Mendoza: Streets, Soccer, Schools

Hello all! As you can tell from reading the Rapa Nui post, I had a pretty incredible time. It was difficult to end my week there, and it was a hard transition. I was in a rather sour mood for the few days after I returned and the first day or two in Mendoza. But things are definitely starting to look up! I've been in Mendoza since Tues, and it's much better than Santiago: a more manageable size, friendlier people, nice plazas, cheaper, safer, etc. Although it's been ridiculously hot and getting hotter (should be 96 one day next week) ), I am thoroughly enjoying the city. I've decided to settle here for a few months and then spend the rest of the time traveling.

In case you're curious, Mendoza is in the heart of wine country and produces 70% of Argentina's wine. And it's cheap! Also ubiquitous and cheap is meat, specifically lots and lots of beef. Meat is apparently cheaper than most vegetables, which are in much scarcer supply. I toured a bodega (winery) with a girl from Oregon last week, but I'm really looking forward to doing the Bike & Wine circuit of vineyards outside the city. On Wed night my hostel had a fabulous all-you-can-eat asado (BBQ), which was definitely worth the $20AR ($6.50) I shelled out.

Streets, soccer, and schools: I'm pretty sure the most dangerous part of Mendoza is crossing the street. Even when the light turns green, the pedestrians don't have the right of way. Moreover, cars don't always obey the stoplights, and if they don't see anyone around they will just go through the red lights. So basically you have to make a mad dash if you ever want to get to the other side of the street! I rented a bike yesterday afternoon and have come to the conclusion that this must be one of the worst cities for biking. Not only do you have to stop at every block, but you also can't ride on the sidewalks because there are mini steps and sidewalk cafes (good for eating but not for biking!). But fear not. There is an enormous park that takes up about 1/4 of the city, so most people bike there.

Speaking of the park, yesterday I ventured there on my rental bike and saw many signs for women's soccer (quite unusual in a small South American city). When I realized the date was the day I was there, I started asking around until I found the action. It was a small tournament of players that were a bit younger than me. I started kicking the ball around with a couple girls that were waiting for their game, and then their coach came over. After chatting with her for a bit, I asked if I could play with them. She said I couldn't play in the tournament because of regulations, but she invited me to come practice with her team each week!!! So now I have soccer practice Mon, Wed, & Fri from 7-9 pm I'm beyond excited. On my way out of the park, I came upon a group of about 100 people being led in dance aerobics by an ultra-fit woman on a large stage. I dropped my bike and joined in the fun. It was mostly younger women, but there was also an 80-yr-old man and two guys that had hopped off their motorcycles. Very amusing.

Since I made the decision to stay here, I have been looking for volunteer work. On Thurs I went to the school next to my hostel and asked if I could help out in a classroom. She said that all public schools are administered by the Casa de Gobierno (governmental house), so I would need to inquire with them. I walked there and was faced with a 100-office building. After about 10 offices, I finally found the Public Schools one. The following conversation ensued:

Me: Hello, my name is Emmy, and I'm from the United States. I'm going to be in Mendoza for a few months, and I'd like to volunteer at a school.
Woman: Are you studying or on vacation?
Me: Well, I'm traveling for 8 months, but I will be settling in Mendoza for a bit and would like to volunteer.
W: Ok, where's your certificate?
Me: My certificate?
W: Yes, your certificate showing you're a teacher.
Me: I'm actually not a certified teacher. My degree is in Psychology and Spanish, but I taught ESL for a year, and I have been working in classrooms for many years.
W: If you taught, you must have a certificate. You didn't bring it with you?
Me: No, I'm not a certified teacher. You don't have to be certified in the U.S. to assist or volunteer in a classroom.
W: What did you study in school to become a teacher?
Me: My degree was in Psychology and Spanish. I'm not a certified teacher.
W: Well, we only have teachers or education students in the schools. It's a fairly complicated pay scale.
Me: I'm not talking about getting paid. I'm just looking to volunteer.
W: No, that won't be possible. You have to be certified to teach.
Me: What about just helping in a classroom?
W: No.
Me: What about playing with the kids during recess?
W: No.
Me: Ok, well thanks for your time.

Who knew it could be so hard to offer your services! I guess public schools aren't the way to go here. I'll have to try a different route.

I realized recently that in conceptualizing this trip, I had been hoping to find another Cuenca, both in terms of the actual city and the experience. But this is a very different trip, and in Cuenca I lived with a family, had good friends, was in a program, etc. It's not as easy as I thought to create that kind of meaningful experience in a new place! It takes a lot of time and is hard to do when you're staying in hostels and speaking too much English. I'm hoping I'll have part of "Cuenca" here in Mendoza, but I'm also going to stop using Cuenca as the ultimate yardstick and take each experience for what it is. And when I travel around the last few months, I'm going to try damn hard to get off the tourist track!

Who knows what will have happened by the next time I write. That's part of the fun of it all