Bulls running in the streets and the horror of la Corrida
The weather took a funny turn; it changed from withering hot to windy cold… I am glad I had my green fleece jacket with me (I am not sure where the word fleece comes from, or if it is even spelled like this).
I was walking in the streets, pondering my fortune. I realized this is the Feria, a festival where the French try to pretend they are Spaniards for a few days… even though they failed to import the soul of Spain to France, I still had fun.
Well…we went to the Corrida, where they let BULLS LOOSE IN THE STREETS! A few bulls galloped rapidly down crowded, narrow streets surrounded by hundreds of alcohol and adrenaline-fuelled revellers…. the atmosphere was saturated with music, dancing, and festivities….and GOD it was exciting!
Here I am standing innocently in front of the bull with my Camera… It is not the best video ever, but i am learning how to use a camera.
Moving on to the second part of this post. Bullfights
I have always disliked this part of my Spanish heritage, but it is cultural, and because I pretend to be open minded, I feel I can’t get away with judging it… but truth to be told, I will never go to a bull fight because I realise how brutal these things are and because I am so disturbed by the way these animals are murdered that I can’t focus on the artistic or cultural aspect of it…
In Spain being a matador is one of the highest paid professions, it is also one of the most respected… the matadors are the most loved celebrities; they end up marrying super models and living their super modelish lives in bliss.
It is one thing to watch the corridas in the street, but another thing all together to watch a bull fight inside the Les Arenes de Arles… so I was not watching the bull fight inside with those who are strongly pro the cultural history of it all.. but I happened to be standing outside, with those who were strongly anti the horridness of it all. We caught the outside show, a few moments after the bull’s death…. There, I got my confirmation to why I should be anti- bull fights…
if you are against it, or if you are weak at stomach… please don’t watch, because it is beastly…but if you are curious to know what happens after the bull dies… please be aware that those trucks belong to restaurants that serve the most refined cuisine in Arles… restaurants that passed from father to son and that the date way way back… if it up to them, apparently it would be dating further than Adam!
Ahhh and remember curiosity killed the cat….
The word “fleece” refers to a sheep skin with the wool attached. Have you heard of The Golden Fleece from Greek mythology? Jason and the Argonauts went on a quest to find The Golden Fleece. The story has been made into several corny movies.
I guess your jacket has a fuzzy lining that resembles wool.
I didn’t know that France had a Running of the Bulls! I hope that no one was gored or trampled. I saw a video of a guy in Spain being gored in their bull run. It was pretty horrible to watch. I heard he lived, but he had a really bad puncture wound on his inner thigh.
I watched your first video of Toro in Arles. I only had to wait about 20 minutes for it to download. I need DSL! That was interesting. I could hear the music in the background and hear the people’s voices. Does “burra” mean bull in French? So, were you behind the fence, I hope?
You are part Spanish? I didn’t know that. Well, I know that Arabs occupied Spain for several centuries. I imagine that quite a few Arabs have Spanish ancestors and visa versa.
I have seen bullfighting in movies. I don’t care for the killing of the animal either. Why can’t the matador just show his bravery by being in the ring with the bull and then let it live? Did you know that Spanish bullfighting is a direct descendant of Roman arena animal fights? In Roman times, the gladiators were the superheros of their day. All the aristocratic Roman ladies wanted to sleep with them.
I imagine that only the rich can afford to dine on a bull killed by a famous matador.
Madas Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
David,
Thanks for explaining the fleece bit… ihad no idea… but my jacket does not have any fur or anything that resembles wool inside it… i think it is a word that is misused.
My father’s family is traced back to spain… they have quite a few nice stories that survived along the eyars… but i also have direct spanish ancestors through my mother who is 100% spanish!
In spain the bull fighting industry is an extremely lucrative one… people are millionaires from this industry… and the tradition survived for hundreds of years.. In the Arab world there is the sacrifice lambs… thousands of lambs get sacrificed every year for feeding the poor… it also seems barbaric…
And i think in the USA people kill turkeys for Thanks giving as well… i think the tradition for killing animals goes as far as humans go… i mean we kill them to eat them :)…
But the point is there is no reason to amuyse ourselves by killing them… anyway this is a complicated issue
Bulls running in the streets and the horror of la Corrida this the usual marathon that tv brings every now and then ,Bulls verses Bulls and you have to guess who is the BULL, and the audacity is by the news caption to report human casualties !!!!!! at times I wonder who is the predator on this earth us or the animals? they have rights as much as we do. I hurt when I witness suffering, more if it is animal suffering , further more if it is a working animal, plowing, pulling or carrying. it hurt to see them animals JALLED behind zoo bars . Yet we still use them for our experiments without consent not even praise them animals for good deeds. Why should man expect his prayers for mercy to be acknowledged by Almighty above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?
and we are sportive and civilized, so who is the bull and who is the bully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ah Ya-Dounia God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages.
Madas Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I guess we agree on that… but this is how life is… i mean people get sacrificed left right and center on daily basis for capital and political purposes…. it is the sad reality.
Thats a cool event! I never knew the French pretend to be Spanish..here in Jordan I think its necessary to pretend we’re other ppl too..but bringing in good deeds not the bad ones!
I think in this day and age,after so many bulls have been killed in those parades,it is enough already,and a new method should be invented “tranquillizer special spears that puts it to sleep without harming it??”
Madas Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I think we should ask the eid lambs, how they feel when we eat them…?
A thought just occured to me… when these animas realiuses they are going to be slaughtered, they must experience great fear… this fear must go through their blood in the form of hormones… so basically when we eat them… we eat that fear… it is a horrible thought, sah?
mr.anonymous Reply:
September 29th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
..and that is why I have come to a conclusion that,even though my interest in blogger chicks has been because of their brains..and directly seeking intelligent women rather than locating them among shallow ones..some are just too intelligent I guess..
Madas Reply:
September 29th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Good thought…you seem like a reasonable human being?? (since we don’t know if you are a he , she or an it… I mean a robot as far as we know…)
Now… i alwas give you food for your thought… it is your turn… are intelligent women intimidating?
mr.anonymous Reply:
October 1st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
to avoid confusion, here’s a pic of mine taken during my recent travels to the alps.
http://www.navone.org/blogger/uploaded_images/wall-e-wave-749751.png
you see..a nickname is what you go by in virtual space,it is different from a real name..so “mr.anonymous” “madas” “xoxo” all reflect the same thing..for me at least,plus the mr. clears the gender issue!
on topic,note that my previous comment is not to pull down your thoughts,bil 3aks their deep and brilliant..its what it got me thinking when reading it.
so to answer your questions,simply no..intelligent women are not intimidating But..from my personal view “and this is obviously not a general rule” ..biwaj3o il ras..they bring in headaches with their over analysis and over deep understanding of a situation, the result is some sort of picking/nagging on point behavior..when its needed to move on to the next point.
Madas Reply:
October 1st, 2008 at 1:55 pm
oh my GOD!
you are WALL.E!
I like that better than Mr. Anonymous… I understood that you were not trying to put me down :)…
Now about intelligent women… it is very personal… men and women could yiwaj3ou il ras…. it depends on the person…
I think Arab mnen are under the wrong impression…. they think that when a woman is not intelligent they are much better… trust me women who are not intelligent biwaj3ou il ras much much more… i like this though… it is very bloggable… i will quote you when i right it… yall enjoy the Eid Wallie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8VLuwE8HQI&feature=email
This is a funny one ,
it is Tom and Gerry “belfalasteeny” you got to see it to appreciate it.take care
Madas Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Yes… it is funny
Hi Mariam, are you still touring Europe or are you back home now?
Are you planning to, or did you, visit Italy? It is the only European country that I have been to. There is so much amazing history there!
Madas Reply:
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I am back in amman…I have been to Turino a few years ago… i enjoyed that trip…. i think Italy was one of the most beautiful places i have been to…