Challenging phone calls
Alpes-Maritimes, 16th of January
I'm sick! Je suis malade!
I've got a chest infection. Apart from trying to breathe I had to telephone the doctor this morning to make an appointment to get some antibiotics. In France you can go to any doctor, so shop around for one you like and trust. I asked around my neighbours, mes voisins, and went with the majority. I had to telephone him directly. I got out my phrase book, and wrote down what I needed to say. I find this is the best way.
In France you don't ask for an appointment, you ask to take a meeting: Est-ce que je peux prendre rendez-vous? Then you state your name and what's wrong. In my case I have a sore throat, J'ai mal à la gorge, and I'm suffering with my asthma, J'ai de l'asthme. The difficult part began when he started to talk to me. This is what I can't plan for, and had listen really hard to make out one or two words, and tried to respond accordingly.
Telephone language
I find the telephone really hard. When you are facing someone you can use facial expressions (Ashley is
good at this), and arm waving (he's even better with these!) and a lot of eye contact, but the phone is just so
difficult I find myself thinking that I will never learn this complicated language.I got my appointment for this
afternoon, and will take along all my current medication, together with notes from my UK doctor. Your medical notes are
not allowed out of the UK, and are put into storage. So if you move abroad, make sure that your doctor writes something
of your history for you to pass onto your new doctor.
An integrating invitation
Another difficult telephone conversation was with a gentleman who I work with at the school, as they were all new words. Anyway, it turned out that he was inviting us to his house to a New Year's Eve, La Saint-Sylvestre celebration, which is a big thing in France. We were thrilled as this meant that we are finally accepted into our local community. Unfortunately I ended up having a quite New Year's Eve as my chest infection got worse and I stayed in watching Jonathan Ross! It felt just like being at home again. It's Ashley's fault, we have BSkyB for his sport, but I'm glad as I listen to Radio 4 all day and then Jonathan Ross on Radio 2 on Saturdays.
Sent by: Janie
Comments
This is all so true we can indentify so well with the difficulties of using the phone when ones French is so limited as that of my husband and I. Re Medical visits, one point I should like to correct is that since January 2005 you cannot go to any Doctor anymore you must by law register with a Doctor. After having been exremely healthy all of his life my husband became ill just prior to starting our new life in France, in January 2005 (we are retired) he had to have on going medical treatment in France. It has been a very pleasant experience despite the fact of our limited French and the fact that for the most part no English is spoken. The consultant that my husband saw even had an interpreter ready for our visit. No long waits for treatment either. Our neighbours are very kind and we take every opportunity to speak French with them. We look forward to the day when we are fluent in the language.
I'm thinking of working in the South of France. I need better French too. Do you think it would work? Are there many GPs or just specialists? Could I also help English patients?
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