross National Product / POLIÇA)
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

 

It seems to have taken four weeks for my soul to catch up with me.

I’ve been in Berlin now for four weeks meeting people and spending time settling in to how this city operates. I find it takes time to find my feet in any new environment and understand how the basic functions of life operate. It’s a mix of confusion and excitement, that is both fun and distracting.

Now that the settling is hopefully completed I’m looking forward to seeing how things continue to evolve. I’m slowly developing a network of people who are openly and actively connecting with me and offering assistance both in general ideas of where to go and what to see but also who I could connect with. The open generosity of many of the people here is encouraging and maybe shows something of the personality of the people of Berlin.

This was cold!

I said in 2008 that Berlin is like a run down share house full of university students who are doing some interesting things. With that attitude comes a “we’re all in this together”, attitude. Everyone knows that we can all help each other to help ourselves. That attitude gives this city a vibrancy of purpose to create and build some amazing things, even if the specific direction isn’t clear.

If you want to follow all my content just go to About.me/IanKath or my daily Boos at AudioBoo

Make sure you download from iTunes

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Grabbing opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else.

When you’re young and exploring the world, there are chances for finding yourself wherever you are but the opportunities that present themselves will vary depending on location. Just take a moment to consider how different your life would have been and the opportunities that you took advantage of or missed simply due to where you spent your formative years.

Capturing the spirit of opportunity

In this episode of Your Story we chat to Henry Richards about the opportunities that are presented for him here in Berlin that weren’t available to him in Sydney where he grew up or London where he migrated from.

Henry is at that point in life right now, where he’s formulating the person he’ll become and it’s his current experiences in Berlin that will be part of that.

We chat about how he identifies himself, how Berlin culture allows people like him to be as they wish, to risk presenting in ways that other communities don’t allow and how he sees a future for himself here to continue to grow, study and become who he’ll one day be.

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Akir & R.E.K.S.
“The Good Life” (mp3)
from “Underground Overstood”
(alchemetric)
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The Glitch Mob
“Drive It Like You Stole It” (mp3)
from “Drive It Like You Stole It – Single”
(Glass Air)
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Could Berlin return to these times 100 years later?

As a walk around the streets of Berlin and talk to people I realise that there are aspects of the culture that reminds me of Berlin’s most avant guard times in the 1920′s. In the area where I’m staying I notice some of the relaxed attitudes that are mentioned in this video.

In this audio I mention this image I’m seeing in the UBahn everywhere. Would your culture be nonplussed to have this as promotional material?

 

Megève’s a stunning place to see Snow and Ice, something I don’t know!

I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be in the Alps in winter. The cold, the snow, the strong biting sun but I’ve never had the chance, until now!

Megève from high up on the slopes

What we call mountains in Australia doesn’t really compare to what is the real alps scattered around the rest of the world. When I finally saw those mountainous rocks piercing the sky on my first visit to Megève in the summer of 1992 for my sister’s wedding I thought to myself, “these are real mountains!” …And as I left I wondered what it would be like in winter.

Now I’ve seen a real winter scene.

Megève at night

Coming from the sub-tropics, a real winter as experienced by most people is something that I’ve always wondered about. Sure I’ve experienced some cold moments in my life but never the ice and snow of the French Alps and all that it entails. It’s far too easy for me to have no idea what to do and how to live in this environment but there is also the fun of seeing for real what I’ve only every seen in film and images.

• My first step when I arrived involved sliding on the ice. (The ground isn’t supposed to be slippery).
• How do the hedges survive under half a metre of snow.
• Amazement of the strength of the building to hold tons of snow on the roofs.
• Icicles forming from dripping water on the gutters.
• Bitting cold that saps the warmth from every exposed or poorly covered part of the body.
• Snow that remains dry and powdery even after days of warm weather.
• Ice that melts (sublimates) to dryness without ever being liquid water.
• How much air is in freshly fallen snow.
• A large mouthful of snow results in very little water to drink.
• Ice is really hard to walk on in leather soled shoes!
• The comfortable inside temperature is no indication of how cold it is outside.
• Ice crystals growing on the snow over the several days of fine weather .

An Alpine Village

Megève is a quintessential French Alpine village with all the cultural aspects that come with that. The people are fiercely proud of their farming heritage even though tourism has developed into a major part of their community. The local produce from cheese to cured meats is of the highest standard and in no time at all you can indulge way too much of the good life.

Mixing it with the Locals

If you’re inclined and can afford it I would whole heartily recommend Megève as a place to visit and enjoy.

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Tycho
“Hours” (mp3)
from “Dive”
(Ghostly International)

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Letting life unfold as it will…

What will happen, will happen and we can do nothing about it because we don’t have any control despite the illusion that we do.

This, to my understanding is the way of life. We live an illusion that we make decisions about all manner of things but the reality is every decision we make is based on the sum total of experiences that we’ve had in our life. At the most fundamental level we are our genetics and our totality of experiences, nothing more. And those two criteria are all that we are and every decision is based on those things. We make our decisions based on this criteria but who are we, if not our genetics and our experiences which drive our decisions?

Todays Your Story Addendum episode is from the departure gate just prior to boarding my flight to Europe.

I’m off on a trip to Europe for 2.5 months. Initially I’ll be in Megève in the French Alps as a guest of my sister and her family then I’ll be heading north to spend a couple of months in Berlin.

Did I make the decision to go?

On My Way to Europe

Well, I may think and feel like I did but the reality is I simply reacted to the situations as they presented themselves with the final upshot being I’m now on my way as I write this somewhere over Indonesia. But more to the point this trip is about creating situations that could provoke opportunity.

In my everyday life I have a routine of situations and people who are a constant with little variation and without breaking away from the status quo I’ll continue to have the same opportunities.

It’s crunch time!

For five years now I’ve been working on Your Story and Create Your Life Story, to learn the skills and develop the sites to where they may be able viable as more than just hobbies. I’ve tried a few things to develop them but to date these things haven’t worked and it’s time to see if there may be some other opportunities that I haven’t considered.

Staying in my home environment will maintain a similar situation to what’s been the case for these last five years but travelling to Europe may, just may, create an environment that is different and present opportunities that I couldn’t find at home.

Everyone who’s had any level of success will be the first to credit the good fortune in their lives that has lead to them becoming who they are (actually that’s the same for all of us, good and bad), and that good fortune could turn up anywhere. It’s just that if you get around, meet more people and be in different situations there is a greater chance of that good fortune turning up.

It isn’t choosing anything!

For me this is just about putting myself out there where opportunity may arise and allowing things to unfold. When we think about it, that’s how life is for all of us.

I don’t know or can’t imagine what may come of this trip. Maybe something, maybe nothing but as I said when I started on this adventure of learning how to podcast I’d rather give a red hot go, than stay in the certainty of routine.

What may come.

I’ve a few ideas for content for Your Story. We may get to revisit some past stories to see how they’ve developed over the last few years and I’m sure we’ll discover a few new stories. I’m hoping to produce both video and audio content and I’ll be putting it out in all the usual channels.

Since my last trip social networks have continued to develop and with the power of my new iPhone 4S along with the video, photo, audio sharing networks there is an opportunity for me to put out a variety of content through multiple channels.

If you want to find all the major social channels that I use go to About.me/IanKath where you can link across to see all that I produce over the next many weeks.

If you have any ideas for people to meet of place to visit in Berlin please let me know using the contacts above.

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Using their pleasure for tango to help others who desperately need it

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We’ve all had the experience where we’ve gained so much value from people or an activity that we feel a need to return something. It called reciprocity  – the desire to do something in return.

Cheryl & John

In this episode of  Your Story we talk to John and Cheryl Lowry about how they have fulfilled this desire in themselves for all the pleasure that they’ve had from being involved in learning and dancing tango. They’ve returned the favour not to the greater tango community but by using that communities desire to dance tango socially as a means of generating income to support disadvantaged children in Argentina by setting up Para Los Niños children’s charity.

Internationally supported

The charity is supported internationally to enable income to be generated through milongas (tango dances) which is then used in Argentina to support many desperately in need children to have what we would call the necessities of life.

Here is an example of one of the Milongas that has been orginised in aid of Para Los Niños.

The charity website for Para Los Niños is paralosninos.net

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.

Music is from

Che Papusa
“La Milonga” (mp3)
from “Buenos Aires Tango Dance”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

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Juanjo Hermida and Gabriel Merlino
“Sauvage” (mp3)
from “Tangos En Duo”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

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One of the great pleasures of having a blog is being able to be self indulgent  -  This is one of those self indulgent posts.

As you may know I dance tango for pleasure, a great pleasure! Sure I’m still learning after 3.5 years but I think tango is one of the life passions that is all about learning and the journey rather than the destination. To that end I’m slowly, very slowly becoming enamoured by this most wonderful of dances. If you have no idea of what I’m talking about I suggest you go and watch Sally Potter’s The Tango Lesson and you may get some small idea of what I’m talking about… But that is not what this post is about.

On twitter I’ve made the acquaintance… (yes that’s right, a small friendship that is possible to be generated on twitter), with a quite spectacular musician in Sean A McGee and his ElectroTango (read nuevo style) music.

I must admit that when it comes to dancing Tango I tend to be a bit of a traditionalist (it’s what’s familiar), only occasionally dancing the more modern styles of tango that have become popular with Gotan Project and Carlos Libedinsky. But when it comes to listening pleasure I adore the electronic blends that are this style of tango music and I much prefer to listen to it over the traditional (Piazzolla and a few other excepted) music.

To give you a bit of a taste here is a player of some of Sean’s music. Click away and imagine being in one of those wonderful milongas in Buenos Aires, like the image above, when I was there last year, and the rich tapestry that is that city, that is the very heart of Tango.

The album Nebulosa is out in September so if you like his music go and buy it… go on, you know you’ll love it

 

Welcome To Episode 53 of Your Story.

In June 2009 I had the good fortune to travel to Buenos Aires to experience all that you can in such a short time and to partake of some of the Tango Scene from the city where Argentine Tango originated.

While I was there I spent some time with Tango teachers and performers Fabrizio Forti and Celi Arias in their home El Sol that is a tango studio and tourist accommodation for travellers to this city of 13 million people.  I’ve already produced several episodes of my time in Buenos Aires while I was there but lately Fab and Celi were here in Brisbane and I thought that this was a good time to talk to them about the life they have in Buenos Aires, travelling and teaching and some things about the wonderful dance that is tango and how it is different to most of the other dance forms.

They were here in Australia conducting workshops and classes followed by a trip to Wellington for the new Zealand Tango Festival.  I hope to get a copy of their performance for the Kiwis to show you very soon but in the mean time here is a video from last years festival.

Website is elsoldesantelmo.com
Email is elsolst@gmail.com

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Music is from

Chocolate
“Libertango” (mp3)
from “Chocolate 3″
(WorldAnd)

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Gitano Experience & Friends
“Tango No2″ (mp3)
from “Gitano Flamenco”
(TOOST Music)

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Buy at eMusic
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

Beau Bledsoe
“Histoire du Tango” (mp3)
from “¡Olé! ¡Che!”
(Tzigane Music)

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Buy at Rhapsody
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at eMusic
More On This Album

 

This morning my good friend Adam Daniel Mezei who I had on the show while I was in Prague asked on twitter what I thought of the Argentine Beef and how much did I eat.

Mmmmm well.

As we know Argentina has a long history within the beef industry being one of the largest exporters in the world. The main reason for such an extensive industry is due to the Pampas, a huge treeless area of South America, much of which is in Argentina cover in rich grasslands perfect for grazing and fattening beef cattle.

I learnt most of what I know about the Argentine beef industry from the show episode that I did with Mike where he explained the difference in the methodologies of raising cattle between Argentina and the US. He wrote an interesting article on how the industry is changing in Argentina and the compromises that he is being forced to make. Suffice to say, what I learnt and tasted of the beef in Argentina is that it is different to what I’m familiar with, particularly in flavour.

I’m not a substantial meat eater, I’m not vegetarian but I eat a primarily vegetarian diet and add meat protein from time to time. My favourite these days is kangaroo for the health and environmental reasons but I do eat beef occasionally. Going to Buenos Aires I ate beef more than I had in many long years which was a bit of a shock on my system but as they say “when in Rome…”

I observed some interesting differences with the way beef is used in the Argentine culture. The retail of it is everywhere. It’s possible to walk into a small corner store and out the back someone is breaking down a side of beef placing chunks of it in the refrigerated display cabinets. At the markets huge quantities of it are just hanging in different stages of butchering as you walk past, next to the cheese and vegetables. It’s everywhere, raw and real, rather than in plastic wrapped Styrofoam trays, just like the old days.

When I say chunks that’s what I mean. It’s as if they don’t seem to have the elegant butchering style that I’m familiar with. It’s more like a cow has been forced through a course tree chipper and the chunks that come out are what you get. Random pieces of meat, fat and bone all to be thrown on the Asodo and cooked over the smoking coals adding more flavour.

I found the taste quite strong for my palate which could be for the dietary reasons I mentioned above but also as Mike mentioned the cattle in Argentina are grass feed, older and free ranged(exercised) so the meat is stronger both in flavour and in texture. I enjoyed the beef that I had while there but I must admit that after four weeks I was getting a bit over it and searching out alternatives. It was good to return home to a lower meat consumption but a great opportunity to embrace the culinary culture of Argentina.

Yes the Argentines love their beef, they have a lot of it, it’s a distintive style and it’s prime quality. I hope that they don’t go the way of the feed lots and maintain this resource in the style that is theirs alone. As for me, by time I return hopefully in two years I’ll be over the quantity I’ve recently been through and I’ll be ready to tuck in again.

 

It’s taken some time but I’ve finally finished the video of my trip to Buenos Aires in July. It amazing how long video takes to edit but it’s now here.

Like everything in this world of online media production I’m continuing to learn and yet again there are many things that I would do differently, especially while I was in Buenos Aires recording. However this is a good overview of what we got up to.

Enjoy

Please leave a comment either here or on Viddler. I’m interested in your feed back

 

Welcome To Episode 44 of  Your Story.

Frank Almeida migrated from Chicago USA to Buenos Aires with his wife in 1999, where after a couple of business ventures left the corporate world and in time established a gourmet cookie manufacturing company Sugar and Spice.

Sugar and Spice is the first and only serious Gourmet cookie manufacturer in Argentina using the best of ingredients to make the biscuits that our mother would make at home. That’s the philosophy that is still carried out in his model manufacturing facility.

Frank showed me around and although a large quantity of product is produced there were people hand cutting chocolate, sifting ingredients and hand filling packaging, just like you would do at home. It’s just the quanties and machinery are larger but it’s basically an overgrown home kitchen.

He currently supplies nationally, including to major corporations and is credited with starting the trend towards gourmet cookies within Argentina.

Frank arrived before the financial crisis in 2001 and had to deal with the shutdown of the banking system followed by the slow recovery and improvement of the economy. It’s fascinating to think just how we would get on if the banks refused to allow us to access our money or it was suddenly devalued, this is what frank had to deal with. Frank shares what is good about the Argentine culture and how having a low standard of living and high quality of life means that he is happy to stay, to grow his business and family in Buenos Aires.

Frank gave me a huge bag of goodies which I relished on the flight back home a few days later. Thanks

His website is sugarandspice.com.ar
Email is pedidos@sugarandspice.com.ar

Frank is another person introduced to me by Fred from Silver Star Transport in Buenos Aires that I mentioned on the last episode

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Music is from iodaPROMONET

Green Tea
“Cruise Control” (mp3)
from “Places & Spaces”
(PLUG Label)

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Buy at Napster
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Welcome To Episode 43 of Your Story.

Deby has been in Buenos Aries as a visitor and now permanently since 2000. Originally coming to Buenos Aires to surround herself in the world of tango, she sold up everything in California in 2004, relocated to Buenos Aires and is now looking forward to becoming an Argentine citizen.

While falling in love with lifestyle here she has had the experiences of someone learning to understanding a new culture in order to become part of it. Now she is fully immersed into the life as a local and defends it vehemently.

Deby explains how it is for a local, how when you don’t earn in another international currency and the multiplier effects of exchange rates how difficult it is to live here. She gives us a small overview of the world and industry of tango also taking us on a discovery of the cultural differences in the way men and women interact compared with her home country of the US.

Several days after this recording we meet again at a milonga where we spent a few lovely hours together with friends. I look forward to returning to Buenos Aires again one day and this time with more time and experience on the dance floor I look forward to having a real tango with her.

Her website is tangospam.typepad.com
email is info@lavidacondeby.com

I mentioned in this episode about the great transport and travel advice that I received from Fred at SilverStarCar.com. If you’re ever in Buenos Aires and would like to travel in comfort from the airport or around the city, consider giving Fred a call and see if the service he offers suits your needs. In case you wondered I’m receiving no kickback from Fred for this, he’s getting this plug simply because he offered me great service and it deserves to be mentioned.

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Music is from iodaPROMONET

Katona Twins
“Milonga en re” (mp3)
from “Le Grand Tango”
(Channel Classics Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
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More On This Album

Juan Carlos Abitabile
“El Choclo” (mp3)
from “Tangos En Piano Bar”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

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Stream from Rhapsody
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More On This Album

 

Welcome To Episode 42 of Your Story.

Today we talk with Eric, a local Argentine, born and breed in Buenos Aires, about his journey and frustrations of feeling that he was independent in his thoughts on how to live a good life and how by chance he came across Dr Ron Paul during the 2007 US Republican Presidential Campaign. Discovering that his ideals and beliefs resonate with others and that there are opportunities to share these opinions. Motivated by what Dr Paul was doing Eric established a Spanish Version of the Ron Paul web site to help facilitate his message and to help expand the concepts that he lives by. Eric and I discuss how he came to develop these ideals, the importance of thinking for ones self and his motivation for the site.

We also chat briefly about life in Argentina, the potential that has been missed in this once great country and the current personality of the culture, just one day before Independence Day on 9th July.

Eric has asked to remain anonymous and to allow his work to speak for itself.

His website is RonPaulSpanish.com
email is RonPaulSpanish@gmail.com

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Music is from iodaPROMONET

Carlos Bertonatti
“The Little Things” (mp3)
from “Times Are Good”
(The Rosemine Group)

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Argentine Libertarians

While sitting in the airport waiting to head back to my home in Australia I thought that it was time to share my thoughts on my time in Buenos Aires, it’s time for a wrap up on my visit. So I pulled out my Zoom H4 here they are, additional to the last Your Story Addendum where I sat down with my friends to give you an overview.

I also mention that I spent some time the night before with some Libertarians who mentioned  some interesting political points.  I would have loved to have recorded some of these conversations but alas it’s not possible on this trip and hopefully by staying in touch with them through some of their online systems, when I return I will have the opportunity to share some political stories and history of this once and maybe future great country.

 

Ian, Heather, Alex & Bernard

Welcome To Episode 22 of Your Story Addendum.

Here is something a bit different for you.

I decided to sit down and have a brief discussion with a few of my friends of our appreciation of Buenos Aires, now that we have been here a few weeks and it’s time for a few of us to start heading home.

What is Buenos Aires, and how do we appreciate it from an outside view, without the cultural understanding of the people who live here. We chat casually about the character of the people, the shopping, the food and how it would be for someone similar to us visiting here.

We recorded this on the roof of the house that we are staying in and in amongst the conversation there is the din of the city in the back ground, the sound that is impossible to avoid and a constant curse to find somewhere quiet.

Shops, Shops, Shops.

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Welcome To Episode 41 of Your Story.

Yanqui Mike, as he is known here in Buenos Aires now lives a life of duality as a migrant from the US to Argentina. From a corporate career in transport logistics in the US, living in the Mid West and Chicago, Mike has learnt and now continues his wife’s family heritage as a rancher in Argentina.

Over a few beers (and many more later) we chatted about what brought him here and what keeps him living a country life on the Campo and a cosmopolitan, cafe life in the heart of Buenos Aires. His love for the people and culture and why he is happy to stay in Argentina and not to return to the United States of America.

Contrasting his love for Argentina, Mike is heavily involved in the US ex-pat community having started Democrats Abroad in Argentina and takes great pride in being involved, in his small way towards the election of Barack Obama, involving the US citizens here, with the aptly named Drinking Liberally.

Late Addition 13/01/2010 I’ve just found in my iTunes a file that I recorded with Mike on my iPhone after I turned my recorder off and thought that as it’s such wonderful content I’d put it up as a bonus Easter Egg. It’s only 2 minutes but worth listening to.

His website is yanquimike.blogspot.com

email is letters@yanquimike.com.ar

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

Subscribe freely in iTunes by Clicking here.

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Music is from Diego Arolfo

from the Album Haciatuencuentro

diegoarolfo@yahoo.com.ar

 

While walking through La Boca in Buenos Aires with Bernard and Heather we had one of those experiences of travel where an opportunity grabs you, that insists that you experience something unique.

We were checking out the numerous market stalls and engaging with the roving cafes and restaurant hawkers who constantly encourage us to come inside for a coffee, meal or whiskey. Anytime we stop to watch the street side tango displays in front of the businesses designed to slow our movement, they were on to us.

Then ferreting our way down a quiet lane to see what we may find, where few people lingered we heard the sound of the traditional tango music played on a Bandoneon by a single busker in the window of a store.

We all agreed that it made us feel like dancing so Bernard and Heather put down their goods, embraced each other and on impulse danced street tango. Nothing flash, without the show and pizzazz that was all around us in the main street, but in the style of two people connected in the moment, carried off with the music.

I whipped out my phone and grabbed this video of them. A moment that the three of us will cherish, along with the 20 something crowd that stopped to see the true essence of tango. Spontaneous, carefree and uniquely Buenos Aires.

 

As part of this trip that I’m on here to Buenos Aires and as part of getting into the whole tango scene we went last night to the Carlos Gardel Tango Show.

Carlos Gardel is the Tango hero of Argentina, with his beautiful baritone voice and matinee idol good looks he rose to fame in the 1920′s before dying in an aircraft accident in 1935. He was the Elvis of the tango scene and like Elvis even though he is dead the legend continues to live and grow, maybe even more than when he was alive.

Due to the idol status of Carlos Gardel there are images of him everywhere with themes and memes that permeate so much of the tango and Argentine culture. Including in the cultural theming is the show we went to, and what a show it was.

The venue is a brilliant purpose building with a huge stage and dinner seating on three levels for 500. The quality from the entrance to exit of everything from decor to meals to show were perfect in every respect. The staff were stunningly efficient at insuring our wine and water never stopped with a quality restaurant meal that would shame most high end establishments.

During the meal a film showing the history of Tango and Gardels roll in it was screened before the live performance that transitioned from the older traditional tango towards the modern styles now being developed. The quality of the performances took our breath away which has to be seen to be realised but I did manage to find this clip to give you a bit of an idea of the standard.

 

Yesterday I had the good fortune to have my first lesson with Pablo Nievas and Valeria Zunion. I’ve heard, over the last couple of years a great deal about this professional couple and their amazing tango skills but until now I hadn’t had a chance to take a lesson with them despite the fact that they have been to Australia on several occasions.

After 90 minutes of learning this sequence I have only the rudiments of the sequence but with some practice I look forward to reinforcing it and eventually developing the skills to feel comfortable with it.

This little video is what we recorded as a take away to remind us of the sequence to add to the knowledge that they gave us. It’s actually quite difficult to remember the sequence and it’s a huge help to have this resource.

The grace and ease in which they move is a far cry from where mortals like I live but being in their company give others the chance to learn from the masters of this dance form. Check out their site from the link above.

I thought I’d share it with you here.

 

I’m in Buenos Aires, Argentina on a trip with some friends doing Tango and having a look at the culture of this European city in South America. After several days off settling in, getting my feet and dealing with a bit of a cold(that I think I’ve thrown) I’m now able to send you this quick addendum episode about my inital reactions of arriving in Buenos Aires.

I’m still getting things orginised and hopefully soon I’ll have more content out for you.

 

Welcome To Episode 38 of Your Story.

Bernard King intrigued me when I first meet him 6 months ago. I’m sure you know the type of person. They are the quiet individuals who remain discreet, don’t say a lot but have a particular grace and efficiency with movement, words and thoughts that convinces you that there is more to them than is at first obvious.

Bernard is one of these people, quietly spoken but the waters run deep, but how deep?

That’s the reason for asking him onto Your Story and as it proved he shares with us a life of becoming the Junior World Ballroom Dance Champion at 15 and 16 years of age. Dance was eventually left behind but not before moving into professional stage and cabaret.

He tells of the life of Reilly in his youth as a qualified hairdresser living for years in Spain and Italy mixing with the European Royalty and the Glitterati  of the ’60′s. Amongst those he brushing shoulders with were  Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy. But not all is as wonderful as it may at first seem and there is a price to be paid both for the famous and also for him moving amongst them.

In the mix of a full life Bernard happened to be held hostage not once but twice, first by The Kray Twins in his teenage years and later by The Red Brigade in Italy.

Tragically later in life Bernard describes how difficult it was to lose his wife and soulmate to the slow slide of Alzheimer’s Disease. How difficult it was to care for her and how the person he loved turned into something that was not her but the illness. Despite this Bernard has a lightness about his life with positiveness for the moment. Enjoying the day as it is.

Soon he and I along with a group from our tango class will be going on a 3 week trip to Buenos Aires. I look forward to what else he my tell me.

Note: Bernard recently came third in the state qualifying round of the Australian Tango Championships. Seems you just can’t keep him back.

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Music is from iodaPROMONET
Seis Luces
“Un Amor Sin Igual” (mp3)
from “Tango Bizarro/ Bizarre Tango”
(Suramusic S.R.L)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album

 

Welcome To Episode 19 of Your Story Addendum.

Hello all. I’m in Sydney catching up with friends, making new friends and recording a few podcast episodes so I thought, as I like to do, give you a quick opinion of my thoughts of Sydney and a few of the things that I’m up to.

This is short and sweet little episode and just dropping in basically to say Hello.

To automatically receive this podcast freely to you, click on one of the links to the left or search in iTunes for “Your Story.”

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As it’s now the end of 2008 I thought I’d just like to reflect briefly and thank everyone who has been on this journey with me.

Thanks Nikki J

I had only just launched the podcast at the start of the year. Since then I’ve posted 30 Your Story Episodes  and 18 Addendum Episodes. Along with many blog posts about the things that interest me. I’m reasonably happy with that

Initially I was still struggling a great deal with the technology but I had a few goals of what I wanted to achieve and I had a strategy in order to achieve them.

They were to finance the equipment that I needed to be able to travel and post episodes. Then I wanted to test the methodology with a trip to Melbourne in preparation for the eventually trip to Europe. And what a wonderful experience that was. I meet, recorded and spent time with wonderful people in Berlin, Prague, Vannes, Paris and London. That experience is here on this site if you want to explore it along with links to my flickr account.

The surprise is, I’m amazed at the depth of friendship that I have achieved through the social networking aspect of the Internet particularly twitter which enabled me to connect with so many interesting people through #TUBS here in Australia but also to connect with people interstate and internationally, some of whom I have meet personally during my travels. Also as I spend time talking internationally I’ve noticed and  I commented just the other day how I’m now starting to think in international timezones and can happily say good morning in my evening. Rather bazaar. Is this what a global citizen is?

As for next year I have a few ideas to change my income earning to include these new technologies and another trip overseas but more on that as it evolves.

To those of you who care, thanks for being here for me, it’s not always easy to work in the vacuum of producing a podcast but the occasional comment does more than you can imagine to motivate me.

And to the people I’ve meet, some of whom I’ve recorded, thanks for you involvement, it’s been a great ride so far, I’m interested to know where it’s gong.

Here Comes 2009… Stay tuned…