Get to Know your Potatos

No one commented on my pun when I Twittered it, so instead I must terrify you with my comicing abilities. For those of you unfamiliar with Dutch, “Patats” is what they call fries up in the Northern parts of the Netherlands.

Cheers!

Cultural Surprise at the Doctor’s Office: Girly Bits Edition

About a week ago my body told me it was time to see my huisart (primary care physician). After making an appointment on Monday, I met with her today and ended up with my first physical examination at a Dutch doctor’s office. That is, the first one that involved taking my clothes off. Culture surprise is so much more… interesting… when you experience it in the nude.

If the title hadn’t tipped you off, I was visiting my doctor regarding a few things, but the most urgent reason was a suspected yeast infection.  As with previous visits, I met with my doctor and sat down at a desk to discuss why I had come in. This week she had a medical student there as well; a nice young man who she kept translating for and who is now the first male doctor to see me half naked in several years.

The symptoms as I described them seemed inconclusive, so my doctor offered to do an examination (they always ask first here; everything is in your control). Attached to the regular office was a small closet/examination room. She opened the door, pointed to a chair and said “put your clothes there”.

Surprise number one? No gown. That gave me pause. In the U.S. doctors will put you in a gown to check anything above the ankle, but here I just slipped out of my pants and undies right in front of the doctors while discussing whether ‘underwear’ was the right word in English. It was a little embarrassing to be without the medical gown. I never realized how accustom I’d become to them; even when they often seem silly.

Laying down in the bed, I came upon Surprise number 2. No stirrups.  How weird is that. I’ve been through zillions of vaginal exams and I’ve never had one done without stirrups. Not that it was bad. The (cold) speculum when in just fine (maybe even easier than usual).

Which brings us to surprise number 3.

“Please hold this here for me.” The doctor instructed, indicating the speculum. She needed me to hold the device in place while she took swab samples. Usually at this point my legs are up in stirrups and the gown has created a wall between me and what the doctor is doing; a weird separation between me and what is frankly a rather intimate procedure. Not this time. After I realized what she was asking I did as instructed, but again, a bit embarrassing (even though it shouldn’t be).

After all that, I was disappointed to learn that I’d have to wait a week for the results to come back in. This seems strange since my doctor in the US had a simple test she could run right in the office. Cheers for being through I suppose.

The other reason I stopped in was to follow up on my birth control, which is a IUD that stays in place for 5 years. Since they don’t do regular pap smears in the Netherlands on women my age, I wanted to make sure I had a record of when my IUD needed to be changed. No need to make stupid mistakes. I was pleased to discover that the office had made a notation of that date on my record for me; despite the fact I had it put in while we still lived in the US. I had given them all my records but it was nice that they actually did something with them. I sometimes think US doctor offices just file them and forget about it.

I also discovered that my referral to the orthopedic surgeon is good for an entire year, but that’s a story for another day.

Photo is (cc) amy_b via Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons License.

Hoge Fronten: A Nature Walk in Pictures

Yesterday evening Dan and I went for a walk and stumbled upon the Hoge Fronten almost in our backyard. The Hoge Fronten (literally the High Fronts) is a massive collection of battlements and earthenworks build in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries for the defense and protection of Maastricht. Today it is a protected natural monument and nature reserve set up to protect the endangered muurhagedis (wall lizards) that reside there.

I had heard about this place about a year ago from a friendly pensioner whom I spoke with when writing my Sint Annalaan article for Crossroads. But he hadn’t impressed upon me the sheer size of the thing; probably because I was still struggling with the local accent. I just assumed it was another small wall section like they have in several places in Maastricht. Wrong again. (I’m starting to see a pattern here.) As we walked into the park and the first battlement reveled itself to us, it was clear that there is something very special going on here. Click “More…” below to see a walking tour in photos or go to Flickr for this Slideshow with descriptions.

In addition to being free to walk around (on the path, several areas are restricted during the Spring, Summer, and Fall), there is yet another underground tour here.  Underneath the Hoge Fronten is a network of tunnels and caves carved out over the years both for building materials and to create a space to barrack soldiers and hide civilians during times of war. You can learn more about the Kazematten (Casements) tour at Maastricht Underground. The tours are all in Dutch, but the VVV will arrange English speaking ones upon request.

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Photographic Minutiae: Nieuwenhofpportje Hunting Plaque

Walking along the base of the city wall in Maastricht near the Dierenpark (Animal Park) until you read a narrow wooden bridge over the stream will take you to this little photographic minutiae in Maastricht.

Across the bridge is a small doorway through the wall. Above the wall you will find this plaque of six wild boars being hunted down in view of the outer wall of the city. If you look closely you can see the church spires.

If I’ve translated it correctly, the plaque next to this stone insert indicates that this memorializes the success of hunters in 1947 who killed 6 wild boars that tried to enter the city. The creatures were killed on this spot. I honestly can’t really see why they have a plaque for this, but hey, maybe that was important in 1947.

I might be doing a few more of these. Maastricht always impresses me with the variety of small, unexpected statuary and details.

Pecha Kucha, May 20th: Are You Going?

It’s that time again for another Pecha Kucha event here in the Limburg area, but instead of being held in Maastricht this month, the event is heading across the border to Hasselt in Belgium. It starts at 6 pm on May 20th.

Pecha What?

I’ve written a lot about Pecha Kucha (here and at Maastricht Region) because I love this event, but for those of you who don’t want to go read my other articles here’s the skinny. Pecha Kucha is a presentation event that allows several presenters to make their point in 20 slide, 20 seconds per slide. The topics can be outrageous or mundane, liberal or conservative, important or trivial. But each speaker is sincerely believes in their subject and that passion means there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Presenters

Jan Keymis – No where to go but down
Joke Quintens – Colour in the city
Nick Baerten – Pantopicon
Dirk Milbou – 10 tips for football parents
Astrid Vyt – The revival of an experience
Roland Javornik – For this is my blood
Evert-Jan De Kort – A passionate story of a chocolate sommelier
Nick De Mey – The evolution towards intention based services
Rob Van Acker – How to prepare for unplanned events
Andrea Wilkinson – (Mystery talk)
Simona Sofronie – Urban Gaming
Jon Stam – Curiosity Cabinet

Getting to Hassalt

Since the event is in Hassalt this month instead of the ANASI Building here in Maastricht, the Pecha Kucha team is offering a special bus. Round-trip tickets (exclusive of Pecha Kucha entry fee) are 15 euros per person and the bus leaves from the Maastricht Central Station at 5 pm sharp and returns around midnight. Tickets must be reserved by May 18th, so email info@pechakuchamaastricht.eu with your Name, number of tickets needed, and your cellphone number.

The event address is KAAI.16. Scheepvaartkaai 16a, 3500 HASSELT.

I hope to see you there!

Please note that I do not work for Pecha Kucha, so please don’t send reservations to me. I just really like the event and wanted to promote it.

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