More Madrid

See more of our Madrid photos.

A Starbucks Warning

This isn't a sign you see in the NW 23rd Starbucks in Portland.

Kristie and the Bloodthirsty Crowd

This is when we had enough of the event. Notice the guy to Kristie's right. I think Hemingway was there, cigar and all. My 10th grade teacher was right about Hemmy watching bullfights in Madrid.

The Bullfight

We thought it was a good idea to attend a bullfight in Madrid. They happen only on Sundays, so we took the train to the arena and bought our tickets. We found our seats, right next to another pair of Americans. Were we in the forign section so we can be outraged together?



The bull comes out and runs around while five men dance and prance to incite the animal. As the bull passes, they try to stab him in the back with daggers. Taunting the bull with pink capes and stabbing him with little swords hardly seems fair. The bull has five colored swords stuck in his back; he looks like a woman in curlers. I find myself wanting the bull to win. It's only fair that a man dies once in awhile. I'm not bloodthirsty or anything. I'm a fan of justice.



The matador then stabs the larger sword into the bull. Even from our far-away seats, we can see the blood. The bull is cornered and scared and weak. He stumbles around. The matador moves in closer to stare at him, displaying some kind of power. Finally, the bull falls and the crowd goes wild. Kristie and I look horrified. Another guy goes in and stabs the bull a few more times to ensure he is dead. The band plays fanfare, while the carcass is attached to horses and dragged around the stadium displaying the "triumph." Kristie was to leave, but I think we should stay for another. I hope the bull wins this one. As I learned from The Breakfast Club, "If you want to play with the bulls, you're going to get it with the horns."




I think PETA would have a problem with this. Last night, we walked by a McDonalds, and there was a protest by a group of never-do-wells decrying the treatment of animals. Perhaps those folks should be outside this arena as it is worse. At least people eat the McAnimals. Oh wait...It's acceptable to protest all things American, but not the customs of other countries.

The bull charged this guy and bounced him on his horns. He looked injured, andf I think that is only fair. There should be a circle of life here once in a while. I want the bull to be the victor like I wanted Russell Crowe to win in Gladiator. It's rooting for the underdog. It's rooting for justice in nature.

Here's an idea: match the matadors against the protesters. I'd pay to see that.

Mr. T, Madrid, and Me

I began the morning watching an episode of The A-Team dubbed in Spanish. Either my Spanish is better than I thought or the storylines for this show are thread-bare, but I understood the show. The voice dubbing Mr. T sounded like a monster from Clash of the Titans. Perhaps the Spaniards need some help with their stereotypes of American Blacks.

In the episode, Murdoch was injured, and the rest of the team tried to obtain medical supplies in the most complicated way possible. Interspersed were flashbacks to the good times the gang had with crazy-ole Murdoch. At the end, there was a montage of scenes of the guy-crushing between B.A. and Murdoch with a synthesizer-heavy ballad about being best friends.

If this is the start of our vacation in Spain, how can it get any better?