Hi everyone!
If I haven't been as good about blogging this week, it's for two reasons--one is that I've started coaching the forensics team after school which has eaten up some of my blogging time, and two is that I've been sick all week! Anyone who's a teacher or has school-aged children knows the germ-factory that is public (or private, for that matter) education. Every week a different set of kids in my class is absent for several days in a row or is falling asleep at their desks due to the flu or a bad cold. I've gone through Kleenex in my classroom faster than I care to keep up (and I'm sorry, but I refuse to give extra credit to students for bringing in boxes of Kleenex). It was actually mind-boggling how fast kids were going through Kleenex. I had a student explain it to me. He said, "Miss--in Kuwait, you take 5 tissues, blow once, and throw them all away." NOW I see! So yes--I will not be spending my own money on tissues for the class. If students are sick, I figure they'll bring some from home. (Famous last words!)
Coupled with the kids being sick, the teachers are all sick as well. If you recall, we live and commute with the people we work with which doesn't help matters. On the bus to school every morning there is at least one teacher hacking up something unpleasant. It was inevitable that either Jordan or myself would come home sick sooner than later and unfortunately I was the lucky one this week. I've had quite the head and chest cold the past few days. I even had to call for a sub on Tuesday because I just couldn't fathom staying at work all day on my feet. It's been 3 days and I'm still not feeling 100% (more like 70% which is an improvement, but not enough to really make an impact). Being sick in a foreign country is always an interesting experience as it exposes (pun!) you to a whole new system of healthcare. I didn't need to go to the doctor, thankfully, but if I did, I'm happy to know that I have AWESOME healthcare provided by the school. As an foreign teacher working abroad, the school sets us up with top-of-the-line health insurance that covers everything and does not exclude for pre-existing conditions. It's really a blessing after living with sub-par and EXPENSIVE insurance that Jordan and I had back in the states. Without getting into a political diatribe, it's ridiculous that the US treats access to healthcare like a privilege of the rich.
That said, I don't know how many of the other foreign workers living in Kuwait have access to the same level of care that we do. Does our maid (yes! We have a maid. That will have to be another post!) who we pay $150/month to clean our apartment twice a week have the same coverage that we do? I don't know, but I seriously doubt it. I'm guessing that while full-blooded Kuwaitis (remember--less than 1/3 of Kuwait is comprised of actual Kuwaitis) enjoy the same awesome healthcare that we do, that 2/3 of the population comprised of poor workers do not enjoy the same benefits. That said, there are affordable, government-run hospitals and clinics available in the country for a minimal cost. According to this source (1), new insurance plans for ex-pats living in Kuwait cost around $460 for the year. That's still probably a lot for someone making the equivalent of $500/month like our maid, but it's still much, much cheaper than you'd pay in the US for quality healthcare.
Regardless of my thoughts on insurance and healthcare costs, the only medical care I experienced this week was at a pharmacy here in my neighborhood. One thing I do miss about living in the States is the availability of over-the-counter drugs at grocery and convenience stores. While there are many tiny convenience stores in our neighborhood, none of them are allowed to sell any sort of medicine--no cough syrup, Nyquil, or ibuprofen. You have to get any medication from a pharmacy which is somewhat inconvenient when you don't have a car. When I left school on Tuesday morning to come back to the apartment, I had my taxi stop at a pharmacy to pick up some cold medication. I described my symptoms to a woman behind the counter (yes! women working! women working in abayas!) and I was given what I later learned was loratadine (aka--allergy medication). Harumph. I took it anyway just to give her the benefit of the doubt, but it had no effect. After a long nap, I took a walk to another pharmacy that's really only about 5 minutes from our place. Luckily, I saw a display as soon as I walked in that said "COLD MEDICINE" and I snatched up multiple boxes. It doesn't seem to have the same potency of Dayquil but I suppose I feel marginally better when I take it. I might just have to stock up on American pharmaceuticals when I'm home for the summer. If there's one thing America does have going for it, it's a powerful pharmaceutical industry. I would probably pay more than I care to admit right now for some good ol' fashioned American-strength cold medication with pseudoephedrine. My head currently feels like it's stuffed with cotton. Top that off with a cough that sounds like it should be coming from a 65-year-old chain smoker and you've got yourself one sick puppy (or Kuwaiti Kitty).
Hope everyone back home is feeling better than I am! Lots of love from Kuwait..
If I haven't been as good about blogging this week, it's for two reasons--one is that I've started coaching the forensics team after school which has eaten up some of my blogging time, and two is that I've been sick all week! Anyone who's a teacher or has school-aged children knows the germ-factory that is public (or private, for that matter) education. Every week a different set of kids in my class is absent for several days in a row or is falling asleep at their desks due to the flu or a bad cold. I've gone through Kleenex in my classroom faster than I care to keep up (and I'm sorry, but I refuse to give extra credit to students for bringing in boxes of Kleenex). It was actually mind-boggling how fast kids were going through Kleenex. I had a student explain it to me. He said, "Miss--in Kuwait, you take 5 tissues, blow once, and throw them all away." NOW I see! So yes--I will not be spending my own money on tissues for the class. If students are sick, I figure they'll bring some from home. (Famous last words!)
Coupled with the kids being sick, the teachers are all sick as well. If you recall, we live and commute with the people we work with which doesn't help matters. On the bus to school every morning there is at least one teacher hacking up something unpleasant. It was inevitable that either Jordan or myself would come home sick sooner than later and unfortunately I was the lucky one this week. I've had quite the head and chest cold the past few days. I even had to call for a sub on Tuesday because I just couldn't fathom staying at work all day on my feet. It's been 3 days and I'm still not feeling 100% (more like 70% which is an improvement, but not enough to really make an impact). Being sick in a foreign country is always an interesting experience as it exposes (pun!) you to a whole new system of healthcare. I didn't need to go to the doctor, thankfully, but if I did, I'm happy to know that I have AWESOME healthcare provided by the school. As an foreign teacher working abroad, the school sets us up with top-of-the-line health insurance that covers everything and does not exclude for pre-existing conditions. It's really a blessing after living with sub-par and EXPENSIVE insurance that Jordan and I had back in the states. Without getting into a political diatribe, it's ridiculous that the US treats access to healthcare like a privilege of the rich.
That said, I don't know how many of the other foreign workers living in Kuwait have access to the same level of care that we do. Does our maid (yes! We have a maid. That will have to be another post!) who we pay $150/month to clean our apartment twice a week have the same coverage that we do? I don't know, but I seriously doubt it. I'm guessing that while full-blooded Kuwaitis (remember--less than 1/3 of Kuwait is comprised of actual Kuwaitis) enjoy the same awesome healthcare that we do, that 2/3 of the population comprised of poor workers do not enjoy the same benefits. That said, there are affordable, government-run hospitals and clinics available in the country for a minimal cost. According to this source (1), new insurance plans for ex-pats living in Kuwait cost around $460 for the year. That's still probably a lot for someone making the equivalent of $500/month like our maid, but it's still much, much cheaper than you'd pay in the US for quality healthcare.
Regardless of my thoughts on insurance and healthcare costs, the only medical care I experienced this week was at a pharmacy here in my neighborhood. One thing I do miss about living in the States is the availability of over-the-counter drugs at grocery and convenience stores. While there are many tiny convenience stores in our neighborhood, none of them are allowed to sell any sort of medicine--no cough syrup, Nyquil, or ibuprofen. You have to get any medication from a pharmacy which is somewhat inconvenient when you don't have a car. When I left school on Tuesday morning to come back to the apartment, I had my taxi stop at a pharmacy to pick up some cold medication. I described my symptoms to a woman behind the counter (yes! women working! women working in abayas!) and I was given what I later learned was loratadine (aka--allergy medication). Harumph. I took it anyway just to give her the benefit of the doubt, but it had no effect. After a long nap, I took a walk to another pharmacy that's really only about 5 minutes from our place. Luckily, I saw a display as soon as I walked in that said "COLD MEDICINE" and I snatched up multiple boxes. It doesn't seem to have the same potency of Dayquil but I suppose I feel marginally better when I take it. I might just have to stock up on American pharmaceuticals when I'm home for the summer. If there's one thing America does have going for it, it's a powerful pharmaceutical industry. I would probably pay more than I care to admit right now for some good ol' fashioned American-strength cold medication with pseudoephedrine. My head currently feels like it's stuffed with cotton. Top that off with a cough that sounds like it should be coming from a 65-year-old chain smoker and you've got yourself one sick puppy (or Kuwaiti Kitty).
Hope everyone back home is feeling better than I am! Lots of love from Kuwait..
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