new zealand

Kinder, gentler healthcare

2008-01-11

The upside of catching a nasty flu bug on my last week in New Zealand was getting a genuine glimpse inside a health care system outside the USA for the first time. Without getting into the pros and cons of socialized medicine, the experience was profoundly more humane and comfortable than I’m used to:

When I walked into the medical facility, they simply asked me if I would like to see a doctor and I said yes. I didn’t have to explain my medical condition in detail in front of a waiting room full of people.
I was asked to fill out a form with my name, address, and phone number, along with a checkbox asking if I was a citizen or resident.

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Random observations on New Zealand

2007-12-30

I visited New Zealand for the first time and spent 7 weeks there, mostly staying in people’s homes and cottages. Here are some random observations from my trip:

Bathrooms are astonishingly clean and nice, even many of the outhouses in the national parks or public bathrooms (which even small towns seem to have).
On the South Island in many areas, you can drive for hours and sometimes not see another car.
Kiwis are generally very self-deprecating about their country and not shy about pointing out its shortcomings. They are proud of its achievements, but not patriotic.
When someone describes a place is “touristy”, that means there are great restaurants and they are open late.

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