university culture shock

probably the first culture shock i got in the university happened in the health service building. no, i'm not talking about the totally nude physical exam! it was really more than a realization that we are growing old and that the people in the university are open to whatever happens or whatever craziness a student could get into on their first year in the university.

so imagine, kalayaan roomies, going for the first time to the university health service because my roommate was complaining of dizziness everytime she wakes up in the morning, or late in the afternoon. the nurse at the triage took her details: name, age, weight, bp, complaints. after all these, she checked with her list and referred us to one female doctor. when we arrived at the doctor's clinic, we were both confused and scared to see that the sign said "gynecologist." so there we were, both sixteen years old and newly out of our parents' "control, about to enter a room of a gynecologist. we both didn't know what to expect, innocent as we were back then. then the doctor called my roommates name and i had to go inside with her because she was afraid. inside, the doctor again repeated the questions the nurse asked until the questions went further into: when was your last menstruation? do you feel like eating other things from the usual (since my friend was in the heavy weight side)? do you feel sleepy all the time? do you have a boyfriend? to which all the answers were in the negative. then the final question and the most shocking one: little girl, are you pregnant?

we just stood there looking at each other with our mouths wide open in shock...

for a long moment...

until we started laughing!

that was one bizzare moment that i won't forget in my first year in the university. only a few months within it, it became the university of life for us. gone for a while was the learning from teachers and books. this was reality teaching us something more hands-on. it was great.

so what happened to my roommate? no, she wasn't pregnant. she was diagnosed with vertigo, with which she overcame after a long time of trying.