Victor G. Rodwin is a professor of health policy and management at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and co-director of the World Cities Project, International Longevity Center-USA. He teaches courses on health system comparisons and has widely published on the French health care system. He spoke with the blog contributors Sarah Arnquist and Anne Underwood.
This is the third in a series of occasional posts describing health care delivery in other countries. Previous posts have described Canada and Japan.
I didn't really see what the big deal was or why people would think it'd do me good, but when I got to Madrid I could tell. I did need to get out of Paris for a bit. I'm loving Paris on a certain level, but Madrid has giddiness and open arms. Even as I waited in line at Vueling, the cute Spanish couple in front of me played and joked and smiled and giggled. An entirely different feel than Paris already.
My brain started thinking in Spanish and my body started to shed the tight enclosing.
Charles de Gaule airport looks like communist dark bread compared to Barajas' colorful breath of life beach feeling.
I had a really good time in Madrid with Rod from Scotland, Sarah from San Francisco, and Benedicte from Normandy. It certainly wasn't an average Christmas in any way. I've started uploading the photos on flickr so please go check them out. Featuring:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I was lucky to be able to celebrate with some great friends, and I also got to Skype with my parents and sister. They, of course, were in pijamas and I had already toasted with champagne. It was great to see their faces and hear their voices. I even got to see some of the crazy snow piled high in Minneapolis. Then, I checked my email and saw a lovely note from one of my aunts with an update on who's who at the farm and what the new news was. At about midnight on Christmas I got a fabulous surprise phone call from all my relatives gathered around the speakerphone at the farm. It was such a surprise and I was so thrilled to hear their voices. It is the little things that count and it really made me feel like I was a bit home with them all. Nothing felt that far away, and love was wrapped around me.
Got back into town on the 26th with a crazy fever and cough and stayed in bed for two days. Before I left Madrid I was able to grab something called Frenadol which seemed to really bring the fever to a halt and calm the dry cough that was tearing through me. When I could finally leave the apartment on Friday I went over to Darty at M: Anvers to pick up a humidifier. The shortness of breath caused me to shuffle along like an old lady - or a French person. I walk too fast generally and it's good to be forced to slow down and look at things, take them in. I'm still adjusting to Paris. I'm still adjusting to school. Sigh. Who knew I'd still have growing pains long after puberty?
I guess if I were to make a list of things wished for or resolutions for 2008, they'd be this:
- I am going to stop worrying about the money. - I am going to spend the money for a year's membership to the gym because it's the only way I'm going to feel better about myself mentally and physically. - I am going to open myself up to learning - I am going to believe in myself - I am ridding myself of fear - I will believe I can do it - I will ride a Velib - I am (only) going to give loose change to someone on the street once a month - I am going to rejoice for the smoking ban but not rub it in too hard - I will make time for museums on the weekends - I think I can I think I can - I will only be confined by what I can dream for myself - I will write more postcards - I will try recipes for cooking - I will create my own sunshine in these overcast days (even if it's via vitamin D) - I will call my grandma more - I will be more patient in waiting for some things - I will be more available for you - I will be more on time to class (especially French) - I will give and offer - I'll stop taking photos of every darn thing and try to focus more - I will love and forgive and stop judging and gossiping - I will thank more people more often - I will laugh more on the metro, and louder, but not in that obnoxious USA way
Ha. Now let's see how much actually happens in 2008!
Regardless, it's going to be a new year and new 365 days with which we can do anything we choose. It's how we make it, right? And life is short so why waste time?
This shisha bar is on my street, along with about 6 more or so. I have yet to hang out in a shisha bar in Paris, but tried it back in Madison at The Casbah restaurant/bar. They, too, stopped serving shisha when Madison banned indoor smoking. I don't think it's hypocritical to allow an amendment for exceptions for these bars. But, man, am I excited for the ban next year!!
It's a good day for school. While I did have to skip my 8am French and the 10am Situating Ourselves courses so I could start to figure out how to get a doctor's appointment, it was still a good day for class. (Don't worry mom, it's just a normal ol' sinus infection or something. I hear the French have great health care so I should be good to go at a cheap rate in no time.)
I do love my Le Gales "State Restructuring and Policy Change: Government and Governance" course. (you can read the PDF at the bottom of this website if you're so inclined.) Today, he gave a few minutes away from the (ahem, boring) readings on State Regulation Within the State to discuss our final policy papers (4,000 words our choice of topics) and then talked for about an hour with us on the state of France and the strike and Sarkozy. I guess it was the first time I really spoke up in class - since I was the one who emailed the request to discuss. Finally, I guess we all decided that it's definitely time for France to reform and catch up to the globalization playing field, but we're not sure if Sarkozy will do (or has been doing) it in the best manner possible. The French don't necessarily support the strikes this time around, but they're not all out counter-protesting (although some are) since they recognize that sometime in the future it might be their retirement plan Sarkozy comes after.
I caught my #68 bus this morning just as I was about to duck down into the metro to give it a try. I got the #68 back home - totally jammed crowded and crawling slowly through traffic jams. I'm sure the air pollution is doing wonders for my skin and lungs. Regardless, I totally support those folks on strike and I sympathize (especially since I have no idea what it's like to be a train operator), but I do agree that
The Times They ARE A'Changing (c/o micoolcho in Singapore)
..............
Yeah, so I'm struggling with which policy I'll pick. He's recommended we do a comparative analysis of a policy in 2 countries/areas. We're also not supposed to do something we're familiar with - there goes CCRV. And, of course, we can't do overlapping projects either, ie turn this paper into my "Regulation, Adjudication and Dispute Settlement Beyond the State" class. (I'm thinking about looking at the recent cybercrimes in different countries and analyzing how they're being handled legally and with which international orgs.) In my "Managing Innovation in the Globalising Learning Economy" we're working in groups. I've been spending about 4-6 hours a week with these guys, one from Berlin and the other from Seoul - very cool. We're conducting a survey of future policy makers and current decision-makers, analyzing the impact of pop culture on Seoul and the cultural growth in Berlin after Reunification. It's called "Investment in Social Capital and Cultural Industry - An Argument for Advancing Policy to Enhance Economies of Metropoles." (I invented the title while looking over the application process to UNESCO - they ask for projects, papers, thesis in the CVs of potential interns.)
Whew. And then there's group work in Econ and some paper we're supposed to write in Stats, too. Thankfully our "Situating Ourselves in Complex Settings" class (Organizational Theory) is over tomorrow and it was more of a workshop than a class. We did group work (ugh) to analyze a colleague's previous work dilemma. We're all sworn to secrecy not to reveal any details as it could compromise the person and the institution. But basically it had to do with a large institution not following its own HR policies versus possible corruption with some folks pocketing money skimmed from around the edges. I'm not sure we resolved this one. But it was nothing compared to some dude who talked about the levels of corruption and outright illegal activity he witnessed in an unnamed South American country. Not so much 'org theory' as down-right f'd up ness.
I do like the way this program is really hands-on, not just theoretical, philosophical but we're digging in and doing. This Saturday we'll start four (voluntary) courses on Econometrics and really see how to analyze policy with statistics etc.. or something like that. Then, since there weren't enough 2nd year students signed up for one of the concentrations, "Political Economy of Welfare Reform" will be a lecture series open to all. I'm definitely doing both of these voluntary classes. I figure it's the only chance I'll get so why not. I'll see Paris soon.
Oh, and if you can't keep up - it's all updated on the Mac calendar. Including the Paris Photo exhibition that I did squeeze in for 4 hours on Thursday. I skipped out after my 2-min presentation to the presentation skills course (pass/fail, "taught" by a consultant, really lame). Lisa, I'll have you know I got my "grades" back today and all the students and the consultant chick gave me scores of good to very good. Thanks to you it's old hat, I guess. The calendar also includes the Interpol concert I hope to make on Wednesday night - metros and my health willing.
Dude, Nicole, were you around when I was obsessed with trying to win the KEXP giveaway for tickets to see them in Paris? I sent like a postcard a day - and even had to run over to the capitol to buy lame capitol postcards so I wouldn't miss a day. And then I found out they only wanted 1 postcard per person for the drawing. I was crushed. Well... It's Paris. It's Interpol. I hope I get some good drugs from the doctor. Mannnn...
PS. A short, funny description of the difference between strikes in Paris and the USA. I love the description of a manifestation - the one I witnessed on Wednesday near school, I'm almost 100% positive the striker guys were drunk.
I'm super sick right now. Everyone at school has been sick and it's finally my turn - after fighting gallantly for about 1 month now. Add to it, the air pollution from the strikes and everyone driving, scootering, etc. The greve continues with metros and buses at maybe 50% operational. I've asked our "Government and Governance" professor Le Gales to let us talk about this current strike, the unions, retirement, Sarkozy, etc since the class has been so divided. I'll miss French tomorrow (8am) to get a bit more rest but will make it for everything else - god willing.
So all of this, and stuck inside all weekend napping and feverish had put me into a funk about why I'm here, what I'm doing, etc. It's been seeping out through the blog and my mind, but it kind of hit a head today. But about 5 minutes ago I heard the song that played throughout my application process last fall. I had THE deciding moment (to go to school in Paris as opposed to Pittsburgh, NYC, London, Chicago, or Berlin). I had THE deciding song that kept me going through the application process. It kept popping up when I had doubts about grad school, doubts about my goals, doubts about applying, doubts about deciding. THe song reminded me of my fight for freedom, an end to injustice, and an overwhelming love for the world and mankind. Yes, yes, lovey dovey and hippie crap. But it's one of the reasons I am who I am and why I'm doing what I'm doing. (Not hippie crap, silly. Peace, freedom, justice.)
Thank you KEXP for playing "Hello Bonjour" by Michael Franti and Spearhead. It reminded me that I'm still on the right path, no matter the challenges or questions or insecurities or doubts. I know I'm here for a purpose - I just forget sometimes.
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