"i have really good digestion," says ricardo, who is sitting across from me at a bar in my neighborhood where i never go. "i have a stomach like a goat." He takes the empty plastic bag from the picos, and crinkles it up, pretending to stuff it in his mouth and eat it.
"you are a nervous woman," he replies in answer to my statement that he is lucky, and that i always have such problems.

ricardo arrived here a few days ago from germany where he was doing a tour. i have gotten a few pep talks since he arrived. i also got introduced to andres (marin) a well known dancer and choreographer and buddy of ricardo's, who does very modern shows. "no, not modern," says andres. they come from his experience with the more pure flamenco that almost doesn't exist any more. he just doesn't do the same old thing like farruquito, all the time.