Adios Madrid
As my last day in Madrid, I really wanted to make Sunday count. I wanted to take in every part of life that I had been living for the past four months. After a little packing in the morning, I took a leisurely walk over to Nicolette’s apartment. It was a beautiful day out. Thinking that this would be the last time I made this walk really made me sad. I did the tourist bit taking pictures of everything I saw everyday, from the intersection I crossed, to the Metro stop I used and the Spanish flags I passed. I fell like I’m finally getting comfortable in the city and now it’s time to leave. After hanging out at Nicolette’s for a while, we went to enjoy our last Spanish meal together. We decided the best food we could eat, for a relatively cheap price – kababs. They were delicious as I expected, but when we finished, I had to say goodbye to my Nicolette. I was so sad. We will definitely keep in touch, but it won’t be the same. It’s strange when you see the same people everyday for four months, and then have no idea when the next time you meet will be.
Toros Bravos
Before Madrid became my second home, I made the decision I needed to see a bullfight. It may be strange activity, but it’s a key aspect of Spanish culture. I think I would have been kicking myself if I studied abroad in Spain and never saw a bullfight. Bullfights start at exactly 7 p.m. Ernest Hemmingway wrote a famous novel almost solely based on the fight called “Death in the Afternoon.†He loved the bullfight spectacle. My friend Kate and I arrived at the bull ring around 6:15. We thought it would be easy to get tickets, but because it was San Isidoro’s fiesta (the bullfighting saint), the fight was entirely sold out. Fortunately, we were able to scalp tickets for a good price.
Finally we made it in the ring. In a bullfight there are seven matches with seven bulls. In other words, seven bulls die. There has been a lot of criticism surrounding the Spanish bullfight, especially by animal rights activists. However, the bulls used for bull fighting are not your average bull. They are called Toros Bravos, and they are given the absolute best life before the fight. They are fed the best foods and live in the best conditions. They are practically pampered before their death. The theory surrounding the bullfight is that it’s a battle between man and beast. The battle is also representative of a human’s relationship with the gods. In mythological times, it was said that the gods would purposely put humans in extremely dangerous situations, knowing that their final outcome would be death. The humans were thought to be unintelligent creatures, like we think of the bulls today. It’s pretty interesting if you ask me.
I didn’t necessarily enjoy seeing the bulls get killed, but I’m glad we went. Kate and I stayed for four rounds and decided it was enough; we didn’t need to see seven. I’m not against the bullfight nor do I think they should be outlawed. I just think it’s a cultural difference. The bullfighters are treated like heroes in the eyes of Spaniards, and I really believe it’s a talent to be a good bullfighter. These wild animals are massive, and in every match the bullfighter risks his life trying to make the fight look graceful and easy. They dress in bright, extravagant colored costumes and do ballerina-like moves to avoid being killed himself. No one got hurt in the bullfights I saw, but we did see one man get head-butted by the bull, fall to the ground and rip his suit. It was a very exciting experience. After the bullfight, Kate and I said our goodbyes and I headed back to Choni’s to pack for my final 9 hour flight out of the Madrid airport.
