Week Four and Five (SOC 490)

Do we have control over our health?  Well, yes and no.  When you grow up in a family that can only afford to buy you McDonald’s over something healthier, then no you really don’t have the choice.  Someone else ie: your parents are making the decision for you.  Other things fall into that category too, like secondhand smoke.  Can you control the person standing next you at the train station who wants to smoke a cigarette?  No, but your health suffers if you have to stand at that train station everyday by the same person who smokes.  On the flip side, if you’re the one that is smoking, then of course you have control over that.  You can quit and make everyone around you healthier and yourself.  By quitting, within I believe a week or two, your risk of lung cancer goes down significantly.  With the McDonald’s example, when you grow up and are no longer under the care of your parents or even if you are, you can make a conscious effort to eat healthier, exercise and improve your lifestyle.

However, with each argument in mind, a lot of it comes down to cost.  You could be the healthiest person on the planet and come down with a chronic disease and because of your job, you don’t have the health insurance to cover medicine or hospital visits.  Cowen argues that “Health insurance is linked too tightly to employment, and too many people cannot afford insurance.”  So you don’t have the job to get the insurance that you need so then you suffer.  Even if you’re not taking care of yourself for whatever reason, be it that you can only afford McDonald’s, then it’s hard to get help if you can’t afford insurance.   

But then people say that if we give out free universal healthcare then people will abuse the system.  Gladwell says that “Making you responsible for a share of the costs, the argument runs, will reduce moral hazard”.  People don’t want to be sick and checked into a hospital but if people are worried about the amount of people who are now going to seek out medical attention, making them have copays and deductibles will help drive down the abusers.  

Rome Week Five (GL 350)

“Few decisions are allowed to be influenced by sentiments, tastes, hazards or hopes, but usually by a careful valuation of the relative strength of the contending parties.”  Barzini says this in The Italians when talking about how Italians make decisions.  It kind of seems like the opposite of America, we’re told to go with our gut or to do whichever makes us happy, when making decisions.  But Italians seem to go about it by calculating how much they could lose if they’re decision is incorrect and another’s is correct.  I’d have to disagree and say that this isn’t how one should go about deciding things.  Going with my gut has made this trip everything I have imagined it to be and more. 

On Monday we went to the Museum of Medical Arts.  You’ve read about it in my SOC 490 blog but it was as interesting as old medical equipment is to someone who is SO not into the medical scene!  Then Katie and Brandon needed to visit the Vatican for their upcoming walking tour so Katie, Brandon, Dave and I went around the corner to see it!  St. Peter’s Basilica was amazing, it’s so big and just beautiful. 

Tuesday we had Aubree and Gabby’s tour of Borghese Gardens.  It was really pretty although it was more of a park than a garden but it was pretty nonetheless.  The museum that was also on the grounds was really pretty but it wasn’t as big as we were expecting and with no audio guide, we finished pretty fast.

Wednesday we had a free day which Katie and I used to complete laundry and our Education papers, which we tricked ourselves into doing early.  Since they aren’t due until the 29^th of November. 

Thursday was Thanksgiving!!  We went to Saint Susannah church which is an American Church located right in Rome.  Everything was in English which was a welcomed change.  Amy and I got to bring up the gifts during mass which was pretty cool.  Afterward we went home and put on sweats and t-shirts to prepare ourselves for the coming feast.  Thanksgiving dinner was amazing! We had squash soup, mashed potatoes, the best green bean casserole on the planet, mashed sweet potatoes, turkey, stuffing, corn casserole, cranberries, and any dessert you could want.  We had cake, ice cream, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, and cookies.

On Friday morning, Katie, Emily, Amy and I were picked up by Julio and headed to the airport.  We took a three hour flight to Dublin, Ireland.  We stayed at a really cool hostel in Temple Bar.  We had some really cool Australian roommates who gave us some tips about the city, since they’d been there for about a week.  That night Katie and I went to our traditional Hard Rock dinner and then we experienced our first pub, complete with traditional Irish music.  We went on a hop on, hop off tour Saturday morning and then that night we went to dinner and then went on a pub crawl.  At the second bar, Emily wasn’t feeling it so she went back to the hostel.  Amy, Katie and I pushed on!  It was so much fun!  We went to six bars and a night club.  One of the bars we went to was the one featured in the movie, P.S. I Love You.  It was such a fun night; afterwards we didn’t want to leave.  I would definitely go back, for sure!

So, going with my gut throughout this week has made each of my experiences so much better.  I didn’t think about anything I just went with what I wanted to do in the moment and it was amazing!  This was probably the best week/weekend on this trip so far!  Until next time…

Shell to fill up water bottles on Gabby and Aubree's tour!

Temple Bar, down the street from where we stayed in Dublin!

The Dublin Zoo!

Week Three (SOC 490)

“…the United States as a whole is performing well below the standards of health, efficiency and care that are realistic and have been achieved in the most successful U.S. states and other developed nations.” – Universal Healthcare

Startling as it is the U.S. isn’t the top nation when it comes to healthcare. It actually ranks 15^th overall in the best national healthcare systems.  The top two are France and Italy, is that because they have universal healthcare, who knows? However, whatever Italy is doing, sitting at #2, we should mirror.  They have a lower infant mortality rate than the U.S., among other aspects. 

What are the Italians doing more of that the Americans need to start doing?  I’ve only been here for four and a half weeks but already I can tell that Italians walk far more than Americans do.  They use a lot of public transportation which cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions which makes for cleaner air.  In Rome they drink water from the aquifer, which probably cuts down on the amount of chemicals in their water supply.  They tend to eat healthier overall too.  Their mean is leaner, their cheese and dairy products are fresh daily, and their snacks tend to be less greasy.  All of these things cause a healthier nation.  Not only that, but everyone has access to healthcare.  Even the homeless people, who sleep on the benches in Termini Station, can go down to the hospital and get help if they need it.  Maybe that’s the secret…  

We visited the Museum of the Mind last week and the Museum of Medical Art this week and each of them show the past of medicine in this nation.  The Museum of the Mind was an old psychiatric hospital, one that tried to help those with “diseases” of the mind.  Things that everyone thought were incurable or untreatable.  The only issue with this hospital was the fact that they sometimes found people they thought to be ill, who weren’t.  After spending so much time in close proximity to these people, the ones that were well, developed paranoia, and even some other diseases.  The Museum of Medical Art was cool too, it was all the old instruments and aides that they used in hospitals back in the day.  It showed things like preserved babies and other medical discoveries that were interesting.  It was cool to see the progression of the medicine of Italy.  

A child scratched this on a wall while in the psychiatric hospital.

Old gynecological stir-ups.

Rome Week Four (GL 350)

“The unexpectedness of life, waiting round every corner, catches even wise women unawares…to avoid corners altogether is, after all, to refuse to live.”

Alice Steinbach referred to this quote in her excerpt in the Smiles book, and it caught my attention.  Around every corner, around every bend we run into something new.  Whether it was exiting the metro at the Colosseo stop on the first day and being in awe that the Colosseum was right there, or to finding a cute little café with the most amazingly delicious food, there is something to discover around every corner of Rome. 

On Monday, we were given a student lead tour of Aventine Hill.  It was beautiful, everything we saw was amazing and at the end was my favorite part.  We went into the gardens of this church and there was a breathtaking view of Rome.  We could see everything in one glance, some things we could point out and others were just incredible in all of their mystery.  Something we all weren’t expecting to see in that church garden.

On Tuesday we went on a walking tour Piazza Della Rotonda and Piazza Navona.  And as the quote said there’s unexpectedness around every corner.  Aimee and Rachel led the tour and showed us this little hole-in-the-wall bakery that had the best cannoli’s we’ve had in Italy so far.  Amazing!

Wednesday was our free day spent writing our 490 midterm paper, doing laundry and studying up for our Italian midterm that night.  All went well in case you were wondering!

On Thursday we went through another unexpected turn and found ourselves at the Museum of the Mind.  It was an old psychiatric hospital turned museum.  Even though everything was in Italian, we had our guide and Danilo, helping to translate our way through the exhibits. 

Friday we all boarded the train with our luggage and headed off to Florence.  It was so beautiful and even though it was small I felt like I kept finding new places around each corner.  I finally found balsamic vinegar for my parents, something they requested long before I left for Italy, and have completed my shopping list as far as Christmas presents go.  Katie and I climbed 463 stairs to the top of the duomo, which had a spectacular view of all of Florence.  You can check out Facebook for pictures!  All in all a good weekend!

We are now half way done with our trip here and it feels like the time is slipping away from us!  With surprising turns still to come and the path we’ve already woven, Rome is turning out to be a pretty impressive place.  I cannot wait to see what week five has in store…Stay Tuned!

Lunch after Aimee and Rachel's Tour

The class being studious!

The Museum of the Mind 

Rome Week Three (GL 350)

“Love each other as much as brothers should, and have profound respect for each other.”  St. Paul said these words and I think that we learning to do that with everyone we live with here.  We’re starting to break our ties and get to know other people.  I think it’s a good thing; we’re mixing it up at dinner and hanging out doing game nights with the whole group.

On Monday we had Emily and Dave’s tour which was amazing.  San Giovanni was probably my favorite church that we went in.  It was so big and beautiful and awe-inspiring.  After we went on their tour we toured the Catacombs.  My favorite walking tour yet.  We had an amazing tour guide and the catacombs were cold and amazing.

Tuesday and Wednesday were free days after we had class of course and they were spent sleeping, doing laundry and preparing for our trip to London.  On Thursday we got a tour of the aqueducts, which was a little boring but still cool to see how the water was brought to Rome back in the day.

Friday we flew out from Rome to go to London.  When we arrived in London we hung out at the hostel and then went in search of a Chipotle.  After like five miles of walking we finally found the Chipotle and it was delicious.  The next day Katie and I went to the tattoo parlor to get piercings for my 20^th birthday! After that we saw Big Ben, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace.  It was an amazing weekend and I’m so grateful I got to go!

Until next week! 

A guy in a turkey suit at Buckingham Palace.

Week Two (SOC 490)

While taking SOC 490, I’ve come to realize that there are two sides to every argument.  Within those two sides are also varied opinions.  But with all that complicated opinion is your own.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just as I am entitled to mine.  But do you know all the facts?  If you aren’t taking the other side of the argument into consideration, you sadly do not.  This is a challenge I have accepted this week; try to look at and understand the other sides’ opinion. 

Universal Healthcare is a book of opposing viewpoints.  You get to see the artfully crafted argument of universal healthcare from varied points of view.  Helen Redmond, one of the contributing authors of this book, believes that universal healthcare should be a right.  She brings up the point of those addicted to drugs.  People who are addicted to drugs should be able to have healthcare in order to get help for their persisting problems.  Without this healthcare system in place there are long lines for doctors who have to rush patients through treatment processes, not giving them enough time to heal completely.  These people need and deserve to have healthcare as a right for all people. 

Take into consideration also, everyone affected by the lack of universal healthcare.  If there is a child of say, 12 whose parents do not have a job or do not have a job that provides healthcare, the child is in turn not covered.  If this child were to come down with something even as minor as an hear infection, the parents would have to pay completely out of pocket for the doctor, the medicine and any additional visits to the doctor’s office.  But should the child be punished for something he/she has no control over?  Gary Dorrien, another contributing author, says that no one should have it held against them that they cannot afford healthcare.  The child is helpless, not of working age, and relies solely on his parents. 

With all of this information however, I still believe that healthcare is a privilege, something that must be worked for and earned.   

Week Two in Rome (GL 350)

On the first day that we arrived in Italy we were forced to stay awake and go to orientation.  Right as this orientation began we heard a song playing throughout the hallway, “Home” by Phillip Phillips.  “The trouble it might drag you down. If you get lost, you can always be found. Just know you’re not alone, cause I’m going to make this place your home.”  We were told that Rome was going to be our home for the next two months, that we would grow attached to our place here in our little bubble of perfect Italy. 

Attachment, an idea that is heavily discussed in the book, Smiles.  Attachment to Rome to be specific.  There’s a sense of never wanting to leave.  In one of the stories Ovid, an author, is being exiled from Rome to the Black Sea, back in his day, the edge of earth.  As he rode the wagon out of Rome he discussed his attachment to the beauty and the grace and the history that Rome possesses.  He speaks, as they leave the gates of Rome, of trying to put Rome in his pocket.  He wants to take this captivating city with him wherever he goes.  Something I think referred to as the “fatal charm” in The Italians.  Something we have all fallen victim of. 

I think that each and every one of us has felt that attachment.  “Rome Home” is a coined phrase around the dorms; we’ve all begun to think of this as our home.  On Monday Katie and I went shopping at the Spanish Steps for things we forgot in our prior shopping trips or things we found later on.  As we grew tired and weary we kept saying I just want to go home and sleep.  Of course we meant the dorms, but it just felt natural to say home.  

Tuesday and Wednesday we pretty much just bummed around campus and did laundry preparing for our first weekend group trip.  There was a big rainstorm that passed through Rome and Castel Gandolfo those days and so we were not feeling very up for exploring the city.

Thursday, though it was supposed to rain again, was sunny and beautiful.  The dreaded Appian Way bike ride was upon us and we were not happy.  We got all the way there and it was not until we were up on our bikes finally riding that we started to have a blast.  The cobblestone made for a less than smooth ride, and after several bike chains popping off and people falling off of their bikes we were all a pile of exhausted and happy people.  The only ill after-affect was the bruised bums which still persist to this day.

Friday at 4:15am, we all boarded the vans to Fiumincino Airport to fly out to Venice.  Again dreading the trip to a supposedly flooded Venice, we all boarded the plane ready to see what was in store.  We were not off to a good started when we arrived, taking a very crowded ferry with luggage in hand to our hotel.  Then our hotel was cramped, none of the plugs worked, we got our room late and missed our scheduled nap.  Things were just going wrong left and right.  We fixed our room, Danilo fixed our plug issue, we got a nap later in the day and we got to explore Venice.  We walked around shops on Friday and got to ride in a gondola.  It was amazing!  Saturday we went on a tour of the Murano Glass factory and got to see and purchase official glass.  Sunday we ended the trip with a visit to Hard Rock Venice for a quick bite to eat before killing time, going to the airport, losing Amy on the ferry, and hopping a flight back to “Rome Home.”
We were all extremely excited to be back in our own captivating home, Rome.