[Tango-L] Smoking section at a milonga in Buenos Aires

[Janis Kenyon]

Many milongas announced a no-smoking policy since the new law went into
effect on October 1, 2006, but there is at least one exception--Lo de Celia.
Celia Blanco has a smoke extractor which permits her to have a smoking
section in her milonga.  Her milonga has been closed several times by
inspectors, so she makes certain that her milonga is run in compliance with
every law.  She has designated the side in front of the windows for smokers,
and there are no smoking signs on the walls around the room.  I overheard
complaints in the ladies' room from nonsmokers seated in the smoking
section.  It comes down to sitting in the smoking section or going
elsewhere.  Lo de Celia attracts the best dancers on Sunday evening, and
it's full to capacity.

I arrived at 7:30 last night and was glad to be seated on the no-smoking
side of the room.  A quick scan confirmed that it was as going to be a great
night, thanks to so many excellent male dancers.  Even Janice from Denver, a
first-timer to Buenos Aires, got a front row table on the no-smoking side
and had lots of tandas during the evening.  She learned on Saturday that
Celia's is the place to go afternoons to dance where there are few but
excellent dancers and the best music by Dany.  Many come to the door, see
the place almost empty, and then leave.  Little do they know.

The front page of La Nacion yesterday reported a "foreign invasion" of
Argentina--1.3 million tourists have travelled here in the first nine months
of this year.  The foreign invasion is certainly evident in the milongas.