Friday, December 18, 2009

Hats and Pills

There is this hat shop located on Dias Ferreira, sandwiched between a tiny bar and a laundromat, if I remember correctly. It is splendid, the sort of place that makes you feel as though you ought never to leave. The kind of store which feels like an eccentric aunt's sitting room, a place that's been frozen in time, full of dark wood and heavy tables, Victorian touches, faceless hat stands and so much beauty you get lost in the details. I wandered in today on my way to the supermarket and skipped gleefully from one pleated linen confection to things made of floppy canvas that seemed right out of a silver-toned 1930's beach scene and stiff-brimmed straw...I could practically see Audrey Hepburn peering one dark eye out from beneath the shadows. And that's without even allowing myself the luxury of looking at anything with feathers. Or netting.

It's a good thing they had no winter hats. I didn't budget for impracticalities this trip!

What I did budget for was medications, which are obscenely expensive in the United States and only slightly less so here. Even with the cost of a doctor's visit added into the price. I wasn't, however, expecting it to be quite so difficult to FIND said medications. In the United States, we expect our drugstores to carry what the doctor prescribes, and if they're out, that it will be ordered. Because that's what drugstores do. They like our business and try to fill prescriptions. Not so here. Out of stock? Too bad. There's not even the slightest attempt to assist the client. Sorry, we don't have that. Next!

Which meant that I've spent part of the last week searching fruitlessly for one of my prescriptions. At least six different drugstores. When I finally found it, I bought their entire stock. Two boxes. Which will last about three months, enough time, hopefully, for them to renew their supply before I'm back again for more. Is this a problem in other countries, or just a random Brazilian thing? I'm curious.

3 comments:

Ali Ambrosio said...

In Maputo I once had to hit up 7 different pharmacies before finding the super-strong cough medicine a doctor had prescribed.

Ali Ambrosio said...

Ah, try the rede Onofre. I know Rico's grandmother does a phone-in thing and she's able to get just about any med imaginable. Let me know if you want me to ask her what the deal is.

--jenna said...

I actually have good luck with Onofre...on almost anything but this one med. However...DrogaRaia is surprisingly good with almost anything you need. :) I've never tried the phone-in thing though. Maybe it would be more efficient!