Weltweit

Next weekend, there is a bullfight in Caceres, the first of the season.

Bullfighting is a Spanish tradition originating from gladiatorial fights that took place when the Roman Empire occupied the peninsula, enduring the various reigns to come, and remains an integral part of culture.

During theFrancodictatorship bullfights were supported by the state as something genuinely Spanish so that bullfights became associated with the regime and, for this reason, many thought they would decline after the transition to democracy, but this did not happen.

Obviously.

I won’t even comment on the fact that it’s so typical of them to blame it on Franco (even though I just did).

Call me ignorant, call me rude, but I am judging you if you support bullfighting in any way, shape, or form.  This inherently means that I am judging all Spaniards, which isn’t anything new.  I am no activist for animal rights, and I don’t think that’s necessary in this situation—there is absolutely no excuse for supporting a “sport” that is literally torturing an animal.  It’s no better than people who group together and beat their dogs for fun.

Let’s take a look at some descriptions on the Wikipedia page entitled “Spanish-style bullfighting”:

The picador stabs a mound of muscle on the bull’s neck leading to the animal’s first loss of blood. This loss of blood further weakens the bull and makes him ready for the next stage.

…The three banderilleros each attempt to plant two barbed sticks in the bull’s shoulders. These further weaken the enormous ridges of neck and shoulder muscle loss of blood, while also frequently spurring the bull into making more ferocious charges.

The matador must kill the bull in fifteen minutes after the first muleta pass, at most. After ten minutes, if the bull is still alive, the presidente will order anaviso, a warning given with a trumpet sound…The presidente will then give an order to have the bull returned to its pen… to have the bull killed outside the ring. Regardless, it is a dishonor for the failing matador.

The fact that a person would want to make an animal look stupid, and kill it afterwards, just to feel like more of a man, is downright embarrassing to the human race.  It says a lot about Spanish culture that this is their “national pastime.”  Yeah, ancient Romans had a similar concept with gladiators that fought animals and each other.  The concept also disappeared, along with the ancient Roman Empire, 1500 years ago.

 As this is an incredibly potent post, I am trying very hard to rationalize bullfighting.  Yet amidst all the glamour and romanticism, the giant animal always dies, exhausted and stained with blood, and the man in the fabulous costume waves his big red cape, showered with roses and cheers.

Two weeks ago, it SNOWED in Caceres.

A remarkable feat, considering the last time this happened was 14 years ago.

Drivers crouched to put chains on the wheels of their car.  People of all ages scooped up the fluffy white stuff to throw snowballs at their peers.  Children flocked to the street to roll around in the powder and discovered that it was, in fact, extremely cold and wet.

Nevermind that it was less than five inches.

Possessing the climate Caceres does, the strange weather didn’t last very long.  The next day saw the results of the snow, mere as they were, on the sidewalks, on the roads, on the…walls?

I know snow is rare here, but the walls are completely ruined.  There are buckets everywhere, attempting collect the water dripping from two stories above and creating puddles across the tile floors spotted with cigarettes smokers; it’s too cold to do that outside.  These are pictures of the University of Extremadura, completely destroyed by the water damage.

I hate to be the one who asks the question, but what kind of construction company passes the plans to make a building that can barely withstand a subordinate amount of water?  The days of rain that followed didn’t help the city’s case.  There’s no excuse, Spain—you need to construct edificios that can bear the weight of water.  The fact that the building is not heated* and there is stagnant water covering a large portion of the stark hallways is enough to create a Gripe A (swine flu) epidemic…wait a minute, whatever happened to swine flu, anyway?

The problem with building something this poorly is that it clearly comes to bite you in the ass.  The source of this concern comes from insufficient funds from the government.  If they took the time to actually put the proper amount of money into construction and resources, they wouldn’t have revolting staining and permanent destruction like this.  So Spain, I’m going to do your lazy-ass a favor by giving you the answer: more money for maintaining buildings, a fancy new heater, and proper insulation.  That way, no one will have to deal with winter coats or umbrellas inside.

Thank you!  You’re welcome!

*This is not an exaggeration; at the time the heat had yet to be turned on.

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Italy?

Romantic, antiquated, passionate?

In one sense, these things are very true.  Just walk into the Pantheon, and you will literally be bending over backwards to marvel at the construction of the temple built in the second century (126 CE).  The preservation of the Roman Forum is equally astounding.  I give Rome much credit for their outstanding conservation of the oldest part of their city, as well as the incredible spread of Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

Those three adjectives can’t be all good, though.  Attempting to preserve buildings from 700 years ago means constant restoration and outdated water and electricity systems.  Modern technology isn’t their strong suit.  As beautiful as everything was, Rome seemed liked an oversized dollhouse to me—fun to look at and touch gingerly, but only from a distance.  Too much handling and the whole thing will crumble in your hands.

Visiting Rome is like taking a step into Italy’s charming and attractive past—no harm in that, as long as it’s only for a short while.

It’s been a while folks, but a lot of that is due to the fact that I really haven’t a moment to sit and think for the past few months.  For my winter travels, I have been off to Rome, and returned for some time with my family traveling around southwest Spain and Portugal.

The trip was beautiful, extremely hectic and educating, and gave me time to think about life outside of the small city of Caceres.

I will be sure to post my experiences on the said trip, but with time, as I still need time to decompress.  My current location in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and finally feel relaxed—it’s nice to have a break from the city-hopping.  Oh, and I am in love with Amsterdam.

The architecture really stands out to me.  The brick buildings stand in a row over the narrow canals, paired with lovely roman bridges and cozy boat houses.  Every house looks as if they shopped at a second-hand shop for their furnishings.  This city is stunning.  Even as I drudge through the heavy snow and jump to avoid piles of dog shit, I am infatuated with the simple design, quirky decorations, and the welcoming feel of the neighborhoods.

Emerging from the depths of the Iberian Peninsula, it is so refreshing to experience a more organized, fast-paced way of life.  Once something I admired from far away, the way time moves so slowly in Spain has taken a toll on me.  Here, everything is on time and moves efficiently.  I welcome these differences with open arms.  Maybe it’s just the change in location, but I just feel so much happier here.  I wish I had more time to explore this place.