Did you know that culture isn’t just about race? It’s about
religion, food, even sports. I don’t think I really understood that until I
moved to Madrid.
I knew soccer was important. My boyfriend (husband now) and
his family would watch every single Real Madrid game that ever played. The bars
would be filled with cheering fans.
I was never much of a sports fan growing up. I didn’t know
the difference between most sports teams, or sports in general. I knew that my
brother played soccer on a junior league. I decided that for Christmas, I would
get him a soccer jersey. I didn’t think it mattered what kind, just as long as
it was a soccer jersey, right?
I went to one of the biggest soccer tourist shops in Madrid
and went through all of the uniforms. The more I went through, the more l
realized that most of the jerseys were ugly. Most were just black and white, no
color at all. Finally, near the back, I found a jersey that had some color. It
was red and blue, and perfect. I didn’t know who the player was on the back,
and honestly, I didn’t care. It was just important that the jersey I gave my
brother wasn’t ugly.
Turns out, it wasn’t a Madrid Jersey. It was a Barcelona
Jersey, and my in-laws, the biggest Real Madrid fans in the world, were not
impressed. When I sent a picture of my brother wearing a Messi Barcelona
Jersey, they bought him a brand new jersey, one from Real Madrid, and with my
brother’s last name and age on the back.
Over the years, I’ve learned that a little competition is
fun. So I’m a fan of Barcelona, and it makes watching the games so much more
fun.
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