Bush League Bullfighting

How do Bullfighters get started? Is there a Minor League of Bullfighting? I'm sure questions such as these have kept you up as many nights pondering as they have me. Fortunately, I can now answer both of these questions. Last week I went into Machachi on Saturday morning to see "7 Brave Examples of Local Bullfighters". I had seen the signs proclaiming this in La Libertad and decided that I had to go. A friend and I got there at 12:00 (That's when the sign said that it was going to start, but this being Ecuador, the festivities didn't start until around 1:00). When we got there, we were the only ones there except guys setting up the DJ equipment. We were able to get the best seats in the house. I say seats, but the "stadium" was really just a ring with grassy knolls around it that were formed into stands. The day was nice, and sitting there by this small bull ring shaded by trees and the mountains looming in the distance was pretty cool.

Finally the fights started and I realized that the "7 Brave Examples" were a little better at being brave than being examples. It was just like minor league baseball. A lot of young guys working on their game, with a couple of over-the-hill guys trying to hang on, and one stud prospect. They all had the Matador gear on and tried to do all the moves, but ended up getting pretty beaten up by the bulls. Luckily nobody got hurt. It was funny to see one of the kids get flipped and then run to the side of the ring. While the helpers kept the bull occupied, he was talking to his coach in the stands. I couldn't hear the conversation, but I imagine that it went a little like this...

Bullfighter - Coach, I'm getting killed out there. What should I do?

Coach - Well, do you see those horns on the end of the bulls head?

Bullfighter - Yeah.

Coach - I'd try to avoid those.

Bullfighter - Thanks.

Before the fights, I was hoping that they would kill one of the bulls. Once I got there, I changed my mind. I didn't think that these guys were good enough to cleanly kill the bull, so instead they rushed the bull and tapped it on the back in the same spot that they would have stabbed it. That was a lot safer, and the bulls didn't have to suffer. They have bigger fights in Quito and Riobamba that I now want to attend to see the real deal.

Happy April Fool's Day! I hope you all had a good day because I know I had fun. I got three of my friends good, and one rumor that I started is still making the rounds. What can I say, I got to have something to keep me busy.

Work has been OK lately. I finally got the High School to let me teach some nutrition classes. My plan is to get them to use the vegetables that they grow for lunches for the kids instead of just rice, potatoes, and candy like they serve now. Also, I want to do a health fair with the kids making food for the teachers and parents to taste test. We'll see how it goes. I think I may finally start assisting with Chemistry and Physics too.

My buddy John went the other day to see the garden that we had planted in Tilipulo. He said that it is doing great. I'll be back there in a week or so to transplant the new plants. Hopefully this will be the start of more outside work.

I was walking through town the other day and a truck pulled up next to me. It was a government truck and a guy from the Ecuadoran Agricultural Ministry was driving. He said that he was visiting my town and heard from some people that I was doing some experiments in crop diversification. I showed him what I was doing with alternative crops (to little success). He was interested and asked me to come by his office in Machachi to see how we could work together. I think he wants me to organize Ag classes in La Libertad. Nothing really exciting, but any work is good work.

Finally, To add on to the pile of bad/odd things that have happened to Ecuador since I got here, the main traffic hub in the south of Quito was heavily damaged this week when a water tunnel running under it broke and then created a huge hole in the middle of the Trebol or Clover. You can see pictures at http://www.interactive.net.ec/noticias/crater_en_el_trebol_en_quito_incomunica_a_la_capital.html

and

http://www.ciudadaniainformada.com/ciudadania/ciudadania-despliegue-noticias/ir_a/ciudadania/article//quito-en-emergencia-por-colapso-de-colector-del-trebol.html

It is going to take a while to get this fixed and will make my travel to and from Quito a little harder.

P.S. - We tied last week's soccer game 1-1, but I didn't give up a goal in my half