GOOOOOOOOL!

Soccer is to Spain as football is to the SEC. Seriously, they even call soccer fútbol here. And Madrid vs. Barcelona = Auburn vs. Alabama.

Though I will not be attending that intense rival game, I did go to watch Real Madrid dominate Málaga last night. It was so much fun -- words are hard to capture the energy and emotion in the stands... and they easily won 7-0. I can't even imagine what a game that actually matters must be like. I was in awe watching the players dart around the field at Kenyan speed without any signs of fatigue.

And the best part of the night -- the Vandy-in-Spain program just notified us that they will reimburse us up to 50 euros for the cultural experience of going to a soccer game. My ticket cost 40! Scoreeee.

Fun fact: "Real" means "royal" in Spanish (hence Palacio Real), which explains why the team has a crown on their crest thing-e. The special distinction was given to the team by the king in 1920. 

I was a huge fan of the game, but I think I was an even bigger fan of the stadium. Awesome things about Real Madrid's stadium:

• Very warm heaters are installed under every level. So despite the 30-degree weather, I was still toasty in the open air.
• You are allowed to bring your own food in, so concession stand price jack-ups are not an issue. It's actually pretty funny because literally EVERYONE brings a bocadillo. At halftime, the entire crowd in unison pulls out an baguette stuffed with ham and cheese that is wrapped in aluminum foil. They all look identical. In the words of my friend, "The city must run out of aluminum foil on Real Madrid game days."
• They sell last year's jerseys outside for 30 euro. Which is the lowest price known to man for an authentic Real Madrid jersey. And who honestly cares if it's one year old?
• They water the field during half time. Other stadiums probably do this too, but I have never noticed before.

Now I'm just trying to decide if I should commit myself to becoming a legit Real Madrid fan. Madrid has another fútbol team -- Atlético.  Our Vandy program guía Ivan informed me that Real Madrid fans are tourists, "like the Japanese who get robbed at El Rastro." He then explained that Real Madrid fans lose Monday - Saturday, so every Sunday they need to win. Atlético fans, on the other hand, win Monday through Saturday, so if they lose Sunday it's okay, but if they win, they are on top of the world. I'm going to have to keep thinking about it more before I pick my allegiance.