WEBVTT
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Welcome to Bon Jola, a podcast about two women, Amy and Rebecca, who each move from the United States to Europe to become expats.
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Amy to Spain and Rebecca to France.
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We're here to share the highs, the lows, and the logistics of this adventure.
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Encourage you to follow your own, move abroad dreams, and remind you that you're not alone when the going gets tough.
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Enjoy.
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Banjola Rebecca
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Bonjour, Amy
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You are late to our meeting today, which is very rare for you.
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So I'm wondering what happened
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Yes, I had a French, um, newbie snafu that led to me being late today, which goes hand-in-hand with a miracle happening the day before.
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So why was I late?
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Let me start with the miracle.
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Um, nothing in France gets done in one meeting, right?
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We know this.
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Yes.
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I don't know about the rest of Europe, but that holds true for the Iberian Peninsula as well
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Exactly.
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And it's, you know, the bureaucracy.
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We're known for it apparently.
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Well, we, of course, we recently moved to Menton.
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We needed to change our address at the bank.
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And so we're emotionally prepared, and we got all of our paperwork together, and we went over to the bank, which by the way, Menton is a tiny town, so the bank is closed on Mondays, one of Damien's two days off.
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Ah.
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So we went on a Tuesday, and I kid you not, we got it done in 10 minutes and one visit with no rendezvous
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Really?
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So that was, that was Tuesday, just four days ago.
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Amazing.
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We're like,"We should play the lotto." And I, and I did the whole thing in French, and I was feeling so proud of myself.
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Then the next day I went to go have some medical tests done at the lab, and that was my newbie mistake.
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I forgot that May is basically one long vacation in France.
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There are four b- bank holidays in May.
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And of course, labs close on bank holidays.
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Everything closes on bank holidays.
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Yeah
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So I felt dumb.
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Um, and I had to go back today, which is why I am late for our meeting,'cause it ended up being very straightforward.
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But you know, it's funny.
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You...
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Like, you gear up for these things emotionally.
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You're like,"Okay, I've got my French, I've got my paperwork." And then when it works, like at the bank, you're so proud.
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And when it doesn't, going back and gearing yourself up for it again is so hard
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extra.
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It's extra.
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It is so...
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It's, I imagine it's how boys feel when they ask a girl out for the first time and they get rejected, and then they have to summon up the courage to ask another girl out later on, and they're like,"Oh my God." It's totally how I imagine it is for them
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I love that analogy'cause it's gotta be that way.
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I was standing at the lab door.
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The sign says pousser, to push, and I'm just like,"I, I don't want to."
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You know how often, like, if I have to do anything medical where I'm, like, standing there and thinking like,"Maybe I just don't need to." And I actually, you know, when I was going to the ER last, was, that was last week.
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When I was going to the ER last week, like the same thing.
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I'm like,"You know, it's not that bad.
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Maybe I can just turn around and go home and treat it myself, and if it gets infected, I'll come back."
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And it's so funny because we, part of why both of us moved here is for this access to this great care, and it is great.
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But you have to be willing to go.
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You have to be willing to go, yeah,
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so speaking of which, last week you did have the need for urgent care.
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Do you wanna tell our
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I did.
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what happened and how it's going?
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Yeah, yeah.
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So I, I was really stupid
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The best, the best stories start that way
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So true.
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So true.
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Um, I was making dinner and I was in a bad mood.
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I didn't wanna make dinner, I didn't wanna do anything.
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I was just kind of pissy and, and I'm like,"Whatever, I have to go home, I have to make dinner." Um, and I bought some chorizo and I was going to use one of the few coveted boxes of macaroni and cheese that I imported from the States, Annie's mac and cheese, for my son to make him dinner, and serve it with some chorizo so he'd get a little bit of protein in there.
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And um, and I was just like,"I'll just eat leftovers.
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I don't care.
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I just don't like, don't even wanna deal with dinner." So I go to, I put the chorizo in the pan on the stove and we have an induction stove and induction stoves are amazing.
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I maintain this.
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Induction sto- induction stoves are fantastic.
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Um, but I had turned it on like
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Wanna explain what that is for people who may not know it, and, or, or shall I?
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I think you should,'cause I don't really know any more than I know how light bulbs work.
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Okay, so just briefly, you got three kinds of stove tops.
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You kind, you have the kind that electricity heats up a coil and makes it hot.
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You've got the gas stove, right, where you literally use fire to make your stuff hot.
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Induction is using magnetism, and so it requires a certain, uh, metal content in your pans.
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But it's using magnetism to heat things up, and it's known for heating liquid up, boiling water really, really, really fast.
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And Damian was not sure about it when we were moving here because, you know, he's a chef aspiring.
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It turns out it works really, really well and everybody in Paris uses this in France because, um, there's r- restrictions on gas, natural gas.
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And of course, electric stoves suck butt, so those are terrible.
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So induction works really well.
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What's cool about them is when you put the pot on, it heats things up.
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When you take the pot off, that surface is actually cool.
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You could touch it, as long as there's not that metal surface.
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Which leads us back to Aimee's story
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So I put the pan with the chorizo on the induction stove and I put it up on medium.
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And it's taking its sweet-ass time, and I'm like,"Ah, fuck it." You know, I just...
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Pardon my language.
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Fu- Yeah, I just really wanna, like, I wanna get this done, so I turn the heat up to nine.
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And then the doorbell rings, and it is, it's correos, it's the mailman with a package.
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So I go grab my keys, go downstairs, and here in, um, in Spain when you get a package you have to give, like, give them your ID number, signature, right?
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It's basically the same as if you were needing to present your driver's license every time you get a package in the mail that you need to sign for, right?
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Um, and so I did all that.
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I got back upstairs, and the chorizo is smoking.
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Like, I had a lid on it, but it was smoking, and I was like,"Oh, crap." You know, I left it on high.
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I know better than that.
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So I pick up the pan, I put it in the sink, and I'm like,"Well, shoot.
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What I'm...
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Forget it.
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I'll just take this salmon that I have in the fridge and I'll cook it up, and the boy will just have to deal with salmon as a protein,"'cause he doesn't really like salmon.
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So I grab a baking sheet and I put it on the stove, and then I go to prepare the salmon.
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And I turn over and the baking sheet had been warped, and I was like,"What is...
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When did this happen?" Because this is a good quality baking sheet.
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I intentionally replaced what w- came with the house with a really nice quality baking sheet.
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W- when did this happen and how did I not notice it?
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And so I took my hand and I pushed down the bubble, not realizing it was warping because it was sitting on an induction stove, which I had not turned off.
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And so when the baking sheet went on the induction stove, it started heating up at maximum temperature, and I stuck my hand directly on that with force, pushing it down.
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Oh So now when we last were together, and of course nobody knew about this at the time, we didn't record about it, but you had...
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Your hand was all bandaged, so it, you had, you went to urgent care.
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Well, before I went to urgent care, because I am an American, there was a lengthy conversation that I had with myself, and then that I had with my kid, and then my kid was like,"Well, let's talk to ChatGPT," which I have a lot of thoughts about.
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We consulted ChatGPT, who was very concerned about me and very reassuring of my son, and said,"Gosh, I hope your mom is okay.
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Good on you for coming and asking, but this really should be evaluated by a medical provider.
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I do recommend you go to urgent care right away.
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And gosh, I hope your mom gets better soon." Thanks, Chat.
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I mean, I'm glad it at least directed you to proper medical care
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I think it's because it's the newest version So it's not trying a DIY approach of like essential oils and beeswax?
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Okay, so what happens next?
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So, uh, so I asked my kid to come with me because, you know, I'm frazzled obviously, right?
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And he does speak Catalan, and I, you know, have my Spanish and my English, and you just, like, you just don't...
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I don't, I don't know what I'm gonna get.
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I haven't been to the ER.
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This dude's been to the ER three times since we've lived here.
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He always waited until I was out of town, so I don't actually have that lived experience of going to the emergency room either for myself or with a loved one.
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So I had him accompany me, and there was a line of about three people.
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Yeah, we were the third people in line.
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Uh, first person, you know, at the check-in went through the double doors to the back where the ER is.
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The second person, she was like,"My kid is vomiting.
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He doesn't feel good." I don't know what the lady at reception said, but they left and went somewhere else.
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And then I came up, and she's like, uh,"How can I help you?" And I'm like...
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I lift my hand up, and I'm like,"I burned my hand." And she's like,"Okay." And she sends us through the double doors in the back.
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And I go and I sit down, and this guy walks by, and he's like,"Ayme," which is how they say my name here, Ayme.
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And then, and I'm like,"Oh, yeah?" And he motions me over to go and get roomed.
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I was like, whoa, that's quick.
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That's astonishingly quick.
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Like, my butt barely touched the seat, and I'm already being summoned into the back room.
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And so I say,"Wow, tan, tan rápido," right?
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That was really quick.
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And his, and his response was basically like,"Well, yeah, it's really quick to get you roomed.
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It's checkout that takes time." And I was like,"Well, yeah, yeah, that makes sense." So, um, we kind of tried to explain what happened without really having good vocabulary for, like, stove top and pan and, you know, stuff like that, uh, but kinda got the gist across.
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And, um, and he's like,"Well, it's a, it's gr- grado uno.
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It's a stage one burn." And I did not believe him.
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Like because when I lifted my hand from the pan immediately all the skin was white and
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Like quick-cooked chicken basically Uh-huh
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could, we could call it that.
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Like, the skin immediately turned white.
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Um, my fingerprints are embedded on the cookie sheet.
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Like, I can see my handprint still on the cookie sheet from where...
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I don't know, something about the heat that was there discoloring the metal, and then the pr- the, I don't know.
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I don't know.
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My handprint, it-
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I feel like, this episode should come with a warning.
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I might, if I think to do that I'll, I'll put a trigger warning at the start.
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Okay, so
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And, and I'm thinking, and you know, I had, I emerged while we were ChatGPTing and I was deciding whether or not I even wanted to attempt urgent care.
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I did have it in a, you know, a big pot of water with ice cubes to cool it off quickly, and I kept it submerged until we walked to the emergency room.
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Which incidentally, because I live in Europe, in the center of town is a 10-minute walk to the ER.
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Uh, fabulous.
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It's probably quicker to get to the ER on foot than by ambulance,
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Well, and plus I think that's really reassuring to people listening.
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I, I haven't had to explore this in Menton, but Girona is not Paris, it's not Madrid, it's not a big city
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There is 100,000 people residing in this city
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So to know that it's so accessible, I think it's wonderful
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It's inc- Europe is incredibly accessible.
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And again, I think it comes down to the fact that a lot of the cities and towns and villages here predate vehicles and were built for people, not for vehicles, and that wasn't where all the growth happened in the US, you know?
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So yeah, it's fantastic.
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So I was...
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You know, and I'm thinking, I don't...
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On the way there, the wind, the pressure of the wind blowing hurt my hand, and then when we got into the ER, the absence of the wind to cool it down made the burning sensation come back.
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So I was like,"I don't believe this guy that this is, like, you know, a stage one burn.
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A first-degree burn.
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I think it's, uh I think it's...
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I, I don't believe him.
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Um, maybe in Spain it's the opposite, where first is third and third is one, you know?
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I don't know, but this can't be right."
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Possible though
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I didn't wanna argue with him.
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I didn't really have the vocabulary to state my case.
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Um, he, basically what he did is he put an antibiotic cream on my hand and bandaged it up, and then said,"Come back." He says,"Come back in two days for the cure." You know?
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Um, and I'm like,"Excuse me?" And he's like,"The cure, yes.
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Come back in two days for the cure.
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You can make your appointment at the, at the front desk, you know, where you checked in." So I was like,
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what is bike here?
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Yeah,
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Okay, okay, so that's the question.
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That's the right question.
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So I go to the front desk, and she sets me up with an appointment to come back to urgent care in two days.
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Um, but there's, like, this other side of urgent care that is, I guess, for follow-up or something where you don't have...
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It's not the emergency, but it's also not you not seeing your regular doctor, right?
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So,, two days later I come back and in this time I did determine, no, the dude was right.
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It's a, it's, it was a first-degree burn.
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Miraculously it's a first-degree burn because I took some Tylenol that night for the pain, and the next morning the pain was mostly gone except for the, um, pad of my thumb, which had put the, had the most pressure, um, when I pressed it down, and was blistering.
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but the rest of my hand did not have any pain.
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I was super, super, super excited about that, and by the time I went back for the cure, um, it was feeling really good, really good overall.
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So I walk in to the reception area and I go to the front desk and I tell...
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This is a Saturday afternoon, okay?
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The place is empty.
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I am the only person there It was 5:00 PM on a Saturday.
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Um-
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5:00 PM.
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Are they, how, are they open late?
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I don't know.
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I'm not sure what their normal
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Okay.
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but that was the appointment I got, was come back, come back at 5:00 on Saturday, uh, for the cure.
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So I walk in and I said, you know,"I have an appointment for 5:00." And he, he says,"La cura?" And I was like,"Yes, the cure." He says, you know,"Momento," and, and I give him my insurance card, right?
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And he puts it in, uh, and gives it back to me.
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And then he picks up the phone and he goes, uh...
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He picks up the phone for, I guess, like, the back, and he goes,"Hola.
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Buenas.
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Una cura.
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Si." And then he hangs up.
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The heck?
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And he tells me to go in the waiting room
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Like right now I am picturing everything from an enema to the fountain of youth.
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I have no idea what's about to come
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w- where, what kind of witchcraft is gonna be going on here?
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What is this cure?
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So I go into the waiting room and I sit down, and again, I'm not there for but two minutes and the doctor comes out to get me.
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And he had a very, very thick accent.
00:17:34.406 --> 00:17:46.267
Uh, and I can't tell if he's from Andalusia, because they're known for being very difficult to understand and having a very different accent, or if he's from Argentina.
00:17:46.767 --> 00:17:55.987
Either could be possible,'cause I'm not well-versed enough in regional accents or international accents to, to determine, right?
00:17:55.987 --> 00:18:05.616
But his accent was super thick and I was like,"Oh, you're a foreigner just like me." Um, but he, he was super, super sweet.
00:18:05.626 --> 00:18:09.067
Just absolutely adorable and wonderful.
00:18:09.596 --> 00:18:29.527
And so he takes me into the back, into the, basically the same emergency room that I was in before, unwraps the, bandage, sprays it with an antibiotic spray, puts on a silver-based cream, wraps it back up, and that is my cure
00:18:31.308 --> 00:18:33.778
Good for both vampires and burns
00:18:34.878 --> 00:18:44.509
Evidently, yes And I say, you know, I ask him, I was like,"Okay, well, uh, when can I, be without the bandage?
00:18:44.509 --> 00:18:58.278
When is it okay to take the bandage off?" And he says,"Oh, well, when, the worst part of your burn looks like the best part of your burn," basically,"is, uh, then you can take it off and, and you'll be good." And I was like,"Great, thank you." And, um, sent me on my way.
00:18:58.298 --> 00:18:59.828
It, I was in...
00:18:59.868 --> 00:19:03.138
My follow-up appointment was maybe a total of 30 minutes.
00:19:03.588 --> 00:19:06.538
My time in the ER was less than an hour.
00:19:06.962 --> 00:19:07.603
That's insane
00:19:08.199 --> 00:19:09.739
I will never see a bill.
00:19:10.108 --> 00:19:17.499
I received a text saying, you know, basically like,"Please let us know how your service was," from my insurance company
00:19:19.143 --> 00:19:19.633
Wow
00:19:19.717 --> 00:19:32.807
Uh, it puts the care into healthcare in a way that we as Americans cannot even conceptualize anymore
00:19:33.144 --> 00:19:33.605
Mm-mm.
00:19:35.474 --> 00:19:35.994
Wow.
00:19:36.035 --> 00:19:41.085
Well, I'm so happy that you had such a great experience after such a dumbass move.
00:19:41.557 --> 00:19:42.757
Yeah, yeah, me too.
00:19:42.807 --> 00:19:47.047
I, I will say, I will say that my gyno exam was a little bit different.
00:19:47.086 --> 00:19:56.037
Ironically, I was in the ER at the same clinic, at the same hospital two hours after I had left
00:19:56.994 --> 00:19:58.244
Oh my gosh, that's funny.
00:19:58.255 --> 00:20:00.474
Do you wanna share what
00:20:00.673 --> 00:20:01.042
yeah.
00:20:01.042 --> 00:20:06.492
So gyno, gyno was, you know, I, I made an appointment for gynecology.
00:20:06.492 --> 00:20:10.212
It was, like, about a month before that could be done.
00:20:10.653 --> 00:20:11.022
And this was
00:20:11.163 --> 00:20:11.653
I went in.
00:20:11.682 --> 00:20:12.923
for a visit, nothing specific
00:20:13.323 --> 00:20:24.413
Yeah, it's like, you know, let me get, let me get stuff taken care of before I go back to the States where, and actually use the private insurance that we've purchased, you know, without being penalized for actually using the thing that we paid for.
00:20:25.002 --> 00:20:31.343
Um, so I, I went and I was like,"You know, I haven't had an exam for several years.
00:20:31.343 --> 00:20:56.853
I also would like to get a mammogram." And she asked about, you know, my family health history, and then did a very quick exam, and was like, gave me a slip for radiology, and she's like,"Go downstairs and, you can make an appointment for radiology come back, uh, make an appointment for a follow-up when, when you, when it's done." So I go downstairs to radiology and I ask for an appointment, and they're like,"Oh, we don't have any appointments today.
00:20:56.853 --> 00:21:01.333
Come back next week and you can make an appointment." And I'm like...
00:21:01.653 --> 00:21:09.904
Or, or, or they're like,"Call this number." And I, I don't want to call I don't wanna call to make an appointment.
00:21:09.934 --> 00:21:16.234
Like, you people don't understand how hard that is to do
00:21:16.346 --> 00:21:18.987
So I'm assuming all of this is taking place in Spanish?
00:21:19.076 --> 00:21:19.686
Correct.
00:21:19.747 --> 00:21:20.217
Yes.
00:21:20.267 --> 00:21:20.807
Yes.
00:21:21.146 --> 00:21:24.297
So I was like,"Okay," because at that point
00:21:24.336 --> 00:21:25.277
so let me, let me get this right.
00:21:25.346 --> 00:21:36.237
So you're standing there asking to make an appointment, but because they can't see you today, they won't make an appointment for next week with you standing there?
00:21:37.517 --> 00:21:45.277
Ah, that is, that is my understanding of how that went down, and she wrote down a phone number on top of the paper and was like,"Call them next week."
00:21:46.085 --> 00:21:50.694
And, and that is a key point here because if you're like me, it's like I think this is what happened,
00:21:51.105 --> 00:21:51.765
Yeah.
00:21:51.815 --> 00:21:52.744
100% sure.
00:21:53.115 --> 00:21:53.765
Right.
00:21:53.964 --> 00:22:01.634
As a non-native speaker unfamiliar with the system, I think this is what happened, but I'm not entirely sure.
00:22:02.575 --> 00:22:05.204
And I'm like,"I'm not gonna make a freaking phone call.
00:22:05.214 --> 00:22:07.194
I can't stand making a freaking phone call.
00:22:07.204 --> 00:22:13.775
I'll go back." And, you know, I went back yesterday, so I sat on that for a full week.
00:22:14.204 --> 00:22:14.765
Okay?
00:22:15.068 --> 00:22:15.259
Yeah
00:22:16.404 --> 00:22:19.994
I go back yesterday, clack, clack, clack on the computer.
00:22:20.005 --> 00:22:21.265
"We don't have any appointments.
00:22:21.265 --> 00:22:23.734
Come back next week." And I'm like...
00:22:24.214 --> 00:22:50.744
Or,"You can call this number." And I'm like,"No, no." And I told this girl, I was like,"Listen, it's really, really hard for me to do phone calls because I don't understand anything." And what is wonderful about Spanish is the saying for that is me cuesta mucho, which is basically,"It costs me a lot to make this phone call," is how the literal translation
00:22:51.131 --> 00:22:52.080
So accurate
00:22:52.694 --> 00:22:53.244
Right?
00:22:56.204 --> 00:23:14.515
Um, and she's like,"Well, would email be better?" And I was like,"Yes, I can write better than, you know, receiving a phone call." So she- then she wrote an email address for me and was like,"Email them, and you may be able to get an appointment that way." And I'm like,"Why can't you just make it here?
00:23:14.545 --> 00:23:15.515
Why can't this just...
00:23:15.515 --> 00:23:23.634
Like, why?" And so I'm thinking, you know, at this point, it's maybe 43 days until we leave.
00:23:24.494 --> 00:23:43.265
The chances of me getting into mammography, getting the mammogram, the results getting to the doctor, and me getting to the doctor within that timeframe is slim enough that I just kind of am like,"Forget it." I'm under the age anyway.
00:23:43.275 --> 00:23:47.714
There is zero family history of breast cancer in my family.
00:23:48.108 --> 00:23:48.298
And you
00:23:48.305 --> 00:23:48.805
This was
00:23:48.858 --> 00:23:49.019
your
00:23:49.424 --> 00:23:49.755
a...
00:23:50.055 --> 00:23:51.595
Yeah, and I just like...
00:23:52.775 --> 00:23:56.295
Life is really hard again right now because I don't wanna be packing.
00:23:56.295 --> 00:23:58.234
I don't wanna be sorting through all my junk.
00:23:58.234 --> 00:23:59.904
I don't wanna be doing this.
00:24:00.875 --> 00:24:04.964
I wanna be focusing on living here and passing my Spanish class.
00:24:06.800 --> 00:24:07.211
Yeah
00:24:07.835 --> 00:24:11.515
So I think I'm just gonna, like, let that go.
00:24:11.654 --> 00:24:15.224
And, uh, you know, maybe I'll go to Mexico.
00:24:15.295 --> 00:24:21.005
Uh, most of my family gets their healthcare done in Mexico, so maybe I'll just establish care down there
00:24:21.404 --> 00:24:25.625
I was curious, I'm sure we've talked about this before, but you mentioned private insurance.
00:24:25.734 --> 00:24:29.305
Can you remind us all about that?
00:24:29.404 --> 00:24:30.535
Like, why did you...
00:24:30.545 --> 00:24:31.434
Is it normal?
00:24:31.434 --> 00:24:32.505
What if you didn't have it?
00:24:33.605 --> 00:24:41.974
So because we are on the digital nomad visa, we pay into the Spanish Social Security system.
00:24:42.115 --> 00:24:46.224
However, we are not permitted to make use of the public healthcare system.
00:24:46.805 --> 00:24:53.585
So we have to purchase private insurance as part of our meeting the qualifications for the visa.
00:24:54.125 --> 00:25:07.454
That said, insurance for a family of three in Spain without significant preexisting conditions is 3,000 euro a year
00:25:08.646 --> 00:25:08.896
Awesome.
00:25:09.196 --> 00:25:14.386
And you, it, and that you kind of alluded to there's like not a, a deductible or anything.
00:25:14.386 --> 00:25:16.616
Like, once you pay insurance, everything's just covered?
00:25:17.313 --> 00:25:17.752
Yeah.
00:25:18.173 --> 00:25:23.712
That's been our experience through, you know, several child ER visits and,
00:25:24.076 --> 00:25:24.747
And one mom
00:25:25.403 --> 00:25:26.423
and one mom, yeah
00:25:27.393 --> 00:25:28.143
That's awesome.
00:25:28.363 --> 00:25:28.732
That's awesome.
00:25:28.732 --> 00:25:29.972
And that would only change...
00:25:29.982 --> 00:25:34.823
You would have to have a literally a different visa type for that to not be true
00:25:36.540 --> 00:25:37.111
Yes.
00:25:37.490 --> 00:25:39.090
Or, or be residents, right?
00:25:39.090 --> 00:25:48.590
I think once, you know, we hit that five-year mark and applied for permanent residency, then I think we might be eligible for the public system, but it wouldn't be until then at the earliest
00:25:49.441 --> 00:25:52.942
Got it I get it.
00:25:53.042 --> 00:25:55.553
I get it about choosing the battles, you know?
00:25:55.782 --> 00:25:59.613
Damian will say something to me like,"We should get this done," and I'm like,"It's not on the top of the list.
00:25:59.752 --> 00:26:03.923
I don't have the emotional bandwidth to handle whatever that thing is.
00:26:03.942 --> 00:26:04.893
It's not there yet."
00:26:05.792 --> 00:26:06.133
Yeah
00:26:06.613 --> 00:26:06.962
Yeah.
00:26:08.923 --> 00:26:16.432
But I mean, it does make, it does make it feel like an honest to God miracle when you, like, go to the bank and something happens in one visit.
00:26:16.873 --> 00:26:19.982
And, and I think everything's
00:26:20.143 --> 00:26:20.423
so
00:26:20.603 --> 00:26:26.663
heightened by being an expat because everything, as you say, comes at a cost.
00:26:26.673 --> 00:26:31.422
But then when you pay it and then it cha-chings, you're like, I won the lotto today.
00:26:31.855 --> 00:26:32.935
Absolutely.
00:26:32.945 --> 00:26:52.036
Like last year when I had my very first doctor's visit, um, w- with endocrinology and, you know, seeing about medication options in Spain and then getting some lab work done, doing all of that and having it work out so well was amazing.
00:26:52.155 --> 00:26:54.086
That was absolutely amazing
00:26:55.215 --> 00:27:05.036
Well, obviously I'm hoping that your future healthcare experiences, which will be taking place in Alaska, aren't...
00:27:05.038 --> 00:27:05.948
Or Mexico
00:27:06.276 --> 00:27:07.496
Or Mexico, right?
00:27:07.635 --> 00:27:11.596
That might literally be cheaper and easier and better.
00:27:12.455 --> 00:27:13.726
I hate to say those words
00:27:14.973 --> 00:27:16.094
It is what it is
00:27:16.551 --> 00:27:17.912
It is what it is.
00:27:18.422 --> 00:27:19.501
Well, how was your burn?
00:27:19.511 --> 00:27:19.932
How was your hand?
00:27:21.054 --> 00:27:23.394
Yeah, it's, it's doing pretty well.
00:27:23.403 --> 00:27:30.923
the blistery bits have like dried up and that's kind of like, you know, s- peeling off, the dead skin is peeling off.
00:27:31.523 --> 00:27:37.544
So, it's got that tenderness that new raw skin does, but, but it's in, it's in pretty good shape.
00:27:38.023 --> 00:27:45.223
I'm quite pleased because that day I was thinking, you know, I just paid for a month of like my fitness classes.
00:27:45.233 --> 00:27:46.693
How am I gonna lift weights?
00:27:46.703 --> 00:27:49.233
How am I gonna do my handstand practice?
00:27:49.584 --> 00:27:56.134
How am I going to have enough time to write the written essay part of my Spanish exams?
00:27:56.523 --> 00:27:56.534
Aw.
00:27:57.153 --> 00:27:59.604
Yeah,'cause it's your dominant hand too
00:27:59.763 --> 00:28:00.284
It is.
00:28:00.324 --> 00:28:01.824
It is, of course, yeah.
00:28:03.084 --> 00:28:04.304
'Cause I wouldn't make it easy.
00:28:06.509 --> 00:28:17.140
Oh, well, I don't know that there's any advice for people here, but that is really good insight into what the experience would be if they do something unfortunate
00:28:18.152 --> 00:28:20.162
The Spanish medical system has the cure.
00:28:20.192 --> 00:28:26.051
That's all you need to know They have the cure for what ails you folks
00:28:27.342 --> 00:28:28.511
I will say about...
00:28:28.662 --> 00:28:35.382
One thing I've discovered in France, um, and it's proving to be true, there is, there are these delays, there are waits.
00:28:35.382 --> 00:28:36.642
You stand in long lines.
00:28:37.281 --> 00:28:47.061
But, and I think we've talked about this on the show before, once you get to the front of the line, it is your turn, and they will take the time they need to with you.
00:28:48.011 --> 00:28:50.582
Doesn't matter how many people are standing in line behind you.
00:28:51.291 --> 00:28:51.832
And so...
00:28:52.332 --> 00:29:00.112
And that comes up to me today because when I finally pushed the door open and went in to talk to the people, um, I...
00:29:01.172 --> 00:29:06.112
It was, it was a, it was a mess because these people do not speak any English.
00:29:06.132 --> 00:29:06.852
They don't need to.
00:29:06.852 --> 00:29:08.321
It's the medical world, right?
00:29:09.461 --> 00:29:14.981
And I had f- I had come in in the morning,'cause it is a pee test.
00:29:14.991 --> 00:29:20.352
So the way it works here is you go in and they give you the flacon, the fla- I say flacon, flacon.
00:29:20.372 --> 00:29:20.842
Don't remember.
00:29:21.192 --> 00:29:23.221
But the little urine cup.
00:29:23.902 --> 00:29:25.701
And they say,"Bring this back.
00:29:25.701 --> 00:29:30.231
You have to pee in it within an hour of bringing it back." So you don't have to do it in the moment.
00:29:30.271 --> 00:29:30.971
No pressure.
00:29:32.501 --> 00:29:41.692
Um, but I had, I had gotten it, and then I had left, and then I had come back with my little pee cup on the holiday yesterday, right?
00:29:41.721 --> 00:29:42.971
So I was like, shoot.
00:29:44.612 --> 00:29:45.632
But then I had no pee cup.
00:29:45.811 --> 00:29:46.942
So now I'm like, well, shoot.
00:29:46.951 --> 00:29:53.142
Now I have to explain myself why I am coming back for another vial.
00:29:54.162 --> 00:29:58.821
And so I, you know, I was kinda nervous this morning when I went back, and I got my little vial and I left.
00:29:59.571 --> 00:30:05.382
And I came back within a couple of hours, and th- she l- I hand her...
00:30:05.632 --> 00:30:11.332
I'm like,"I have my urine sample," and I hand her my little green carte Vitale, and she's like,"Okay, where's your ordonnance?
00:30:11.521 --> 00:30:14.372
Where's the prescription?" And I just draw a blank.
00:30:14.592 --> 00:30:17.951
And I'm like, I haven't been anywhere.
00:30:17.981 --> 00:30:18.942
Like, I haven't gone home.
00:30:18.942 --> 00:30:20.311
I didn't put my stuff away.
00:30:21.071 --> 00:30:21.821
Where is it?
00:30:21.862 --> 00:30:24.551
I'm like, did I, did I leave it with the lady?
00:30:25.051 --> 00:30:25.342
And I'm...
00:30:25.392 --> 00:30:30.021
And again, this is in French, and I, I don't have the French words, and I'm trying to say,"I don't...
00:30:30.221 --> 00:30:30.852
Do I have it?
00:30:30.991 --> 00:30:37.662
Did I leave it with you?" And she's like,"We don't keep them." And I'm like,"But where is it?" And I, and I'm, and I'm nervous.
00:30:37.662 --> 00:30:40.332
And when you're nervous, you aren't thinking straight.
00:30:40.362 --> 00:30:41.001
Everything is
00:30:41.008 --> 00:30:45.057
And you lose your ability to s- to use the few words you have
00:30:45.582 --> 00:30:46.122
Exactly.
00:30:46.531 --> 00:30:53.001
But the lady who had helped me that morning, only two hours earlier, was there, and she uses her six words she has in English.
00:30:53.001 --> 00:31:10.311
She's like,"We do not keep the prescriptions." I'm like,"Okay, that means it must be in my bag." And I take a breath and I'm like,"Take your time, Rebecca." And I squat down on the bag, and I'm taking everything out of my bag, and I did find the piece of paper.
00:31:10.311 --> 00:31:19.430
And I'm a very American person, and I'm like sh- I'm way too expressive about it, and I'm sure they're rolling their eyes.
00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:24.670
But I'm like,"I have my prescription," and I hand it to her, and the rest went just fine.
00:31:25.630 --> 00:31:30.440
But God, it's just, it's such an ordeal.
00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:38.380
But the, what I'm trying to express here to anybody who finds themself in this situation in France is do take a beat.
00:31:38.849 --> 00:31:39.950
It is your turn.
00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:41.950
They are not gonna rush you.
00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:46.769
They might not look like they're thrilled about you being an idiot
00:31:47.405 --> 00:31:50.435
But they never look thrilled no matter what.
00:31:50.445 --> 00:31:56.145
The French never look thrilled for anything, so don't take it personally
00:31:56.306 --> 00:31:57.105
That's the thing.
00:31:57.105 --> 00:31:59.506
That face has nothing to do with you.
00:32:01.506 --> 00:32:07.576
So take a breath, figure it out, use the words you have, use your Google Translate.
00:32:08.016 --> 00:32:09.435
You will figure it out.
00:32:09.465 --> 00:32:10.816
It is all figureoutable.
00:32:12.238 --> 00:32:12.637
Mm-hmm.
00:32:13.526 --> 00:32:15.536
And then go take a nap afterwards
00:32:17.092 --> 00:32:18.192
Amen to that.
00:32:18.642 --> 00:32:20.041
Those naps are earned
00:32:21.314 --> 00:32:21.963
Truly.
00:32:22.624 --> 00:32:22.824
And
00:32:23.048 --> 00:32:32.708
why, this is why humans nap from birth to like age four, because you are learning so much stuff and it is so overwhelming.
00:32:33.087 --> 00:32:37.067
And then on top of that, they have these bodies that are growing like crazy.
00:32:37.357 --> 00:32:38.847
So no wonder they need naps.
00:32:38.847 --> 00:32:50.667
I am a huge fan, if at all possible, of taking the naps when you are in these intensive times of your life where it's just all a bit much
00:32:50.865 --> 00:32:51.185
Yeah.
00:32:51.615 --> 00:32:54.076
And seek out familiarity when you need it.
00:32:54.115 --> 00:33:05.236
My mom was laughing the other day'cause she was saying that when I went to Florida in February, she expected me to be like,"Oh my God, America's so gross," and, you know,"The food was terrible," and whatever.
00:33:05.986 --> 00:33:08.276
And she's like,"That wasn't your response at all.
00:33:08.276 --> 00:33:13.086
Y- your response was, it was everything was so easy.
00:33:13.096 --> 00:33:17.425
Everything was so familiar." And I was reflecting back on that, and I was like,"Yes.
00:33:18.125 --> 00:33:33.256
It's not that the food was great, but I didn't have to think about which language I was supposed to use or how you call a taxi or anything," and it was like a mental vacation.
00:33:34.685 --> 00:33:47.046
So seek that out when you can if you're an expat, and don't worry about the fact that you're like you just wanna go hang out with your English-speaking friends, because your brain can't always be on
00:33:47.836 --> 00:33:48.465
Yeah, it's so true.
00:33:48.465 --> 00:33:49.036
It's so true.
00:33:49.036 --> 00:33:52.355
In the early days for us, there was, it was a lot of Netflix.
00:33:52.496 --> 00:34:03.115
It was a lot of American TV because it was the only familiar thing in an unfamiliar town with unfamiliar foods and unfamiliar language.
00:34:03.516 --> 00:34:06.276
And like the f- the f- couch is unfamiliar.
00:34:06.276 --> 00:34:08.445
It's not a couch I would've chosen for myself.
00:34:08.445 --> 00:34:16.226
It's not a couch I like, but it's the couch that we have, and nothing was homey, um, except for Netflix
00:34:16.626 --> 00:34:17.545
Exactly.
00:34:17.576 --> 00:34:21.635
And we did, we have gone down a lot of nostalgic rabbit holes on Netflix.
00:34:21.706 --> 00:34:25.815
We, we find ourselves going back to shows from the'80s and'90s.
00:34:25.826 --> 00:34:29.746
Like, that's We need nostalgic nourishment
00:34:30.461 --> 00:34:31.001
Totally.
00:34:31.302 --> 00:34:31.922
Totally.
00:34:32.121 --> 00:34:32.512
Yeah
00:34:32.516 --> 00:34:34.516
Don't beat yourself up if you're doing that.
00:34:34.516 --> 00:34:40.346
Yes, you quote,"Should be watching shows in French or Spanish or whatever." Fuck that.
00:34:40.900 --> 00:34:41.980
There's time.
00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:45.119
There's time for that, right?
00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:54.050
If you're serious about this and your intention is to be out, is to integrate into this culture, you have years to do it.
00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:55.699
You have time.
00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:57.559
And as soon as
00:34:57.702 --> 00:34:58.621
you try to, you
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:00.099
It's true, you can't.
00:35:00.110 --> 00:35:17.050
The brain can only do so much, and the reality is, is that in a new place, especially if you're in a place that is accustomed to a lot of tourists, in time, the places that you go regularly will recognize that you are not just another tourist.
00:35:17.690 --> 00:35:22.329
And even if you don't have the language mastered, they will start treating you like a local
00:35:23.949 --> 00:35:33.659
I have to say that's actually one of the things I'm enjoying about living in a tourist town for, because these shopkeepers see millions of faces, but they're always changing.
00:35:34.230 --> 00:35:47.789
But it's still a small town, and so it is possible to become a local much easier here than it ever would have been for me in Paris, and I'm actually enjoying that
00:35:48.188 --> 00:35:49.257
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:49.318 --> 00:35:50.398
It is really nice.
00:35:50.688 --> 00:35:56.018
I will say that the downside of that is every time a shop closes down, it really hurts.
00:35:56.577 --> 00:35:58.677
It just is gutting.
00:35:58.728 --> 00:35:59.838
It guts you.
00:36:00.847 --> 00:36:01.268
Yeah
00:36:02.235 --> 00:36:02.485
Yeah.
00:36:03.936 --> 00:36:05.255
Anything else we should share today?
00:36:06.585 --> 00:36:07.576
I don't think so.
00:36:07.576 --> 00:36:12.806
I think that's a pretty good, uh, recap of medical
00:36:14.655 --> 00:36:17.465
Let's hope we don't have to bring too much more of that to our listeners.
00:36:18.297 --> 00:36:18.907
indeed
00:36:19.376 --> 00:36:22.576
All right, well then, dear friends, à la prochaine fois
00:36:23.748 --> 00:36:24.507
Hasta la cura
00:36:26.398 --> 00:36:28.677
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Banla.
00:36:28.858 --> 00:36:33.358
If you did, the best thing you can do is share it with another person, brave enough to move abroad.
00:36:33.628 --> 00:36:34.648
See you next time.
00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:14.060
Welcome to Bon Jola, a podcast about two women, Amy and Rebecca, who each move from the United States to Europe to become expats.
00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:16.219
Amy to Spain and Rebecca to France.
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:20.179
We're here to share the highs, the lows, and the logistics of this adventure.
00:00:20.510 --> 00:00:26.239
Encourage you to follow your own, move abroad dreams, and remind you that you're not alone when the going gets tough.
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Enjoy.
00:00:29.376 --> 00:00:30.367
Banjola Rebecca
00:00:31.073 --> 00:00:31.663
Bonjour, Amy
00:00:32.598 --> 00:00:37.228
You are late to our meeting today, which is very rare for you.
00:00:37.338 --> 00:00:39.408
So I'm wondering what happened
00:00:39.862 --> 00:00:50.052
Yes, I had a French, um, newbie snafu that led to me being late today, which goes hand-in-hand with a miracle happening the day before.
00:00:50.232 --> 00:00:52.802
So why was I late?
00:00:53.012 --> 00:00:54.082
Let me start with the miracle.
00:00:54.423 --> 00:00:58.112
Um, nothing in France gets done in one meeting, right?
00:00:58.112 --> 00:00:58.682
We know this.
00:00:58.999 --> 00:00:59.628
Yes.
00:01:00.268 --> 00:01:04.328
I don't know about the rest of Europe, but that holds true for the Iberian Peninsula as well
00:01:04.727 --> 00:01:05.507
Exactly.
00:01:05.906 --> 00:01:07.736
And it's, you know, the bureaucracy.
00:01:07.736 --> 00:01:09.246
We're known for it apparently.
00:01:09.606 --> 00:01:13.076
Well, we, of course, we recently moved to Menton.
00:01:13.126 --> 00:01:16.016
We needed to change our address at the bank.
00:01:16.527 --> 00:01:29.376
And so we're emotionally prepared, and we got all of our paperwork together, and we went over to the bank, which by the way, Menton is a tiny town, so the bank is closed on Mondays, one of Damien's two days off.
00:01:29.789 --> 00:01:30.659
Ah.
00:01:30.796 --> 00:01:40.397
So we went on a Tuesday, and I kid you not, we got it done in 10 minutes and one visit with no rendezvous
00:01:41.837 --> 00:01:42.456
Really?
00:01:42.911 --> 00:01:46.971
So that was, that was Tuesday, just four days ago.
00:01:47.331 --> 00:01:48.031
Amazing.
00:01:48.031 --> 00:01:55.281
We're like,"We should play the lotto." And I, and I did the whole thing in French, and I was feeling so proud of myself.
00:01:56.260 --> 00:02:04.671
Then the next day I went to go have some medical tests done at the lab, and that was my newbie mistake.
00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:09.510
I forgot that May is basically one long vacation in France.
00:02:09.510 --> 00:02:12.411
There are four b- bank holidays in May.
00:02:13.540 --> 00:02:16.441
And of course, labs close on bank holidays.
00:02:16.461 --> 00:02:18.610
Everything closes on bank holidays.
00:02:19.350 --> 00:02:19.811
Yeah
00:02:20.091 --> 00:02:22.070
So I felt dumb.
00:02:22.501 --> 00:02:28.510
Um, and I had to go back today, which is why I am late for our meeting,'cause it ended up being very straightforward.
00:02:29.290 --> 00:02:30.311
But you know, it's funny.
00:02:30.320 --> 00:02:30.520
You...
00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:32.790
Like, you gear up for these things emotionally.
00:02:32.790 --> 00:02:40.651
You're like,"Okay, I've got my French, I've got my paperwork." And then when it works, like at the bank, you're so proud.
00:02:41.031 --> 00:02:48.491
And when it doesn't, going back and gearing yourself up for it again is so hard
00:02:48.736 --> 00:02:49.526
extra.
00:02:49.576 --> 00:02:50.856
It's extra.
00:02:51.007 --> 00:02:52.236
It is so...
00:02:53.977 --> 00:03:07.097
It's, I imagine it's how boys feel when they ask a girl out for the first time and they get rejected, and then they have to summon up the courage to ask another girl out later on, and they're like,"Oh my God." It's totally how I imagine it is for them
00:03:07.752 --> 00:03:10.802
I love that analogy'cause it's gotta be that way.
00:03:10.802 --> 00:03:12.703
I was standing at the lab door.
00:03:12.923 --> 00:03:17.483
The sign says pousser, to push, and I'm just like,"I, I don't want to."
00:03:19.588 --> 00:03:33.609
You know how often, like, if I have to do anything medical where I'm, like, standing there and thinking like,"Maybe I just don't need to." And I actually, you know, when I was going to the ER last, was, that was last week.
00:03:33.788 --> 00:03:35.808
When I was going to the ER last week, like the same thing.
00:03:35.808 --> 00:03:37.649
I'm like,"You know, it's not that bad.
00:03:37.658 --> 00:03:43.718
Maybe I can just turn around and go home and treat it myself, and if it gets infected, I'll come back."
00:03:45.215 --> 00:03:52.444
And it's so funny because we, part of why both of us moved here is for this access to this great care, and it is great.
00:03:53.064 --> 00:03:54.955
But you have to be willing to go.
00:03:55.447 --> 00:03:56.967
You have to be willing to go, yeah,
00:03:57.215 --> 00:04:03.245
so speaking of which, last week you did have the need for urgent care.
00:04:03.254 --> 00:04:04.034
Do you wanna tell our
00:04:04.091 --> 00:04:05.010
I did.
00:04:05.044 --> 00:04:06.354
what happened and how it's going?
00:04:06.790 --> 00:04:07.911
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:07.911 --> 00:04:11.800
So I, I was really stupid
00:04:13.486 --> 00:04:15.467
The best, the best stories start that way
00:04:16.238 --> 00:04:16.908
So true.
00:04:16.949 --> 00:04:17.528
So true.
00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:22.079
Um, I was making dinner and I was in a bad mood.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.608
I didn't wanna make dinner, I didn't wanna do anything.
00:04:24.619 --> 00:04:45.319
I was just kind of pissy and, and I'm like,"Whatever, I have to go home, I have to make dinner." Um, and I bought some chorizo and I was going to use one of the few coveted boxes of macaroni and cheese that I imported from the States, Annie's mac and cheese, for my son to make him dinner, and serve it with some chorizo so he'd get a little bit of protein in there.
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:48.738
And um, and I was just like,"I'll just eat leftovers.
00:04:48.738 --> 00:04:49.119
I don't care.
00:04:49.119 --> 00:05:04.019
I just don't like, don't even wanna deal with dinner." So I go to, I put the chorizo in the pan on the stove and we have an induction stove and induction stoves are amazing.
00:05:04.108 --> 00:05:05.129
I maintain this.
00:05:05.168 --> 00:05:07.788
Induction sto- induction stoves are fantastic.
00:05:08.259 --> 00:05:10.069
Um, but I had turned it on like
00:05:10.108 --> 00:05:14.139
Wanna explain what that is for people who may not know it, and, or, or shall I?
00:05:14.754 --> 00:05:19.014
I think you should,'cause I don't really know any more than I know how light bulbs work.
00:05:20.488 --> 00:05:24.559
Okay, so just briefly, you got three kinds of stove tops.
00:05:24.579 --> 00:05:28.538
You kind, you have the kind that electricity heats up a coil and makes it hot.
00:05:29.269 --> 00:05:34.538
You've got the gas stove, right, where you literally use fire to make your stuff hot.
00:05:35.428 --> 00:05:42.629
Induction is using magnetism, and so it requires a certain, uh, metal content in your pans.
00:05:42.928 --> 00:05:49.949
But it's using magnetism to heat things up, and it's known for heating liquid up, boiling water really, really, really fast.
00:05:50.928 --> 00:05:56.389
And Damian was not sure about it when we were moving here because, you know, he's a chef aspiring.
00:05:56.668 --> 00:06:04.598
It turns out it works really, really well and everybody in Paris uses this in France because, um, there's r- restrictions on gas, natural gas.
00:06:05.369 --> 00:06:08.988
And of course, electric stoves suck butt, so those are terrible.
00:06:08.999 --> 00:06:10.238
So induction works really well.
00:06:10.928 --> 00:06:15.158
What's cool about them is when you put the pot on, it heats things up.
00:06:15.499 --> 00:06:18.548
When you take the pot off, that surface is actually cool.
00:06:18.728 --> 00:06:22.788
You could touch it, as long as there's not that metal surface.
00:06:23.019 --> 00:06:25.569
Which leads us back to Aimee's story
00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:31.401
So I put the pan with the chorizo on the induction stove and I put it up on medium.
00:06:31.841 --> 00:06:36.261
And it's taking its sweet-ass time, and I'm like,"Ah, fuck it." You know, I just...
00:06:36.271 --> 00:06:36.860
Pardon my language.
00:06:36.990 --> 00:06:40.560
Fu- Yeah, I just really wanna, like, I wanna get this done, so I turn the heat up to nine.
00:06:41.300 --> 00:06:48.940
And then the doorbell rings, and it is, it's correos, it's the mailman with a package.
00:06:49.261 --> 00:07:01.990
So I go grab my keys, go downstairs, and here in, um, in Spain when you get a package you have to give, like, give them your ID number, signature, right?
00:07:01.990 --> 00:07:09.880
It's basically the same as if you were needing to present your driver's license every time you get a package in the mail that you need to sign for, right?
00:07:10.471 --> 00:07:13.170
Um, and so I did all that.
00:07:13.170 --> 00:07:17.100
I got back upstairs, and the chorizo is smoking.
00:07:17.100 --> 00:07:22.701
Like, I had a lid on it, but it was smoking, and I was like,"Oh, crap." You know, I left it on high.
00:07:22.711 --> 00:07:23.850
I know better than that.
00:07:24.271 --> 00:07:29.120
So I pick up the pan, I put it in the sink, and I'm like,"Well, shoot.
00:07:29.211 --> 00:07:29.730
What I'm...
00:07:30.110 --> 00:07:30.430
Forget it.
00:07:30.430 --> 00:07:38.201
I'll just take this salmon that I have in the fridge and I'll cook it up, and the boy will just have to deal with salmon as a protein,"'cause he doesn't really like salmon.
00:07:39.550 --> 00:07:44.190
So I grab a baking sheet and I put it on the stove, and then I go to prepare the salmon.
00:07:44.190 --> 00:07:49.380
And I turn over and the baking sheet had been warped, and I was like,"What is...
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:54.180
When did this happen?" Because this is a good quality baking sheet.
00:07:54.180 --> 00:07:58.250
I intentionally replaced what w- came with the house with a really nice quality baking sheet.
00:07:58.940 --> 00:08:01.261
W- when did this happen and how did I not notice it?
00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:10.721
And so I took my hand and I pushed down the bubble, not realizing it was warping because it was sitting on an induction stove, which I had not turned off.
00:08:10.750 --> 00:08:21.870
And so when the baking sheet went on the induction stove, it started heating up at maximum temperature, and I stuck my hand directly on that with force, pushing it down.
00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:31.740
Oh So now when we last were together, and of course nobody knew about this at the time, we didn't record about it, but you had...
00:08:31.761 --> 00:08:35.490
Your hand was all bandaged, so it, you had, you went to urgent care.
00:08:36.206 --> 00:08:53.807
Well, before I went to urgent care, because I am an American, there was a lengthy conversation that I had with myself, and then that I had with my kid, and then my kid was like,"Well, let's talk to ChatGPT," which I have a lot of thoughts about.
00:08:54.746 --> 00:09:02.647
We consulted ChatGPT, who was very concerned about me and very reassuring of my son, and said,"Gosh, I hope your mom is okay.
00:09:02.976 --> 00:09:08.407
Good on you for coming and asking, but this really should be evaluated by a medical provider.
00:09:08.517 --> 00:09:11.886
I do recommend you go to urgent care right away.
00:09:12.057 --> 00:09:15.937
And gosh, I hope your mom gets better soon." Thanks, Chat.
00:09:16.856 --> 00:09:20.376
I mean, I'm glad it at least directed you to proper medical care
00:09:21.345 --> 00:09:29.293
I think it's because it's the newest version So it's not trying a DIY approach of like essential oils and beeswax?
00:09:31.126 --> 00:09:32.486
Okay, so what happens next?
00:09:33.339 --> 00:09:41.119
So, uh, so I asked my kid to come with me because, you know, I'm frazzled obviously, right?
00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:47.578
And he does speak Catalan, and I, you know, have my Spanish and my English, and you just, like, you just don't...
00:09:47.619 --> 00:09:48.899
I don't, I don't know what I'm gonna get.
00:09:48.948 --> 00:09:50.078
I haven't been to the ER.
00:09:50.078 --> 00:09:52.989
This dude's been to the ER three times since we've lived here.
00:09:53.629 --> 00:10:01.479
He always waited until I was out of town, so I don't actually have that lived experience of going to the emergency room either for myself or with a loved one.
00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:08.089
So I had him accompany me, and there was a line of about three people.
00:10:08.349 --> 00:10:10.359
Yeah, we were the third people in line.
00:10:10.719 --> 00:10:16.788
Uh, first person, you know, at the check-in went through the double doors to the back where the ER is.
00:10:16.798 --> 00:10:19.759
The second person, she was like,"My kid is vomiting.
00:10:19.769 --> 00:10:24.969
He doesn't feel good." I don't know what the lady at reception said, but they left and went somewhere else.
00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:29.948
And then I came up, and she's like, uh,"How can I help you?" And I'm like...
00:10:30.019 --> 00:10:37.408
I lift my hand up, and I'm like,"I burned my hand." And she's like,"Okay." And she sends us through the double doors in the back.
00:10:37.698 --> 00:10:44.099
And I go and I sit down, and this guy walks by, and he's like,"Ayme," which is how they say my name here, Ayme.
00:10:45.149 --> 00:10:49.668
And then, and I'm like,"Oh, yeah?" And he motions me over to go and get roomed.
00:10:49.668 --> 00:10:51.818
I was like, whoa, that's quick.
00:10:51.889 --> 00:10:53.259
That's astonishingly quick.
00:10:53.259 --> 00:10:57.198
Like, my butt barely touched the seat, and I'm already being summoned into the back room.
00:10:58.359 --> 00:11:01.198
And so I say,"Wow, tan, tan rápido," right?
00:11:01.198 --> 00:11:01.958
That was really quick.
00:11:01.958 --> 00:11:06.928
And his, and his response was basically like,"Well, yeah, it's really quick to get you roomed.
00:11:06.928 --> 00:11:24.599
It's checkout that takes time." And I was like,"Well, yeah, yeah, that makes sense." So, um, we kind of tried to explain what happened without really having good vocabulary for, like, stove top and pan and, you know, stuff like that, uh, but kinda got the gist across.
00:11:25.058 --> 00:11:30.548
And, um, and he's like,"Well, it's a, it's gr- grado uno.
00:11:30.548 --> 00:11:35.288
It's a stage one burn." And I did not believe him.
00:11:36.278 --> 00:11:45.009
Like because when I lifted my hand from the pan immediately all the skin was white and
00:11:45.485 --> 00:11:49.745
Like quick-cooked chicken basically Uh-huh
00:11:49.746 --> 00:11:50.736
could, we could call it that.
00:11:50.746 --> 00:11:53.116
Like, the skin immediately turned white.
00:11:53.297 --> 00:11:58.826
Um, my fingerprints are embedded on the cookie sheet.
00:11:58.836 --> 00:12:04.226
Like, I can see my handprint still on the cookie sheet from where...
00:12:05.496 --> 00:12:11.017
I don't know, something about the heat that was there discoloring the metal, and then the pr- the, I don't know.
00:12:11.047 --> 00:12:11.376
I don't know.
00:12:11.376 --> 00:12:12.456
My handprint, it-
00:12:12.972 --> 00:12:15.072
I feel like, this episode should come with a warning.
00:12:18.105 --> 00:12:21.445
I might, if I think to do that I'll, I'll put a trigger warning at the start.
00:12:24.613 --> 00:12:24.673
Okay, so
00:12:24.684 --> 00:12:33.014
And, and I'm thinking, and you know, I had, I emerged while we were ChatGPTing and I was deciding whether or not I even wanted to attempt urgent care.
00:12:33.014 --> 00:12:43.904
I did have it in a, you know, a big pot of water with ice cubes to cool it off quickly, and I kept it submerged until we walked to the emergency room.
00:12:44.054 --> 00:12:49.715
Which incidentally, because I live in Europe, in the center of town is a 10-minute walk to the ER.
00:12:50.235 --> 00:12:51.575
Uh, fabulous.
00:12:51.625 --> 00:12:55.335
It's probably quicker to get to the ER on foot than by ambulance,
00:12:55.490 --> 00:12:58.701
Well, and plus I think that's really reassuring to people listening.
00:12:59.571 --> 00:13:06.311
I, I haven't had to explore this in Menton, but Girona is not Paris, it's not Madrid, it's not a big city
00:13:06.702 --> 00:13:09.753
There is 100,000 people residing in this city
00:13:09.976 --> 00:13:13.726
So to know that it's so accessible, I think it's wonderful
00:13:15.576 --> 00:13:17.996
It's inc- Europe is incredibly accessible.
00:13:18.027 --> 00:13:34.386
And again, I think it comes down to the fact that a lot of the cities and towns and villages here predate vehicles and were built for people, not for vehicles, and that wasn't where all the growth happened in the US, you know?
00:13:34.407 --> 00:13:37.116
So yeah, it's fantastic.
00:13:37.756 --> 00:13:38.407
So I was...
00:13:38.427 --> 00:13:39.866
You know, and I'm thinking, I don't...
00:13:40.376 --> 00:13:53.037
On the way there, the wind, the pressure of the wind blowing hurt my hand, and then when we got into the ER, the absence of the wind to cool it down made the burning sensation come back.
00:13:53.037 --> 00:13:58.216
So I was like,"I don't believe this guy that this is, like, you know, a stage one burn.
00:13:58.216 --> 00:13:59.187
A first-degree burn.
00:13:59.187 --> 00:14:01.677
I think it's, uh I think it's...
00:14:01.736 --> 00:14:03.006
I, I don't believe him.
00:14:03.157 --> 00:14:08.116
Um, maybe in Spain it's the opposite, where first is third and third is one, you know?
00:14:08.136 --> 00:14:10.346
I don't know, but this can't be right."
00:14:10.787 --> 00:14:11.407
Possible though
00:14:12.456 --> 00:14:13.777
I didn't wanna argue with him.
00:14:13.797 --> 00:14:16.486
I didn't really have the vocabulary to state my case.
00:14:16.527 --> 00:14:35.167
Um, he, basically what he did is he put an antibiotic cream on my hand and bandaged it up, and then said,"Come back." He says,"Come back in two days for the cure." You know?
00:14:35.226 --> 00:14:38.667
Um, and I'm like,"Excuse me?" And he's like,"The cure, yes.
00:14:38.687 --> 00:14:40.456
Come back in two days for the cure.
00:14:40.466 --> 00:14:45.756
You can make your appointment at the, at the front desk, you know, where you checked in." So I was like,
00:14:45.890 --> 00:14:47.360
what is bike here?
00:14:48.177 --> 00:14:48.606
Yeah,
00:14:48.971 --> 00:14:50.760
Okay, okay, so that's the question.
00:14:51.317 --> 00:14:52.767
That's the right question.
00:14:54.126 --> 00:15:01.427
So I go to the front desk, and she sets me up with an appointment to come back to urgent care in two days.
00:15:01.787 --> 00:15:09.716
Um, but there's, like, this other side of urgent care that is, I guess, for follow-up or something where you don't have...
00:15:09.886 --> 00:15:14.096
It's not the emergency, but it's also not you not seeing your regular doctor, right?
00:15:15.927 --> 00:15:23.067
So,, two days later I come back and in this time I did determine, no, the dude was right.
00:15:23.067 --> 00:15:24.767
It's a, it's, it was a first-degree burn.
00:15:24.767 --> 00:15:42.726
Miraculously it's a first-degree burn because I took some Tylenol that night for the pain, and the next morning the pain was mostly gone except for the, um, pad of my thumb, which had put the, had the most pressure, um, when I pressed it down, and was blistering.
00:15:43.346 --> 00:15:46.356
but the rest of my hand did not have any pain.
00:15:46.466 --> 00:15:57.956
I was super, super, super excited about that, and by the time I went back for the cure, um, it was feeling really good, really good overall.
00:15:58.907 --> 00:16:05.636
So I walk in to the reception area and I go to the front desk and I tell...
00:16:05.636 --> 00:16:08.177
This is a Saturday afternoon, okay?
00:16:08.576 --> 00:16:10.027
The place is empty.
00:16:10.307 --> 00:16:15.486
I am the only person there It was 5:00 PM on a Saturday.
00:16:16.356 --> 00:16:17.006
Um-
00:16:17.249 --> 00:16:17.908
5:00 PM.
00:16:17.918 --> 00:16:19.418
Are they, how, are they open late?
00:16:20.538 --> 00:16:21.219
I don't know.
00:16:21.219 --> 00:16:22.259
I'm not sure what their normal
00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:22.971
Okay.
00:16:23.188 --> 00:16:29.599
but that was the appointment I got, was come back, come back at 5:00 on Saturday, uh, for the cure.
00:16:30.009 --> 00:16:47.219
So I walk in and I said, you know,"I have an appointment for 5:00." And he, he says,"La cura?" And I was like,"Yes, the cure." He says, you know,"Momento," and, and I give him my insurance card, right?
00:16:47.229 --> 00:16:49.859
And he puts it in, uh, and gives it back to me.
00:16:49.958 --> 00:16:53.849
And then he picks up the phone and he goes, uh...
00:16:54.009 --> 00:16:59.068
He picks up the phone for, I guess, like, the back, and he goes,"Hola.
00:16:59.408 --> 00:17:00.188
Buenas.
00:17:00.448 --> 00:17:02.009
Una cura.
00:17:02.009 --> 00:17:03.499
Si." And then he hangs up.
00:17:04.936 --> 00:17:05.406
The heck?
00:17:05.499 --> 00:17:07.949
And he tells me to go in the waiting room
00:17:09.595 --> 00:17:13.704
Like right now I am picturing everything from an enema to the fountain of youth.
00:17:13.755 --> 00:17:15.565
I have no idea what's about to come
00:17:16.156 --> 00:17:18.707
w- where, what kind of witchcraft is gonna be going on here?
00:17:18.957 --> 00:17:20.846
What is this cure?
00:17:21.987 --> 00:17:30.836
So I go into the waiting room and I sit down, and again, I'm not there for but two minutes and the doctor comes out to get me.
00:17:31.777 --> 00:17:33.946
And he had a very, very thick accent.
00:17:34.406 --> 00:17:46.267
Uh, and I can't tell if he's from Andalusia, because they're known for being very difficult to understand and having a very different accent, or if he's from Argentina.
00:17:46.767 --> 00:17:55.987
Either could be possible,'cause I'm not well-versed enough in regional accents or international accents to, to determine, right?
00:17:55.987 --> 00:18:05.616
But his accent was super thick and I was like,"Oh, you're a foreigner just like me." Um, but he, he was super, super sweet.
00:18:05.626 --> 00:18:09.067
Just absolutely adorable and wonderful.
00:18:09.596 --> 00:18:29.527
And so he takes me into the back, into the, basically the same emergency room that I was in before, unwraps the, bandage, sprays it with an antibiotic spray, puts on a silver-based cream, wraps it back up, and that is my cure
00:18:31.308 --> 00:18:33.778
Good for both vampires and burns
00:18:34.878 --> 00:18:44.509
Evidently, yes And I say, you know, I ask him, I was like,"Okay, well, uh, when can I, be without the bandage?
00:18:44.509 --> 00:18:58.278
When is it okay to take the bandage off?" And he says,"Oh, well, when, the worst part of your burn looks like the best part of your burn," basically,"is, uh, then you can take it off and, and you'll be good." And I was like,"Great, thank you." And, um, sent me on my way.
00:18:58.298 --> 00:18:59.828
It, I was in...
00:18:59.868 --> 00:19:03.138
My follow-up appointment was maybe a total of 30 minutes.
00:19:03.588 --> 00:19:06.538
My time in the ER was less than an hour.
00:19:06.962 --> 00:19:07.603
That's insane
00:19:08.199 --> 00:19:09.739
I will never see a bill.
00:19:10.108 --> 00:19:17.499
I received a text saying, you know, basically like,"Please let us know how your service was," from my insurance company
00:19:19.143 --> 00:19:19.633
Wow
00:19:19.717 --> 00:19:32.807
Uh, it puts the care into healthcare in a way that we as Americans cannot even conceptualize anymore
00:19:33.144 --> 00:19:33.605
Mm-mm.
00:19:35.474 --> 00:19:35.994
Wow.
00:19:36.035 --> 00:19:41.085
Well, I'm so happy that you had such a great experience after such a dumbass move.
00:19:41.557 --> 00:19:42.757
Yeah, yeah, me too.
00:19:42.807 --> 00:19:47.047
I, I will say, I will say that my gyno exam was a little bit different.
00:19:47.086 --> 00:19:56.037
Ironically, I was in the ER at the same clinic, at the same hospital two hours after I had left
00:19:56.994 --> 00:19:58.244
Oh my gosh, that's funny.
00:19:58.255 --> 00:20:00.474
Do you wanna share what
00:20:00.673 --> 00:20:01.042
yeah.
00:20:01.042 --> 00:20:06.492
So gyno, gyno was, you know, I, I made an appointment for gynecology.
00:20:06.492 --> 00:20:10.212
It was, like, about a month before that could be done.
00:20:10.653 --> 00:20:11.022
And this was
00:20:11.163 --> 00:20:11.653
I went in.
00:20:11.682 --> 00:20:12.923
for a visit, nothing specific
00:20:13.323 --> 00:20:24.413
Yeah, it's like, you know, let me get, let me get stuff taken care of before I go back to the States where, and actually use the private insurance that we've purchased, you know, without being penalized for actually using the thing that we paid for.
00:20:25.002 --> 00:20:31.343
Um, so I, I went and I was like,"You know, I haven't had an exam for several years.
00:20:31.343 --> 00:20:56.853
I also would like to get a mammogram." And she asked about, you know, my family health history, and then did a very quick exam, and was like, gave me a slip for radiology, and she's like,"Go downstairs and, you can make an appointment for radiology come back, uh, make an appointment for a follow-up when, when you, when it's done." So I go downstairs to radiology and I ask for an appointment, and they're like,"Oh, we don't have any appointments today.
00:20:56.853 --> 00:21:01.333
Come back next week and you can make an appointment." And I'm like...
00:21:01.653 --> 00:21:09.904
Or, or, or they're like,"Call this number." And I, I don't want to call I don't wanna call to make an appointment.
00:21:09.934 --> 00:21:16.234
Like, you people don't understand how hard that is to do
00:21:16.346 --> 00:21:18.987
So I'm assuming all of this is taking place in Spanish?
00:21:19.076 --> 00:21:19.686
Correct.
00:21:19.747 --> 00:21:20.217
Yes.
00:21:20.267 --> 00:21:20.807
Yes.
00:21:21.146 --> 00:21:24.297
So I was like,"Okay," because at that point
00:21:24.336 --> 00:21:25.277
so let me, let me get this right.
00:21:25.346 --> 00:21:36.237
So you're standing there asking to make an appointment, but because they can't see you today, they won't make an appointment for next week with you standing there?
00:21:37.517 --> 00:21:45.277
Ah, that is, that is my understanding of how that went down, and she wrote down a phone number on top of the paper and was like,"Call them next week."
00:21:46.085 --> 00:21:50.694
And, and that is a key point here because if you're like me, it's like I think this is what happened,
00:21:51.105 --> 00:21:51.765
Yeah.
00:21:51.815 --> 00:21:52.744
100% sure.
00:21:53.115 --> 00:21:53.765
Right.
00:21:53.964 --> 00:22:01.634
As a non-native speaker unfamiliar with the system, I think this is what happened, but I'm not entirely sure.
00:22:02.575 --> 00:22:05.204
And I'm like,"I'm not gonna make a freaking phone call.
00:22:05.214 --> 00:22:07.194
I can't stand making a freaking phone call.
00:22:07.204 --> 00:22:13.775
I'll go back." And, you know, I went back yesterday, so I sat on that for a full week.
00:22:14.204 --> 00:22:14.765
Okay?
00:22:15.068 --> 00:22:15.259
Yeah
00:22:16.404 --> 00:22:19.994
I go back yesterday, clack, clack, clack on the computer.
00:22:20.005 --> 00:22:21.265
"We don't have any appointments.
00:22:21.265 --> 00:22:23.734
Come back next week." And I'm like...
00:22:24.214 --> 00:22:50.744
Or,"You can call this number." And I'm like,"No, no." And I told this girl, I was like,"Listen, it's really, really hard for me to do phone calls because I don't understand anything." And what is wonderful about Spanish is the saying for that is me cuesta mucho, which is basically,"It costs me a lot to make this phone call," is how the literal translation
00:22:51.131 --> 00:22:52.080
So accurate
00:22:52.694 --> 00:22:53.244
Right?
00:22:56.204 --> 00:23:14.515
Um, and she's like,"Well, would email be better?" And I was like,"Yes, I can write better than, you know, receiving a phone call." So she- then she wrote an email address for me and was like,"Email them, and you may be able to get an appointment that way." And I'm like,"Why can't you just make it here?
00:23:14.545 --> 00:23:15.515
Why can't this just...
00:23:15.515 --> 00:23:23.634
Like, why?" And so I'm thinking, you know, at this point, it's maybe 43 days until we leave.
00:23:24.494 --> 00:23:43.265
The chances of me getting into mammography, getting the mammogram, the results getting to the doctor, and me getting to the doctor within that timeframe is slim enough that I just kind of am like,"Forget it." I'm under the age anyway.
00:23:43.275 --> 00:23:47.714
There is zero family history of breast cancer in my family.
00:23:48.108 --> 00:23:48.298
And you
00:23:48.305 --> 00:23:48.805
This was
00:23:48.858 --> 00:23:49.019
your
00:23:49.424 --> 00:23:49.755
a...
00:23:50.055 --> 00:23:51.595
Yeah, and I just like...
00:23:52.775 --> 00:23:56.295
Life is really hard again right now because I don't wanna be packing.
00:23:56.295 --> 00:23:58.234
I don't wanna be sorting through all my junk.
00:23:58.234 --> 00:23:59.904
I don't wanna be doing this.
00:24:00.875 --> 00:24:04.964
I wanna be focusing on living here and passing my Spanish class.
00:24:06.800 --> 00:24:07.211
Yeah
00:24:07.835 --> 00:24:11.515
So I think I'm just gonna, like, let that go.
00:24:11.654 --> 00:24:15.224
And, uh, you know, maybe I'll go to Mexico.
00:24:15.295 --> 00:24:21.005
Uh, most of my family gets their healthcare done in Mexico, so maybe I'll just establish care down there
00:24:21.404 --> 00:24:25.625
I was curious, I'm sure we've talked about this before, but you mentioned private insurance.
00:24:25.734 --> 00:24:29.305
Can you remind us all about that?
00:24:29.404 --> 00:24:30.535
Like, why did you...
00:24:30.545 --> 00:24:31.434
Is it normal?
00:24:31.434 --> 00:24:32.505
What if you didn't have it?
00:24:33.605 --> 00:24:41.974
So because we are on the digital nomad visa, we pay into the Spanish Social Security system.
00:24:42.115 --> 00:24:46.224
However, we are not permitted to make use of the public healthcare system.
00:24:46.805 --> 00:24:53.585
So we have to purchase private insurance as part of our meeting the qualifications for the visa.
00:24:54.125 --> 00:25:07.454
That said, insurance for a family of three in Spain without significant preexisting conditions is 3,000 euro a year
00:25:08.646 --> 00:25:08.896
Awesome.
00:25:09.196 --> 00:25:14.386
And you, it, and that you kind of alluded to there's like not a, a deductible or anything.
00:25:14.386 --> 00:25:16.616
Like, once you pay insurance, everything's just covered?
00:25:17.313 --> 00:25:17.752
Yeah.
00:25:18.173 --> 00:25:23.712
That's been our experience through, you know, several child ER visits and,
00:25:24.076 --> 00:25:24.747
And one mom
00:25:25.403 --> 00:25:26.423
and one mom, yeah
00:25:27.393 --> 00:25:28.143
That's awesome.
00:25:28.363 --> 00:25:28.732
That's awesome.
00:25:28.732 --> 00:25:29.972
And that would only change...
00:25:29.982 --> 00:25:34.823
You would have to have a literally a different visa type for that to not be true
00:25:36.540 --> 00:25:37.111
Yes.
00:25:37.490 --> 00:25:39.090
Or, or be residents, right?
00:25:39.090 --> 00:25:48.590
I think once, you know, we hit that five-year mark and applied for permanent residency, then I think we might be eligible for the public system, but it wouldn't be until then at the earliest
00:25:49.441 --> 00:25:52.942
Got it I get it.
00:25:53.042 --> 00:25:55.553
I get it about choosing the battles, you know?
00:25:55.782 --> 00:25:59.613
Damian will say something to me like,"We should get this done," and I'm like,"It's not on the top of the list.
00:25:59.752 --> 00:26:03.923
I don't have the emotional bandwidth to handle whatever that thing is.
00:26:03.942 --> 00:26:04.893
It's not there yet."
00:26:05.792 --> 00:26:06.133
Yeah
00:26:06.613 --> 00:26:06.962
Yeah.
00:26:08.923 --> 00:26:16.432
But I mean, it does make, it does make it feel like an honest to God miracle when you, like, go to the bank and something happens in one visit.
00:26:16.873 --> 00:26:19.982
And, and I think everything's
00:26:20.143 --> 00:26:20.423
so
00:26:20.603 --> 00:26:26.663
heightened by being an expat because everything, as you say, comes at a cost.
00:26:26.673 --> 00:26:31.422
But then when you pay it and then it cha-chings, you're like, I won the lotto today.
00:26:31.855 --> 00:26:32.935
Absolutely.
00:26:32.945 --> 00:26:52.036
Like last year when I had my very first doctor's visit, um, w- with endocrinology and, you know, seeing about medication options in Spain and then getting some lab work done, doing all of that and having it work out so well was amazing.
00:26:52.155 --> 00:26:54.086
That was absolutely amazing
00:26:55.215 --> 00:27:05.036
Well, obviously I'm hoping that your future healthcare experiences, which will be taking place in Alaska, aren't...
00:27:05.038 --> 00:27:05.948
Or Mexico
00:27:06.276 --> 00:27:07.496
Or Mexico, right?
00:27:07.635 --> 00:27:11.596
That might literally be cheaper and easier and better.
00:27:12.455 --> 00:27:13.726
I hate to say those words
00:27:14.973 --> 00:27:16.094
It is what it is
00:27:16.551 --> 00:27:17.912
It is what it is.
00:27:18.422 --> 00:27:19.501
Well, how was your burn?
00:27:19.511 --> 00:27:19.932
How was your hand?
00:27:21.054 --> 00:27:23.394
Yeah, it's, it's doing pretty well.
00:27:23.403 --> 00:27:30.923
the blistery bits have like dried up and that's kind of like, you know, s- peeling off, the dead skin is peeling off.
00:27:31.523 --> 00:27:37.544
So, it's got that tenderness that new raw skin does, but, but it's in, it's in pretty good shape.
00:27:38.023 --> 00:27:45.223
I'm quite pleased because that day I was thinking, you know, I just paid for a month of like my fitness classes.
00:27:45.233 --> 00:27:46.693
How am I gonna lift weights?
00:27:46.703 --> 00:27:49.233
How am I gonna do my handstand practice?
00:27:49.584 --> 00:27:56.134
How am I going to have enough time to write the written essay part of my Spanish exams?
00:27:56.523 --> 00:27:56.534
Aw.
00:27:57.153 --> 00:27:59.604
Yeah,'cause it's your dominant hand too
00:27:59.763 --> 00:28:00.284
It is.
00:28:00.324 --> 00:28:01.824
It is, of course, yeah.
00:28:03.084 --> 00:28:04.304
'Cause I wouldn't make it easy.
00:28:06.509 --> 00:28:17.140
Oh, well, I don't know that there's any advice for people here, but that is really good insight into what the experience would be if they do something unfortunate
00:28:18.152 --> 00:28:20.162
The Spanish medical system has the cure.
00:28:20.192 --> 00:28:26.051
That's all you need to know They have the cure for what ails you folks
00:28:27.342 --> 00:28:28.511
I will say about...
00:28:28.662 --> 00:28:35.382
One thing I've discovered in France, um, and it's proving to be true, there is, there are these delays, there are waits.
00:28:35.382 --> 00:28:36.642
You stand in long lines.
00:28:37.281 --> 00:28:47.061
But, and I think we've talked about this on the show before, once you get to the front of the line, it is your turn, and they will take the time they need to with you.
00:28:48.011 --> 00:28:50.582
Doesn't matter how many people are standing in line behind you.
00:28:51.291 --> 00:28:51.832
And so...
00:28:52.332 --> 00:29:00.112
And that comes up to me today because when I finally pushed the door open and went in to talk to the people, um, I...
00:29:01.172 --> 00:29:06.112
It was, it was a, it was a mess because these people do not speak any English.
00:29:06.132 --> 00:29:06.852
They don't need to.
00:29:06.852 --> 00:29:08.321
It's the medical world, right?
00:29:09.461 --> 00:29:14.981
And I had f- I had come in in the morning,'cause it is a pee test.
00:29:14.991 --> 00:29:20.352
So the way it works here is you go in and they give you the flacon, the fla- I say flacon, flacon.
00:29:20.372 --> 00:29:20.842
Don't remember.
00:29:21.192 --> 00:29:23.221
But the little urine cup.
00:29:23.902 --> 00:29:25.701
And they say,"Bring this back.
00:29:25.701 --> 00:29:30.231
You have to pee in it within an hour of bringing it back." So you don't have to do it in the moment.
00:29:30.271 --> 00:29:30.971
No pressure.
00:29:32.501 --> 00:29:41.692
Um, but I had, I had gotten it, and then I had left, and then I had come back with my little pee cup on the holiday yesterday, right?
00:29:41.721 --> 00:29:42.971
So I was like, shoot.
00:29:44.612 --> 00:29:45.632
But then I had no pee cup.
00:29:45.811 --> 00:29:46.942
So now I'm like, well, shoot.
00:29:46.951 --> 00:29:53.142
Now I have to explain myself why I am coming back for another vial.
00:29:54.162 --> 00:29:58.821
And so I, you know, I was kinda nervous this morning when I went back, and I got my little vial and I left.
00:29:59.571 --> 00:30:05.382
And I came back within a couple of hours, and th- she l- I hand her...
00:30:05.632 --> 00:30:11.332
I'm like,"I have my urine sample," and I hand her my little green carte Vitale, and she's like,"Okay, where's your ordonnance?
00:30:11.521 --> 00:30:14.372
Where's the prescription?" And I just draw a blank.
00:30:14.592 --> 00:30:17.951
And I'm like, I haven't been anywhere.
00:30:17.981 --> 00:30:18.942
Like, I haven't gone home.
00:30:18.942 --> 00:30:20.311
I didn't put my stuff away.
00:30:21.071 --> 00:30:21.821
Where is it?
00:30:21.862 --> 00:30:24.551
I'm like, did I, did I leave it with the lady?
00:30:25.051 --> 00:30:25.342
And I'm...
00:30:25.392 --> 00:30:30.021
And again, this is in French, and I, I don't have the French words, and I'm trying to say,"I don't...
00:30:30.221 --> 00:30:30.852
Do I have it?
00:30:30.991 --> 00:30:37.662
Did I leave it with you?" And she's like,"We don't keep them." And I'm like,"But where is it?" And I, and I'm, and I'm nervous.
00:30:37.662 --> 00:30:40.332
And when you're nervous, you aren't thinking straight.
00:30:40.362 --> 00:30:41.001
Everything is
00:30:41.008 --> 00:30:45.057
And you lose your ability to s- to use the few words you have
00:30:45.582 --> 00:30:46.122
Exactly.
00:30:46.531 --> 00:30:53.001
But the lady who had helped me that morning, only two hours earlier, was there, and she uses her six words she has in English.
00:30:53.001 --> 00:31:10.311
She's like,"We do not keep the prescriptions." I'm like,"Okay, that means it must be in my bag." And I take a breath and I'm like,"Take your time, Rebecca." And I squat down on the bag, and I'm taking everything out of my bag, and I did find the piece of paper.
00:31:10.311 --> 00:31:19.430
And I'm a very American person, and I'm like sh- I'm way too expressive about it, and I'm sure they're rolling their eyes.
00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:24.670
But I'm like,"I have my prescription," and I hand it to her, and the rest went just fine.
00:31:25.630 --> 00:31:30.440
But God, it's just, it's such an ordeal.
00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:38.380
But the, what I'm trying to express here to anybody who finds themself in this situation in France is do take a beat.
00:31:38.849 --> 00:31:39.950
It is your turn.
00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:41.950
They are not gonna rush you.
00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:46.769
They might not look like they're thrilled about you being an idiot
00:31:47.405 --> 00:31:50.435
But they never look thrilled no matter what.
00:31:50.445 --> 00:31:56.145
The French never look thrilled for anything, so don't take it personally
00:31:56.306 --> 00:31:57.105
That's the thing.
00:31:57.105 --> 00:31:59.506
That face has nothing to do with you.
00:32:01.506 --> 00:32:07.576
So take a breath, figure it out, use the words you have, use your Google Translate.
00:32:08.016 --> 00:32:09.435
You will figure it out.
00:32:09.465 --> 00:32:10.816
It is all figureoutable.
00:32:12.238 --> 00:32:12.637
Mm-hmm.
00:32:13.526 --> 00:32:15.536
And then go take a nap afterwards
00:32:17.092 --> 00:32:18.192
Amen to that.
00:32:18.642 --> 00:32:20.041
Those naps are earned
00:32:21.314 --> 00:32:21.963
Truly.
00:32:22.624 --> 00:32:22.824
And
00:32:23.048 --> 00:32:32.708
why, this is why humans nap from birth to like age four, because you are learning so much stuff and it is so overwhelming.
00:32:33.087 --> 00:32:37.067
And then on top of that, they have these bodies that are growing like crazy.
00:32:37.357 --> 00:32:38.847
So no wonder they need naps.
00:32:38.847 --> 00:32:50.667
I am a huge fan, if at all possible, of taking the naps when you are in these intensive times of your life where it's just all a bit much
00:32:50.865 --> 00:32:51.185
Yeah.
00:32:51.615 --> 00:32:54.076
And seek out familiarity when you need it.
00:32:54.115 --> 00:33:05.236
My mom was laughing the other day'cause she was saying that when I went to Florida in February, she expected me to be like,"Oh my God, America's so gross," and, you know,"The food was terrible," and whatever.
00:33:05.986 --> 00:33:08.276
And she's like,"That wasn't your response at all.
00:33:08.276 --> 00:33:13.086
Y- your response was, it was everything was so easy.
00:33:13.096 --> 00:33:17.425
Everything was so familiar." And I was reflecting back on that, and I was like,"Yes.
00:33:18.125 --> 00:33:33.256
It's not that the food was great, but I didn't have to think about which language I was supposed to use or how you call a taxi or anything," and it was like a mental vacation.
00:33:34.685 --> 00:33:47.046
So seek that out when you can if you're an expat, and don't worry about the fact that you're like you just wanna go hang out with your English-speaking friends, because your brain can't always be on
00:33:47.836 --> 00:33:48.465
Yeah, it's so true.
00:33:48.465 --> 00:33:49.036
It's so true.
00:33:49.036 --> 00:33:52.355
In the early days for us, there was, it was a lot of Netflix.
00:33:52.496 --> 00:34:03.115
It was a lot of American TV because it was the only familiar thing in an unfamiliar town with unfamiliar foods and unfamiliar language.
00:34:03.516 --> 00:34:06.276
And like the f- the f- couch is unfamiliar.
00:34:06.276 --> 00:34:08.445
It's not a couch I would've chosen for myself.
00:34:08.445 --> 00:34:16.226
It's not a couch I like, but it's the couch that we have, and nothing was homey, um, except for Netflix
00:34:16.626 --> 00:34:17.545
Exactly.
00:34:17.576 --> 00:34:21.635
And we did, we have gone down a lot of nostalgic rabbit holes on Netflix.
00:34:21.706 --> 00:34:25.815
We, we find ourselves going back to shows from the'80s and'90s.
00:34:25.826 --> 00:34:29.746
Like, that's We need nostalgic nourishment
00:34:30.461 --> 00:34:31.001
Totally.
00:34:31.302 --> 00:34:31.922
Totally.
00:34:32.121 --> 00:34:32.512
Yeah
00:34:32.516 --> 00:34:34.516
Don't beat yourself up if you're doing that.
00:34:34.516 --> 00:34:40.346
Yes, you quote,"Should be watching shows in French or Spanish or whatever." Fuck that.
00:34:40.900 --> 00:34:41.980
There's time.
00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:45.119
There's time for that, right?
00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:54.050
If you're serious about this and your intention is to be out, is to integrate into this culture, you have years to do it.
00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:55.699
You have time.
00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:57.559
And as soon as
00:34:57.702 --> 00:34:58.621
you try to, you
00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:00.099
It's true, you can't.
00:35:00.110 --> 00:35:17.050
The brain can only do so much, and the reality is, is that in a new place, especially if you're in a place that is accustomed to a lot of tourists, in time, the places that you go regularly will recognize that you are not just another tourist.
00:35:17.690 --> 00:35:22.329
And even if you don't have the language mastered, they will start treating you like a local
00:35:23.949 --> 00:35:33.659
I have to say that's actually one of the things I'm enjoying about living in a tourist town for, because these shopkeepers see millions of faces, but they're always changing.
00:35:34.230 --> 00:35:47.789
But it's still a small town, and so it is possible to become a local much easier here than it ever would have been for me in Paris, and I'm actually enjoying that
00:35:48.188 --> 00:35:49.257
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:49.318 --> 00:35:50.398
It is really nice.
00:35:50.688 --> 00:35:56.018
I will say that the downside of that is every time a shop closes down, it really hurts.
00:35:56.577 --> 00:35:58.677
It just is gutting.
00:35:58.728 --> 00:35:59.838
It guts you.
00:36:00.847 --> 00:36:01.268
Yeah
00:36:02.235 --> 00:36:02.485
Yeah.
00:36:03.936 --> 00:36:05.255
Anything else we should share today?
00:36:06.585 --> 00:36:07.576
I don't think so.
00:36:07.576 --> 00:36:12.806
I think that's a pretty good, uh, recap of medical
00:36:14.655 --> 00:36:17.465
Let's hope we don't have to bring too much more of that to our listeners.
00:36:18.297 --> 00:36:18.907
indeed
00:36:19.376 --> 00:36:22.576
All right, well then, dear friends, à la prochaine fois
00:36:23.748 --> 00:36:24.507
Hasta la cura
00:36:26.398 --> 00:36:28.677
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Banla.
00:36:28.858 --> 00:36:33.358
If you did, the best thing you can do is share it with another person, brave enough to move abroad.
00:36:33.628 --> 00:36:34.648
See you next time.
