Author: Shristhi Kharel
I am very concerned about my future that I oversee myself residing in this country. Both of my grandparents lived till their 90’s, which is amazing to have this kind of life expectancy from Nepal with limited modern medical technologies, manpower and resources.
I had figured that I will live longer here in the U.S and not be the victim of rampant shootouts of either police or of some political parties followers that if I have stayed in Nepal.
Apparently that is not real case scenario in the U.S. 43.6 million Americans do not have health insurance which constituent of roughly 16 percent of the entire population. People who could afford to have, had reduced their other needs, such recreational, and entertaining and many others so forth. I debate myself over to this awakening issue that I am not even a US citizen, so where do I stand a chance of possessing affordable healthy living. Ridiculous as this may seemed, my student health insurance doesn’t cover medical bills that I may incur for next few years, such as, my eye and dental check ups. So why am I paying for the other services which I have not used in the past years? Where would I go tomorrow and if something happens holding my health insurance which has so limited coverage?
Let me examine my options here briefly. Astute decision would be running down across the boarder to either Canada or to Cuba. At least I will be assured that I will not pass out of not being able to afford for the treatment. Or deliberately, if I choose to live in the soil of the United States with so having “world class immediate treatment”, the stress of owning huge medical bills would not be of any less sore. Statistics reveals to me that an average American makes $48,201.00 annually. One simple surgery would cost me fortune.
I might have to have three jobs to sustain myself. Why not? After all I live in the “Land of Opportunities.” I can get job anytime I walk into to Wal-Mart, McDonalds or to Pizza hut. They always hire people. I may end up working till I die to come up with the payment. After all I am liable for the choices I make.
Acknowledging, my life’s worth weighs the same in either places, in Nepal or in the U.S. I may not survive for long in Nepal. And if I do in the U.S, it would be at the verge of relentless pressure and stress. I wonder when I would be able to get out of this rat race.
May I take your attention to share the great “American Dreams” that we all have seen when we had left home? I am certainly not misleaded here; I am not only coping with luxurious living at the moment.
We need to raise health literacy to disseminate awareness. The question now arises where should we go and prosecute our problems if encountered tomorrow? What is going on beneath the surface of these world leading billion dollars health insurance companies, such as, Aetna, Humana or United Health Care? Are they justifiable to our needs or only to premiums, deductibles or co-payments? Assuredly, Medicare or Medicaid is of no help to all non US citizens.
It is a felony to turn down to any patient who walks to seek for an emergency care, irrespective of their color, race or their legal residing status in the U.S. I was relieved when I found out this piece of information. Without holding a complete covered health insurance or even without holding any type of health insurance I could seek for an emergency treatment. The oath taken by every medical professional prohibits them to violate this federal law under any circumstances. They must treat their patients equally and immediately until they are stable and dischargeable. I could not expect “Red Carpet Treatment” there but at least I do not need to be cringed in agony and pain of my illness. Not that I would like the Government to become charitable for my needs, but I would not want to abandon my hope of living before even conceiving my alternatives.
Nonprofit hospitals, such as teaching hospitals; have their county hospitals or health care clinics in the city or in the same county where medical treatments are bit affordable. It may not be flawless, but it is still available. Personally I think, conscious effort should be made to pay for the visit to these teaching hospitals (the one which has medical schools) in a dire crisis. Assuming my life could be so much pleasant to live with undue worries, I could rely on to some shelter for treatment. Otherwise, I was almost convinced that I was truly turning into an “American” with long years of fatigue days, sleepless nights, and a slave to my work.
These days, my responsibility has summed up. I more vigilant over to the Presidential campaigns I see and more often on television channels. Hillary’s “Universal Health Coverage” Vs Obama’s “Change Begins with You.” How do they recognize how many strains I endure everyday just to lead a normal life? Every individual deserves a sound healthy living. Let’s be optimistic that these political stumps and promises would meet their pledges someday.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Book Talk
Read few books during spring break. Seven Pillars of health (Dr. Colbert), Audacity of Hope (Barack Obama), Modiaain ( B.P koirala) and Freakonomics (Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner).
Seven Pillars of Health - This is the Book that I most recently bought. Informative but boring at times (esp. for ignorant folks in medical field). But it changed some of my dietary habits little bit.
The Audacity of Hope – Good read. Nice to know some insights of Washington and American politics. No wonder Obama earned more than half million from royalties of his books in 2006 (More than half of his Income, his released tax returns says so). I am looking forward to read his First Book (Dreams from my father).
Modiaain – BP has written better stories than this. Mediocre by BP’s standard.
Freakonomics – Easily one of the best books I have ever read. My First study on economics can’t have any better. Everybody should read this. If morality says how people should act, economics says how do people act. Which is more dangerous for a child, a Gun or a Swimming pool? How does parenting matter (or doesn’t matter)? How’s crime related to abortion? Why drug dealers stay with their mom? How Drug dealers similar to guys at McDonalds or Wal-Mart? How are school teachers related to Sumo Wrestlers? How powerful is information esp. when it is abused? How similar are Real-Estate agents to Ku Klux Klan? Read the Book. Its for everyone, not just for freaks like me.
Seven Pillars of Health - This is the Book that I most recently bought. Informative but boring at times (esp. for ignorant folks in medical field). But it changed some of my dietary habits little bit.
The Audacity of Hope – Good read. Nice to know some insights of Washington and American politics. No wonder Obama earned more than half million from royalties of his books in 2006 (More than half of his Income, his released tax returns says so). I am looking forward to read his First Book (Dreams from my father).
Modiaain – BP has written better stories than this. Mediocre by BP’s standard.
Freakonomics – Easily one of the best books I have ever read. My First study on economics can’t have any better. Everybody should read this. If morality says how people should act, economics says how do people act. Which is more dangerous for a child, a Gun or a Swimming pool? How does parenting matter (or doesn’t matter)? How’s crime related to abortion? Why drug dealers stay with their mom? How Drug dealers similar to guys at McDonalds or Wal-Mart? How are school teachers related to Sumo Wrestlers? How powerful is information esp. when it is abused? How similar are Real-Estate agents to Ku Klux Klan? Read the Book. Its for everyone, not just for freaks like me.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Does equality for diversity group’s exist?
Author: Shrishti Kharel
This is the question my dear friends, as an international student, I have been trying to answered for past few years and still have not gotten to the core of it. The more I try to sense the consequences of being part of this system, educate myself about understanding custom of the U.S constitution, the more overwhelmed I become.
Since we all go to the University, let’s just explore how well diversity is implemented in the US University’s system.
Diversity has been fostered to some extent to the international student. Why not? We compose less than 10% of the student body and the tuition rate can is 3 times higher us than for the State residents or for citizens. After all diversity helps bring human richness via varied backgrounds, experience, knowledge and the school needs us.
I am sure we all want more than just people making promises about their desires to expand knowledge and diversity of the group. Filling in long pages on the application forms, indicating what ethnicity we fall under, what skin color we have, what religion we believe in and what nation we are from is not so much fun. And why the heck should we care so much since the nation was built by people from many different European nationalities and still does welcomes influxes of 1.2 million immigrants every year. I should probably ask “immigrants” such as the founders of Google- Sergey Brin, of Yahoo! - Jerry Yang and of eBay- Pierre Omidyar “what is the basic minimum requirement that I need to qualify for in order to fit diversity criteria.” I of course cannot choose where I was born and whether my eyes look blue or black or whether I have an American or British accent. Folks don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be where I am from and whom I am. I just don’t find any enthusiasm for not finding any opportunities that I possibly deserve, because I am not categorized under any of the diversity selected criteria, such as, “only for Native American, African American or Hispanic.”
I brag about the fact that I am the part of the most developed nation of the world. I live, work and share my dreams obeying the laws, valuing and treating others with dignity and respect. Diversity is America’s greatest attribute and leads to better understanding of the world. History has witnessed this. No minorities were admitted before the civil rights era and after a small number were considered to be matriculated. Court decisions and state legislations have banned race-conscious admissions in many US states.
Personally I believe, diversity is a term of political correctness. How diverse are we, if we all bleed? If all are born from women? And we all are mortal? Why do we fear for assimilating the new when we know different languages, cultures, and histories have blended this nation together? Diversity has promoted innovation, has given more jobs than has taken. Issues of which diverse groups deserve need to be explored, promises need to be met and more attention needs to be paid. I hope some day we would have one policy that could fuse one's individual cultural background into the groups.
This is the question my dear friends, as an international student, I have been trying to answered for past few years and still have not gotten to the core of it. The more I try to sense the consequences of being part of this system, educate myself about understanding custom of the U.S constitution, the more overwhelmed I become.
Since we all go to the University, let’s just explore how well diversity is implemented in the US University’s system.
Diversity has been fostered to some extent to the international student. Why not? We compose less than 10% of the student body and the tuition rate can is 3 times higher us than for the State residents or for citizens. After all diversity helps bring human richness via varied backgrounds, experience, knowledge and the school needs us.
I am sure we all want more than just people making promises about their desires to expand knowledge and diversity of the group. Filling in long pages on the application forms, indicating what ethnicity we fall under, what skin color we have, what religion we believe in and what nation we are from is not so much fun. And why the heck should we care so much since the nation was built by people from many different European nationalities and still does welcomes influxes of 1.2 million immigrants every year. I should probably ask “immigrants” such as the founders of Google- Sergey Brin, of Yahoo! - Jerry Yang and of eBay- Pierre Omidyar “what is the basic minimum requirement that I need to qualify for in order to fit diversity criteria.” I of course cannot choose where I was born and whether my eyes look blue or black or whether I have an American or British accent. Folks don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be where I am from and whom I am. I just don’t find any enthusiasm for not finding any opportunities that I possibly deserve, because I am not categorized under any of the diversity selected criteria, such as, “only for Native American, African American or Hispanic.”
I brag about the fact that I am the part of the most developed nation of the world. I live, work and share my dreams obeying the laws, valuing and treating others with dignity and respect. Diversity is America’s greatest attribute and leads to better understanding of the world. History has witnessed this. No minorities were admitted before the civil rights era and after a small number were considered to be matriculated. Court decisions and state legislations have banned race-conscious admissions in many US states.
Personally I believe, diversity is a term of political correctness. How diverse are we, if we all bleed? If all are born from women? And we all are mortal? Why do we fear for assimilating the new when we know different languages, cultures, and histories have blended this nation together? Diversity has promoted innovation, has given more jobs than has taken. Issues of which diverse groups deserve need to be explored, promises need to be met and more attention needs to be paid. I hope some day we would have one policy that could fuse one's individual cultural background into the groups.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
TRON II
Thanks to the Tron lab, I do not have to worry about how to kill time. It never lets me remain free and tries its best to disturb my tranquility. Thanks to all the crazy stuffs that it provides. Sometimes, I feel I am getting paid not for teaching but for absorbing students' frustration without showing mine. Anyway, I am trying to maintain a good positive attitude as lab sheet suggests. Our lab procedures starts with "First of all, do not give up or get frustrated if things do not work. These are challenging labs to perform, as devices can be sensitive to non idealities. Try to maintain a good attitude and learn something about the operation"
Monday, March 3, 2008
The March 4
Everyone here seems to be caught in the Primaries Contest in Texas and Ohio tomorrow. Rhode Island and Vermont are nowhere in News. I do not know the analysis of Rhode Island and Vermont. By this time tomorrow we will be close to getting the results. My personal guess is Clinton winning ohio but by really less margin and Obama winning Texas by even lesser margin. So, overall Obama keeping his lead by almost same margin and prolonged agony for Clinton. In this case the delegates count of Vermont and Rhode Island is crucial for both.