Birthday Celebration March 26, 2006 I celebrated my 60th birthday. After a week in Mexico on the beach in Akumal it was time to get back into the groove. We invited some friends to join us at the Polka Club for a Sunday afternoon of fun.
Most did not particularly know how to polka and their waltzs were a little rusty, but they gave it a try. It was great fun.
Watching Tango – Friday March 31, 2006, Stan and I decided to celebrate our 33rd anniversary by finding a different place to go out to dinner. When looking for dancing places, I read about the Mercury Cafe in the paper. They have different dance classes a few times a week. Friday was Tango night.
We called for reservations which is comical as there is always room for early birds. This place is on the outskirts of downtown off 21st. The building sits almost alone looking a lot like a warehouse, but for its brightly decorated exterior. Stan and I shook our heads wondering if dinner was a good idea as we peaked through the windows at a mostly empty dining room. After opening the door, we walked through the bright green plastic curtain to be greeted by a friendly young man with straggly dread locks hanging beneath a bolo type hat. He seated us in an almost empty room into church pew seats. Different, of course. I decided we were in Philadelphia dining for the evening.
There were small shelves at each booth that held antique obscure lamps from the 50’s era with lampshades in odd geometric shapes covered with large print drapery cloth. Some tables had silky shades others six inch fringe dangled from the edges. Our lamp had the bust of a black woman. The booth next to ours had an oriental figure. The walls were painted hues of reds with two foot rose outlines fading into the ambience. There were interesting paintings of landscapes hanging above the piano along the back wall. Small cards were tucked along side the paintings which I assumed indicated the paintings were for sale.
Our waitress was happy and friendly and brought us out homemade rolls dense with rich butter and whole grains. The food was on the edge of organic although Stan ordered a deliciously thick hamburger served on one of those dense homemade dark buns. I have fettuccine with spinach dripping in garlic and olive oil. We saved room for a tall piece of chocolate cake with creaming frosting to die for.
Stan immediately noticed our waitress was the only one who wasn’t covered in tattoos. Others had trees on their arms and their low cut necklines revealed designed tattooed into their chest that complimented their jewelry.
A stone face man walked by carrying an accordion and sat down in front of the piano. As the evening progressed he played quiet tunes you would hear if in Europe or Russia. His face remained stoic as he played songs of his past. I’m sure his mind wondered to other days where these songs were so appreciated and brought light to the soles around that heard them. It was a delight for us and brought the evening together.
We ventured upstairs to the dance floor. Beginning Tango lessons were just completing and intermediate starting. We cozyed up in the theater seats to have a watch. People were lining up for the next lesson, but a mere five bucks each. The peppy instructor talked a bit, then they practiced leaving one leg stationary and moving the other forward a couple of times, to the side some more and back a few steps. Now the other side. They all walked around the circle slowing to the count of four. They picked partners and tried it together. I got lost on the next steps which looked simple with the crossover back and forth. It looked elegant and some dancers were really getting it.
The real dancers were showing up for open dance. They brought their shoes in bags and sat down in the tiered creaked theater seats and put them on. Some dancers have hurried out onto the floor to start their maneuvering as if a trace. One man stood beside his partner as he waited for her to strap on her shoes. His face was expressionless. She got up they clenched the serious stance and floated off with the music. I noticed when they came around again, her eyes were closed in another land. There were no smiles or frivolous movements for these seasoned dancers. They took this dancing as seriously as if they were taking a CPA test.
I can’t wait to try it out again. Philadelphia seems like a lot of fun.