Mendoza is famous for many things: consistent sunshine, siesta-time, wine, and acequias. Acequias are irrigation ditches that are open spaces which separate the street from the sidewalk. They are small enough that one may be able to take a giant step over, but they are large enough that one can easily fall into one. Mendocinos state that you are not a true Mendocino unless you fall into an acequia at least once. This week I fell into an acequia, twice. Does that mean I am really Mendocina?
Since I began living here in Mendoza, ice cream has become part of my regular diet. The ice cream here is unlike the ice cream in the United States. It is more like Italian gelato, so it is not as heavy and creamy as ice cream and it contains A LOT of flavor. With one lick, you are good. I know I complain a lot about my weight…all my life I have been that way. However, when it comes to ice cream, I honestly do not care nor do I worry about the amount I consume. For some people it is fried foods, for others it is chocolate, and for others it is bread. For me, it is ice cream…all the way. Last Sunday, 05.15, after I went for ice cream to my favorite ice cream place here thus far, Mailyo, I was getting my swim bag out of my friend’s car and I fell behind into an acequia. It was dry and I fell vertically below, therefore I really only scrapped my knee and shocked my “funny bone,” (which is really a nerve...hence the funny sensation). I am a clumsy person, naturally; therefore I really could only laugh at myself.
This morning I was going to church with a good friend of mine. (I know it is a Saturday therefore, no, I was not going to a Catholic church…I still go to Catholic mass on Sunday afternoon’s at 8:00 PM.) I step out of the car, obviously not paying attention, take 2 steps, and ultimately end up soaking wet in a dirty, water-filled acequia. Personally, if I was my friend, I would have been laughing. I mean, I fell into an acequia for the second time in one week. It was not even as if the acequia was right next to me as I exited the vehicle…I had to take two steps in order to find myself within the acequia. It is funny! Obviously, I am a clumsy mess or a “torpe” as they call people of my kind here. However, as I climb out of the acequia and take off my wet jacket, I notice some red stuff gushing out of my hand. Yes, it was blood. I actually hurt myself.
We walk across the street to a bakery/convenience store in which they were kind enough to let me clean my hand off in their bathroom. As I am drenching my hand in super cold water, I notice that the cut is pretty deep (I can see muscle) and it is quite dirty (I mean, I did fall into an acequia…I think it comes with the territory). Luckily, my friend is in his final year of medical school so I basically had a doctor with me. Maybe I should have gone to the hospital to get some stitches, but I did not feel pain at that time and did not believe it was necessary. My friend drove me home, helped me clean out any infection with some products from the pharmacy, and I left right away to go for a run. If my grandma saw my wound she would literally kill me so I tried to avoid the trouble at all costs.
Now, as I am typing this entry, I notice that my hand is turning red, feels warm, and the sensation is rolling down my arm. Great. Might have an infection. If you come to visit me in Mendoza within the near future, just be careful when exiting vehicles…particularly if you are a swimmer. We tend to be a clumsy kind.
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