Bullfight

Bullfighting is one of the prized traditions of the Spanish culture and is known world-wide. API gave us the opportunity to go with other students in our program and experience a bullfight this past Monday, in what ended up being a very memorable experience for me.

Sevilla's bullfighting ring, Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza, is where bullfighting began. Built in 1749, it's the oldest bullfighting ring in the world, and its atmosphere was second to none. We arrived for the 6:30pm bullfight around 6:20, and before we knew it a brass band was playing to us while all of the matadors came out and were introduced. It was a very traditional ceremony - unlike any American events, there were no microphones, no announcers, simply a band to play in between rounds and a trumpeter to signal when the next stage of fighting would commence.

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with bullfighting as I am, I'll give a brief summary. There are 6 rounds in each bullfight, with 3 matadors competing. Each matador gets 2 rounds to perform, and the matador who the crowd thinks is best at the end wins the prize (which we'll get to in a second). There are 4 stages to each round (or each bull). Warning - the process of a bullfight isn't for the weak at heart.

First, the bull comes out of the pen, angry and ready to run around. The matador and a few other assistants, called banderilleros, get the bull tired while the matador observes the movements and tendencies of the bull.

In between each section, a sound of trumpets signals the next stage by playing a short and simple tune for about 20 seconds.

Second, 2 horses with men and spears come out, and make the first blows to the bull, usually near the bull's neck. This causes massive blood loss in the bull and starts making it weaker.

Third, the 3 banderilleros tempt the bull with their capes again and then attempt to stick the bull with these sticks with sharp metal ends to them, which both angers the bull and causes fatigue to its body from the loss of even more blood.

Fourth, the matador shows what he is made of. With a run-down but angered bull in which he has had time to study its tendencies, the matador uses his techniques to have the bull follow his red cape around him. The longer the bull follows the cape, the better of a fighter the matador is considered to be, and the more excited the crowd gets. In the earlier stages, the crowd remains silent out of respect, but when the matador is up people start shouting "bien...biEN...BIEN!!"

Before you know it, the matador is ready to make the bull his ultimate victim by killing it. The matador takes his sword, lunges towards the bull, and tries to make a clean stab right behind the head. If he succeeds, the bull will quickly fall to its knees and someone will come out and use a dagger to remove it from its misery. If not, then the matador has to try again, losing him dear points.

In my particular fight, the crowd started waving white handkerchiefs and flags, which I later found out meant that they were petitioning for the last matador to be awarded a high honor. If they crowd waves white flags, it signifies that they want the president to give the matador an ear of the bull. The matador was awarded with two ears, which is a huge honor. After the fight was over, he circled the arena to a standing ovation and women throwing roses into the ring.

I really enjoyed my experience at the bullfight. Some people think that it's simply a bloodbath of torturing animals, but I chose to take the perspective that it's a Spanish tradition and art. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the music, the costumes of the matadors, and seeing something that is so popular around the world.

Brad.

El Escorial and Toledo

My friends,

I'll go ahead and start this off with a tangent - what's with all of this SOPA stuff I keep reading about on the twittersphere? Anyone care to fill me in?

Today's been a lot of fun. We left the great city of Madrid and headed out to the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where we visited El Escorial, home of some of the former kings of Spain as well as a current monastery and school. The town itself was about 30 minutes outside of Madrid, and it was a beautiful place - kind of the stereotypical image you would probably get when you think about a smaller town in the Spanish foothills.

We got to take a tour of El Escorial, and it was very different than the Royal Palace we saw yesterday. The elegance and intricacy of each room was much less impressive, which apparently was the point of King Phillip, who wanted to live a simple life like the monks did at that time. (sidenote: the whole tour was in Spanish, so if these facts aren't completely accurate, I apologize). We saw rooms ranging from the library and "exercise room", to the bedroom and even the room containing all the tombs of past kings and queens of Spain. The whole complex was very impressive, but the cathedral was what really stood out to me. While everything else in the palace lacked fanciness and flare, the cathedral was amazingly detailed and gorgeous. It was by far the most beautiful center of worship that I had ever been in, with its amazing height, gorgeous statues, and 4 gigantic organs that could all be played simultaneously (that probably got me more psyched than anything).

After visiting El Escorial, we drove a few hours to the city of Toledo. It was a very refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of Madrid. Toledo's history is very rich (so rich that I would butcher it if I even tried to explain it all), and it was amazing getting to imagine the history that passed through the city. We took a walking tour around the city and saw a few different cathedrals. Our tour guide showed us original works of art from Goya. Art always amazes me whenever people actually give me the background of it. We also saw a Jewish synagogue that was made in the twelfth century. Crazy to think about...

After thinking that I had seen the greatest cathedral ever at El Escorial, I was quickly mistaken after seeing Toledo's famous cathedral, Catedral de Toledo. Luckily, I did get to take some pictures in this place, although I don't think that the pictures can do the cathedral justice.

I tried to upload more of them just now, but the internet is going a little slow so I guess they'll have to wait until the Facebook album..

Unlike Madrid, which is more or less a grid-like layout, Toledo has streets going every which-way and it was fun to get lost and explore the city a little bit tonight. I went with a few friends and explored a few tapas bars (be careful how you say that or else Americans might think you're a perv), and then found a fun bar to go watch the much anticipated soccer game between Real Madrid and UC Barcelona. Although I don't like soccer very much, watching the game in Spain was so much fun! Everyone is so passionate about the sport and their team - I just made sure I remained neutral the whole time..

I ended the night having the pleasure to talk to two of my favorite people - my girlfriend and my dad. From talking all about Spain and life in Waco with Kathryn to talking about Spain and KU basketball with my dad, I loved every minute of my conversation and definitely consider myself blessed to be able to utilize technology these days.

Tomorrow I'll take the bus with my group to Sevilla and get to meet our host families! I'm so excited to get to officially meet my host mother and get settled in and unpacked. It's been a blast of a trip so far, but I'm ready to be in a place that I can call my home for a few months and not just live out of a suitcase.

Alright, that's all I want to say.

Ay dee ose.

Brad.

P.S. Mom - I love you :)

First Post

What's up!

This is my new blog that will (hopefully) be kept up-to-date on my happenings for the next semester. As some of you already know, I am going to be studying international business abroad at Pablo de Olavide University in Sevilla, Spain. I'll be leaving Sunday, January 15th and getting back May 19th. While in Spain, I'll live with a host mother, Gracia, who is 74 years old, as well as have another American roommate, Alexander.

Within the next 4 months, I hope to be stretched, challenged, and broadened in both my intellectual and cultural experiences. I invite you to come and follow along with me on this journey through Europe as I blog my thoughts, findings, and experiences throughout the next semester. Leggo!

Things I'm Excited About:

Immersion:

Since my freshman year of high school, I've always wanted to be able to speak the Spanish language fluently. I saw what an asset speaking another language could be when I went on a mission trip to Mexico my sophomore year of high school. I only spoke bits and pieces of Spanish and still gained close relationships with many Mexican people, some of which I'm still in contact with today. I'm hoping that immersing myself within the Spanish culture by living with a host family, taking classes in Spanish, and altogether speaking Spanish to nearly every person I come in contact with will create the opportunity for me to be challenged in my Spanish-speaking skills. One of my main goals throughout these next few months is to be able to confidently say "I speak fluent Spanish", and I believe that immersion within the Sevillan culture will help to bring me closer to that goal.

Excursion:

I want this trip to be full of adventures! In no way do I want to regret not making the most of each and every day. My life at K-State is often very busy and at times taxing - I have many different jobs and responsibilities along with school that I am committed to on a daily basis. In Sevilla, the only real responsibility I have other than taking classes is to live in Spain! Extended free time, what a weird concept for an American! Along with the planned trips through API (Cádiz, Granada, Cordoba, Doñana, Lisbon) I hope to embark on my own adventures throughout Spain and Europe as well.

Decision:

I think that for the majority of my high school and now college career, I have been somewhat undecided on what I want to do upon graduating. Since running my own mini-business for a class project in 5th grade in which I sold beaded lizards to my classmates, I have always been intrigued by business and the art of sales persuasion. However, I have yet to find a real direct career path that connects with my passion for marketing and presentation. I am hoping that my time abroad will direct me towards a more clear and concise career path, whether that be international business, marketing, or something else.

Mission:

I believe that I am going to Spain my junior year, spring semester for a specific reason. Although my initial thoughts and desires are to have internal benefits, I know that God has something so much bigger in store for me. I am excited to find a community of Christian believers in Spain and to have opportunities to evangelize to others through my words and actions. I am trusting that God will put me in situations that will challenge me and give me an opportunity to bring Him glory, and I ask for prayers that I would be able to have the boldness to confidently proclaim the Good News to them.

Things I'm Apprehensive About:

Filets:

I want to be all about trying new foods, but I can see this part of the trip being somewhat difficult for me at times. I've heard that the food will often still be "looking at you". I'm already not a huge fan of fish, so this could be a little bit of a problem. Oh well. Here's to losing 20 pounds while still respectfully trying everything your host mother makes for you!

A Ways:

The hardest part of this trip is going to be being away from the people I love the most. I am so blessed to have an incredible family, friend group, and girlfriend. In no way am I looking forward to being away from any of them for this long, but know that I would regret not seizing the opportunity to study abroad while I still can. Communication is going to be tough with a 7 hour time difference and no wireless internet in the house I'll be living, but I know that distance can strengthen relationships and I'm looking forward to seeing the ways that the Lord strengthens me and my loved ones.

Bidets:

Is an explanation even necessary? Yikes...

And so it starts... Thanks in advance to everyone offering me prayer and support, I really couldn't do it without you all.

Brad.