This week the kids have been celebrating the Día de Andalucía. This ambiguous holiday does what Spaniards do best, celebrate themselves and their region. All week, they colored Andalucían tiles, made books about the history, had a celebratory breakfast, and played a soccer game against the teachers. My favorite event, however, was the string concert given on Thursday. To appeal to the kids, the string quartet played songs the kids could sing along to. They started with the Spongebob Squarepants theme song (here known as Bob Esponga). They really got the crowd riled up, however, when they introduced a big soccer rivalry into the mix.
Sevilla has two fútbol teams: Sevilla Fútbol Club and Real Betis. As my school is located closer to the Sevilla stadium, the majority of the kids are Sevilla fans. This doesn't just mean that they support Sevilla, but it also means that they hate Betis with every fiber of their being. So, when the quartet started playing the Betis hymn, all hell broke loose. Kids were jumping up and down booing and generally causing mayhem. The quartet had to stop, and explain that they were going to be playing BOTH hymns - and that the kids needed to respect the others. This worked well in theory, but when they started up playing the Sevilla hymn, the Betis fans did not take it well. While the Sevilla fans were singing along, clapping to the flamenco beat and swaying, the Betis fans clapped hands over their ears, stuck fingers in their eardrums, and did all they could to block out the travesty that was happening around them. One boy even pulled off his fleece sweatshirt and wrapped it around his head - blocking all senses from the clear horror. The little girl sitting next to me asked if I was a Sevilla fan, to which I halfheartedly replied yes. Wrong choice. She gave me a look that could kill and refused to look at me for the rest of the song. When the Betis theme started, she sang along proudly, and loudly, as a kind of screw you to me and the rest of the Sevilla fans in the mix. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't really care much for fútbol.
All was forgotten, however, and bygones were bygones when the music brought them together the only way how: reminding them of Spain winning the world cup. Images of Spain’s team dashed across the overhead and the band played the World Cup theme song - Waving flag. The kids proudly sang along, and I was proud as they nailed the English lyrics in the chorus (when I get older/I will be stronger/They'll call me freedom just like a waving flag). By the end of the song, Sevilla and Betis fans had their arms around each other, swaying in time to the music. When the song ended, one boy got up from his chair and ran around the room, fists pumping into the air, as if he just singlehandedly won the world cup for his country. Now that’s some pride. Even the little Betis fan next to me forgot my supposed Sevilla allegiances and held my hand as the last song, Andalucía's anthem, played in the background.
Sevilla has two fútbol teams: Sevilla Fútbol Club and Real Betis. As my school is located closer to the Sevilla stadium, the majority of the kids are Sevilla fans. This doesn't just mean that they support Sevilla, but it also means that they hate Betis with every fiber of their being. So, when the quartet started playing the Betis hymn, all hell broke loose. Kids were jumping up and down booing and generally causing mayhem. The quartet had to stop, and explain that they were going to be playing BOTH hymns - and that the kids needed to respect the others. This worked well in theory, but when they started up playing the Sevilla hymn, the Betis fans did not take it well. While the Sevilla fans were singing along, clapping to the flamenco beat and swaying, the Betis fans clapped hands over their ears, stuck fingers in their eardrums, and did all they could to block out the travesty that was happening around them. One boy even pulled off his fleece sweatshirt and wrapped it around his head - blocking all senses from the clear horror. The little girl sitting next to me asked if I was a Sevilla fan, to which I halfheartedly replied yes. Wrong choice. She gave me a look that could kill and refused to look at me for the rest of the song. When the Betis theme started, she sang along proudly, and loudly, as a kind of screw you to me and the rest of the Sevilla fans in the mix. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't really care much for fútbol.
All was forgotten, however, and bygones were bygones when the music brought them together the only way how: reminding them of Spain winning the world cup. Images of Spain’s team dashed across the overhead and the band played the World Cup theme song - Waving flag. The kids proudly sang along, and I was proud as they nailed the English lyrics in the chorus (when I get older/I will be stronger/They'll call me freedom just like a waving flag). By the end of the song, Sevilla and Betis fans had their arms around each other, swaying in time to the music. When the song ended, one boy got up from his chair and ran around the room, fists pumping into the air, as if he just singlehandedly won the world cup for his country. Now that’s some pride. Even the little Betis fan next to me forgot my supposed Sevilla allegiances and held my hand as the last song, Andalucía's anthem, played in the background.
this story is so cute. you made me laugh :)
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