One hard thing about moving abroad is that even the most common tasks can be a bit cumbersome when you don’t know how things work in the new country. For instance, when in need for health care.

I have had the opportunity to visit my assigned community doctor three times. First time I had a headache and fever. This was around the same time as the oh-so-well-known swine flu was the hottest thing on the news. At that time I could barely speak Spanish so with a little help from the nice people at the office administration I got an appointment and gladly went there.

Once at the doctor I did my best to try to understand the words he kept saying to me together with his intense waving arms. After some frenetic searching in my dictionary I brought with me it turns out he seemed very eager to know if I had fever and if I had been to Mexico recently. From the look of it he seemed better of behind his desk and if I understood him correctly he did not consider an examine was necessary. He also appeared very interested to know where I was from and what I was doing here, which I gladly responded in the best way I could at the time. I’m not so sure what I said made sense, and even less understood what he said. Finally I got a prescription and went home to rest (I got well soon afterwards, supposed it could not have been that serious).

Second time I had a sore throat, as many other people at my office, which didn’t seem to want to go away. I got tired of waiting to get better so I booked an appointment with the help of a kind friend of mine and went. This time I did not bring the dictionary but still had trouble to understand what he said. I think I asked him more than 5 times to speak slower and I would understand. But that didn’t go so well, instead he just raised his voice saying the same things over and over (does not seem to be a uncommon way to communicate if the other part does not understand you). When I interrupted his chanting he looked even less satisfied. I took the opportunity to ask if I could get book the hepatitis injection, with the words of a colleague fresh in mind who had told me that I could get a hepatitis injection for free through the Spanish heath care. But if understood his reply correctly he could not help me with that. Enough with the Spanish practice for today I thought, sincerely thanked for the help and went home.

Third times the charm. A couple months of Spanish lessons and daily practice later I would say that I can speak fairly freely even though the vocabulary still lacks sometimes, depending on the context. So, I managed to do all the booking and talking myself this time. Although, this time I did not go there because I was sick and instead because I needed to get a medical examination (do be able to take scuba course I am planning for my upcoming vacations). And for once I understood everything he said.

Turns out that his manners I took for misunderstandings in the language was something completely else. What I had earlier had taken for honest curiosity to me appeared to be nothing else than simple racism. Basically he was questioning what I was doing here, if I even worked and why I did not stay in Sweden. One funny remark, he did not even know what country Sweden was when I replied. I got so shocked that I did not know what to answer. And no, I did not get any examination… luckily I got another appointment through my private insurance which will help me tomorrow.

I don’t know why or what he have experienced in his life, but there have to be something more to this story. I always try to see the good in all people but maybe I’m just naive? The presumptions and generalizations of other people is never a good thing, and IMHO should always be questioned. Throughout the day I have thought about a dozen different scenarios that could have happened if I just realized this at that moment. But as always, it is easier to be a smart-ass afterward.

But sometimes it is just easier to move on. Their loss. Tomorrow is a new day. And a new doctors visit.