"Would you like it with or without a local anesthetic," the dentist asked.
"Erm, you're about to drill into my tooth, gouge out my old filling and replace it", I thought.
"With, please," I smiled, slightly unnerved by the question.
In England, they never ask. Drilling equals anesthetic. Full stop.
In fact, the British National Health Service will jump at every opportunity to offer pain relief.
When I was hit by a van on Fleet Street, London, I got as much laughing gas and morphine as I wanted. It was one of the best highs I've ever had in my whole life and made the whole experience of fracturing my foot and tearing every ligament below my ankle somewhat more enjoyable.
In contrast, when I talk about pregnancy with my German boyfriend, he tells me - based on having watched this German TV show about it - that it's not good to have an epidural, and that when you break something, you should be able to feel what's wrong with your body. That's why Germans don't believe in taking or giving out pain relief.
Do Germans enjoy suffering more, or are they just tougher?
"Aw there weally people who do it without an anesthetic?" I asked the Dentist's assistant, as my lip started to go numb.
The nurse reckoned most people preferred to do it without because the injection could be more uncomfortable.
As it turned out, in some ways she was right. The injection I received made my whole face - from my chin right behind my ears and up to my temples - ache from numbness for a whole day. I wondered whether in Germany they give you a higher dose of anesthetic as punishment for not being tough enough.
As I lay my head back, the dentist asked me if I wanted to listen to music. I had a choice between classical or rock, and I decided that watching the dentist drill the side of my face to the Red Hot Chili Peppers would likely freak me out, so I opted for some string chamber music.
A civilized way to endure pain, I thought.
As the violins were swamped by the roar of the drill, I considered the incongruity of it all. On the one hand, Germans preferred to endure pain without pain relief, but on the other hand, they had a much greater tendency to be complaining hypochondriacs.
Germany has the biggest market in the world for medication to treat "circulation problems". You know, when you stand up too quickly and get a bit dizzy, Germans will rush to the doctors!
It seems that each country has it's own 'pain focus'. Germans are more likely to complain about their hearts, the French about their liver and the Brits about their intestines.
Perhaps by suffering the pain without any relief, Germans continue to justify their frequent visits to the doctor.
One thing's for sure, British stiff-upper-lip stoicism gets you nowhere. If you don't complain about pain, you won't receive much treatment in the German health system.
