January 1st was a day that I will always
remember. A few of my classmates and I
decided we wanted to experience a bullfight firsthand. At 4 p.m., the first bull was released and
the fights began.
Throughout the course
of the night, there were 6 bulls that entered the ring. Ultimately, all 6 bulls
were killed and taken out of the ring by two horses. There were a few events,
however, that changed my whole mindset on bullfighting. I learned that the
matadors work together to take the bull down, and that each matador tries to
appease the judge who sits atop the arena.
Secondly, I saw several men from Central America attempt to grab a bull
as it was running at them. This event is a Portuguese tradition called the
“pega.”
In doing this, the men stand in
a single file line and attempt to pile on top of the bull in order to stop
it. At this particular fight, a few of
the men failed to stop the bull and ended up being severely injured. This brings me to my final lesson. These men put themselves in harm’s way just
to appeal to a crowd and to please a single judge. I was astonished to see so many young children
in attendance that were cheering these men on.
After going to the fight, I learned that the Mexican culture is in favor
of daring events, but they also love to see their countrymen succeed. Despite such a learning experience, I do not
think I can ever sit through a bullfight again. However, it was a cultural
experience I will never forget!
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