Entry #13

"When they saw that I had aficion, and there was no password, no set questions that could bring it out, rather it was a sort of oral spiritual examination with the questions always a little on the defensive and never apparent, there was this same embarrassed putting the hand on the shoulder, or a 'Buen hombre.' But nearly always there was he actual touching. It seemed as though they wanted to touch you to make it certain" (page 137).

This is a great example of how closed off American culture is. People are surprised to see that the Americans, meaning Jake, could have "aficion" or passion about something so un-American, bull-fighting. Sometimes I see this as well. People are so passionate about football because it is the "All American Sport," but recently the World Cup occurred in South Africa and although people knew about it, they were not passionate about it. If you ask me, I think the World Cup is so much more interesting than the Super Bowl because it is so much bigger! It is bringing together many countries and giving us a common bond, even though when the game is going on, we are enemies.

I also like how Jake describes passion. I never thought of it this way before, but many people who claim to have passion for something are really just faking everyone, sometimes including themselves. I think that passion is something to be seen, not heard. If someone is all talk about their passion or "aficion," then I don't believe they truly have passion. It should be seen in a person's movements, actions, and personality.