International Medicine, British-isms, and "Melting Pot" medicine


I just did a checkup for a 35 year old woman who had a very nice cockney accent. This means she is from a central neighborhood of London. I think that means she grew up within listening distance of a certain cathedral's bells. Or maybe Big Ben. I am not sure which cathedral, but it is a somewhat small area. The cockney accent is unique in the English language. Once you understand what it sounds like, you probably won't forget it. I delivered her baby about two years ago. Having a nice conversation with her was really fun. I like to provide my care in a culturally aware manner and I did no different for her. Knowing peoples backgrounds is not only fun for me, but it allows me to fine tune my conversation and words in a manner that enhances communication and maybe makes them a little less uncomfortable in the office.

Either that or I make myself into a culturally clumsy buffoon <sigh>.  But I try and it is fun.

Here in Ridgewood, in Northern New Jersey, 20 minutes from the George Washington Bridge, I get customers from all over the world. I have many patients from all over Europe, especially Germany (BMW is close by). I have patients that work in Embassies, and in the United Nations. Many of my patients hail from all of the big countries of Europe. Many from Eastern Europe. I have learned a little bit of Russian from my Russian patients. I would like to say Bolshoi Spasibo to my new Russian mommies. One of which is leaving The Valley Hospital with her new 7 pound 10 oz baby tomorrow.  There is a ton of South Americans here. Brazil is well represented because it is a giant country with a lot of corporate connections. I have decided that my favorite Cesarean Section music is called "Brazilian Soul". Think of the "Girl from Ipanema". It is beautiful and peaceful music, and I started that music with a super nice couple from Brazil.

Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGUZeZWKZo

This is a song from the musical genre called Bossa Nova, from Brazil. It is mostly in Portugese. Not that song itself, but the Bossa Nova.

But I have patients from most of the South American countries and cities, Buenos Airies to Caracas, even Havana. These folks are so lucky because their winter vacations brings them to summertime when they go back home. Some of them stay there for a month, and avoid our winter snows.

Of course no city on the planet doesn't have a lot of Chinese, and we are no exception. Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. They are all here.

There are so many ethnic Asian Indians that I think of them as locals now. No matter what city they come from, Mumbai to Calcutta to the small towns, they seem more local than foreign. Many of them speak their uniquely accented English.

There are many Japanese folks. Konichiwa my friends.

There are a good amount of families here that hail from Turkey. Many of them speak German, American English, some speak Aramaic,  (The language of Jesus Christ), Swedish, etc.

Lebanese? Of course. They have a most beautiful French sound to their accent. I try to say Bon Jour to them when I arrive in their room. Comment Alei Voux, mon ami?  I really don't know how to spell in French. And I certainly don't know how to write the special characters. Other Arabic countries as well. Then there are many Persians, from Iran.  No middle east list would be complete without all of the different kinds of people from Israel.

And there are a number of Australians of course, not to mention New Zealand. G'day, mate.

As I sit here now I realize that my customer base is from all over the world. And I find that I like it. It is really fun. My own ethnic heritage is very very mixed. I am northern European, but I don't think I can claim any one ethnicity as my own, other than maybe Chicagoan. (From Chicago, Illinois).  My mom is Canadian, and that makes me a Canadian Citizen as well. Canada is very easy on their foreign based citizens. They have never asked me to pay taxes, or even to report a single form to them. Nevertheless, I carry an American Passport. I am certainly an American, born here in the Chicago area.

When I was a child back in Chicago we were taught that the USA was a "melting pot" of ethnic heritages. This was the preferred terminology. This means that the American Culture has melted and formed out of all of the cultures of the peoples that came here before us. This even included the Native Americans obviously.

But tonight I was having my conversation with a fluent Cockney speaker so I decided to use my little bit of British knowledge. I was mostly having fun.

How does that go? Well, they know pharmacists as "Chemists". Emergency Rooms there are called "Casualty". The word Vitamins uses a soft i, like the word Bit, not like the word Bite. Vacations are "Holidays". There are a lot of other changes. When saying the letter Z, it does not rhyme with "Tea" or "Tee", but is Zed.

Now try to sing your ABC's with Zed instead of Zee.

I have found an ABC song on youtube. It is very interesting in that the child bear has a mild cockney accent, sings the zee as the zed, but the daddy bear speaks like he is from Philadelphia. Here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGHidmEKU44

So, right there, is a little bit of the melting pot.

Thanks for reading my blog

I have a lot of other blog posts partially written.

Comments are welcome.

Doctor John Marcus MD
89 North Maple Ave
Ridgewood NJ 07450
USA

phone number 201-447-0077
fax 201-447-3560

blog is at http://doctorjohnmarcus.blogspot.com

Comments are welcome.