El Rodeo
Last weekend, Abby and I decided to take a chance on the Good Ol’e Honduran Rodeo (rrrow-DAY-o).
We entered the front gate—I mean chain—and were immediately wrapped in a hug by our 9 year old friend Jimmy who we had met weeks earlier at Urban Promise Honduras camp. We found out that he had snuck into the rodeo (entrance was L. 100) and also learned that roaming the city alone at night was not common for this little guy.
He was really excited to see us and showed us the best seats in the house. (see photo below)
…the best seats in the house being 1.5” thick planks of not inflexible wood laid over a rickety, rusted bleacher frame. Abby and I frequently feared either that if too many portly men sat in our section, the board would snap or that if one too many people sitting on our “board” suddenly stood up, then we’d plummet 15-20 feet to be slowed only by grimy shards of metal. Well, life is too short to worry about rotting to death from an infection in a 3rd world clinic, especially when we’re about to witness a good old show of man versus bull!…well versus the bull for only 7 seconds, and there are rodeo clowns, and they have whips, and the audience looks better fed than any of the bulls, but nevertheless, we were jazzed to see these dauntless lads that were ready to literally grab the proverbial bull by the horns (or harness as it were).
Little is known about exacting technique that these bovine experts employ to maximize flexibility to protect their bodies without sacrificing the length of their ride. However, we chanced upon a glimpse into the riders’ “green room” (see photo below),
and I was also quick enough to even catch one of their disciplined and rigorous warm up routines. Bull riding is seriously dangerous, so a thorough pre-ride run through is of the upmost importance. (Note: the music helps them reach a level of extreme concentration.)
Only then may they demonstrate the results of their extensive preparation and training. The soundtrack of this specific run is the ubiquitous “Te Ves Fatal” by a Mexican pop mariachi group called Trono. You will not be able to visit Copan (maybe all of Central America) without having this song or one very similar stuffed down your ear canal.
Even though I was completely rapt for those 3 seconds of riding, I still felt a little disappointed because of the enormous disparity between riding and non-riding times. So, to curb any incipient frustration, the rodeo provided other quality entertainment while the bulls were being prepared. What kind of rodeo would be complete without some professional ranchera (i.e. Mesoamerican folk/country) karaoke? (cue video)
And for the younger crowd, the rodeo has “planned” some activities to keep them coming back year after year. I say “planned” because after calling all the niños into the ring, the M.C. then asked the audience to donate L. 100 bills for the prize. After begging and goading for a few minutes, they finally rounded up a few cash prizes for the winners. Our friend Jimmy was one of the first boys run out to the ring and was soon joined by several other boys. The last guy to join, however, out was a 25 year old dude that Abby and I had been watching the entire night. He was clearly drunk, and he had been strolling and dancing incessantly (and seemingly uncontrollably) throughout the entire event. It’s almost as if he had some sort of serious music-related problem…just watch and you’ll see.
Well, the premise of the game is that the participants throw their shoes into the middle of the circle, and while they are spinning around 10 times, their shoes are scattered all over the place. The winner is the first person to correctly put both shoes back on. The video starts after they've already began to find their shoes. (The music style is called punto.)
LOOK WHO WON!!!! YAY JIMMY! (I know I was a little more interested in filming the pathological dancer- sorry.) He won 20 USD but didn’t even know how much that was worth. He thought that 2nd place, who won something like L. 250, had received more. When we told him that $20 was about L. 400, he was ecstatic and said that he would give it to his mom. We took him out to dinner after we left and changed the money for him. It was about 10:00PM when we decided it was time to go to sleep. He wouldn’t let us take him home, for his mother would be angry. We were happy for him to have won the money, but we were saddened when we realized that it was 10:00PM, and he was out by himself, and that he had probably never seen that much money in his entire life. He told us that when he did have money, other boys would beat him and take it, yet he was still so cheery and upbeat like a normal child. He said that even at the rodeo after he won, people in the audience were trying cheat him and take the money from him. We realized that Jimmy is not just a regular boy. He’s amazing.
Pray for children like Jimmy that they not be deceived by this world. Pray that they maintain that spirit of joy and hope in the face of evil and misery. For Abby and me, the rodeo was indeed worth the $5.50.
No comments:
Post a Comment