Eye Exam - Chilean Style

Last week I went for an eye exam with Elder Fowkes, who also needed an exam.  Leland went with us, walked into the reception area, noticed the 20 people already waiting and went home.  He left me in the capable hands of Elder Fowkes and said to call when we were finished and he would return to pick us up.  I don't blame him at all.

Our appointments were for 11:00 and we arrived 10 minutes early only to receive the news that the doctor would arrive at noon.  So we waited for the receptionist to prepare our paperwork, paid for the examinations and then began the wait.  The only seats available were underneath the television so not only were we stared at because we aren't Chilean, we were also watched because of our proximity to the television.  Talk about sticking out like  a sore thumb.

Soon we were received by the second receptionist who told us that we would next be seen by a techinician.  And then we returned to our seats... to wait.  Finally the technician called my name (which was totally incoherant) and together Elder Fowkes and I had our preliminary examinations.

Here I am reading the eye chart.  I'm still not sure if the tech understood me when I read the letters in English, but I passed.  

Reading the Chart in English

Elder Fowkes was next.  He couldn't see the large E on the wall but knew from experience that the first letter was an E.  Poor Elder Fowkes has now been lovingly nicknamed Mr. Magoo.  He attempted the chart in Spanish but didn't pass.

I know the first letter is an "E"

I don't know what this machine did.  I looked inside and saw a fuzzy house that eventually became clear.  That's high tech eye examining in Antofagasta.

Did they clean the chin rest before my exam?

Same fuzzy house...I think it became clear for him too.

Look straight into the machine.

After these two tests, and the one where they blow a shot of air into each eye, we were directed back to the two chairs below the television to wait for the doctor.  Elder Fowkes told the technician that I didn't like waiting and that I didn't understand the television so maybe he could get us to the front of the line.  It worked because a few minutes later we were moved to the front of the line to see the doctor.

In the United States there is a part of the eye exam where the doctor changes the lenses on a machine and asks "Which is better?  This.... or this?"  It really psychs me out because I'm always afraid I'll say the wrong thing and get the wrong prescription.  

Not to worry here in Antofagasta... the doctor just put these lovely glasses on me and started inserting lenses into them until my vision was clear.  No choices for me...he was in charge.

"Are these my glasses?"

And now it was Elder Fowkes turn.  He had several lenses inserted into his glasses and finally saw the chart at the other end of the room with clarity.

Nice look Elder Fowkes

After the doctor finished inserting the various lenses into our "glasses" we were handed our prescriptions for new glasses.  

Leland came to get us and after dropping Elder Fowkes off at the Mission Office we headed to mall to get my new prescription put into my old glasses.  There are at least five eyeglass stores in the mall and we headed to the first one we came to.  I handed them my prescription and my glasses and was told that they were too small for their machine to make bi-focals.  They sent me to the next shop.

In Chile it takes 3-4 attempts before completing a task.  Off to the next store we went.  They took my prescription and my glasses and told me they could make my glasses but that they could only be produced in Santiago.  That's the standard answer here:  it's only available in Santiago.  Fine...make my glasses in Santiago.  In two weeks I'll finally have my glasses and won't be wearing reading glasses on my nose anymore.  (I only need reading bi-focals).