While searching through in my old blog post, I found this article which was written 9 years ago, when i used to study as doctoral student in ULPGC.
This article took me right back to my amazing student days in Spain. It was full of such wonderful memories that I just decided to translate it and share it with others.
As our Mongolians were getting ready to celebrate the lunar New year, a Carnival kicked off right here, Las Palmas Gran Canaria. Since the Carnival began here on the evening of our Bituun (lunar New Year's Eve), I went out and spent the night wandering the streets, hoping to capture photos of men in their outrageous costumes. The reason I emphasize "men" is that they seem to really enjoy transforming into women. Men of all shapes and sizes—tall, short, old, young—could be seen wearing high heels, donning pink and green wigs, and heavily made-up faces everywhere. :) However, I didn’t manage to get any particularly good photos.
The festival, which started on February 8, is now coming to an end today, the 28th. Everywhere is filled with people in costumes and makeup. At the end of the festival, I walked around the streets, hoping to get a few good pictures. Some people really enjoy having their photo taken. The past few days have been rainy and cool, so those who came to the festival in their costumes must have been a bit cold. :)
The dance festival is a central cultural pride of Spanish-speaking nations. From the northern parts of Africa to all countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Chile, they all speak Spanish, with slight dialectical differences. Therefore, if you search for the works of famous Spanish-speaking artists, especially singers, on YouTube, you’ll see that the number of views reaches almost 2 -3 billion. (Unlike us, who celebrate even a million views, this makes us think it's a miracle.., it's clear that our audience is much smaller.)
We have never heard of, nor do we know, the singers they idolize. In addition to the Carnival, there is also a unique dance festival called Flamenco, which is part of the cultural heritage of Spanish-speaking countries. In Flamenco dancing, the tapping of the feet is very important. The unique rhythm and melody are created by tapping, so the heels of the shoes are specially made to order. A Flamenco dancer must feel the music; the movements performed during the dance are not the result of exercises or training by the dancer, but are performed according to data sent from the soul / the heavens. This idea is somewhat similar to the artistic expressions that flow during our epic chanting or when a shaman is possessed.
At the end, I would like to say a few words about ‘matador” or Bullfighting, a tradition deeply rooted in Spanish culture and seen as a test of courage, which is now facing intense criticism. The practice, which demands that matadors kill the bull to conclude the fight, has been under fire. The faster and more painlessly a matador can kill the bull, the greater their reputation and the more rewards they receive, such as the bull's ear. This tradition dates back to the 18th century. Tragic incidents, like the death of a famous matador gored by a bull in 1984, have marred the sport's history. With declining viewership and increased awareness of animal cruelty, the popularity and profitability of bullfighting have waned.
Opponents of bullfighting argue that Spain has plenty of other cultural attractions to draw tourists and generate income, such as football.
