4:44 PM
J-Mad
CAMAREROS!
EHY!
CAMAREROS!
EHY!
UN COPA MUNDIAL!
It has been amazing to be in Madrid for the World Cup when Spain won. Sunday, 11 July 2010, my roommate and I went to Plaza de Colón to watch the game with the crowds on the big screen set up by the Hyundai Fan Park. The plaza was packed from Colón all the way to Cibeles. The game was so intense and when Spain finally scored its winning goal, the crowd went wild. When we found out that we had won, people broke down the barriers to all of the fountains and climbed inside to celebrate. People brought firecrackers and would toss them on the ground so that the crowd had to quick spread out. Fans that had brought flags with them were jumping in front of the honking cars and acting like toreros. We met up with the Spanish friends in Bilbao and walked back through the fan park to Retiro. One old man was carrying a flag and shouting that it was a national holiday and no one should go to work tomorrow (unfortunately, my office does not agree with that sentiment).
The president declared a 36 hour national holiday as soon as the game was won. On Monday, the streets were blocked off and the area by Principe Pio was set up for the concert. While we were waiting for the plane to arrive, there were various DJs and musical artists who performed, including Soraya (I have no idea who she is, but there are posters for her everywhere). There was also a pretty cool fly-over by airplanes who used colored exhaust to make the colors of the Spanish flag. The players rode on an open-roof bus through the streets lined by millions of fans to Principe Pio, where they got on-stage. They actually opened for David Bisbal and a pretty impressive fireworks show. We were standing (for about seven hours) to the right of the SAMUR (emergency services) station. When the players arrived and Bisbal came on-stage, the SAMUR workers were all dancing and celebrating too. Unfortunately, we all had to work in the morning so we were forced to take the metro back home, but it was absolutely amazing to be right in the middle of the entire country's celebration. Might have to do it all over again in another four years...
[David Bisbal]
Unidos!
Seremos grandes
Seremos fuertes
Somos un pueblo
Bandera de libertad
Que viene y que va
Que viene y que va...
[K'naan]
When I get older, I will be stronger
I'll make it better, struggle no longer
When I get older, I will be stronger
They'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag
So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag...
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