Thursday, January 11, 2007

the difference between us and them

I have just been reading the blog of a Scottish friend who has decamped to the States. in her latest post, my mate praises the US service culture and US doctors. having had her car broken into and her car radio stolen she was delighted to discover that not only did the local deputy sheriff himself turn up to file a report but the autoglass person came out within 4 hours to fix the window. the radio manufacturer then informed her that she was entitled to a replacement because her radio was new.
after that she went to the doctor, who sympathetically listened to her talking about her woes (lump in the nose) and then prescribed antibiotics for her condition.
i couldn't help but compare Maryanne's experience over there with mine over here this week. to cut a long and extremely boring story short – ordered dollars on monday to be delivered to my local bank on tuesday. went to bank wednesday morning to collect. the branch closed for refurbishment. call bank and tell them. am informed that the delivery is on its way to that branch today. so, a day late and going to a closed bank. ask them to redeliver to a different branch. they call me and tell me the dollars are at new bank for me to collect. go there at lunchtime today and guess what? no dollar! ring currency company who assure me they've been delivered to the original bank. the one that i assure them (again) is closed for refurbishment. 'YES, VERY SURE, I JUST WALKED PAST ON MY WAY TO THE OTHER BANK' . am promised they will be there on Monday. we will see.
sore throat. glands up. neck really stiff etc. went to doctor. 'it's probably viral. take paracetamol. if you're coughing up green stuff in a week come back.' says doctor. he didn't even look down my throat! am now up to my eyeballs in soluble aspirin and cold and flu hot drinks.
remind me to tell you about how I'm worried that I'm going to turn into one of those old people who feels compelled to say outloud everything they think in their head.

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