Please care for me Doktor...

I experienced a little culture shock while visiting the doctor last week.

First, let me tell you that I love going to the doctor. It's like a religion for me. I never miss my yearly check ups. I'm not a freak who goes to the doctor for every little thing, but when it's time to see the doctor I go with a bounce in my step (even when I'm sick). Keep that in mind as you read on...

My boss recommended a doctor for me. So I made an appointment. Here's how it went:

I arrive (right on time). "Hello, my name is Holly. I'm here to see Dr. B." "Yes. May I have your Krankenversicherungskarte (medical insurance card)." I proudly pass it over. "Please wait in the waiting room and the doctor will call you." "Thank you". [side note: I sat in the wrong waiting room for a while, until one of the other doctors saw me and told me I should sit in the other waiting room unless I needed some methadone today. Heehee.] I sit, I wait. After 10 minutes max, "Frau Cuccioletta?" I smile, I get up, I enter the office. It's a nice altbau building and the doctor is a nice woman with warm eyes. I sit across from her at her desk which is adorned with a beautiful Mac. "May we speak in English?" "Yes of course." She smiles. "So what's wrong?" What's wrong? I ask myself ... I'm not sure what she means... "Well, nothing really. I'm new to Berlin and would like to have a general practitioner. I was recommended to you, so here I am. I'd like to have a check up." "Oh, ok. But there's nothing wrong?" What is she talking about? I want her to give me a check up and start a file for me... "Well, actually, I do have some pain in my right knee and wrist, but nothing too serious." "Ok then. What kind of pain do you have? When did it start? Any history of this kind of pain in your family ...." And the list of questions goes on for a while. She seems very interested in this. "Ok so what we are going to do first is a blood test to make sure it's not some kind of infection causing this pain. Then you will go see this doctor for some ultrasounds. So follow me to the test room." I get up. "Should I take my things?" She gives me a puzzled look. "Yeeesss" she says slowly. We walk down the hall. She enters a room. "Please wait here." She comes out. "Ok so they will call you when it's your turn." She smiles and then says, "Have a nice day". I smile. Have a nice day? What? "Excuse me, but will I be seeing you again after the test?" "No, unless you need to discuss something else?" "Then I guess I should make another appointment for my check up then...?" She gives me that puzzled look again. "I'm sorry but is this a strange request I am making?" "Well ... yes. At your age, there is no reason to do a check up. You come and see me when there is something wrong." She smiles. "Oh. Ok then." "Well if you want, I can request that we check other things with your blood test, like your cholesterol...etc." "Oh, ok. Thank you." "You're welcome." She smiles, I smile. I get a vile of blood taken and am told the results will be there tomorrow for me to pick up. And then I am on my way back home - awe struck.

I am awe struck because of two things:
1. Do they not know what a yearly physical is here in Berlin?!
2. The efficiency of getting a blood test, its results and an appointment for an ultrasound. As quick as a blink of an eye.

After telling my story to a couple of people, I've found out that unless you have private insurance you are not covered for a yearly check up. These are only done at certain ages. I guess it makes sense, but nevertheless, I'm highly disappointed. I loved my yearly check ups. I just like being reassured that my health is good. It's like getting a good grade on a test or something ... I don't know. But now I don't have that anymore. I can't believe I'm saying this but I am mourning my doctor in Montreal. This Berlin doctor didn't listen to my heart. She didn't take my blood pressure or weigh me. She didn't even touch me, besides to shake my hand, and this is just very unusual for me.

Oh well ... when in Rome...

xoxo
Holly

Berlin Notes

- The street trams at Alexanderplatz crawl along like big sleepy yellow caterpillars.

- People on the S Bahn eating sausages in buns or sandwiches made with grain garnished breads, oozing Remoulade and rustling their paper bags.

- City workers, construction workers, in blue. Everyday. Everywhere.

- The daily temptaion of Le Crobag at Friedrichstrasse. Delicately powdered Quarktaschen. Hot buttery Choco Croissants. Marzipan Croissants...

- Remains. Skeletons. Division. Destruction. Ugly. Beautiful. Birth. Different. Build. New. Open. Tradition.

- Church bells in Friedenau, at midday, midnight and all times in between.

- Ansteigen bitte! Zurueck bleiben bitte!

- Highly skilled cigarette spinners with spongy filter tips between their lips.

- My white Adidas with blue stripes against the cobblestone streets around Mexikoplatz.

- The small pink car parked on Buelowstrasse has been there for at least three years. I think it belongs to an old woman with short frizzy hair who loves the sound of her pet birds chirping. She wears pink lipstick to match her car. She probably also drinks a lot of tea with heaps of sugar in every cup. Her tea cups are also pink, but a light baby pink.

...

You know, I haven't seen anyone use hand sanitizer here yet. I don't even see it in stores ... interesting ...

xoxo

Easter Trees

I know Easter has passed, but I have to share these with you. They are some pictures I collected over the last couple of weeks of something so unfamiliar to me, but very prominent here. Easter egg trees. Like Christmas tress, but for Easter! Next year I'm making one for sure. Check it out:






Isn't that so cute? Happy belated Easter.

xoxo

Bus Manners

I love riding the bus, in general. I especially like it here in Berlin because often you get these beautiful double-decker buses. I always try to get the first seats up top, as they provides the best view, but it's not always so easy because they seem to be the seats where everyone rush to first. Anyhow, I've noticed that no one says thank you to the bus driver when they get off. Weird for me, because I find in Montreal it is a common thing to hear a string of "Merci's" at the bus stop. I've decided that next time I ride the bus here, and get off up front, I will say thank you - even if no one else does.

My Favourite Dinner

I don't know if it's the Italian influence here ... for our family, the perfect snack consisted of bread, cheese (preferably Parmesan), dried sausage and some wine. Mmmmmm.... So, probably inspired by that comes my perfect dinner, which I enjoyed this evening:

- Salad (mainly cucumbers, tomatoes and onions with a bit of Romain lettuce) dressed with olive oil, balsamic and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Bread, fresh and whole wheat.
- cheese, here we have some Parmesan, some English cheddar (not as good as Canadian cheddar, but you gotta deal...) and a Freach soft white cheese rolled in cranberries! Yum! I just discovered the last one this week and I'm loving it. Also last week I discovered another French cheese to fall in love with called Vacheron. But it's a seasonal cheese, only available in Winter months until March or so...
- Hungarian salami - ya, ya, I know, Hungarian!? But it's just that I find the fat content in Italian salami is not well distributed. You get these big chunks of fat you become really aware of as you chew. Not my bag.
- Fruit, in this case really succulent pears, but it could be grapes or really firm juicy apples...or dried figs.

I like these kind of snack meals. Maybe it's because I'm a lazy chef =) And of course Montignac wouldn't approve but ... well ... you know.

What's your favourite dinner?

Bon Appetit

Inspired by... Cardboard Furniture!

Yes, that's right. Those pieces are made of real cardboard and nothing else. Not only do they look cool, they are functional, they work! You can actually use them. You can sit on them, put things on them... Today I am totally inspired by this idea of making furniture out of cardboard. Check these out:









I mean, as long as the cardboard being used is actually used and being recycled, then I'm totally into this. I want one of these things! You?