While my husband was in the army we lived in Germany. at the time we were allowed to used German health facilities and doctors which were great. It was discovered part of the problem I had in carrying a baby longer then a few months was a septum which is a thin wall that divided the uterus like a heart hense the problem. Surgery was scheduled at the local Kraken House (hospital) Now my german is very pour and their german in thate area we were was very slang and even harder to catch onto.
The morning of the surgery the nurses took my glasses and laid them on the bedside table and patted my shoulder as they wheeled me on a gurney to the basement where surgery was. At that point I was wearing only a hospital gown
Once down there they put the gurney up against a wall and left me with another pat on the shoulder. A doctor came out of a near by hall looked at my chart, pulled out the metal stirups on the gurney and motioned for me to put my feet in them. He then reached for a pen in his pocket that wasn't there so left. As I lay there really exposed to all the medical staff walking by I decided that since I was unable to make out their faces with out my glasses they couldn't recognize me either and besides in German culture modesty is not the same.
As I lay there for quite sometime I began to hum Amazing Grace which echoed through the halls.
Suddenly I was aware of a woman's inquistative blurry face around the corner. Her face registered horror and she immediately rushed a sheet over and covered me. Just about then the doctor reappeared. I never understod a word but it was very clear as he stood there totally ablivious as to what was the matter that the nurse was reading him the riot act.
I was right I never saw them again and frankly if I ran into one of them I doubt they'd recognize me- I hope not.