I know it has been awhile, but I thought I would post about just another day in my life in Argentina.
Thursday edition: Horseback riding final and the Doctors office
And of course, I'm going to start with yesterday. Between classes yesterday, I went to the international office to tell them I wasn't feeling well and would like to see a doctor. So, the nice one tells me how to get to the hospital, what bus to use and everything. I get there and find the information desk and the person hands me the phone and tells me to call the number. Ok, I call the number and tell the person on the phone I would like to see a doctor. The person on the phone is like ok, next Friday... I was like wait, I would like to see a doctor now. She responded, ok next Monday - And I interrupted again, no, I would like to see a doctor soon. So finally she makes me an appointment for the hospital in the center today at 3:30.
So today was my horseback riding final at El Encuentro. I had to get up early for it so I was alone in the kitchen about to pour myself cereal when Bety bursts in and tells me, like its the end of the world, that there isnt any yorgur. So I'm like fine, I'll cook myself some eggs. She didn't understand. 'Huevos?' So I'm about to cook myself some eggs when she's like no, I'll do it. So I did get eggs for breakfast, but I didn't get to cook. But later that day I would have the opportunity...
But first, I have had exactly 2 horseback riding classes adding up to a full hour and a half of time on a horse. I was not ready, at all. So we get on the horses, and they tell us we are going on a ride through the woods. I was thinking like a path sort thing, not too worried. We enter the woods and the path is like 2 feet wide and very overgrown, so I just being whacked by tree branches and other plants. And the horse is not listening to any of my commands, it stopped to eat, walked off the path, refused to stop when I pulled the reins. Then, all of the sudden we get to this stream, no river. The two guides go across like its no big deal and I nearly just turned around right then, ready to take a failing grade. The guides were on pretty big horses and both of their boots got wet going across. And just to give the setting, when I had left the house that morning at 9:30 it was 45 degrees outside. At least it was sunny. So I'm third in line, the two guys in front of me start going across and their horses stop in the middle. I have 0 control over mine, and it just follows theirs in, except I think it tripped, because right when we get in the water it stuck its head under the rushing water and my entire left leg got soaked in water. This is 5 minutes into the ride. The ride continues, with continuing struggles. I still cant get the horse to stop when I pull the reins, it would just throw its head and keep going. The only time it did stop was to eat, which is when it should not have been stopped. We finally get out of the low branch forest and into a nice field. Well, not a nice field, the grass was really tall, so it was still whacking me, and the path was even narrower. At one point my horse nearly started galloping headed right towards the fence that separated the school playground from our trail. Luckily I avoided that catastrophe of riding a horse through a school playground. We keep going and going and finally we reach a road that will take us back. I thought riding a horse through a trail was difficult, but I hadn't known what riding a horse on a road with cars was like. Luckily we crossed back of the river at a lower point, though it was really rocky and the horses kept kind of tripping but we all made it back and passed.
Then it was cooking class time. I had a great time in cooking class. I tried to make sure that I washed my hands a lot because of my cold, but the Argentinians have no concept of germs - which I will get to later. I fried up some pastelitos (some sort of pastery), and we made humito (basically creamed corn soup) which involved putting corn in a blender - that was a first for me. And as a complete opposite of breakfast that morning the cooking teacher did not even give me instructions other than 'cook'. Luckily deep frying and boiling soup aren't too difficult. Also, I was the only person the teacher let near the food on the stove, not sure why.
I made it back to the house for an excellent lunch: baked chicken, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. And I get ready to go to the doctor. I've had a couple friends here go to the doctor so I had some ideas about what to expect. But I got so much more than I expected. The hospital was the most confusing un-labeled building I've been in, in my life. I go up to the third floor like the lady on the phone said but I ended up in the nursery so I just went back the way I came until I found the Informacion desk. Apparently I took the wrong hallway to the third floor. So I find the doctors office, and the only information they ask for is my insurance card. There was no filling out 5 pages of my name, personal information, medical history, signing my name - none of that. The doctor calls me back, and he was a very nice old man that spoke some English, so I had the appointment in Spanglish. First thing he does, greet me with a kiss on the cheek. Obviously I have a severe cold based on the color of my nose and the way my voice sounds, but does that stop the Argentianinas, noo, there is one, and only one, proper way to greet someone here. The kiss must be given. The first thing I notice on walking in the exam room, is the mound (as in messy piles) of pill boxes of free samples on the side table and on his desk and on the window sill. It was impressive (I considered taking a picture but that could be considered strange). So we sit down and just start having a conversation. Like: so where are you from, oh yah, thats cool. Finally we get down to business, which includes, name, address, birthday, ect.. but it't not just an exchange of information, it was a conversation. He had a comment on nearly every personal fact I gave him. Oh thats my wife's birth date, oh thats the neighborhood I used to live in, now I live... and so on. And finally, after a good 20 minutes of chatting, he's like, so whats wrong. And I describe my issues. At this point he still has no medical history on me, so I kind of weave that in to my story. It was great fun trying to say the medical words in Spanish Even if they didn't translate at all, just saying them like they were Spanish words was enough for him to understand.
When I told him about what medicine I take every day he was like NO, your only 20 (he can almost do math), that cant be right, why are you on that. So we spend a good amount of time talking about my medical history some more, and he re-diagnoses me, probably more correctly than any doctor in the US had. So that was super exciting, resolving previously un-resolved medical issues. But, he had no clue what is wrong with me right now (story of my life), so I have a broad spectrum fasting blood analysis tomorrow, after which I am to call him on his cell phone to find out my results. That too will be an adventure. So I have with me a list, on a piece of paper off of a regular note pad, all the tests the lab is supposed to run. I could always add some more for fun haha. As I was leaving he gave me the customary kiss on the cheek goodbye, and I found my was out of the maze, to the bus stop, and made a friend, because this is Argentina and that's what happens here. Also, and this is for everyone here with me that has been to the doctor, he gave me a list of foods not to eat for the next 2 days, which includes no fruits and no raw vegetables. I understand the no chocolate or milk products since I have a sore throat. But the no canned food is a little strange, and the no fruits or raw vegetables is very strange but that seems to be a standard doctor's order in this country.
So that was just another day of my life in Argentina. Thursday to be exact. Though apparently, since I missed history class, I missed having class outside and everyone being attacked by biting ants and one girl needing Benadryl. And now for a weekend of resting up and writing essays. Yay.
