Gaahhh, I'm sorry I've been so remiss in blogging. I've been swarmed by essays the last couple weeks. Last week I had two (one for "Sign, Symbol, and Sacrament in Postmodern Theology" on Michel Henry and Jean-Luc Marion and one for "Byzantine Church and Society" on Byzantine liturgy and church architecture), the week before that I had one (on Byzantine art during iconoclasm), and this week I have another even longer one (for "Culture and the City", on urban public space). Once I'm done with this one, I'll try to take some pictures and write something interesting.
One thing I can report is that not this coming weekend, but the next, I'm going to Dublin (just booked my tickets today!) where I'll meet up with Katie and her family, and there will be exciting times, which I promise to both photograph and write about. Really!
In the meantime though, I need to get back to reading about the history of postwar urban redevelopment and reconstruction in Rotterdam.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Food (Part 1?)
Let's see, what have I been up to for the last week...
Well, one of the most exciting things was that I finally found tofu! There is no sarcasm here--I was genuinely excited. Tofu is one of the few things I can cook reasonably well (though I'm getting better at omelets!), and you can make whatever snarky comments you want, but I like it. I also got a whole tofu cookbook from my mom for Christmas, and I've been wanting to try out some of the recipes.
So, naturally, tofu was at the top of my grocery list when I got here, but alas, I couldn't find it anywhere. I tried Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury's...I thought at least Marks & Spencer would have it, since they're a little fancier, but still no luck.
But finally, last Tuesday, after about a month of fruitless searching, I spotted a little health food store on my way home from class, and sure enough, they had tofu! It was locally made tofu as well(tofu production isn't really something I ever associated with Soctland), though I wonder if that means there aren't any big tofu brands here, hence its absence from supermarkets. But anyway, the point is that I know where to buy tofu now.
Speaking of food, another thing that's kinda been getting to me is the fact that you can't seem to get regular drip coffee anywhere. With the exception of Starbucks and maybe one or two other places I've seen, all the coffeeshops here are espresso-only.
I don't have a problem with espresso--I'm a big fan of cappuccinos, and regular espresso if I'm feeling both rushed and masochistic--but sometimes I just want to sip on plain coffee for an extended period of time. I know they invented the Americano for this reason, but it's hard not to feel embarrassed ordering one when you're also American. But the main thing about drip coffee that I miss is that it's cheap. There is no cheap coffee item on the menu here. I miss being able to get a cup of coffee on my way to class without it feeling like a huge indulgence. However, I've adjusted to drinking instant on a regular basis, so I'm managing pretty well.
Of course, my food experience here has not been characterized by deprivation and longing, on the whole. The foods I miss are more than made up for in the new ones I've discovered. But right now I have to scamper off to class, so that will have to wait for another post (soon, I swear).
Well, one of the most exciting things was that I finally found tofu! There is no sarcasm here--I was genuinely excited. Tofu is one of the few things I can cook reasonably well (though I'm getting better at omelets!), and you can make whatever snarky comments you want, but I like it. I also got a whole tofu cookbook from my mom for Christmas, and I've been wanting to try out some of the recipes.
So, naturally, tofu was at the top of my grocery list when I got here, but alas, I couldn't find it anywhere. I tried Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury's...I thought at least Marks & Spencer would have it, since they're a little fancier, but still no luck.
But finally, last Tuesday, after about a month of fruitless searching, I spotted a little health food store on my way home from class, and sure enough, they had tofu! It was locally made tofu as well(tofu production isn't really something I ever associated with Soctland), though I wonder if that means there aren't any big tofu brands here, hence its absence from supermarkets. But anyway, the point is that I know where to buy tofu now.
Speaking of food, another thing that's kinda been getting to me is the fact that you can't seem to get regular drip coffee anywhere. With the exception of Starbucks and maybe one or two other places I've seen, all the coffeeshops here are espresso-only.
I don't have a problem with espresso--I'm a big fan of cappuccinos, and regular espresso if I'm feeling both rushed and masochistic--but sometimes I just want to sip on plain coffee for an extended period of time. I know they invented the Americano for this reason, but it's hard not to feel embarrassed ordering one when you're also American. But the main thing about drip coffee that I miss is that it's cheap. There is no cheap coffee item on the menu here. I miss being able to get a cup of coffee on my way to class without it feeling like a huge indulgence. However, I've adjusted to drinking instant on a regular basis, so I'm managing pretty well.
Of course, my food experience here has not been characterized by deprivation and longing, on the whole. The foods I miss are more than made up for in the new ones I've discovered. But right now I have to scamper off to class, so that will have to wait for another post (soon, I swear).
Sunday, February 6, 2011
NHS FTW
It's been a while since I updated this, mainly because I've been pretty sick for the last week. I'll spare you the details (sinus infection, enough said), but it's been pretty unpleasant.
Fortunately, I'm feeling much better now, thanks to the NHS. That's right, I got to experience socialized medicine firsthand! Turns out if you're a student, and you're living in the UK for more than three months, you're entitled to NHS services, which means free doctor's visits and cheap prescriptions (the antibiotics I got only cost me £3).
It took me a couple days to figure out that I was, in fact, entitled to healthcare (I assumed that because I don't pay taxes in the UK, I couldn't use their services), but after some online research, I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find that could go to an NHS doctor, for free no less! I even found a practice just around the corner from my flat (they call these places "surgeries", though I don't know if surgery is actually performed on the premises).
I had to register with the doctor's surgery first, which entailed going in and filling out a couple forms. However, I was informed that it takes a couple days for the registration to be fully processed, and only once I was fully in the system could I make an appointment. I guess the lesson here is to register before you get sick (now I know why the International Student Guide said to register with a doctor soon after arriving). The receptionist told me to call back within the next day or two, and if my registration had been processed, I could make an appointment, though I would have to make an appointment with the nurse first, as part of the registration protocol.
I called back around the same time the next day, and sure enough, my registration had been processed. I was offered an appointment the following Monday, but I expressed the urgency of my situation (it had been almost four days, and I was feeling really awful at that point), the receptionist was able to squeeze me in the following afternoon, for both the nurse and the doctor.
After a brief exam with the nurse (and several issues of Good Housekeeping in the waiting room, as my appointments were an hour apart), I got to see the doctor, who was very nice, and gave me a prescription for some antibiotics.
By then it was around 5:30 (or "half five", as everyone here seems to say), so I wasn't certain that any pharmacies (or "chemists") would be open (shops and whatnot close pretty early around here), but sure enough, the Boots (the big UK pharmacy chain) right across from my flat was open. Since it was late, I figured I'd have to come back the next day to pick up my prescription, but when I dropped it off, the pharmacist told me that it would only be a couple minutes, and it literally was only a couple minutes! Never in my life have I gotten a prescription filled that fast! The pharmacist then asked me if I pay for my prescriptions, to which I think I stared blankly and went "Buhhhhh..." Apparently, if you meet certain criteria (for example, if you're under 18 and a full-time student), your prescriptions are also free! I didn't fall within any of those groups entitled to free prescriptions, but it still only cost me £3, which less than what I pay for most of my prescriptions back home, with insurance that's very good by US standards (thanks, Ma!).
My whole experience with healthcare here was pleasant and easy (even with the whole registration thing) and only cost a total of £3, but I found most amazing was that this is normal for people here, and in other countries with socialized medicine. And it should be normal. But here I am surprised by the fact that everyone who lives here (even international students) gets affordable health care--that it's treated as a basic right, and not even just privilege of citizenship. This is something that shouldn't seem foreign to anyone, and the fact that it does just further highlights how backwards the US really is when it comes to healthcare. Sure, we may have bathroom faucets that mix hot and cold water, instead of forcing you to choose between scalding and freezing, but being able to comfortably wash your hands doesn't mean a whole lot when so many people can't afford basic medical care.
I'll get off the soapbox now. But seriously, the bathroom faucets here are driving me nuts.
Fortunately, I'm feeling much better now, thanks to the NHS. That's right, I got to experience socialized medicine firsthand! Turns out if you're a student, and you're living in the UK for more than three months, you're entitled to NHS services, which means free doctor's visits and cheap prescriptions (the antibiotics I got only cost me £3).
It took me a couple days to figure out that I was, in fact, entitled to healthcare (I assumed that because I don't pay taxes in the UK, I couldn't use their services), but after some online research, I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find that could go to an NHS doctor, for free no less! I even found a practice just around the corner from my flat (they call these places "surgeries", though I don't know if surgery is actually performed on the premises).
I had to register with the doctor's surgery first, which entailed going in and filling out a couple forms. However, I was informed that it takes a couple days for the registration to be fully processed, and only once I was fully in the system could I make an appointment. I guess the lesson here is to register before you get sick (now I know why the International Student Guide said to register with a doctor soon after arriving). The receptionist told me to call back within the next day or two, and if my registration had been processed, I could make an appointment, though I would have to make an appointment with the nurse first, as part of the registration protocol.
I called back around the same time the next day, and sure enough, my registration had been processed. I was offered an appointment the following Monday, but I expressed the urgency of my situation (it had been almost four days, and I was feeling really awful at that point), the receptionist was able to squeeze me in the following afternoon, for both the nurse and the doctor.
After a brief exam with the nurse (and several issues of Good Housekeeping in the waiting room, as my appointments were an hour apart), I got to see the doctor, who was very nice, and gave me a prescription for some antibiotics.
By then it was around 5:30 (or "half five", as everyone here seems to say), so I wasn't certain that any pharmacies (or "chemists") would be open (shops and whatnot close pretty early around here), but sure enough, the Boots (the big UK pharmacy chain) right across from my flat was open. Since it was late, I figured I'd have to come back the next day to pick up my prescription, but when I dropped it off, the pharmacist told me that it would only be a couple minutes, and it literally was only a couple minutes! Never in my life have I gotten a prescription filled that fast! The pharmacist then asked me if I pay for my prescriptions, to which I think I stared blankly and went "Buhhhhh..." Apparently, if you meet certain criteria (for example, if you're under 18 and a full-time student), your prescriptions are also free! I didn't fall within any of those groups entitled to free prescriptions, but it still only cost me £3, which less than what I pay for most of my prescriptions back home, with insurance that's very good by US standards (thanks, Ma!).
My whole experience with healthcare here was pleasant and easy (even with the whole registration thing) and only cost a total of £3, but I found most amazing was that this is normal for people here, and in other countries with socialized medicine. And it should be normal. But here I am surprised by the fact that everyone who lives here (even international students) gets affordable health care--that it's treated as a basic right, and not even just privilege of citizenship. This is something that shouldn't seem foreign to anyone, and the fact that it does just further highlights how backwards the US really is when it comes to healthcare. Sure, we may have bathroom faucets that mix hot and cold water, instead of forcing you to choose between scalding and freezing, but being able to comfortably wash your hands doesn't mean a whole lot when so many people can't afford basic medical care.
I'll get off the soapbox now. But seriously, the bathroom faucets here are driving me nuts.
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