PHOTOS - Top left- Caravan no.2 arrives!!! Top right - local goats off home for the night.
Bottom left - Elvis takes it easy whilst surveying his domain. Right - Portagem river pool. **
The river pool opens around June time & is just heaven on a hot day. Free, with views of Marvao castle, bar & cafe. An excellent recipe for a hot day.
** last 3 photos by Kim Willis
What a great start to the month - Mona (being the thoughtful, kind & considerate person that she is) sent me a series of photos showing the installation of my 'new' caravan. Despite a rather dramatic tyre blow out on the motorway bringing the caravan up from the Algarve Chris, Mick & friend successfully manouvered the caravan I'd bought off them into its new home in the olive orchard. So now there is space for 4 more dancers who'll have their own private comfy space.
Chatting with a teacher friend at a cafe about the joys of 'leading' & the challenges of dancing with someone who makes you feel like you are utterly redundant. ie they just do the moves irrespective of the fact that you exist - never mind the fact that you are the one who is 'leading'. He came up with a politer description of the one that came to my mind. His description cracked me up ..... "yes, you feel like you are about as much use as a one legged man in a butt kicking competition!" Just about sums it up I think. Luke another teacher friend came up with a more usable one for use in public teaching situations & more sensitive souls - "there can only be one driver". Very acceptable - thanks for that Luke.
Spring is in the air in Portugal. I asked how Elvis & Titch were doing (the two resident mousers at the farm). For a long time Titch was Elvis' adoring fan & besotted groupie. But I think with the effects of the warmer weather & all that .... the tables have turned and in Ben's words "Titch and Elvis: An oestrogen shock relationship. She was so a nice kitten and now she becomes a multiple personality. Every week a different cat. Elvis is in stress". You gotta laugh. Aaaaah. Poor Elvis bless him. I'm sure all will be ok soon when her hormones calm down again. Hormones have a lot to answer for don't they!
This month has been somewhat busy with lots of people being incredibly generous with their time & help.
Nicolai & Rasa spent the good part of a day with me doing Salsa in Leeds. It was great to spend some time with them & I sooooo hope they come to Portugal. Nicolai is just such a great teacher - I love his attitude to the people he is teaching & the way he teaches. He makes it sooo accessible & most important of all .... FUN. He takes all the stress out of learning. Rasa who is a gorgeous gal with buckets of enthusiasm & a pure delight has been shadowing Nicolai for a year & wants to teach - YEAH. With her attitude she is welcome to come over to Portugal for as long as she wants.
Sheena who runs Every Dance - what can I say? A star who has also been a huge help & incredibly generous with her time sharing her knowledge & experience. Not forgetting the fun Grease workshop when we learnt 2 routines (see the video on the videos post). I am really p**ed off that I wont be around in England when the Thriller workshop is on.
Nisha Lall - another star who is taking me through her teacher's course for Salsa (oh my goodness - have I got a lot of learning to do). Nisha is incredible & knows so much. I'm one lucky lady that she is teaching me. For the course another lady joined us - Lesley who is Roger Moore's wife!! Talk about coincidences. Some ladies I occassionally meet when walking the dogs told me about their friends Roger & Lesley Moore who teach dance. It is a small world.
This month we had the case of the unco-operative left foot at the Lindy Hop class when it came to doing Suzie Q's. That flippin move has always driven me batty. I was like a gone-wrong version of Rolf Harris doing his Jake The Peg song sketch. My left foot just wouldn't behave itself. Hannah said she could hear me laughing the whole way through the lesson.
Did 2 workshops (Beginner & Beginner Plus) - one on the Saturday & the other on the Sunday - both organised by Ceroc (Nottingham & Leeds). Thoroughly enjoyed them - excellent. BUT when I got to Sunday evenings class at Chesterfield I could barely remember any of it. Damn. The knowledge just packed its bags & went into ether space. So frustrating. I guess my brain cells are on strike again.
Taught my first group this month - they want me back & I don't think they were being polite bless 'em.
Things are really taking off like a rocket - it feels a bit unreal. I was expecting it to take 1 -2 years!! More people are booking their flights to come over & help which is great.
Teachers Tracey & Jatinder have booked their flights for 10th May. Roy Greenhalgh is doing his utmost to fit in a visit with his Stylz Jive staff. I heard that another recent lovely dancing friend is planning to come over 17th March for 6 days with another 2 to 3 dancing friends - that is 2 days after I arrive back in Portugal! YIKES. I Better get organised!
