Remember when you hooked up with a lover and all you did at the beginning was do the horizontal bumping; which included all that euphoria of love, passion, and everything in between? Now remember how the relationship inevitably cooled down to something comfortable where riding the candle-stick was less frequent... kinda like fresh apple pie left to cool but the quality was better than quantity (No not like the movie!)? Yeah, that's kinda like how Bachata is for me today.

It's entertaining to see the new batch of Bachata dancers yell their hearts out in their status updates and notes (on Facebook) about how Bachata changed them, how they love it, how Bachata will spank their ass as hard as they want... yes... Bachata... we like it. The dancing I mean.

I used to be like that, but before I could love Bachata I had to hate her (sounds like a relationship start out bad) and even wrote a blog about how I didn't like her called "How I Gave Up On Bachata."

I was introduced to Bachata by a mutual friend named Rodney, fondly called Rodchata (No relationship between Rodchata and Bachata mind you... they're just friends).

After a year of teasing and ridiculing Bachata, I finally admitted to Bachata that I liked her after a year of hearing about her and seeing her around. She wasn't all that bad.

As I continued my relationship with Salsa, I carelessly had a love affair with Bachata. We would sneak time in with each other whenever we can... away from the main floor at the Glas Kat... on the dark dance floor at Sh Boom's...

As I grew to know more about her, the more I grew to love her. She was different than Salsa. She's sensual, she's hot, and man she can sure move those hips. I did mention this already right?

Salsa and I hit a glass ceiling of sorts at around the nine year mark. Was it me that changed, or was it her? My feelings for her changed. Things became routine. Things were the same night after night. I felt suffocated... bored.... but I was too chicken to leave something so comfortable for something else I was falling in love with.

I'm still talking about dancing mind you. I wanted Bachata, but I was committed to Salsa. What do I do!?! My friends told me I was living a lie if I wasn't honest with Salsa... with myself... I had to make a decision.

And back to Bachata. She doesn't realize she's my mistress, my lover on the side... like a side order of fries... no, she did not. For all she knew she was going out with a single man....

My love affair with Bachata eventually grew, as I slowly wanted more and more of her... we found more ways to see one another.... first it was at the Reno Bachata Festival in 2009... then it was the San Francisco Bachata Festival in 2009... nights were spent in ecstasy with Bachata... days spent getting to know more about one another.

Like all love affairs, there comes a moment where you have to decide on one... it's unfair to love two. I admit, whenever I was with Salsa... all I could think of was Bachata... and when I'm with Bachata all I could think of was her.

And so I finally made my decision. I told Salsa about how I cheated with Bachata.... surprisingly she took it well.... there was no crying... no yelling... just understanding. She respected how I felt, and she respected my decision. Today, Salsa and I are great friends... seeing each other whenever we had time, in fact we still teach together at my studio in San Jose.

As for Bachata, that relationship that started as a love affair? Well we're doing just fine thank you. We currently teach together 4 times a year or so at my studio... and we still visit the same places we've shared time at plus then some:

Glas Kat
Sh Boom Nightclub
Just Dance Ballroom
Alberto's
Azucar's
The Miraido Studio
SF Bachata Festival
Reno Bachata Festival
Allegro's
The Edge @ Peppermill Casino

Bachata and I also share about how we feel about each other via music we listen to. I currently DJ music whenever opportunity opens.

It's been around three years since I fell for Bachata and guess what? To celebrate our around-three-year anniversary we're heading to Hawaii for the 1st Bachata Vacation Hawaii in Waikiki on Halloween 2010.

Oh and by the way, I'm still talking about dancing mind you.