[Tango-L] Tourists in Buenos Aires

[Deby Novitz]

I like them.  Not all of them.  I would be in big trouble if I didn't.  
I rent two rooms in my apartment to them.  Tourists are people and there 
are some who act like animals but then there are Argentines who act like 
animals too.

Tourism was thrust upon Argentina by the devaluation of the peso.  The 
country was not set up for the massive influx of tourism that the 
government was promoting.  Although Argentina was a country built by 
immigrants, they were not used to having so many foreigners descend on 
them at one.  What happens is that you get some people who love the 
foreigners and others who do not.  It was a big surprise to me when I 
moved here that people simply did not like me because I am foreign.

There are milongas here in Buenos Aires that do not like foreigners or 
tourists.  They retaliate by seating you in the worst part of the 
milonga and at times have told people there is no room that everything 
is reserved, just to keep people from entering.  These milongas are in 
the minority.  They figure if they make your time unpleasant you will 
not come back.  They fail to see you as a paying customer. They are rude 
and a disgrace to our tango community.

Most of the milongas welcome everyone.  I don't know how most people 
feel about tourists.  I can tell you that most of the dancers I dance 
with could care less if you are a tourist or an Argentine if you do not 
know how to behave.  A bad mannered person is a bad mannered person 
regardless of where they are born.  I think though there are many 
tourists who come here and do not behave properly, more than the bad 
mannered Argentines.  It is easy to forgive someone for ignorance, but 
not for arrogance.

For example, I have had to explain to women that they cannot ask a man 
to dance.  That it simply is not done.  I explain about men coming to 
the table, men with the cabaceo so that they truly understand the 
codes.  It is acceptable to me that someone does not know all the 
history and all of the codes, but accepts them.  They do not have to 
like them, but they should respect them.  On the other hand there are 
the women who tell me they think it is stupid.  I have to hear how "at 
home" they can ask whoever they want to dance.  They then tell me that 
they don't care, they are going to ask men to dance. That to me is rude.

Most foreigners learn to execute steps that include moves that take up a 
lot of space.  They are used to dancing in open spaces, they are used to 
showing off.  The majority of the milongas here are small floors that 
are packed.  There is no room for that kind of dancing.  The foreigner 
who comments on this and respects they cannot do ganchos and high boleos 
is acceptable.  The ones that bully their way onto the floor kicking the 
hell out of everyone in their way, is not.  You would think that common 
sense would prevail, but unfortunately it does not.

For me it is a people issue. I don't care where someone comes from, if 
they are living here or visiting here, does not matter.  I think people 
need to respect each other.  At times it does get difficult here when it 
seems like the tourists visiting do not respect the customs and pepper 
every sentence with "That's stupid" or "I won't do that" or "I do what I 
want."  Worse for me because I have to explain it and/or translate it to 
Argentines.

However, there are some great people who come here to visit.  I have 
made great friends with people from England, Australia, USA, Spain, and 
Italy.  The fact that they are tourists is irrelevant.  The fact that 
they are great people is.  That's my opinion and we all know I have many 
of them.


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