Life: collecting cards. (More precisely, getting some paperwork done after getting US citizenship)

 

At the naturalization ceremony (2/13), we received instructions on what to do next.

  (1) apply for and get passport (for ID).

  (2) visit Social Security Office to update status.

  (3) Voter registration.

So I just did those. Took about 5 weeks.

 (I) applied for passport on 2/15 ($165). For the application I needed to give them the Naturalization certificate (which was mailed back on 3/11). There was a time window that I could not do other paperwork until I got either passport or the certificate.

Received passport on 3/8. I did not ask for expedited processing, so getting passport in 4 weeks and one day was not bad. They originally estimated 6-8 week processing time.

 (II) With passport in my hands, I visited Social Security Office on 3/12 to get SSN card after status update. Took about 30 minutes (25min wait, 5min at the window). I got SSN card in 6 days on 3/18 (today). Not bad at all.

 (III) Since I have my passport, I used it to renew my Drivers License with Real ID update (3/18 today, $77 for 8 years). Real ID will be handy to fly or to visit federal government facilities. At the same time, voter registration was done.

I should be getting the Real ID DL and voter registration card soon. All so legally with some fees.

Small things here and there. Collecting cards. 

[Real ID-compliant Drivers License (example from Oklahoma.gov website)]

Dance: Adelante Latin dance social 3/2/2024; weekly milonga starting in OKC

 Adelante dance studio has been in Moore and based in Old School building.

A local landmark, the Old School building literally was a school building. Originally built in 1899 and rebuilt in 1928 after a fire. There is a theater inside, and the room housed many Latin social dance parties.

There were Argentine Tango classes and milongas in the building in 2022-2023. That helped to rebuild Argentine Tango community after covid.

[Old School Building, Moore, OK]

 Early 2024, this building was sold to new management. For this past a few months, Adelante has been searching for a new place (that they've found, they said).

To my knowledge, the Latin social party on 3/2/2024 was the last party at the building. Indeed, some of the interior items in the corridor had been removed, and it looked like the building is going through a renovation already.

Party is not necessarily about place, but about people who gather. 

As Moore is close to Norman, where University of Oklahoma main campus locates and younger students are, monthly Adelante social parties attracted many newcomer dancers.

I hope the party goes on well after their moving.

Speaking of party, OKC is going to have extra milonga on 2nd and 4th Fridays at idance.

Idance/Hazel has been hosting 1st and 3rd Friday milonga. Starting March, Richard's group is going to host the 2nd and 4th Friday milonga.

As Gustavo's group at Adelante has gone to a hiatus due to the studio moving, their milonga is out for a while. But it will be nice to have more milonga overall.

We'll see how it works out.

This past Friday milonga (3/1/2024), we had people from Tulsa after many years. Tulsa Tango community too shrank during covid, but there have been some who kept Tango going. Glad to have them.

Life: "Today I am an American", US citizenship Oath ceremony, 02/13/2024

 This morning, I attended an Oath ceremony and became an American citizen.

As Japan does not allow dual citizenship, I had been holding off this decision, remaining as a permanent resident (green card holder). 

But it was about time. As I planed ahead, options to go back to Japan had faded in my mind.

I filed N400, application for naturalization, and paid total $725 fee to USCIS on November 21, 2023. 

Received notice to wave biometrics by using data from green card application, then on early December, received notice of Interview schedule. 

After preparation with YouTube videos and 100 civics questions for citizenship, Interview was on January 19, 2024, which I passed. 

This morning, I was among 39 newly minted US citizens from 19 countries, from (alphabetically) Argentina to Zimbabwe, at the USCIS OKC office.

The director's speech mentioned different backgrounds, skills, training and perspectives that we bring, and they are to make this country better.

Nice.

[For sentiment's sake, I wore a suit that my father had it made at a tailor when I was 18. Thanks to my weight reduction last year, the suit still fits me perfectly.]

Dance: two axes for follower, three axes for leader, in Argentine Tango dancing (technique note)

 Notion of axis (plural axes) and use of it/them is essential in dancing Argentine Tango.

For follower, she uses right or left axes. As clean weight transfer (from one axis to another) is critical to this dance, especially for follower, I usually tell beginning follower to have two good axes first.

For the lead, yes, clean weight transfer is also critical. So he should have two axes (right and left).

In addition, he can use center/spine axis that runs along his spine, with his weight distributed in between both feet/legs. Think upside-down Y-shaped structure.

When he uses the center/spine axis, it is not for mobility but for stability and support. When he uses both feet/legs to stand strong, he has much better stability, and can give her much stronger support as well as solid guide post for her moves.

As his major role in Tango dancing is to support her dance, his use of central/spine axis makes sense as an important part of this dance.

Hence, he needs to learn how to use these three axes as a leader.

[screenshots from YouTube "German Cornejo's IMMORTAL TANGO: "A Los Amigos" (German Cornejo & Gisela Galeassi)". Very cool Stage Tango performance. A favorite to watch]

What happens if she uses center/spine axis? She tends to be stable (predictably. and will be heavy), weight transfer is not clean (a major issue), and would move smaller (if she is not freeing up non-axis leg, she cannot move from where she stands). Tango becomes poorly done Kizomba of sorts. 

That is why she should not (at least initially) use center/spine axis as a follow, but to focus on using two axes (right or left).

Followers are often told to "be light on your feet". It is the same thing. Either right or left, don't get stuck in between.

There are exceptions, of course, such as times the lead wants her to stand stably on both legs so that he can show off his gancho or kick through the space between her legs. 

Similar moves can be done in transition, but in this case he is "placing her on the spot". You can observe and tell when he is "placing her" (or not).

You can watch Tango from this standpoint; How dancers are using their axes.