I guess it was already a week ago, but I had the opportunity to attend a real Spanish bullfight. I was a bit apprehensive about going because of horror stories that I heard from people who had gone the Sunday before me. Apparently, two of the matadors (called torerros in Spanish) were seriously injured (like bleeding from the femoral artery!!! Too much detail?). I was also secretly worried that some small part of me that loves animals would be traumatized. Despite all of my preconceived notions, the bullfight was not brutal, simply interesting, and maybe a little boring. I found myself waiting for someone to get hurt just for a little excitement (so that is the real appeal of the sport, ha ha).
In a bullfight, there are six bulls and 3 torerros (so, each fighter gets two attempts). As you can imagine, this process takes a while. The first two fights were very interesting, but the last ones just became repetitive. There is a lot going on but the sequence never changes throughout the entirety of the event.
There are so many theatrics that go on within a bullfight from the costumes to the way that the torerros walk!!! Not to mention the horses that distract the bulls, the removal party, and live brass band! Overall, I would call it a worthwhile cultural experience. I didn't find that it was very brutal, though I can't say watching something die is my favorite pastime.
Yesterday, there was a nationwide strike in Spain. Everything was supposed to shut down, but the turnout wasn't as great as hoped for. I was still expected to go to school, despite limited public transportation, however, most people didn't make it too class (unfortunately, I was one who did). Also, my new food obsession is tortilla España, I will try to find a recipe soon. Essentially, it is what the Spanish define as an omelet and it is fattening me up!
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