At a recent reunion of college friends, two women recounted having gall bladder problems while traveling abroad. My friend Sue had to have surgery in Moscow. Fortunately, her daughter was traveling with her as their tour had to go on without them. No one spoke English in the hospital; as they wheeled her to the operating room, the surgeon patted her arm and said, "No worry." Sue said she was way past Worry and almost into Hysteria! Fortunately all went well.
My friend Ronnie had a similar experience in Scotland. Even though their vacations ended abruptly, they both said they came to appreciate the countries and their people because they were treated quite well as patients. Not a convenient way to learn about other cultures!
