Resonant adventures
Sometimes we have completely different adventures. A woman from the health center calls me. We have had our vaccines, she knows, and we are now invited by the SNS to come for a general health check. Heart condition, bones, spine, general condition. This is what I make up from her words with my growing knowledge op the Portuguese language. Wow, what a service! Can we come together at 18 hours, the next day? She also calls Luís to verify and provides a code. We are used to this, receiving a call (also in the evenings) from the SNS and a code to provide entry to the center of vaccinations. There, we are always welcomed by a number of women who guide us through the waiting rooms and the bureaucracy.
Same situation this time. We have to go to a room in the hotel in Bombarral. There are a few other couples, around the same age as we are. Quite a lot of people, actually, when the all have to go through examinations at this late hour of the day. A guy with a white doctor’s coat disappears in one of the adjoining rooms. Behind us is a small table with a stethoscope and a bottle of disinfectant. A large woman on large square heels starts to question each couple. We are also used to that, being questioned in a full waiting room. But this lady needs to know our height and weight. ‘Too much’ I whisper with a funny smile, but she loudly laughs my remark. And takes notes on her pad. The room with the doctor remains closed.
The couples are then directed to another lady with a laptop. She asks them different questions. All seems sort of normal until it is our turn.
The woman with the laptop introduces herself and asks us to take a little silver colored bar in our hand. Not to press too firmly please. The bar is connected to a strange device which shows interesting numbers and colors, which in itself is then connected to her laptop. Blood pressure or something? You never know with all these modern techniques… ‘So, you are mister Pires, and how is your spine today? And how are your stress levels? Levels of PSA? Ah I see here that your liver is fat, this may cause problems…’. Same with me: ‘How are your bones? Do you have varicose veins? You have stress, I hope he is not the reason for that? Hahahahahahaaa…!’ OK?? Then she states that our data are being processed, and that we will hear from them. We can go. Somewhat confused we get up and leave the room. We were summoned to be here for an hour, was this the whole examination? Shouldn’t we have met the guy in the white coat? And this strange device, what was that all about?
I secretly took a few pictures, and when we arrive at home we zoom in on one of the device. It appears to be a Quantum Magnetic Resonance Body Analyzer…. Oh sure, this is a fine way to complete a full health check, with bio resonance? WTF?!? More questions rise, what has actually happened? There were no signs of the SNS. The ladies wore nothing of a uniform or work dress. They did not ask our identification. What were the other people actually doing there?
Luís gives the receptionist of the hotel a call, but she is reluctant to explain. Policy. But, these people are still there. Luís explains to her how we feel to have been misled and that he wants to file a complaint with the police. Suddenly the receptionist is very cooperative and will connect us. Some time later he can talk to the laptop lady. She hastily and nervously confirms that she has just deleted all our data…
How did they get our personal data in the first place? Next day we figure out more. It appears to be common practice in this country. The simply sell your data. Who the seller is, we don’t know. The imposters appear to be a company in medical supplies and devices for the lesser mobile elderly. The hire a space somewhere. They invite you, because you seem to be an interesting target. The pretend to be from the official SNS, the Governmental Health Care. They lure you in with their special talks. But as soon as the saw us with our fit (albeit a liiiiiiittle bit overweight) bodies, she knew right away she could never sell us anything. And thus threw us out.
Next time we will be much more vigilant. This is quite a bit embarrassing… On the other side we now get to question each other on a daily basis: ‘Darling, is your spine resonating well today? And does your liver vibrate lively?’