Oh. my head hurts. Healthcare systems and doc practices were my consulting wheelhouse. All looking to become more efficient, make more money or at least ducking massive malpractice payouts. It seems it will always be thus, here in "the land of the free." Italy seems to have a way of making things work reasonably well, despite its quirks and bureaucratic frustrations. Please raise a toast to your native land while summering on the river. And btw why the missing waitresses?
Thanks Darla! It's certainly not perfect here, with long wait times for many procedures, but even paying out of pocket to avoid the waiting list costs next to nothing; see my reply below.
My views on waiting for an elective procedure is that it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It gives time to consider whether you really want it, should do it. Many people are disappointed in outcomes. Some even die. It's the urgent and emergent procedures (the bypass, the fulminating appendix) that must and should take precedence, and the diagnostic ones that could spell the difference between living and dying. The mole that could be a melanoma. The suspicious GI symptoms. Those should be timely. IMO. ~ Nurse D
Agreed! Regarding your earlier question about lack of waitresses: Italy is still pretty chauvinistic regarding job categories. It's a rare day indeed when I get on a bus, or into a taxi, with a female driver. And they are NEVER African (of any sex), nor are waiters. That's very different from Paris where you see lots of African immigrants waiting tables, driving buses, working in banks. Here the African men are pretty much relegated to manual labor (landscaping etc) and the women are left to sell bracelets on the street, babies ties to their backs. One problem is that Africans don't speak Italian natively, so it's a learning curve as with ay of us second-language speakers. By contrast hundreds of millions of Africans speak French.
Well as far as I can understand. Italians do not live to work. They enjoy their life and employment policies reflected as well ! I wish our Canadian lifestyle was the same here. ! We have a lot to learn on what is really important in North America. And working with benefits needs to change. I feel that we need better policies here in Canada you get fired and good luck. Unemployment insurance is a joke! And you are at fault should you quit or get fired! You get nothing! As for universal healthcare. It’s not all cracked up to be 🙄. Canadians have long waiting times next to no doctors! Cancelled ultrasounds. Hip replacements etc surgeries can take months. This article was excellent because i follow a lot of food bloggers and the cost of food at a restaurant in Italy is a steal. We pay up to$40 for pizza here. Over $30 for good pasta. ! Always wondered how Italians sustain employment and food costs down!!
Thanks Marnie, also here non-essential procedures can have long waiting times. I didn't have space to get into it, but many people do have private health insurance to get around the waits. Even paying out of pocket, everything costs so much less than in the US. Nobody goes bankrupt over medical care here.
Well good to know. And If we do end up going back to our Motherland. We definitely will buy pizza a lot cheaper than Canada 🇨🇦. It’s gone up to 35$. For a small pizza. 😂😂😂
Great article Max!! Whilst in Italy back in 2022, our party of 10 being narrow minded, felt the wait staff lived and struggled like they do in the United States being paid $2.13 per hour plus part of any tip...unknown to Mr Drumpf!! And we all left a tip making us feel good about ourselves!! It was like us thinking that without that tip, the wait staff might be panhandling in the morning. While it's a habit here in the States because of Covid and our present economy, we fail to remember that, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"!! Hope Eva and Harper are doing well. And congrats on you soon to be grandchild!!
Thanks Danny! Yes, Italian waiters have become accustomed to Americans leaving big tips, just as servers in the US groan when Europeans sit at their table.
Oh. my head hurts. Healthcare systems and doc practices were my consulting wheelhouse. All looking to become more efficient, make more money or at least ducking massive malpractice payouts. It seems it will always be thus, here in "the land of the free." Italy seems to have a way of making things work reasonably well, despite its quirks and bureaucratic frustrations. Please raise a toast to your native land while summering on the river. And btw why the missing waitresses?
Salute!
Thanks Darla! It's certainly not perfect here, with long wait times for many procedures, but even paying out of pocket to avoid the waiting list costs next to nothing; see my reply below.
My views on waiting for an elective procedure is that it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It gives time to consider whether you really want it, should do it. Many people are disappointed in outcomes. Some even die. It's the urgent and emergent procedures (the bypass, the fulminating appendix) that must and should take precedence, and the diagnostic ones that could spell the difference between living and dying. The mole that could be a melanoma. The suspicious GI symptoms. Those should be timely. IMO. ~ Nurse D
Agreed! Regarding your earlier question about lack of waitresses: Italy is still pretty chauvinistic regarding job categories. It's a rare day indeed when I get on a bus, or into a taxi, with a female driver. And they are NEVER African (of any sex), nor are waiters. That's very different from Paris where you see lots of African immigrants waiting tables, driving buses, working in banks. Here the African men are pretty much relegated to manual labor (landscaping etc) and the women are left to sell bracelets on the street, babies ties to their backs. One problem is that Africans don't speak Italian natively, so it's a learning curve as with ay of us second-language speakers. By contrast hundreds of millions of Africans speak French.
Thanks., Max. I appreciate your sharp insights into Italian life - always a fascinating subject.
Well as far as I can understand. Italians do not live to work. They enjoy their life and employment policies reflected as well ! I wish our Canadian lifestyle was the same here. ! We have a lot to learn on what is really important in North America. And working with benefits needs to change. I feel that we need better policies here in Canada you get fired and good luck. Unemployment insurance is a joke! And you are at fault should you quit or get fired! You get nothing! As for universal healthcare. It’s not all cracked up to be 🙄. Canadians have long waiting times next to no doctors! Cancelled ultrasounds. Hip replacements etc surgeries can take months. This article was excellent because i follow a lot of food bloggers and the cost of food at a restaurant in Italy is a steal. We pay up to$40 for pizza here. Over $30 for good pasta. ! Always wondered how Italians sustain employment and food costs down!!
Thanks Marnie, also here non-essential procedures can have long waiting times. I didn't have space to get into it, but many people do have private health insurance to get around the waits. Even paying out of pocket, everything costs so much less than in the US. Nobody goes bankrupt over medical care here.
Well good to know. And If we do end up going back to our Motherland. We definitely will buy pizza a lot cheaper than Canada 🇨🇦. It’s gone up to 35$. For a small pizza. 😂😂😂
Great article Max!! Whilst in Italy back in 2022, our party of 10 being narrow minded, felt the wait staff lived and struggled like they do in the United States being paid $2.13 per hour plus part of any tip...unknown to Mr Drumpf!! And we all left a tip making us feel good about ourselves!! It was like us thinking that without that tip, the wait staff might be panhandling in the morning. While it's a habit here in the States because of Covid and our present economy, we fail to remember that, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"!! Hope Eva and Harper are doing well. And congrats on you soon to be grandchild!!
Danny C Booker, Reidsville, NC
Thanks Danny! Yes, Italian waiters have become accustomed to Americans leaving big tips, just as servers in the US groan when Europeans sit at their table.