Cordoba

Short hair, like really short

I finally did it! I paid 12 Euros to have a short Colombian man chop 12 inches off my hair and I LOVE it! I don't think I have ever had my hair this short, but I think I might keep it like this for a while. I hope you all like it too!

Cuenca

Yesterday I drove in a car for the first time since arriving here in Spain, well except for that one time we took a taxi in Madrid. Four us drove two hours to see this quaint and beautiful town. Cuenca was built on the top of a mountain and so all of the old buildings hang over cliffs. It was pretty sweet.

Bull Fight

This last Friday I paid the steep price of 9.70 euros to see a show I was rather unprepared for. The metro was packed with people, mostly men, as we arrived at the stop leading up to El Corrido de Torros. Upon entrance back into the light of day from the depths of the metro, I was overcome by the presence of a beautifully designed Islamic building where I would be spending the next 3 hours of my life. I was surprised once inside as to how small the actual arena was, yet impressed with how many people were able to enter and view the events. It all makes sense as one sits with their knees touching the person in front and has their butt hanging off the back of the seat.

There was a great cheer when the first bull entered the stadium. I was excited to see the matador dance with his red cape as the bull charged him. Instead what I witnessed was an artisict form of brutality that allowed me to better understand and appreciate the culture of Spain. A bull fight is not for a weak stomach. First the bull is teased by about 8 matadors. A horn is blown and 2 men on horses enter the arena with spears. They stab the bull twice and then exit. Three men then come in on foot with two shorter spear type things upon which they stick them into the bull and leave. Once this has all been done, the dance between the bull and the matador begins. This is the cool part that everyonr pictures in their head when they think of a bull fight. After about 10 minutes of this, another horn is blown and the matador kills the bull with a sword in one swift move ment.

Over all it was a great opportunity to be a part of a piece of culture that has been around for so long. I enjoyed the respect the people gave both the fighter and the bull. The fighter was cheered for when he did well, and silence was given to the bull after he gored the matador, twice! The first time was like, holy crap, he just got gored. The second there were some screams from the audience as he has lifted up off the ground by the horns in his leg. The best part has that the matador tied a piece of fabric around his leg and kept going! There were some definite intense moments, but don't worry, the matador has lived for more fights; the bulls, well they were all on the market the next morning

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Eres constipada?

Did you think they same thing as me while reading the title? One can only imagine my reaction when I was first asked, eres (are you) constipada? I replied in the negative of course, as I was in no way constipated! For 2 weeks straight I was asked this question on a regular basis. My wonderful roommates would try to hold in their laughter as the Senora that I live with would ask me about my constipada-ness. We would talk about the medicine I was taking, my energy levels, my ability to pay attention during classes, you know, the normal things associated with being constipada that everyone loves to talk about at the dinner table. The word "constipada"in Spanish can mean congested or stuffed up. All I had was a little chest cold, but it was the funniest chest cold I've had in a long time! I have since learned to talk openly and willingly about my constipada.

This is just a fun picture from last night in La Plaza Meyor in Madrid.