My first visit to El Corte was on Monday, 3rd of July 2000 (my memories are so fresh :)). It was the day of beginning of IW 2000. Melin, Selim, Zeynep and I were together at the entrance door. It was very crowded. People were trying to register for the workshops that will take place for the following days in the central room. I don't know what I expected, but booooooom! I felt myself disappointed at the very first impression.
I think, my expectations were very high. Because I heard stories and experiences from my friends who came el corte before.
On Tuesday morning it started to change. Workshops and
milongas, were started. One by one, I started to know Eric, Komala, international weekers, visitors. The atmosphere fully changed. Then, everything was initiated, someone or something pulled the trigger. After Thursday night I felt myself very happy as a member of a very big family, which is created by people from Nijmegen, Arnhem, Amsterdam, etc. And the daddy ( creator ) of the family was Eric.

I remember that Eric was sitting next to the music system on Friday night milonga. He was watching the dancing hall all night long from a small corner of inside window of big hall... I saw the interactivity between Eric and dancing couples.
The couples who are dancing were swirling to move in milongas and when the music slows down to the silence.

They stopped. I was able to hear the breathe of the couples breathing at the same time, composing a divine milonga monster. As soon as the music starts again they started to move again. Waoooow! This was incredible.

I left the half of my spirit in El Corte. I don't know which combination of letters or words could help me to express my feelings right now. I think none of thee. What I can do is, to count down minutes and days to the next meeting day...