Misunderstanding and Misinterpretation Redux
Today an event occurred that typifies the misunderstanding and misinterpretation that has been central to my life in Germany. My wife is almost 14 weeks pregnant. All is going ok but she experiences some bleeding and is hospitalized. This was five days ago.
This morning at 6am I am called and told that she had heavy bleeding and a miscarriage and could I come to the hospital. I hurry there and go to her room on the 4th floor and the nurses tell me she is on the 2nd Floor in the operating area. I go to the 2nd floor and exit onto a space where there are doorways leading to various operation areas but the entrances are closed, locked, and just for employees with key cards. There is nowhere to go and no way of getting in.
I buzz various buzzers and finally someone comes to one and I explain to the wall device that I was called and told to come because my wife had just had an operation and a miscarriage. This person says to wait, she will get someone. Some minutes later a doctor comes out dressed in scrubs, mask, hair net, etc. and says that my wife is still in the operating area and could I wait 10 minutes then someone will come out to get me. I wait longer then 10 minutes and thinking what folly go back upstairs and ask again what is happening I was called here I am am I too early should I wait somewhere. After some confusion the nurses say come back at 9am.
I leave, thinking what is going on there. Did they call and expect me to first have breakfast and take a shower before going to the hospital? Is that why they called so early? Is that what men here normally do, not go directly to the hospital when asked to do so but chill out for awhile, leisurely dressing, shaving, eating, reading the newspaper, watching TV news, listening to some tunes and then finally going at a later, more appropriate time? Or did I misinterpret the phone message completely because there was no sense of urgency being communicated?
This morning at 6am I am called and told that she had heavy bleeding and a miscarriage and could I come to the hospital. I hurry there and go to her room on the 4th floor and the nurses tell me she is on the 2nd Floor in the operating area. I go to the 2nd floor and exit onto a space where there are doorways leading to various operation areas but the entrances are closed, locked, and just for employees with key cards. There is nowhere to go and no way of getting in.
I buzz various buzzers and finally someone comes to one and I explain to the wall device that I was called and told to come because my wife had just had an operation and a miscarriage. This person says to wait, she will get someone. Some minutes later a doctor comes out dressed in scrubs, mask, hair net, etc. and says that my wife is still in the operating area and could I wait 10 minutes then someone will come out to get me. I wait longer then 10 minutes and thinking what folly go back upstairs and ask again what is happening I was called here I am am I too early should I wait somewhere. After some confusion the nurses say come back at 9am.
I leave, thinking what is going on there. Did they call and expect me to first have breakfast and take a shower before going to the hospital? Is that why they called so early? Is that what men here normally do, not go directly to the hospital when asked to do so but chill out for awhile, leisurely dressing, shaving, eating, reading the newspaper, watching TV news, listening to some tunes and then finally going at a later, more appropriate time? Or did I misinterpret the phone message completely because there was no sense of urgency being communicated?
posted by paulmediaeye at 10:38 PM
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