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Cultural difference?

 I went to see the anaesthetist last week.  The first thing he said was 'if you don't speak French then there is no point in continuing.'  All I had said was bonjour.  He then turned his back on me, tapped on his keyboard and muttered something into his mask.  I said that I couldn't understand what he was saying so he swung round and said 'there is no point in continuing if you don't speak French'.   'I do speak French, I just can't understand what you are saying with a mask on and your back to me.'  'oh I see,' he said, and it is difficult to tell behind a mask but I think he may have smiled.  Anyway by the time I left he was positively jovial.

Was he wrong?  Yes, in that he made the assumption that I didn't  speak French based on my name probably, but no, he was not wrong to say that he couldn't carry on with the appointment if the patient can't speak French.  In the UK they would have run around looking for an interpreter or even worse paid for one.  Information leaflets are printed in numerous different languages at enormous expense instead of putting the responsibility of either learning the language or taking someone with you who speaks it.

I like secularism and I wish the UK would adopt a closer version of it.

I shall be glad when lockdown is over.  Walking up and down the same stretch of road (my 1 km) is boring.  I must not complain, however, at least I can walk up and down, I can skype my children, although I miss seeing them in person, and as far as I know I have all my faculties, although it is hard to tell when one lives on one's own and is totally isolated .  I need people to inspire me, motivate and disagree with my opinions.  It is no fun always being right.  Learning foreign languages is good for the brain apparently and wards off Alzheimer's.  I really must move on to page 3 in my Spanish book.

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