Mon the 7th of Sep – Counseling 101?

I am surrounded by squealing teenagers. I must be the only 30something year old waiting to take the driving theory exam this morning…If that weren’t enough, I am definitely the only one whose father practically escorted her into the examination room! The other “kids” probably instructed their parents to drop them off. It just isn’t cool to be seen with them…Well, not me! My Daddy demonstratively hugged me, gave me some words of encouragement and waived at me as I disappeared into the room (they grow up so fast…). One teenage girl kept staring at me with the indiscretion of youth. I smiled intelligently at her trying to convince her that I was neither mentally challenged nor a Nerd…I doubt I succeeded…And before anyone questions my mental capabilities, let me give you the same practiced lame line I give everyone that looks at me funny. I don’t have my driver’s license because in Amsterdam, it just isn’t necessary and I never felt the need or the discipline to spend thousands of euros in getting it. Now, I very acutely feel that need, in a city where busses pass only once every hour! I started taking lessons in the Netherlands and already failed the practical exam a couple of times. It’s frustrating and I very conveniently believe Richard’s professional diagnosis of my problem: Ahum Ahum...Clearly I have fear of failure. Let me get this right: at a subconscious level, I must be sabotaging myself and this must be further examined in the only rational way possible: lots and lots of counseling!

Anyway, I am happy to report that I passed my Italian theory exam and hopefully in a couple of weeks I’ll pass the practical one too! Streets of Perugia…Be warned!

As for my wonderful father, in spite of my aggravation at our incapacity to cut the umbilical cord (no father/daughter relationship is perfect), I would rather have a doting, loving, over protective father then not at all. I chose to consider myself blessed and lucky with such a tremendous Dad even if surely a little counseling could do no harm?

And how is our First Lady doing? Mar’s ok. Not great, not horrible either, just ok. Last week, her progress was stunted because of massive stomach cramps. She could hardly eat. The doctors ran tests but couldn’t find anything so she just had to go through it. Her eyebrows were set into a fixed V and it was impossible through my clownish behavior to “turn that frown upside down”. She feels better this week although still unnaturally tired and so she sleeps. She did tell me yet another funny anecdote about the hospital which I couldn’t resist to repeat! In the ‘Day Hospital’ Mara generally shares a room with another patient while she receives treatment. One morning, young Venezuelan Pedro was her room mate. The doctors did their usual rounds, enquiring after each patient. They started with Mara, asking her how she felt, what she was eating, wether she was exercizing, etc…Nothing unusual. Then they moved on to Pedro and asked him the same questions…Shouting: “PEDRO! HOW DO YOU FEEL? WHAT ARE YOU EATING?” And as she told the story I immediately burst out laughing. You see, just because Pedrito isn’t Italian, doesn’t mean he’s deaf…Yet these lovely Doctors fall into the most common of cultural traps: that by shouting in their language, one would immediately understand.