Robin Buss

September 7, 2005

Robin Buss is a 19-year-old (B&M Models) who recently arrived in Hong Kong to start her international career. The 176 cm (5'9") model is in Asia for the first time in her life and has kindly agreed to provide modelresource readers with occassional updates on her experience.

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This Hong Kong adventure that I am on is full of surprises. These past couple of days I found myself rather bored, which seems to spur on homesickness, and sometimes it's hard for me to muster up the courage to just get out there and explore! But as always, the pendulum swings, and last night I discovered something I am very excited to report: Tuesday night Salsa!

It was a regular night out, dinner at Dragon-i, a restaraunt where all the models go, and the regular schmoozing that goes on among us. "Hi, how are you?" followed by air kisses on both cheeks. One of the girls I met that night, a very kind Russian girl, also my age, started to tell me about a place she goes dancing on Tuesday nights, and would I like to come? But I must be warned, its a Salsa club and the men will ask you to dance.

Well! I'll try anything once! So there I was, in my beaded necklace and flip-flops, sitting wide-eyed in the basement of the C Club, watching as couples spun and whirled across the tiny dance floor. There was a lanky Chinese guy keeping time with a Jewish girl who's favourite move was to fling her thick brown hair when she spun. There was a very tall Spanish-looking man twirling a petite Asian girl. I saw what I thought was a black couple, until the girl spun and I realised she was a Chinese chick who had crimped her wild hair! (it looked like a fro!). My Russian friend was a goddess on the dance floor, stepping imaculately to the rhythm of the salsa and mamba (or is it samba?) with a tall, nimble Indian looking man - they were a fun couple to watch.

After each song, the pairs would express their thanks for the dance, and then find a new partner before the next song launched into its staggered beat. I found an unlikely teacher in a short, very chipper, gay Chinese man who was very kind and patient with my learning the moves. For about five songs I watched his shiny white shoes go 'Forward, one two, Back one two' and so on. It was so much fun!

Although I felt clumsy, I am determined to go back next Tuesday at 8:00, when they have lessons, so that I may glide smoothly among that gorgeously multicultural crowd. And hey, maybe I'll come back to Toronto not only speaking Cantonese, but also dancing the Salsa!

More to follow...