New Orleans -- May 28, 2006

This week countrymen and women from Argentina have been celebrating the anniversary of the country. There is no other country on the face of the earth that actually sets aside a day to commemorate and celebrate National Country Day separate from Independence Day (July 9).

It actually happened on the 25th but authentic celebrations require chimichurri and plenty of meat to condiment it with after it has been slowly barbecued on charcoal. Nothing better that a Sunday afternoon with friends who have Argentina in their hearts..

Dealing with survivor's guilt we got together with our frinds for a post-Katrina healing 25 de mayo barbecue celebration and cotillion.

Its difficult to belong to a world that no longer exists, shock shelled into oblivion by the double whammy of September 11 and August 29. Our lives have been altered forever and who knows if or when the glorious days of Octavia St., the Hotel Monaco and the Loft523 may return.

For four months after Katrina hit, we realized how lucky we were, being able to exercise our occupation around the country. City after city, we found solidarity, respect and above all the desire of everyone to help bring the illustrious days of our great tango community back to its past splendor.

We received a lot of help and benefited from all the display of solidarity and good faith.

Today we live in a city that has come close to being wiped out from the face of the earth. We are surrounded by a disarray of people still trying to mend their lives back into something coherent and purposeful. Most of our good male dancers have not returned. It's hard to stay fit in tango shape when opportunities are scarce.

We have decided to start a post-Katrina healing tango program offering personal workouts at reduced costs, subsidized in part by the generosity of many of our friends in out of town communities. But first we began the path to recovery the Argentine/New Orleans way.