Patience is a virtue because it makes us better people? I tend to disagree.
Now I’m not sure if many of you have noticed I am not the world’s most patient person. I have such little tolerance for spaced out high school drop outs who don’t know how to perform their simple admin job properly. (hey you all judge me but I bet at some point they’ve annoyed you too).
Little did I know that moving to The Netherlands was a good move for someone as impatient as I. Yesterday I had to go to the Doctor to get a prescription re done. My appointment was for 1.40pm. I have a great doctor back in Australia but invariably I get in to see her at least an hour or two after my appointment time. I expect to wait at a doctor’s surgery-anything under 40 minutes is a bit of a win. At 1.35 I am sitting in the waiting room flicking through magazines, part of the waiting room ritual, except that these magazines were in Dutch so I was just looking at the pretty pictures. The receptionist walk over looking a little concerned “
Receptionist: “Mevrouw Diego?”
Me: “Yes”
Receptionist: “I’m afraid that Dr Kalmijn has had to make an emergency house visit and is running late”
(At this point I’m thinking great I’ll be waiting an hour at least)
Me: “Do you know how late she is running?”
Receptionist: “well I think that she should be back in about 5 minutes and there is still another person to see her before you, so probably 15 minutes”
At this point the woman misread my look of shock for anger when really I was surprised how much of a non- issue 15 minutes was.
I saw the Doctor at 1.50. 10 minute wait. AMAZING. It gets better.
Doctor is very friendly and seeing as it was the first time I thought she was going to want a Giselle Diego medical History 101 class when really all I wanted was my prescription filled. Not so amigos. She asked me what I was here for, I showed her an old prescription, she wrote one up-and here’s the best bit- she sends it VIA EMAIL to the pharmacy inside the same building. Next time I need a freshie I just have to go to the Chemist as they now have it on record. If there’s ever any problems all I have to do is call the prescription hotline (yep you heard right) and the admin will organise for my prescription to be resent to the chemist. WTF? Incredible efficiency.
Doctor: “Is there anything else?” I thought she was trying to get me to fess up about my cold so she can try and give me some unnecessary antibiotics. Neine dudes.
Consultation time: 6 minutes. WIN.
Could it get better? Yes it can.
I walk over to the Chemist, take a little number, wait til my number is called and then sit at the little pharmacist booth and they hand me my drugs, I pay, and voila I am on my way.
How civilized.
I love this country.
Later in the day I am in town standing in the street and a blind guy with his guide dog approach. The dog stops to do a poo. Guide dogs need loo breaks too. THEN! The guy (blind like I said) pulls out a plastic bag from his jacket and gets the dog to show him where the poo is and then scoops it up! What a champ!
Honestly. These Dutch. Ridiculously polite. Love rules. Surely being blind means you can get away with not having to clean that shit up.
It’s the little things about Holland that get me excited.
Peace out.
