Recently I was at a local bar when I stoke up a conversation with a Belgian fellow drinker. Turns out he has been brewing his own beer at home for a while. I hear stories of people brewing beer with all kinds of weird flavors and that led me to ask him for his wildest attempt in the brewing experience. In the spirit of this upcoming Halloween he decided to try pumpkin beer. What surprised me the most was that this is his first attempt to go out of the norm. His reason for waiting was simple: it is very very easy to screw up beer. There are so many factors in the brewing process that not mastering the basics can easily lead to unwanted consequences. Brewing is a demanding process better done with the helping hand of a friend who also knows the process. The result of a successful brewing experience is of course the shared joy with good friends.
What is it that moves us while watching a good tango performance? And why can we sometimes stand in awe after a beautiful dance by master instructors that did not involved many crazy moves? Why can some experienced dancers do all the crazy moves and still manage to look funny? almost clown-like?
A lot of the enjoyment in Tango comes from mastering the fundamentals. The beauty in a perfect connection and an elegant step only comes after years of polishing the basics. Tango is too a complex endeavor where a small deviation from simplicity can greatly affect its tone and value. The acrobatics will catch the eye of many, they serve a function and I am not going to deny they are fun and exciting. But without a solid foundation things can quickly go awry especially while performing. I believe it is ultimately this magical simplicity that makes the dance so compelling. We should honor it by cultivating it. Cheers.
