Sickness as cultural experience

This week I really did have classes. Every morning at 8:15(!) I have a German language course that goes either til 12:00 or 1:30(!!). Wednesday's it is actually only a lecture that goes until 9:45, but the other days are a long haul.

I am in the B2 course. I lied last week when I said it went only to B2. They also have a C1 course. The purpose of these courses is to prepare people to pass a proficiency test that allows people to study at German universities. This is important for internationals who are seeking a degree here. For me, as an exchange student, that specific goal isn't very important. It isn't even really possible for me. The test in in March, and I will be back in the middle of a Bethel semester by that time. But I am learning nonetheless.

Last Monday, I had my first piano lesson. The lessons are taught by a well dressed man probably in his fifties. He must come originally from somewhere in Eastern Europe, because his L's are pronounced deep in his throat. He didn't seem shocked or angry at my minimal piano skills, which was nice. Hopefully the skills that I am learning for my lessons will transfer to playing a 4-part hymn.

Trumpet lessons I am a little less sure about. Here's where it currently stands:
I am the only trumpet student here at Uni-Wuppertal. The trumpet professor is an adjunct without an office. After I spoke with the music faculty here, they evidently informed him of my existence, and my interest in trumpet lessons. He subsequently e-mailed me in not so excellent English. In this email he said that he was the principal trumpet in the Wuppertal Symphony, and gave me some contact information. There was, however, no mention of when we could have a lesson, or how I should go about scheduling one. I e-mailed him back asking him if he would prefer to be contacted by phone, when we could have a lesson, and when the Wuppertal Symphony played next. His reply email didn't answer the question about when we could have a lesson. So I thought that maybe the lessons were to be arranged through the music faculty at the university. But after asking the music secretary, I found out that the lessons are to be arranged between the student and professor. So tomorrow I will call the trumpet professor, and see what is up.

The past 3 or so days, I have been dealing with a sore throat, and runny nose. Yesterday I woke up, and my eyes felt particularly pasty. When I looked into the mirror, they were quite red. I knew that eye infections can be pretty contagious. I decided at this point it was probably time to go to the doctor. But how? Some of you Bethel people may remember Lisa Strate who was one of the Wuppertal exchange students at Bethel in 06-07. I decided that it would be easiest to call here to find out what I needed to do. I called her, and she said she would check to see where I needed to go, and call me back. When she called me back, she gave me the name of a clinic a little ways away that was open on Saturday (regular doctors offices are closed on Saturday). She said she would come with me, but she had things she needed to do. Instead she gave me directions: which bus to take, and where the I need to go once I got there. Evidently here General Practitioners will usually just refer you on to a specialist. So for my eye problem, I went to an eye doctor.

When I got to the clinic, there was nobody in the information booth, but I knew from Lisa that the eye clinic was in building one on the second floor. So I went to building one. The door that seemed like the main entrance was closed, and the building inside looked dark. So I went to a side door, and it was open. Through the doors, I entered into a hallway of hospital rooms. I felt a bit out of place, but there was an elevator to my left that I took up one floor. Upon exiting the elevator, I was again in a hall with hospital rooms, but down the hall, I saw a room labeled Eye Clinic. Somewhat relieved that there was actually an eye clinic, I went to the door, turned the handle, only to find it was locked.

So I went back out of the building and called Lisa again, she recommended that I try the building for emergency. They could at least give me some information about the clinic. So I took off on my second attempt at finding medical attention, which turned out to be about as successful as the first. I couldn't find the entrance to the emergency room. There was a middle aged man who was dropped off behind me as I approached the building where the emergency facilities were supposed to be. He had a bleeding finger, and was holding some gauze on it. He was evidently also confused as to where to go. There was a janitor that happened to be passing buy, and the man asked him where to go. So I decided I would also ask this janitor where I could find information. Eventually he told me that I needed to go to the eye clinic on the second floor of building one, and sign in there.

With some small bit of new information, I returned to building one, floor two, and looked for a place to sign in. There was a nurses station in the middle of the hallway with all the hospital beds. I this was the closest thing I could see to a place where one could sign in. I explained to the nurses there that I was an exchange student here, and I had no idea what I was doing. One of the nurses was nice to show me where I needed to wait for the eye clinic. It was a waiting room a little before the door labeled "Eye Clinic." The room had several chairs and a closed wooden door. Was I supposed to sign in here in this door? Should I knock on it to let them know I am here? There were already a couple of patients in the room, so I decided I would wait it out, and see what happened. First the door opened, and a doctor came out and called in an old man into the room. She used his last name, so it was clear that he was expected. (Maybe the nurse who showed me the room let the doctor know I was coming?)

After some loudly repeated phrases for the elderly man in the room, the second man who was waiting was called in. I was now the only one in the waiting room. Would they call me in next? After a while I could tell the second man had left the room. I waited tor what felt like quite a while, but nobody came to the door to let me into the examination room. Eventually the eye doctor who had let the other patients in was walking by outside the waiting room. She noticed me, and asked me if I was visiting someone, or if I had an eye problem. I said that, yes, I had an eye problem. She told me that a doctor would be with me in a moment.

After just a bit more waiting, the eye doctor called me into the room. After 10 minutes of examination, and a somewhat painful removal of an eyelash from my left eye with a Q-tip, the doctor told me that I had a viral eye infection that would probably go away in about a week. She gave me some eye drops, and sent me on my way.

That was this weeks adventure. I think my were a bit less pasty this morning, so hopefully this points to a quick recovery.

--Austin