The real football.

"In Spain, people don't talk about politics with each other. We don't talk about religion. And, if we root for different teams, we DON'T talk about football."
-Ana, my Spanish Culture professor (who is awesome, by the way.)

HA. How true it is. This country looooves football...and that was certainly evident on Saturday night, when Bilbao's professional team, Athletic Club Bilbao (Atlétic) beat Madrid! Let me fill you in: Madrid is known to pay lots of money for premier players from all over, like Cristiano Ronaldo (who Madrid just paid 94 million euros for). Bilbao, on the other hand, pays a modest amount for players, all of which are from the area. Basically, we (yes, we...I pledge my loyalty to Bilbao soccer. It grows on you) were the underdog. Hardcore.

I watched the game from the bar underneath my apartment with my host parents. The bar was full of neighborhood regulars, and Conchi ordered me a trina - apple juice (really). I sat among the neighbors in the warm, crowded bar while we ate pumpkin seeds and I learned what words to shout in Spanish - like FALTA (foul) or TARJETA (card him)! If all else failed, I learned to just get really mad when the people in red and white stripes got mad. Great backup, works like a charm.

Afterwards, Irati and I went downtown for a while - the streets were FULL of people! One street, Posas, was completely shut down to traffic, and people would just meander with their drinks from one bar to the other. Everyone was celebrating. We didn't get there until about midnight, so some had been celebrating a little TOO long - a lot of guys were peeing in the corner of the street, and when the garbage truck came to empty the dumpster full of bottles, the entire street people took a 30-second-hiatus from their festivities to cheer on the truck as it carried away their used plastics. Huh-larious.

Needless to say, I have now seen the passion for football firsthand, and I absolutely love it. It's nice to be in a country that actually appreciates soccer. The USA needs to get on that, along with the wine and coke thing. Put it on the to-do list, Uncle Sam.