Page 42 - Spring 2024
P. 42

Class News, continued...















        Real wooden floors down-    and heat. Once the weather   her to Goa; we flew over New   listening to Renate’s chest
        stairs and engineered wood   changed, she didn’t continue   Year’s Eve with the prices   and looking into her throat he
        upstairs. Also, a wonderful   the swimming in the sea -she   marginally cheaper and it   announced she needed an-
        fireplace with a log burner   just lost her bottle (lost her   took about 10 days for the   tibiotics and started to write
        which we use every evening.   nerve for non-UK residents)   cold to be almost gone. Then   the prescription down. We sat
        The ordering of the dining   - and took up other pursuits   the weather changed; still   in front of him. Then, he called
        room table was such a saga,   like Scottish Country Dancing   very hot during the day with   me closer and explained to
        and we finally had a suitable   and Hiking with 2 different   31-35 degrees, but the nights   me how often Renate should
        one delivered early Novem-  groups: South West Coastal   were cooler and rather damp,   take the medication in great
        ber.                        Walks and U3A. Renate and I   which started her cold back   detail. She was the patient,
        We still have our motorhome,   joined a Wisdom Circle where   up again. It was such a pain,   but I was the one with whom
        but as soon as we put it into   old folks like us talk about   because she was teaching a   he communicated. No idea,
        storage, it stopped working;   a variety of issues, speak-  daily yoga class, and it wor-  if it was because she was a
        there’s something wrong with   ing from the heart. Renate   ried her students when she   woman with a husband, thus
        the battery and now it won’t   attended a Spanish class for a   had a bad coughing attack.   I needed to be addressed or
        start anymore at all. We got a   while in someone’s home to   We finally caved and went to   whether he thought she was
        guy out when it started get-  help with her Duolingo App   the doctor.             feebleminded or not well
        ting dodgy, but he couldn’t   endeavours and attended a   What an interesting expe-  enough to understand…. It
        find anything that could drain   few very good Kundalini yoga   rience! No appointment   was bizarre! Then he charged
        the battery bar one button   classes. We enjoyed going to   needed. We took a tuk-tuk to   us £4!! And the medication
        that was switched on, so we   theatre performances where   the nearest town, climbed up   which we picked up from
        could have listened to the ra-  the tickets were incredibly   some rickety stairs and found   the pharmacy below was £6
        dio while not driving - if we’d   cheap, when compared to   this tiny little place with lots   for the antibiotics, probiotics
        even known about this but-  London. Ok, it wasn’t quite   of people milling about. We   for gut protection and some
        ton-. We tried to sell it, but the   London quality, but still very   took our shoes off – as you do   cough syrup. Within an hour
        other guy wanted so much    enjoyable. We were partic-  in most places here, not car-  of deciding to see the doctor,
        fixing, deep cleaning, and   ularly happy that it took us   rying the dirt from the street   it was all achieved. In the UK
        beautifying, that we couldn’t   only 5-10 min drive to get   inside- and the receptionist/  however…. She would spend
        face it with all the work going   there instead of often over   nurse bade us to sit down on   ages on the phone trying to
        on in the house as well. Thus,   1-hour travels in London. We   a couple of plastic chairs. The   get through to a receptionist
        the Beastie is on hold, and   also really like the live music   doctor sat behind half a par-  and then would only get a
        we’ll have to tackle it when   events here, but they are in a   tition, and we all watched the   telephone appointment for
        we get back from India; we   very crowded little café, so I’m   goings on with him talking   the next day maybe, then the
        want to get it moving at least   getting too claustrophobic to   to his patient. There was a   wait weeks for the in-house
        for the first Retreat Camp and   go anymore.           room in the back for Blood   appointment at our local sur-
        then sell it. The plan is to just   We had our fist visitor; we en-  pressure readings and bench   gery. Much more complicated.
        hire one for camps which will   joyed her company very much  for examinations. Shortly   Ok, weIl we wouldn’t have
        be much cheaper than main-  and we are looking forward   we progressed to the chairs   had to pay anything, but it
        taining the Beastie.        to many more. Christmas was   in front of the doctor who   definitely was worth the £10.
        We booked our flights to Goa   busy with family coming,   continued to look through us   We had lots of monkeys
        in October, and we were quite   including Renate’s 4-year-old   waiting patiently for another   there this year and we got a
        heartbroken at the thought   and 6 months old grandkids.   patient to come out of the   good view of them from our
        of leaving our new home     They were cute, but she had   little room and then he talked   balcony from the wonderful
        for 3 months, but when the   a bad cold and kept everyone   with him. All those long   second floor flat we were in
        weather changed and we      awake with her loud coughing  minutes he didn’t acknowl-  this year. These monkeys are
        had so many storms, Renate   and we were all exhausted.  edged our presence in any   a good size, and the locals
        started to look forward to sun   Renate took the cold with   way, I suppose because he   hate them, because they steal
                                                               was the Doctor! Anyway, after   the papayas and create havoc


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