Bulls, Jewels, and Classical Music

Beth and I have settled well into our new family. We have been living with the Montano family for slightly just over a week now, and have nothing but good things to say. Because I havn't posted for a week, I have a few things to fill you all in on. So here goes. . .

Friday night the program through a banquet for all of us students to meet our new families with whom we will all be living with for the next four months. The banquet involved an amazing meal, as well as a performance by. . . . us. We talked about indigenous culture, sang classic campfire songs like land of the silver birch, square danced, and us five guys serenaded our program administrator Maria with the 'one semester of spanish, spanish love song.' You can find the love song on youtube.

Friday night we slept soundly in our new home in Sangolqui, waiting for Saturdays events. We had heard about 'los torros de sangolqui' but really had no idea what to expect. 'Torros' are bulls. Saturday morning we woke up and our host sister, Analea, took us to the 4 day bull festivals opening ceremonies - a two hour long parade of drunken cowboys from the surrounding ranches. You stand on the street as hundreds - a thousand maybe - cowboys ride by on their horses, making them do little tricks along the way. Everyonce in a while a cowboy would yell 'Viva Sangolqui!' ... to which the crowd would shout back 'Viva!!!' All the while, almost every cowboy is either sipping away at their flask, or accepting drinks from the spectators. By the end of the whole thing, cowboys are swaggering back and forth on their horses, hanging limp over the sides of them, or simply falling off them altogether. Despite the over drunkeness of it all, it was a very entertaining event.

After the parade, we passed the afternoon away at our family's hobby farm in the country, where they have one big hairy pig, chickens, hens, roosters, etc.. It was beautiful, and it was really nice to get off the beaten path a little bit, and out of the hustle and bustle of the cities.

Then came the moment we had been waiting for - time to go see the bulls. Our host dad drove us out to the stadium where the bulls would be runing for 4 days straight. As we got closer and closer, the density of traffic and people got thicker and thicker. We drove past occupied parking spots for a couple of kilometers as we got closer and closer. I thought our host dad must be crazy, if all the parking spots were taken this far away, how could he expect to get one any closer?? But, with confidence we drove within a couple hundred meters of the stadium, and parked in the tiniest space imaginable. Somebody was yelling at us as we did it, saying we couldn't park there, but Ruperto payed no attention. As we pushed, literally, pushed through the crowd, we saw the stadium for the first time. It was a makeshift, 3 story tall set off booths stacked on top of each other. The whole thing looked like it was built out of sticks. Wooden latters were the method of ascenion into the top booth, which was where we were headed. We climbed into the booth, which flexed with the weight of the some some 20 people occupying it. Every booth, on every level, surrounding the whole stadium, was packed full. It was incedible. Then we witnessed something which could hardly be described. A chaotic bull charging, mauling, flinging, and stomping those whome he could catch. Whoever wanted was allowed in the ring with the bull, and hundreds were down there risking their lives. I found a video of a similar festival. Click the link and watch it, it is almost exactly like what I witnessed, only where I was, the stands were higher, and more full. the link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqalFZ3EXmE

It was a mixed feeling watching the bulls. It was the most entertained I have even been, ever.....ever. But, it was also pretty horrifying, 3 people died the day I was there. You are never quite sure who, but, you can usually narrow it down to the ones you saw carried out of the ring. The whole crowd, however, is having the time of their lives. Just watch the video, you will understand better.

Ok, moving beyond the bulls, school has been good, and soo has our family here. Antonio, the uncle, is an artizan who makes gold and silver jewelry by hand. I have spent a couple hours sitting in his shop and watching him. Its pretty amazing. Yesterday, he secretly made beth a silver ring, with 5 blue stones in it, and a matching pair of silver earings. He gave them to her today, they are really really nice. I watched him make them, not nowing they were for beth. If anyone wants some custum jewelry made, email me...

Last night, we went to quito with some friends. Adam, one friend, got free tickets from his host dad to a classical concert. So six of us went. It was really good, as the orchastra used only typical andean intruments, including wooden wind pipes. It was fantastic. Today, we are off to a wedding, and Beth is wearing her new jewelry. When are we going to have time to do our schoolwork? I guess we will have to stay up late.

I will add some photos soon, hopefully.

Ok,

Bye for now,
love matt (and beth)