Transcript "La Tomatina" Festival from Spain

• In a village called Buñol, near Valencia, there is
a crazy festival that takes place every year on
the last Wednesday of August.
It is called La Tomatina and it is the biggest
tomato fight in the world!
• Thousands of people flock to the village to join
in the tomato-throwing event.
• In the morning, lorries arrive, loaded with
around 125,000 kilos of tomatoes that have
been specially grown for the festival. The
special tomatoes are extra ripe so that they
are soft. They do not have a good taste.
• The day begins at around 10 a.m. with the
'greased pole.' In Spanish it is called el palo
jabón. People try to climb up the slippery
pole where there is a leg of ham attached to
the top.
• When a lucky person manages to fetch the
ham (el jamón) the tomato fight can
begin! The tomato fight (la batalla) usually
starts at around 11 a.m. and it lasts for one
hour. The sound of a firework means that the
tomato-throwing can begin.
• One hour later, another firework means that
the tomato-throwing must stop. Everybody is
in a terrible state because they are covered in
tomato juice, seeds and bits!
• Before the battle begins, shops and windows
are boarded up so that they are
protected. Afterwards, the messy streets are
hosed down with water.
Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd3n5NG
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Can you now come up with some
rules for people involved in La
Tomatina?
The Rules
• 1. Throw tomatoes during the official hour
only. Do not continue after the hour is up.
The Rules
• 2. Squash the tomatoes before you throw
them. This makes them softer and less
dangerous.
The Rules
• 3. Do not throw any other objects. Only
tomatoes.
The Rules
• 4. Do not rip or throw T-shirts.
The Rules
• 5. Be careful not to go too close to the lorries
that carry and offload the tomatoes.
The Rules
• 6. You should wear goggles to protect your
eyes because the tomato juice stings.
The Rules
• 7. Do not wear flip flops or open sandals as
you will probably lose them during the
fight. It is better to wear trainers.
The Rules
• 8. If you want to watch without being hit by a
flying tomato, then the only safe place for you
is in a helicopter.
The Rules
• 9. Do not stand on a balcony. You will
become an excellent target for the tomatothrowers.
Quiz
• http://www.esqw1.org.uk/page61.htm