Take a side.

Last night was the second of four Real Madrid vs. Barcelona FC games in one month-a historic event that hasn't happened since the beginning of the 1900's. People are going nuts. Barcelona has been the stronger team since I arrived nearly three years ago, but last night Madrid won the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) against Barcelona-and suddenly madrilistas were coming out of the woodwork in Santiago-proudly displaying their pride on jackets and scarves and with honking horns and fireworks. So, the million dollar question in Spain, posed by everyone including children 5 or 6 years old who have already decided their loyalty: "Who's your team?"

I have to admit, that I don't really completely understand having to make the choice as I'm not Spanish, nor am I a big sports fan, but being here three years it is time to draw the line-most three year olds have already decided which team they belong to. So here's where you come in, obviously, coming from the states our soccer culture is lacking so we can't choose on best team ability or strategy...so let's choose based soley on the superficial-their looks, but of course!

Barcelona Football Club:

Coach: Josep Guardiola-Catalan/Spanish-he can do no wrong being a humble, well spoken, well dressed chap.

Star player: Leonel Messi-Argentinian-nominated best player in the world two years in a row. He's the bee's knees on the field.

Tabloid star: Gerard Pique-Catalan/Spanish (Shakira left her man after 10 years when she met Pique at the World Cup last summer...wakawaka!)

Real Madrid:

Coach: Jose Mourinho- Portuguese-and full of fire and passion. He makes a headline speaking or not speaking.

Star player: Iker Casillas-Spanish-Saint Iker, he's untouchable in Spain-European Championship, World Cup, nuf said.

Tabloid Star: Christiano Ronaldo-Portuguese (he fills tabloid magazines with his six pack and bling, and Armani ads, but he's also been the best player in the world and the rivalry between Leo Messi and Ronaldo is the stuff Hollywood is made of.)

So time to take a side...Real Madrid or Barcelona??

Octopus to the party

And the party just keeps going here in Spain to celebrate the CHAMPIONS!! Yesterday historic numbers of people filled the streets in 100 and some degree weather to welcome the team home, the streets were red and yellow, people were in their balconies, in trees, and even on top of store terraces. Here's a little taste of what it was like in Santiago on Sunday night. Oh, and in case you're wondering, he octopus seems poised to become the new national mascot. Bye-bye bull, hello pulpo!

OE, OE, OE!!!

ESPAÑA ES CAMPEON DEL MUNDO!!! Yay!!! From they beginning they were the favorites, and after defeating Germany it was even more obvious that Spain deserved the title, but watching the game last night, the nerves were unbearable. We watched the game at a friend's house, with enough room for the nervous pacing, the cheers at the close calls, and the jeers at the ref and the dutch who were waaaay to violent, and for the GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL by Iniesta in the 116th minute!!!!!!! Arms flew up, hugs all around, and all the guys started running outside, everyone was cheering, nearly crying. They did it. La roja. Casillas and our hunky Spaniards played beautifully, made me love this sport, and won the much deserved title of world champions. CAMPEONES!!!!!!!!!! Way to go Spain!!! (pics of the street party with the pulpo to come!)

PS...one final note. Remember Sara Carbonero? Well, her man Iker, captain of la roja, tearing up during their interview after the game while thanking his family, couldn't take it anymore, stopped everything...and kissed her!!!!!! Soooooo cute! ¡Qué bonito es el amoooor! Isn't their eye contact adorable? And how they both tear up! Tooo cute.

LA FURIA!!

Ganamos!! Now to win the world cup!! Spain is in full force fiesta. Yesterday was the start of the fiestas de San Fermin-you know bull running in the street, red scarf and white clothes, Hemingway, Pamplona and seven straight days of party. I don't think I could survive it...ain't no party like a Spanish party cuz a Spanish party don't stop (just ask my sister or Laura). But, to make the summer party even sweeter SPAIN IS GOING TO THE WORLD CUP FINALS! They played amazingly yesterday against Germany and we are all eagerly awaiting Sunday evening to watch Casillas hoist the cup into the air. I'm so happy to be in Spain living such fun memories and see what its like when everyone on the street has a little extra pep in their step and a smile on thier face. VAMOS ESPAÑA!!

just sayin...

Not sure if you saw the last Spain vs. Paraguay World Cup game...agooooony until the last 10 minutes. Well, the magic octopus predicted that Spain will beat Germany on Wednesday...fingers crossed! (by the way, last time he predicted Germany would beat Argentina-true. And in case you are wondering, the prediction is based on which box he goes into. It's really quite cute, don't you think?)

Mundial

Have you been watching the World Cup? Spain is favored to win, although after their loss to Switzerland yesterday all of Spain is nervous. Maybe I'm too optimistic, or maybe I've watched to many basketball playoffs where a loss made the next win so much sweeter, or maybe I don't really understand the world cup like the rest of Spain, but I'm not losing hope. I'll cheer on USA too (I mean, we did 'beat' England...), but really, if I'm for any team it's got to be Spain. Anyway, Telecinco is covering the Mundial with special correspondent Sara Carbonera. A very pretty lady (see her style), who happens to be dating the captain of the Spanish team, Iker Casillas (muy guapo too). The media has been having a field day with their relationship, speculating how awkward their interviews will be and so on-oh the morbo- and the press in Britain has even blamed her for Spain's loss (ridiculous). I'm not really to interested in all that, but I do love how she's been wearing simple t-shirts and lots of African beads during the South Africa coverage. Next Spain game is Monday versus Honduras...¡estamos con la roja!

Olympics vs. Football

I haven't been able to see much of the winter olympics this year, there were only about 12 athletes from Spain competing and with the time difference, I only caught a few of the figure skating programs on Youtube. It's been crazy that even on the sports shows they aren't covering any of the events...just football(soccer for us yankees). Living in Spain there is no escape-the season never ends. It's one cup, another championship, and then some more all year. But, I have to admit, sometimes its fun to see the way that the whole world is so enamored with this sport, and the passion-good or bad-that it causes people. D isn't a crazy fan, but he can get passionate and knows all about every team, Spanish, British, Italian, whatever. Recently he showed me this song that the fans of Liverpool sing before every game-the entire stadium on its feet, singing with all their might, scarves and flags held high before every game. It gives you goosebumps to see their devotion to their team.

The olympics has picked this same song to make this olympic commercial too. Moms are the best.

Campeones, Campeones

Ole, ole, ole! Barcelona won the champions league Monday night! In case you don't know, that's one, if not the, biggest prize that a football (soccer) club can win...and Barcelona's win is spectacular because they have this season won all the major championships they have been in. Diego call's their games "poetry", this comes from a man whose heart belongs to the Sevilla Football club, but when the big Barcelona vs. Madrid games are one belongs to Madrid. Barcelona has been playing incredibly well (well, that's what I hear, I don't really know much about it-but living in Spain I'm learning sooo much-everyday after lunch its to the couch for mini siesta and channel Cuatro's Football* show where anything and everything sport related is turned into a montage with music and emotions and I get sucked in) and the celebration last night was fun to see and hear even here in Santiago, soo far from Barcelona where fireworks were going off and people were collected in the Plaza Roja to celebrate the victory.

For those of you who do love football here's a clip of one of the goals by Leo Messi...and for those of you who don't, watch it anyway because it's a pretty incredible...goooooooooooooooooool!

Tennis, anyone?

It's a big day in the world of sports today. In the USA its the superbowl. In Spain, there will be coverage of the Superbowl, but today is more important for the historic tennis match this morning between classic rivals the Spanish tennis phenom Rafael Nadal and the swiss veteran Roger Federer. Did anyone in the states watch it? A five hour match, it was on TV all morning, and although I'm no pro tennis player I did get into the game and have quite the itch to get out and play tennis in a Lacoste polo. Nadal won the end of the match, and the classic rivals in the end shared kind words and tears. Nice guys. Tennis is so classy. Congrats Nadal!

Also, tonight another important entertainment event will be taking place, the Goya awards (Spain's version of the Oscars). It's cold and snowy in Madrid so the green carpet will be different than the red carpets I'm used to, but I'm looking forward to seeing the films and actors and the general scene that makes up the Spanish cinema. I've seen three of the films they have been talking about, Los girasoles ciegos, Solo quiero caminar, and Los crimenes de Oxford (Oxford crimes?? I can't remember what it's called in English). Hopefully one of them wins something! And maybe Javier and Penelope will show up too.