This Saturday concluded my last full week of regular classes at the academy and I celebrated in appropriate style. Going to see Shakira in concert, of course! Okay, so usually I would judge someone for going to see a pop star in concert…. Britney Spears, Lady Gaga… it’s just not my thing. But, I LOVE Shakira and I’ve been listening to her music since I was 14. So when the twins (my friends Marta and Bea, the ones who took me to La Rioja) invited me to see her in concert with them, I just had to say yes.So we hit the road to Bilbao. I was looking forward to a proper night on the town in the largest Basque city, also full of the largest manly Basque men. All the jokes they make about Basque people in Spain usually feature a “bilbaino.” They are the Minnesotans of Spain (think Marshall Eriksen in “How I Met Your Mother).
Example (translated from Spanish):
Two men from Bilbao are walking down the street. One of them is carrying a wardrobe.
“Geeze, Patxi [pronounced Pah-chee, most stereotypical Basque name ever], do you need some help with that?”
“No, thanks. Julen (pronounced You-len, another stereotypical Basque name] is inside holding up the hangers for me.”
HAHAHAHA.
Anyway, both Shakira and Bilbao nightlife lived up to the hype. Shakira sang all of my favorite songs… increíble! I especially liked how she finished it off with “Waka Waka.” That song was everywhere last year during the World Cup (and it will always bring me fond memories of my friends from Valladolid, my first running of the bulls, my first interrail trip and Spain taking 1st place). What a finale. 
Then we hit the town in appropriate Bilbao style: until the next morning. At the risk of taking the wrong side in the Bilbo-Gasteiz rivalry, (when I said, “wow, this place is amazing!” Bea replied, “we WILL leave you here.” lol), it was great to spend some time in a big city where not all the people are exactly. the. same. ☺
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