Una clase de danza jazz!

Some of my frustrations with the dance studio I have gone to are well documented.  In addition, the teacher of the stretching class was recently in a bad car accident so there is someone else teaching it, so at any rate, I haven't been back since the Famous Taxi Episode.  Which has left me searching for a dance class.  There was one I had considered on the other side of town on Wednesday nights, but then my friend (and my dance class partner in crime) Bo suggested one on Tuesdays at a smaller studio that she thought I might like better. 

We went yesterday for the first time and the first thing I like was the location.  It's right in the heart of the city which makes it very easy to get to.  Or at least easy to get to the building.  Finding the studio was a little tougher.  We knew it was on the 9th floor.  However, upon entering the elevator, we found the following buttons to press as floor options: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and up and up.  No 9.  We tried 10. Nope.  Eventually got to 8.  Parking level.  Walked around the parking area a bit, till we found a stair that led to the 9th floor parking area.  We walked around that awhile until, at long last, we found the studio.  And now we know which elevators go to 9, and which don't. 

The second thing I like about the studio is that it wasn't super fancy.  It felt a lot like my studio in Buenos Aires (which I loved). The next thing I liked was that the class was the perfect level for me.  There were about 10 of us and several of them were really quite good.  But others were just at my level.  I also liked that even though we are adults and therefore not "serious dancers" the teacher took the class seriously and really pushed us to do our best. 

Which leads me to, the teacher.  He taught the class in English, and even though we is a Westerner, his English was definitely a 2nd language.  Lots of "more quicker" or "more higher" and a bit of an accent.  He sprinkled in some Thai words, which is always fun, and then suddenly he said something and I thought to myself- I think that was Spanish!  So I started listening more closely and sure enough, that was Spanish coming out of his mouth!  But not just any old Spanish- Spanish that felt familiar and comfortable to my ears.  A few of the words he said, and the fact that he didn't seem to have an accent to me made me wonder...

So after class I asked him, in Spanish, where he was from.  "Argentina"  I was amazed and so excited, which I quickly expressed in Spanish, which prompted my favorite response: "Are you?"  I didn't even realize at first how amazing that was, as I just went on to explain that I had lived there for 3 years but was actually from the States.  Granted, he had only heard about 10 words from me, but he asked if  I was Argentine!!!! 

Imagine that.  The perfect dance class for me.  A jazz dance class in Bangkok taught in 70% English, 15% Thai and 15% Castellano.  The best.  What an awesome provision of God! 

A few quick prayer requests:

• Pray for my relationship with one of my classes of 8th graders.  There are several "power struggle" students in there, not a behavioral issue I handle particularly well.  Pray for wisdom and patience as I deal with those kids, and for better repoire with that class in general. 
• My friend and I are searching for a children's home that could use some volunteers and resources.  At this point, the only ones that are easy to research/find near Bangkok have the resources they need. Pray that we can find a place (within a reasonable distance) that doesn't have the means to publicize itself and that needs resources- we know they exist, and pray that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to the children there and the people who support them on a daily basis.