U.S, July 31 -- Recently, I spent two nights at a hospital - my first such experience in the US. On my daily walk around the marina at Dana Point Harbor, I took a tumble on a couple of steps and fell to the ground. I do not recall falling or hitting the concrete walkway. I must have blacked out and then fallen!

When I regained consciousness, I saw an elderly couple watching over me and an ambulance nearby. There was a little pain in my forehead but no broken limb. My sunglasses were shattered into pieces. The ambulance driver said that I had a black eye, and the right part of my forehead was bloodied but not bleeding.

They took me to the nearest hospital; I reluctantly agreed. I had to wait in a hallway in the emergency care for an hour...