sickness and health

Someone told me that all Spaniards are hypochondriacs. That is to say, that they are overly concerned about their health. Maybe bordering on fanatical. To be fair, not all Spaniards are like so, but to meet a Spaniard who has never visited the hospital for a runny nose is like meeting a mosquito who is allergic to blood. They are hard to find.

The word for flu in Spanish is "gripe" (pronounced greep-a, or something similar). When mentioned in passing conversation it can be recieved with the same reaction as other words such as Black Death, herpes, leprosy, bird flu and other horrible diseases. The only way to escape the jaws of death from this particular illness is nothing short of a hospital visit followed by high-octane drugs.

The word for the common cold, runny nose, cough etc. is "resfriado." While not evoking such a strong a reaction as el gripe, one can watch the dark shadow of concern fall across the person's face and then listen for ten minutes as the person uses animated language and hand gestures to tell you the best way to be cured from this illness that surely will involves days of bedrest and overnight vigils of prayer.

Having just had the 24 hour flu, and the ensuing head cold, I feel as though I am lucky to be alive. It was a trying experience, and several times was unsure as to whether or not is was foolish not to have prepared a living will beforehand. But having recovered (somewhat miraculously) I want to say that I am grateful for all the sympathy and helpful advice I recieved that guided me through this ordeal.

I think there is something we gringos could learn here, that showing a little extra concern, albeit melodramaticly, can go a long way in making someone appreciate being healthy again...