As some of you know, I'm away this week for a work conference. A couple nights ago I posted about a very nice welcome dinner we had. Yesterday was a long day with a working lunch and a working dinner. Today another long day but with a team building function this evening. We all went to a "rodeo"!!
I put that in quotes because the very concept of a rodeo is just so far outside this Boston girl's life experience. Who knew people still dressed up like old west cowboys and road bulls and roped little cows and did all that stuff????? Crazy, huh?
The dinner spread at this rodeo function for us was a short buffet including three different kinds of BBQ meat and one side choice: mac 'n cheese. No salad. No veggies. Meat and carbs. I'm not saying it wasn't delicious, but wow did I feel far from home! I feel closer to home sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Prague than I do in this foreign country known as Texas! 🤣
As for the rodeo ... well, I'm not quite sure what to think. I'm very much someone who tries to respect local cultures and I know that rodeo is very deeply ingrained in the culture down here. But, with that said, I couldn't even watch, never mind take pictures of the calfs being dragged, sometimes thrown, to the ground and then tied up. Not saying it's right or wrong, it's just way outside my comprehension. 🤷♀️
But, when in Rome, right?
Anyway, I've now been to my first rodeo ever. Are you doing anything interesting this weekend?
You probably felt like I did at my first Bull fight in Madrid. Rodeos are very or were very common here.....however they are on the way out. i have been to my fair share both in NZ and here. The local one closed down five years ago. Way to much animal cruelty when you look into it.
@sarabee1995 the first time there I was stationed six weeks each on two different bases. Lackland AFB of course and Camp Bullis medical marine base. So three months total.
Cowboys do the same thing to cowgirls … after the rodeo ! 😂😂😂🤠.
Wyoming is a huge rodeo state , as is Oklahoma and Montana . Texas is just bigger . I’m so glad you got the experience .
The bulls and the broncos “ buck” because they put a strap around its body at its flank ( just I don’t of its rear legs ) . They tighten it just before the chute is opened and it makes them want it off there … so the buck … hard … for 8 seconds . A bucking strap costs $150 .
I feel a rodeo would be interesting to see once. But like you, not my thing. You can't tell me that this is not some sort of animal abuse !! Not making that statement to start a debate, just my opinion.
@Teslin That is so true. I had a few travel experiences with my family when I was a teenager and those trips infected me with the travel bug. I credit those trips with the career choices I've made since and now I'm in Europe for work on average twice a month.
Humanity, with all its shortcomings and imperfections and despite its capacity for cruelty, is actually quite beautiful. Each and every one of us, Republican and Democrat, American and Mexican, Russian and Ukrainian, Arab and Jew, each of us is a critical part of that mosaic.
@Teslin I'm very careful. Situational awareness, threat assessment, resource management ... At one point I was a mission planner ... that job leaves you forever "aware".
When my son and I went through Texas we stopped in Ft. Worth. While I appreciate the culture and love the wild West and tough folks, we walked out of the rodeo.
I wanted my son to see one and he was mortified. When they started throwing and dragging the calves he was done. Poor kid. He still talks about how terrible it was 😂
@SW-User That's exactly the event that got me turned away from the rodeo. I spent the rest of the time there just mingling and talking with my colleagues and ignoring what was happening down below.
Btw, this was Fort Worth where we were last night as well. I assume there's only one rodeo arena there so we were likely at the same place. Kinda a cool area to walk around.
Give your son a hug from me and tell him that your taekwondo-loving Navy friend felt the same way he did. ❤️❤️❤️
SW-User
@sarabee1995 Aw!! That's so cool! I'm sure it was the same place!
Did you see the bulls walk through town? We ate at a place that had saddles as bar stools 😂
It's a cool town. Texas is truly cool. But yeah I don't see the need to throw and drag around calves. Kinda sad.
@SW-User No, we didn't get there early enough to see that, but people told us about it. I'm here in Texas on a work trip so we were busy all day and just went over to Ft Worth for the evening.
I also have been to ONE rodeo in my life a few years ago and felt the same way. It was definitely entertaining in some sort of way. But I would like to go yo the Prague sidewalk cafe...which I may have the chance to do within the nect month...as I am traveling to Germany for Christmas and site seeing to nearby countries. Then I can say that we both hzve done those two extremes 😊
@Midlifemale That's cool. Where in Germany? You're about 3.5 hours drive to Prague from Berlin and about 4 hours from Munich. Very much worth a few days in my opinion. 🙂
@MartinTheFirst. Not to the extent I saw last night, no.
We got there early and walked around for a while. It was actually a really cool place. For several blocks in all directions there was so much life and activity.
But the only time I've ever seen so many people in costume back home would be around Halloween. That lead me to believe that these people must just dress this way ... like for them it wasn't a costume.
