dinsdag 27 januari 2009

11:32 PM

I would like to talk about things that surprise me. That are different than I am used to.

Craziest thing happened to me today. Let me start at the beginning. America is a country of all or nothing. In or out. For or against us. Winners and losers. Automatically you are being absorbed in to this way of thinking. But I want to only be sucked in the positive aspect of this. Anyway, everyday on mu way to school I pass the classic four-letters-symbol, the YMCA. When I saw the letters of a far distance high on top of he building, I instantly started smiling, and not just because of the outfit of some village people...And this week when I passed the entrance there was a sign that asked if you wanted to donate blood. 'Donate your blood, save 3 lifes and get larg-coffee-at-DunkinDonuts coupon.' Coffee I don't drink (they don't got the nice espresso over here, Jules), so that couldn't be the reason why I decided to walk in today. I felt that I wanted to do something for humanity, so in I went- and there I was in the ‘Y'. Nostalgic feelings mastered me right away, I don't know why, they just did. I guess that the combination of a white feet getting on God in combination with the eclectic atmosphere directed me to the blooddoor. Also as a relevant factor, I wanted to be a winner and no longer I let myself be afraid of doctors and nurses with fake smiles and lies that it is not going to hurt. Huppakee! Once entered I had to fill out a personal form: length, height, etc. Not difficult you would say. But ever figured what these are in resp. feet and lbs (pounds)? There is no systematic structure in these measures, what were they (British) thinking. Especially since we got the pound in Holland and that being exact half a kilo. But no, not here it is. It is about 0,4478 kilograms. Handy bastards...Finished I returned the form and the guy behind the desk gave me my Dunkin-Donin coupon. I gave it back, he said that I could also get something else than coffee for it, I explained to him that I didn't want to be rewarded for this. You know how he looked? He looked surprised at first, and putting the coupon away from the rest, placing it alongside his own personal belongings (How do I know you want to ask, because there was a mobile telephone and his keys...). Ok, you go, buddy ,I thought, have good one. Thereafter they made me wait for 45 minutes in a ballroom of the Y. Big boned sisters walking in and out before me. Big buts swinging in ways that nurse sisters seemed to specialize in. I do have to say that this little show couldn't entertain me for the whole 45 minutes, and when I was about to leave: 'Number 35! Number 35?' it sounded. Only I had managed to loose my number in the rough wait-folding-playing-games...Luckily on of my co-waiters vowed for me that I was sitting there before she did. So it was my turn at least. But before the pricking and the needles, there was a little health-check or something. And a little prick for testing if was capable of bleeding (I don't know, where was the little prick for, for Christ sake?). Yes, I bleed. And while the intake nurse was getting the system ready, two other sisters persuaded me doing a double version because I was so healthy. Ego stroking is that was, I agreed. Just put the needles in my arm, woman! Let's get this over with. Then the sister, and I don't know why it took so long to find her out, because she was quite some time already in possession of my passport, but she noticed that I was Dutch. And there are not that many countriesthat are excluded from the blood donation list in the US, but what do you think?The Netherlands are one of them. And you know why? MAD COW DISEASE!!!Disillusion all the way. No prick, no needle- no contribution to humanity, but God, my intention was good anyway, right...? Please? And after 1 hour and 10 minutes total I walked out of the imperialism YMCA with a declared form which said I didn't donate my blood...How about that?