*cue Bon Jovi*

Today is the half-way point of my grant! As good a time as any to dust off this blog? Here’s some of what I’ve been up to:

- Joined the Orquesta Escuela de Emilio Balcarce

- Played with the Graciano Cuarteto (two of these great musicians are my professors here!)

- Started learning bandoneon

- Joined the La Martino Orquesta Típica

- Went to Salta to work with Saltataki (and ended up playing with Bort Sinapellido, too!)

- Playing piano at church choir

- Hosted Brendon and Jeremy, included getting 200% soaked at Iguazu with Jeremy.

- Started (started!) being better about staying in touch with long-distance friends

- Helping out every Sunday with the English class at church

- Got told by a tango instructor that I dance like a dead cat

- Went to therapy (thank you, Fulbright Assist)

- Ate lots of ice cream

- Found out that “reduced visibility seating” at Teatro Colon means you won’t see any of the opera, but you’ll enjoy incredible acoustics

- Figured out how to bake using a toaster oven

- Set limits on how much social media I use every day

- Tried llama for the first time

- Learned how to light a gas stove manually

Here’s what I’m looking forward to for the next half:

- Mom visits in October!

- Fulbright Midyear Conference in Brazil

- OET’s debut at the Buenos Aires Tango Festival

- Recording and touring with La Martino to Rosario

- Premiering José Bravo’s new duet with Amijai Shalev (October 23, save the date!)

- Making time to do more dancing (hopefully re-animating the cat?)

- Not getting absolutely beat up every week at boxing (tbd)

- Solo recital in November!

- Eating even more ice cream

and lots more that I’m not thinking of or don’t even know about at the moment!

til next time,

t