It is a lovely spring day. I went out for my chiropractic appointment today at 9 a.m. It was already warm and the trees are beginning to turn green. My appointment was about 7 or 8 blocks from here and I got to walk through lovely neighborhoods without a lot of traffic. Cafes had their doors open and some people were sitting at outside tables with their cafe and medialunas.
The receptionist came down to greet me when I rang the buzzer. She was a young woman, in her early 20's. We kissed and she brought me up to the office, which is in what could otherwise be an apartment. I sat in the waiting area and could see a kitchen. There were two other rooms used as examination rooms. It felt very homey.
The receptionist went into one of the rooms with a new patient form. I thought she was going to give it to me to fill out and regretted not bringing my reading glasses with me. Instead, she came out with a gorgeous young man - my chiropractor!
It seems to me that a pre-requisite for being a doctor in Argentina is that you need to look like you could be on a soap opera. Every doctor I have had has been either extremely handsome or very beautiful. Even the doctor at the gym who just hangs around all day waiting for people to show up for a medical consultation so they can work out, is not bad on the eyes. Some might think that all Argentines are good-looking, but this is a myth. While there are some very handsome men, and some very beautiful women, most of the people here are average and some are downright ugly - just like everywhere else. But, the doctors are all gorgeous.
So, this very handsome soap opera star brought me into his office and asked me questions to fill out the form. It was good Spanish practice for me and his manner was very sweet and gentle. He then explained a little about chiropractice (I don't know what the actual field is called in English - in Spanish its quiropraxia), and showed me a model a spine and some vertebrae.
Then he took me into the other room and had me stand in front of an upright table. Once I was firmly planted against the table, he lowered it and began doing an examination of my spine. He did one adjustment in my lower spine and then moved me to the other room and had me lie down on another table. I now know that boca abajo (mouth down) means face down, and was very good at following his instructions. He did some adjustments on my neck, one which I really felt and then we were done.
He said he wanted to see me again this week and two times next week and then we would see where to go from there. Today's session cost me $30. I can purchase a plan which will get me four sessions for $60, which is what I will do. He said I was very tense in the area around my upper back and neck. As I was walking home I could feel my neck and shoulders beginning to relax. I think this is a good thing for me to do, whether or not it helps with the meniere's, but how could it not?
And then I went to the supermarket.
On the way to the office I passed a big Coto. Coto is another supermarket chain. I've been to Coto before and didn't think it was anything special, but this one looked really big and it was only a few blocks from my apartment, so I thought I'd check it out.
It was indeed very big - two floors. The upper floor had produce, meats, baked goods and cheeses and stuff. I didn't buy much because I didn't want to carry too much home, but I bought some things that I couldn't get in my Disco. My total came to about $30 and I went to pay with my credit card. I gave the cashier my card and the photocopy of my passport, like I have been doing for the past two months since I've been here. For the first time ever, he asked me if I had the original. I told him no, and he called to Susana.
Susana, I guess was the manager, and she was busy running around like crazy, but eventually came over. I thought this was probably just one more tactic they use to make people wait in line longer. I was in the express lane and there was only one other person behind me, but still, she had to wait for this drama to play itself out.
I was thinking when I was in the produce section, where there was a really long line of people waiting to get their produce weighed, how much longer it would take at the checkout if the cashiers had to know the prices of all of the produce like they do in the states. I now have an even greater appreciation for my Safeway cashiers who do so much and are so efficient compared the the dreadfully slow moving cashiers here.
So, Susana looked at my copy of my passport and asked if I had the original. I told her no, it was my passport and I didn't want to carry the original. She said I needed the orignal.
I told her I had used the copy many times before with no problem.
She told me I needed the original.
I told her I have been here for two months, pulling out my student ID that has my passport number on it (but no photo) and my gym ID that has a photo (but no number), and that I have never had a problem using the copy.
She said she would make an exception this one time but that in the future I needed to bring the original document.
I told her I would not be returning.
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