Bullfighting
So on Sunday I went to the last bullfight of the season at the Plaza de Toros. I wanted to go because it is a big part of Spanish culture, but I was a little bit nervous about the whole killing part of the sport and I wasn´t sure how I felt in general about the whole thing. I talked to my host mother about it before I went and she pointed out that (while she isn´t personally a big fan of bullfighting), until the bulls actually go to the bullfight, they have a great life (because they want them to be big and strong) and then they just suffer for 15-20 minutes as they are killed, while most of the animals we eat suffer their entire lives to some degree. I guess that´s one way to look at it.
Anyways, the bullfight has three phases. In the first a man on horseback comes and stabs the bull in the neck with a long spear, which is always kind of intersting because as he is doing that, the bull is trying to gore the horse (which luckily is wearing some kind of protective coat). One of the bulls actually succeeded in knocking the horse over and the picador had to jump off; that took some talent. In the second phase, men on foot stick decorated spears (about 2 feet long) in the bull´s neck; all of this is to weaken the bull so it will charge with its head low and the matador can put a sword through its heart, which is the third phase. I guess what surprised me most about the bullfight, though, was my reaction to it. After a little bit of shock as they first drew blood from the bull and the first one died (there were actually 6 bulls killed in this bullfight), it was just like any other sporting event. I wasn´t grossed out or horrified or thinking, ¨This is cruel¨ or whatever, and this is coming from a girl who in her more naive days seriously considered joining PETA.
It really does have an artistic side to it all, too. Every movement is choreographed (except on a couple of occasions when something goes slightly awry and then you see one of the men running for his life to the edge of the ring and over the fence hehe) and the clothing is quite unique...un ¨traje de luces¨(suit of lights) complete with little black shoes and bright neon pink socks. And if you ever want to talk about ego or see someone strut (and I mean STRUT) check out a bullfighter. Not that I necessarily want to encourage bullfighting, but I guess I am okay with it.
Other things here continue to go well. Regular classes start this week, so I am going to have to get out of vacation mode. :( Until later!
Anyways, the bullfight has three phases. In the first a man on horseback comes and stabs the bull in the neck with a long spear, which is always kind of intersting because as he is doing that, the bull is trying to gore the horse (which luckily is wearing some kind of protective coat). One of the bulls actually succeeded in knocking the horse over and the picador had to jump off; that took some talent. In the second phase, men on foot stick decorated spears (about 2 feet long) in the bull´s neck; all of this is to weaken the bull so it will charge with its head low and the matador can put a sword through its heart, which is the third phase. I guess what surprised me most about the bullfight, though, was my reaction to it. After a little bit of shock as they first drew blood from the bull and the first one died (there were actually 6 bulls killed in this bullfight), it was just like any other sporting event. I wasn´t grossed out or horrified or thinking, ¨This is cruel¨ or whatever, and this is coming from a girl who in her more naive days seriously considered joining PETA.
It really does have an artistic side to it all, too. Every movement is choreographed (except on a couple of occasions when something goes slightly awry and then you see one of the men running for his life to the edge of the ring and over the fence hehe) and the clothing is quite unique...un ¨traje de luces¨(suit of lights) complete with little black shoes and bright neon pink socks. And if you ever want to talk about ego or see someone strut (and I mean STRUT) check out a bullfighter. Not that I necessarily want to encourage bullfighting, but I guess I am okay with it.
Other things here continue to go well. Regular classes start this week, so I am going to have to get out of vacation mode. :( Until later!
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