Spain's Health Care system

Last Wednesday my C1 students and me were listening in class to Cathy, a British GP talking about her job in the NHS, the largest publicly-funded health service in the world and, it is said, the fourth largest employer no less.

Then, as you all know, the Health Care reform is a controversial big issue for the Obama administration, in a country where private insurance has traditionally exerted a big influence.

How about our health system in Spain? Funnily enough, on April 25th 2011 it will be 25 years since the Spanish government presided by Felipe Gonzalez enacted the so-called "Ley General de Sanidad", which regulated the measures aimed at protecting our health as established in the 43rd article of the Spanish Constitution. The law created the "Sistema Nacional de Salud", which is the name given to the universal health assistance provided by the state and, later, its autonomous communities.

25 years later, recent surveys appear to find considerable dissatisfaction among Spaniards with the country's health care system and substantial support for reforms going beyond the government’s law in '86. To my mind, we can be relatively proud, compared to many other Western countries, of its success in achieving a more equal access to health care for its lowest-income citizens. Studies show that, although evidence of some barriers remains, low-income Spaniards are actually seeing doctors far more often than those of higher incomes, which might reflect their higher burden of illness but also their trust in medical services to provide certain other social services. Experts seem to suggest that these data are impressive, given the comparatively low level of per capita health expenditure and the percentage of gross national product which is invested in health care in our country (see video down below)

However, there's an increasing pressure on both the national and regional administrations to extend the availability of high-technology in medicine (specially in the prevention and treatment of cancer), as well as to reduce waiting lists and lengthen the time that health professionals spend with their patients. As Spain’s per capita income grows similar to that of the rest of Europe, so will the size of its middle and upper classes and, accordingly, a greater demand for better health care. The ever so ageing Spanish population is also a factor not to be sneezed at.

To cut this short, it seems evident that Spanish citizens have some expectations that are not, and will not, be easily satisfied by the efficiency of the current health system, however good it may be.

But what do you think? Are you satisfied with the medical assistance you're given by the state? If not, in what ways could our health service be improved? Perhaps you decided to go private and hire medical insurance? Does this work any better?

Hey, why not post your comments on this blog and exchange your views with your classmates?

Jeff Goldsmith is President of Health Futures, Inc. He is also Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia.

A great song: David Gray's Babylon

Six years after commencing his music career in 1993, Manchester-born, Welsh-raised singer songwriter David Gray released his fourth studio album called White Ladder, the work that would earn him worldwide recognition as a top act. Not surprisingly the album contains some of David's most famous songs to date, as well as being, arguably, his best recording so far. To me at least it is, definitely.

Gray's musical beginnings could be placed within folk-rock, as he would perform his songs on his acoustic guitar and, rather occasionally, on piano. But gradually he started to introduce computer-generated arrangements and orchestrations, a technique that made him sort of different from many of his contemporary fellow folk artists.

I have fond memories of the songs in that 1999 album, White Ladder: "Sail Away", "Please forgive me", This year of Love", to name a few. But no doubt my fave one was and still is Babylon, the album's second single and his biggest hit to date internationally. The story of a guy whose girl has left him but decided to return over the weekend (dumps him on Friday but is back on Sunday). You know, it's hard to say where the song's title comes from. I think I read some years ago a biblical interpretation, like Babylon was a symbol of "exile" or something, but I'm not too sure. Anyway, I couldn't care less. I just love the heartfelt lyrics, the sweet melody and, above all, David's intimate voice, which reminds me of the great Van Morrison.

I played the song to my C1 students only this morning as a "pick-me-up" and I'd like to share it with all of you. This is a fantastic live cover which includes the lyrics scroller so that you can, as usual, read David's inspirational words. Hope you enjoy it!

THE TRANSFORMATION OF BRITISH LIFE: 1950-2000. A SOCIAL HISTORY

Natalia (C1):

After reading this book one has a clear idea of how British life and customs have changed in only fifty years. This change, which is the main plot of the book, is explained in detail throughout some 200 pages. Several aspects of the UK’s daily life have been taken into account, like food, education, work, home or religion.

The changes in food habits concern both the way of eating and the way of buying food. By the second half of the 20th century, Britain starts to try the new exotic food brought by immigrants from all parts of the world, but also a new way of shopping due to the increasing use of the car and the building of enormous shopping centers in the outskirts of cities, which provided (and still do) both leisure and the possibility of doing the shopping in the same building. It is also important to mention the increasing quantity of foreign restaurants opening all across the country.

Regarding education, there have been various remarkable changes. The education given to children was decisive for their future, and a sign of social class. This fact has not completely changed, as there still exist schools for the “higher social classes”, but the education system was gradually reformed, reducing these differences. The idea that the British are strongly concerned with social class is repeatedly mentioned throughout the chapters. More remarkable was the immersion of women and of ethnic minorities in higher education. The access to university studies led to a huge amount of skilled workers, more and more demanded in a “de-industrialized” Britain, while the unskilled workers, who were the majority in the first half of the century, were losing their jobs.

Religion was not the center of British life any more. Orthodox institutions, such as the monarchy, religion and marriage, experimented a deep decline in popular support.

The necessity of a quick reconstruction of Britain after the war led to European architects to construct high-rise blocks of flats, which sparked the refusal of British architects, at least at first. All in all, Britons have always preferred the traditional detached houses, which maintain their privacy.

In the background, the radical change in the British mentality is also stressed, particularly from the 1960s on, and the economic situation of the people and of the government after the Second World War. The arrival of the American culture, its food, clothes and music, together with the sexual freedom of the 60s, resulted in a more flexible, diverse society. Measures taken by the different governments in different areas made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

The writer of the book, Andrew Rosen, is considered an authority in the fields of history, education and social studies and trends. Throughout his career, Rosen has embraced an outcome-based approach to education, focusing on student achievement and success. As Chief Executive Officer of Kaplan Higher Education, he brought online and campus-based learning opportunities to working adults, becoming a pioneer in the burgeoning education market.

In his book, Andrew Rosen explains this complex transformation in a way that no other historians have done. All these aspects of the standards of living, housing, food and transport, as well as social, cultural and moral values, are normally not taken into account by historians, who consider these issues as supporting roles. The sources which his knowledge are based on are actually extensive, stretching from newspapers, such as the Financial Times, to periodicals, reports and articles or books from other important experts on these issues. Of course his arguments are completely objective, based on actual facts, evident and patent to those who have visited Britain.

My opinion as a reader is that perhaps the way in which the writer presents the information might turn out to be linear, meaning “always in the same way,” although perfectly comprehensible. It is written in a standard vocabulary, easy to read even for non-native English speakers. Andrew Rosen writes with fairness and balance.

I would recommend this book to all those interested in recent history or social trends, but looked from another point of view. The book is written specifically for Great Britain but, when you read it, you realize that the same history is, in many senses, common to many countries of the European Union. This work is not focused on the Kings and Queens, or wars... but chiefly on the people's life, on how this was influenced by prosperity, on what is really important for daily routine. It is true that, apart from historians, sociologists, students of English Studies or British people themselves, this book cannot be too interesting to any other people, because of its mere informative nature.

For those who want to or have to read it, I would advise them to do it slowly, paying attention to the figures that the author offers, and re-read them if necessary, as they are an important part of the book, because these figures demonstrate the trends.

Once you have finished the book, you will draw your own conclusions, perhaps different from the previous idea that you had about Britain. My own is that Britons are still concerned with social class and are proud of their country, as they are now much wealthier than fifty years ago, but also they feel less respected, especially after their entrance in the European Union.

ANDREW ROSEN -

THE TRANSFORMATION OF BRITISH LIFE: 1950-2000. A SOCIAL HISTORY.

Manchester and New York

Manchester University Press – 2003

Javier Bardem, a stunning “biutiful” actor

Cristina López (C1):

I know it is not in English, but why not enjoy an awesome film in our mother tongue?

I had always felt admiration for this actor's interpretations in films such as "Mar adentro" or "Los lunes al Sol". After watching him in this one, I stand by what I have said and add that he is one of our best actors in Spain (together with Luis Tosar, amazing in "Celda 211").

During the promotion of the film, I saw an interview in which Carlos del Amor, a TVE journalist, asked Bardem about the possibility of winning an Oscar for his role as Uxbal in Biutiful. The actor answered that should that happen, he would broadcast the weather in the news that day. He was obviously joking, but I think that he stands many chances of being awarded the prize.

Maybe you are wondering why the title of the film is written in that peculiar spelling. I will not tell you, so you will have to watch the film. However, in my opinion, this adjective describes a moving story in the easiest and simple way: a beautiful film.

At the end of the movie, you will surely think over many trascendental issues you’ll have been showed and others which sometimes you don’t pay special attention to.

I don’t want to reveal the plot of the film as I consider you’ll enjoy it more if you don’t have many clues of what you are going to watch. I’ll only give you some nouns: sadness, death, immigration, exploitation, love, childhood ... In another interview, Bardem confesses that playing this role in Biutiful affected him deeply in the sense that he thought over many things through this character (well, this is only a summary and my interpretation of what he said.) Of course, Iñárritu, the director of the film, is one of the most important pieces in order to achieve such a perfect work. I encourage you to watch Biutiful and then share your opinions and impressions on this blog. I hope you enjoy it at least as much as I did!

This is the trailer as seen in British cinemas:

Actually, this is an interview with Barden and Gonzalez Iñarritu when Biutiful was showcased at the London Film Festival at the end of last October:

Finally, Time magazine interviewed Javier after VCB was premiered and this feature gives an insight of him not only as an actor but also as a person as he answers questions from the readers:

Review: Lady Gaga's gig in Madrid (Dec 12, 2010)

Virginia (NA):

Almost a month ago, I had the fortune of being one of the 15.000 people that could see Lady Gaga live in Madrid, and not one of the cheated fans that couldn’t see her show.

When I went out of the subway, I could see the Palacio de Deportes but what surprised me was the queue, the longest I’ve ever seen. I’m not exaggerating if I say that there was 1 km of people queuing: no further comment. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait in an extremely long queue because I was able to enter through one of the sideway doors.

Still, I had to wait like 2 and half hours because when I went into the venue it was 6:30 and the show started at 9, but I didn’t care: I was incredibly excited and suddenly I felt really anxious, infected by the atmosphere. So I stayed in my seat, just in front of the stage, taking notes for this review, ha ha!

The opening band, Semi-Precious Weapons, left a lot to be desired. Sometimes, the main singer was really annoying, without taking into account that he was wearing the highest heels I’ve ever seen, I don’t know how he could walk and even run with them. When they eventually finished there was still 30 minutes more to wait till we could enjoy a spectacular concert. I was constantly looking at my watch, as if that could make time go by faster.

Suddenly, the lights went off. The crowd started to scream, and on the curtain that covered the huge stage a video was showed. The video was accompanied by a remix of “Dance in the dark”. At the end of the video there were some numbers, like the ones you can see in the old movies when they used to start with a countdown.

At that moment, the crowd went completely mad. A light turned on behind the curtain. Lady Gaga’s silhouette appeared. At long last the show started.

The concert’s plot is the story of Gaga and her friends attempting to get to the Monster Ball. Firstly, their car broke down. When Gaga opened the hood to see what the engine inside is like, we were surprised: the car was actually a piano. Have you ever seen someone playing the piano with their feet? (doing it well, of course). Then you haven’t seen anything.

After the car crash, they decided to take the subway, which dropped them in a mysterious location. Then a twister picked them up and dropped them in a dark forest, which could be perfectly the setting for Tim Burton’s next movie, where finally Gaga faced and destroyed the Fame Monster. In each location (which involved, of course, a complete change of the scenery), she sang 3 or 4 songs. The performances were heavily choreographed with at least ten dancers accompanying Gaga.

Concerning the playlist, all her hits were included. The first one was the catchy “Just Dance”, at the beginning of the concert (maybe the third song she sang). About halfway through the show, she sang “Telephone” in her underwear and just after that, the dancers and band left Gaga alone, with the Spanish flag and her piano, and she gave a breathtaking performance of “Speechless”, while the piano was burning. And the epic final, “Alejandro”.

My favourite songs? “Poker Face”, “Paparazzi” and the astonishing performance of “Bad Romance”, when everyone in the audience did the famous dance from the music video. The encore was again Bad Romance. She really aimed her performance at the true fans who know all the songs.

The public was great, singing all the songs, jumping and dancing enthusiastically. I could even feel the floor shaking below my feet! However, if the audience gave their 100%, Lady Gaga gave her 200%! What maybe some people could find boring or tedious was that between some songs she gave speeches: there was a lot of “live your life and love yourself”. In my opinion, there were some amusing anecdotes she told, like for example that in her first concert there were just 12 spectators or how people dismissed her when she started her music career, telling that she would never make it. Anyway, she talked about how you feel when you are different, when the rest of people don’t accept you because of any particular reason: you’re gay or a freak or simply different. Just someone that has lived that situation knows how important it is to hear that you’re important. In a few words, she empowered us to follow our own dreams. That’s Lady Gaga’s main goal in a concert: make people comfortable with themselves. However, I may be wrong; perhaps it is better to hear the typical “You guys are having a good time tonight?” and in that way, people won’t get bored (although I really doubt someone may get bored at those moments, except the journalist from “El País”).

In conclusion, if I were told to describe her concert with one word, I would say: superb. Whether you like her music or not, you have to admit Gaga is one of the most unique artists and performers in the history of music.

By the way, yes, she’s a genius at getting people to talk about her, and yes, she wears absurd clothes but if someone believes that she lip-synchs, I can tell you that this girl does sing and she has got a hell of a voice.

Great work, Virginia! The long wait has been well worth it. Actually, I daresay you should apply for the post the guy from El Pais is taking right now, ha ha!

The Waterboys: A man is in love

I'd watched this awareness-raising ONCE campaign for the sake of the disabled a couple of times before, but rather distractedly, I must admit. There was the figure of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, uttering a few words, that was all, I thought.

But only yesterday, when I was watching TV with my wife and kids, did I also realize the familiar music in the background, and it dawned on me: "Of course, The Waterboys!" This 80s Scottish folk-rock band, fronted by the great Mike Scott, who I was lucky enough to watch live back in 2000 at Palacio de Congresos, here in Salamanca. Some of you might be familiar with a few hits they produced in the mid-late 80s, namely The Whole of the Moon and A Fisherman's Blues. I always liked their combination of rock sound and an unmistakable Celtic flair.

But this time, in the ad, I distinctively recognized this other melodic song used to support ONCE's social message, A man is in Love, a delightful 3-minute romantic tune, whose beautifully simple lyrics you can read on the scroller down below. I especially love the final instrumental part with the fiddle, so reminiscent of Irish music, which has always been so influential to Mike Scott.

You must have seen the campaign at least ONCE (he he!), but this is it just in case. Do you like it?

And this is, courtesy of goear.com, The Waterboys' "A man is in Love". A lovely song suitably chosen (or is it?) for yet another thought-provoking, moving campaign by ONCE.

Hey guys, it's fantastic when you make your own contributions, though sadly only a few do so regularly. I mean, I really miss some related comments after most of the entries on our blog. Even if it's only a few lines written now and then by most of you expressing your views about something you've read or seen on this site, that would make it look more elaborate and, if I may say so, participative, don't you think? And, I must be honest with you, this would be a clear indication that this blog really matters to you.

David Antigüedad: My son's coming of age.

I guess it's one of my proudest moments as a father, seeing my son turn 18 and accordingly come of age. But then it's also mixed feelings and makes me realize how fast time flies. I mean, I know it sounds corny, a trite cliché, but it does seem like yesterday that he was born.
Anyway, I don't want to look presumptuous when I talk about his musical talent. Being a frustrated musician myself, I literally drool whenever I see David play the guitar. I often wish I could have learned to play an instrument, any! Last night I was watching this soothing jazz gig performed at El Savor by a local band and I couldn't help thinking what a great feeling it must be to play your stuff in front of an audience. And when I see David during his auditions and small recitals, I truly feel some healthy ENVY of him!
I didn't mean to actually do this, but early this morning I heard the news on the BBC that today (just one day after my son's) is Jimmi Page's 67 birthday. For those of you who may have not heard of him, Jimmi is the legendary guitarist of one of the greatest rock bands in history, British giants Led Zepellin, who I've always idolized since my teenage years. And I was wondering if I could pay a small tribute on this blog to good old Jimmi, undoubtedly one of the most influential rock guitarists, and indeed one of my son's many guitar heroes, when suddenly I sort of plucked up the courage to also post a video my son recently uploaded on YouTube and I had stored in the drafts file of this blog some four/five days ago. Especially when in it he's playing a cover version of two songs from possibly my favourite album ever, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Please, don't think me excessively vain, it's just a proud father displaying his son's moment of glory in cyberspace, ha ha!
All I can say is that David's done "the full monty", so to speak: certainly the guitar playing on top of the band's backing tracks, but also the video recording on his mobile, as well as the painstaking editing, the audio-video synch in his PC ... May I say he's a genius in the making? Of course, I'm his proud dad! And believe me, he's got no idea I'm doing this. I'm not even sure he would like to know ...

Then, in case you've never listened to Jimmi Page in action, here's the clip I had originally intended to embed. I'm sorry that I won't write at length about Jimmi, his enormous talent and groundbreaking technique, which has been so influential to so many guitarists after him, so the mix down below speaks for itself. Just for today, however much I admire the old rocker, the young apprentice has stolen the show. But happy birthday wherever you are, maestro!

Smoking at Spanish restaurants and bars banned

Hi everyone and a happy new year!
This is the first entry of 2011. As you know, today, January 2nd, is the date Spanish smokers were dreading as a comprehensive smoking ban is put into practice. That's why I've decided to publish this short CNN feature about the news, including this short video which summarizes the situation. You will notice most of the ideas heard in the clip are presented, more or less literally, in the article's written text:

Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A law in Spain that goes into effect Sunday bans smoking in indoor bars and restaurants, and gives the nation some of the toughest smoking restrictions in western Europe. The law will put Spain in line with Britain, France and Italy, which prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places.

Spain's hotel and restaurant federation warns of a 10 percent drop in business and tens of thousands of job losses in the midst of the nation's deep economic crisis.

But the government says similar laws elsewhere in Europe did not hurt business in the long run. Juan Carlos Sanchez says he goes to a neighborhood bar several times a day to have a cigarette with his coffee or beer. Like many smokers here, he is adamantly opposed to the new law. "If I can't smoke here in the bar, maybe I'll come just once a day, or not at all. When I ask for a coffee or beer, but then have to smoke in the street, I don't understand," said Sanchez, who manufactures filters for air conditioners.

Fernando Vazquez, owner of a bar and restaurant in Madrid where Sanchez was smoking late last week, said the smoke-free air starting on Sunday might be nice. But it will come at a price for his business. "Spaniards spend a lot of time in bars and will probably spend less time now," Vazquez said. "Instead of drinking three or four beers, they'll have one."

Spaniards have had a relationship with tobacco for 500 years. Explorer Christopher Columbus saw tobacco on his voyages to the New World and Spanish sailors brought it to Europe. So undoing old habits is not easy here.

A law four years ago banned smoking at work. But it essentially allowed Spain's 300,000 bars and restaurants to choose whether they would prohibit smoking. Most did not. This time, there are supposed to be no exceptions, as the government tries to reduce the 50,000 tobacco-related deaths each year.

Nearly a third of Spaniards puff away and smoke-filled bars have been the norm.

Business owner Florentino Matamala is a former smoker who supports the legislation. "People can't quit overnight and those who are used to smoking while having a coffee are going to have it rough. But I think it's positive, for the general good."


So what do you think? Is it OK to toughen the existing law by banning smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars, discos and restaurants? Or is the measure too prohibitionary? Perhaps should some outside areas be added to these premises?
On the other hand, do you agree with the exception made in prisons, psychiatric wards and old people's homes? Is it fair or just absurd?
Why not post your comments here?