Let's dance

I have a little more time on my hands than I normally do on this boat. I know this because I just spent the last hour, in my room, watching a Latin dance lesson on YouTube. The bad news is, I got caught by a fellow crew member.
Now that might not sound so bad on the surface, but believe me, this could get ugly. 7 guys cooped up on a 125 ft boat, just looking for some new material to give someone a hard time, and I think I just gave them the material they need. In baseball lingo they would say I just lobbed up a big fat pitch.
I, the chief engineer, staring intently at my laptop screen with the concentration of a NASA mission control employee, watching a couple performing an intermediate Salsa dance step, over and over and over again? Yep, I’m going to hear about this.
An Irishman learning Salsa? Yes, but fear not, I don’t stray too far from my roots. My daughter gave me a hard time when I was home because of the music I was listening to while I was working out in my home gym. I think working out to “Riverdance” is a perfectly normal choice. She didn’t think so.
My interest in Latin Music came by accident. A few years ago my wife was taking Latin dance lessons at the local YMCA. She tried, in vain, to get me to join her when I would get home, but I resisted for a long time. One night I decided to give it a try and I’ve been hooked on it since.
Maggie and Adolfo are the instructors and are originally from Puerto Rico.
Maggie hails from Patillas, a small town on the South coast, and Adolfo, who came to the States about 10 years ago is from Carolina, PR, a town just a couple of cross body leads away from San Juan.
Their classes are a lot of fun and they draw quite a mixture of people. One particular class had folks from Peru, Mexico, India and Delaware. Just meeting the people from different backgrounds is worth the price of admission.
As time has passed, Maggie and Adolfo are considered not just instructors, but friends. When they are heading into Philadelphia to check out the newest Latin Club, they always give us a call.
So, that is why I was glued to my laptop. I’m trying to pick up another Salsa move to add to my very limited repertoire, in case I get invited out to Cubra Libre. Watching me on the dance floor that is filled with very experienced Salsa dancers is like, well, like watching a train wreck!
I have a ball doing it.
I guess I’ll walk out to the Galley and see if there’s any “gossip” about my YouTube Salsa lesson watching.
I just hope no one catches me practicing my latest move by myself, with my imaginary partner. That would be embarrassing.