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Blood Sport

A recent visit to Spain will be etched in my mind forever. On my 'must-do-list', along with eating tapas, drinking sangria and watching flamenco dancers, I was looking forward to seeing the world famous Spanish Bullfight or the Corrida.

The area in Madrid where the fight was to be held was unexpectedly over-crowded. Thousands of Spaniards created thunderstorms with their constant cheering; I had to scream to exchange a few words with the person just next to me. I felt a rush of adrenaline as I stood up in awe, clapping and cheering, on the arrival of the contenders - the bull and the matador.

Bullfighting is where butchery meets ballet, it is historic and horrific, gripping and gory, but it is also a part of the social fabric of Spain where passions run high. As the bull was let into the ring there was a roar in the crowd and the matador sharply watched the beast to examine his mood as his assistant waved a bright yellow and magenta cape in front of it to charge it. And then began a fight to the finish!

With the sounding of a huge trumpet, several fighters called Picadors weakened the bull by sticking spears into it. The odds are stacked against the bull, but most matadors expect to be gored at some time in their careers, and this 500kg bull was capable of inflicting some of the most sporting injuries one can come by. But then again, I am afraid, it is this chance to see blood spilt, danger courted and life extinguished that makes the Corrida. Without this drama the spectacle would be as vibrant as ball room dancing.

After charging around the ring it is time for the momento de la verdad (moment of truth). At this point the matador must dazzle the crowd and flamboyantly as part athlete, part showman, part pantomime macho man in a glittering sequined, form-fitting outfit. And with balletic grace he faced the bull, his blade slicing down the neck into the vital organs instantly killing the animal. With another trumpet the matador removed his black, winged hat and dedicated the death of the bull to the President and the crowd. If the bull is killed in one go, the matador is considered a brilliant bullfighter. The matador I watched was brilliant! Praises, honor, awards, and the killed bull's horns and hooves were all at his feet.

What makes the experience of watching a bullfight so unforgettable? Is it the never before experienced bloodshed, or is it the exhilaration of watching a death game; is it the sheer excitement associated with a different kind of sport, or is it the trauma of watching an animal killed before thousands of cheering people; is the style and glamour or is it the goriness of the sport? Maybe it is all of these and something more. All I can say is that I am guilty, guilt of watching the sport... the murder.... the bullfight!

Easy steps to enjoy learning Spanish

Building a sound foundation: For any new activity to begin, a strong base is essential specially one like learning a new language. Concentrating on the grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation will help you build a solid base. Your reading, writing, speaking and understanding of the language will entirely bank on your foundation.

Marking targets: Set targets that are reasonable, achievable and helping you move ahead. Try something new each day so as to avoid boredom. For e.g. learn 5 new words with their meanings, their usage, their places in the sentence, etc.

Practicing regularly: Practice in any form like reading, writing or speaking will help your grip over the language. Practicing the pronunciation, the accent and the sound will familiarize you to the dialect of the language. Second would be practicing the grammar and the vocabulary like revising words daily or the nouns and pronouns.

No disappointment: Study at your own pace. Don’t push yourself too hard to complete the portion by ignoring the quality. Don’t get discouraged with the speed you are learning. See that how well you can master the topic.

Specializing on topics that interest you: If you are a football fan, then make your study more enjoyable by reading about it or even trying Spanish commentary! For music lovers, just put on your headphones and dance to the Spanish tunes! Listen to their lyrics and try understanding what it means.

Why learn a new language?

For many people, there's something inherently enjoyable about successfully speaking in another tongue. Perhaps that's one reason children sometimes speak in secret codes of their own. Understanding a language means understanding some fine, culturally enriching aspects of different societies.

Learning a new language helps you master your own language as you tend to compare them by studying almost every aspect minutely. It becomes easy to understand the language structure which is based on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, punctuations and so on.

Breaking the barrier: World has become a global village. The barriers are loosening up with the help of transportation and communication blended with technology. Gone are the days when French was spoken only in France and Indian food was available only in Asian countries. There is a mix of culture and fashion at all places. With numerous languages spoken all over the world still the world is becoming a small place to dwell in.

Different mindset and perspective: While learning a new language you are learning a lot more about that society, community, their people, etc. You broaden your outlook of looking at the world. You get a new perspective towards people and situations. You may also get acquainted to their thinking pattern be it traditional or modern.

Your travel becomes a lot more enjoyable at various cities. The conversations with the locals will help you find the right direction to your destination without people fooling you around!

Study and career: If you dream of going for a study exchange programme, knowing another language will help you lead the race. Also, if you are working in organization which involves foreign trade, tourism, hospitality or if you want to specialize in the professional field of journalism, advertising, media, translators and interpreters, this rare skill is in demand. You can add more friends to your list and widen your social circle.

Exploring an opportunity: You can explore an opportunity only when you get creative ideas. To have such ideas you need to be aware about the surrounding world and know other people’s views. Communication plays an important role here in understanding public views. And when you know their language it eases this process.

Learning Spanish offers a lot more with fun

Not only is learning Spanish becoming increasingly important in terms of the global economy, it can also play a major role in your own personal development. Learning Spanish for a specific purpose is fine, but you'll enjoy your studies a lot more and get more out of them if you appreciate the language itself.

I believe that the true learning of a language is when you see the beauty of the language and everything a second language offers: a better understanding of your own language, the ability to converse with people from other cultures, and more enjoyable travels in countries where that language is spoken.

Learning a new language makes you bi-lingual and very employable because bilingual people are more marketable and have more career choices. Helps you enhance better critical thinking skills - being bilingual means seeing the world through more than 1 lense; a skill that can give you the much-needed edge in the job market.

This is something that not many people (in relative terms) can do and makes the skill something that will definitely help you along the career path. You would be more appealing to employers if your resume reflects that you have Spanish skills. And wherever you live, if you're in any occupation that involves international trade, communications or tourism, you'll similarly find opportunities to use your new language skills.

The Spanish passion for living is contagious and once you start to learn about the language and culture, you won't ever want to stop. Once you know Spanish you can be friends with any of the 40 million Spanish speakers in the United States. And how about traveling throughout Mexico, Spain, & Latin America to enjoy the night life with flamenco dances, watching the bullfights and the exciting football matches?

It's a chance to experience new music, food, movies, & much more! A large body of literary work is written in Spanish and Spanish language films continue to receive praise from the film industry and viewers.

Interesting Facts on Spanish

• The word 'Bye' is used in both English and Spanish meaning the same thing.
• The names of most of the days of the week in both English and Spanish come from the names of planets and the Roman gods.
• The word chocolate came to Spanish from Nahautl, an indigenous Mexican tongue. The word eventually became part of the Spanish vocabulary, and then English.
• Panama, the Spanish-language country has its currency printed in English only. The U.S. dollar is the official currency of Panama, where it's called the balboa. Panama has its own coins, however.
• The most popular Spanish Bible was translated by Casiodoro de Reina in 1569 and revised by Cipriano de Valera in 1602. The translation has been updated several times since.
• Nearly 30 percent of the residents of Spain have a first language other than Spanish, although most also use Spanish as a second language. Languages of Spain include Catalan, Galician and Basque.
• The Spanish word ‘alfabeto’ and the English word ‘alphabet’ both are derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and beta.

Learn Spanish on internet

Learning Spanish could have never been as easy with internet as it is today. Just take your time and check out the numerous websites offering online courses and reading material about the language. Also there are many forums, communities and groups of people who are learning as well as sharing their knowledge of Spanish. You can access through such systems and get to meet Spanish natives and professionals in Spanish language.

There is almost every detail available about the language on such links right from the alphabets to their hard-core literature. You can browse through the vocabulary, grammar, accents, pronounciation, sound and so many other aspects. All you need to do is devote some time daily for such fun-loving activity.

Spanish cuisine with aromatic wines

Spanish cuisine is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep Mediterranean roots. The essential ingredient for real Spanish cooking is olive oil, as Spain produces 44% of the world's olives. A modern Spanish cook can not do without potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and beans.

There are many dishes of lamb and veal, but - perhaps a bit surprising considering its geographic location - Madrid is a real paradise for the lovers of any kind of fish. It has the second biggest fish market in the world (behind Tokyo), and as well in shops as in many Restaurants you will find an ample selection and extraordinary quality. Ideally fitting to such a meal are the young and aromatic wines from the region, Vinos de Madrid. To finish your dinner in a very typical way, try a cup of Anisado de Chinchón, anisette schnapps.

Spain's formidable variety of quality wines remain little known outside the country. Spain produces about 11 unique varieties that range from the generous dry wines, through to the sparkling wines, the rose and the valuable gran reservas. There is a Spanish wine for every occasion and every type of meal.

When to fly to Spain?

The ideal months to visit Spain are between May and September (plus April and October in the south). At these times you can rely on good weather, yet avoid the sometimes extreme heat - and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists. If you want to make sure you hit some parties, the best festivals are concentrated between Holy Week and September.

On the other hand, traveling in the low season has many advantages, most noticeably lighter crowds and lower prices. Many hostels cut their prices by at least 30%, and reservations are seldom necessary. However, keep in mind that, during these months, many smaller seaside spots are ghost towns, and tourist offices and sights cut their hours nearly everywhere.

Spanish culture: People, festivals and art

Spanish people are very open-hearted, warm and comunicative. You won't have any problems to get to know someone, especially in the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona. It's often said that the Spanish living room is the bar where the people usually spend a lot of time in the mornings and in the evenings.

The celebrations of New Year are spectacular at Puerta del Sol. In the rhythm of the beats of the big clock at midnight, everybody tries to eat twelve grapes. That shall bring good luck for the coming year!

During the Carnival celebrations in February there are several impressive festivities in all Spain, especially in Tenerife and Cádiz. In fact, carnival in the Canary Islands and Cádiz are the bests Carnival celebrations in the world, after Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Trinidad.In these cities, colourful processions are organised and participants wear extravagant costumes. Generally, in many cities of Spain, people dress up and go out, and dance all night long.

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist who revolutionized painting, drawing, sculpture, and ceramics (pottery). Picasso's portrayal of the agony of Spain's struggle and suffering against fascism in Guernica is considered his strongest work. This painting was inspired by Picasso's horror at the Nazi German bombing of Gernika, Spain on April 26, 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.

Spanish Alphabets and Ordinals

Learning Ordinals is one of the easiest things to learn in Spanish. Ordinals are basically numbers in adjective form. For eg: One in English is a number and first is the ordinal. Here are the most commonly used first ten ordinals:

• First: primero
• Second: segundo
• Third: tercero
• Fourth: cuarto
• Fifth: quinto
• Sixth: sexto
• Seventh: séptimo, sétimo
• Eighth: octavo
• Ninth: noveno
• Tenth: décimo

Knowing alphabets in English makes it all the more easy to learn alphabets in Spanish. Spanish alphabets have a similarity with alphabets of western European languages including English. These are the alphabets in Spanish with their pronounications.

a - a	h - ache	n - ene	t - te
b - be	i - i	ñ - eñe	u - u
c - ce	j - jota	o - o	v - uve
d - de	k - ca	p - pe	w - uve doble
e - e	l - ele	q - cu	x - equis
f - efe	ll - elle	r - erre	y - i griega
g - ge	m - eme	s - ese	z - ceta