Not in the News: Justice in Jena

One advantage of being an American away from home is that I can escape the redundant and repetitious American media cycle.

But, one disadvantage of being an American away from home is being completely uninformed about important events in America.

I had read about the Jena Six a few weeks ago in Newsweek but had no idea what was happening these days. This story has not made a single headline in Canada, but I have an inkling there is a profound change happening in America due to the case of the Jena Six.

Am I wrong? What is going on there? Are people talking about this at home and at work?

It's Not Free

I haven’t seen Michael Moore’s health care documentary, Sicko, but I have seen several responses to his documentary by policy experts and newsmagazines on TV. The most recent response was John Stossel’s free market advocacy feature on 20/20. John Stossel made the same comparison I have seen on every single analysis so far; he compared America’s employer paid health care system to Canada’s free health care system. But he was wrong.

Health care is not free in Canada.

I pay for my healthcare. Out of my own pocket. I get a bill in the mail and if I ignored it, I would lose my health insurance.

I don’t pay very much. My husband and I pay $90 per month to cover both of us. We can go to any family physican we want. I had to wait a few weeks for my initial appointment, but I could have had a same day appointment if I was willing to see a resident doctor at the University Hospital. I don’t have to pay a deductible to see a doctor either. Not bad for $90 a month.

I work at a hospital, so I have been behind the scenes of Canada’s health care system for about nine months. Compared to American hospitals, my local hospital is not nice. There is never enough parking, the rooms are small and dingy, broken equipment is lined up in the hallways and there is very little security (anyone can visit the postpartum wards without registering.) But, on the flip side, every pregnant woman receives prenatal care and her baby benefits (the long term health benefits of prenatal care are unquantifiable).

Where did the idea originate that healthcare in Canada is free, and why is the American media repeating it over and over?

Surviving Vancouver's Winter

Today was the first dark, cold, damp morning of Fall; a taste of the Vancouver winter that is about to oppress my soul. As I reached for my cashmere sweater and corduroy jacket, I made a mental list of survival techniques I developed last winter:

1. Doodling.
See that cupcake above? Nothing distracts your mind from the rain and chill like drawing something cute and silly.

2. Projects.
The more the better, especially if they are technically complicated. Choose projects that require only one shopping trip yet yields materials that last all winter (for example, yarn for knitting). Better yet, conceive boring but mandatory projects for your partner (have him fix the towel rack, reorganize the books by author, file all the bills, etc. etc)

3. Movies. Rent them and/or go to the cinema. Everyone in Vancouver is at home watching last year's movies or hiding in the theater for the entire winter. If you want to stand a chance of holding a decent conversation at the water cooler, you need to be informed on the movie scene.

4. Wool socks.
Don't even bother wearing cotton socks. They will get wet and stay wet for six months. Buy the most expensive wool socks you can and you will be warm and dry all winter long.

I am already planning my first winter project: knitting myself wool socks!

Office Cake

Yesterday, there was a birthday party at work and everyone in the lab was invited except for me.

When did I become Milton from Office Space?

Just Another Day

Today is the anniversary of 9/11 and here in Canada it was just another day.

No flags, no ribbons, no memorials, no moment of silence. It was just another day.

But I still felt a little empty and sad when I woke up this morning.

Why I Have Been Silent

It has been a year since I moved to Canada with the intention to write about my experience. My blog was originally conceived to explore two themes:
1. What is Canada?
2. What is a Canadian samosa?

After one year in Canada, I still can't answer the first question, but I suspect a lifelong Canadian couldn't answer it either. But I feel like my posts have scratched the surface and that is probably as good as it gets.

My second theme was the search for a Canadian samosa. My hypothesis was that every culture has a samosa of their own. After a year in Canada, I haven't found a uniquely Canadian samosa, but I haven't quit the search just yet.

It's time to explore some different themes in my blog. I am not sure exactly what I will be writing about in the coming months, but I promise I won't be writing about my dinner (tofu stir fry). Stay tuned.