What I've Been Reading: Links for You

Life has been busy, but in a work/errands/chores type of way, not particularly in a trips and entertaining activities way. Fortunately, I do have a couple of excursions coming up in the next several weeks, thus I hope to have more interesting topics to cover soon!

In the meantime, below are a few links to posts and articles I have enjoyed, and thought you might, too.

• Do you know what a mud kitchen is? Check out Liene's post on the one created for her sons.
• Heather shares lovely photos from  her first autumn in Rīga.
• Julija, a young Latvian-Canadian woman who has lived in Latvia for several years, writes about Latvian citizenship and voting in her first Latvian elections.
• Heartwarming article in the Washington Post about a website which sells high quality art created by individuals who happen to be homeless or disabled.
• Over at TheRealRiga, you will find some interesting statistics about Latvians who voted outside of Latvia in the recent parliamentary election. 
• I loved the colorful photos from Amanda's fall trip to Michigan. The areas she visited include some of my favorites: Sleeping Bear National Seashore, Traverse City, and Old Mission Peninsula in the northern part of the state, and Meijer Garden in Grand Rapids.
• On Sunday I was in DC, meeting a friend for a movie ("Pride" - highly recommended!) just a few blocks from the White House and the Mall. After the movie, heading back to the Metro, I noticed the sky was quite pretty. Later I saw this photo posted online of that evening's sunset.

Socializing & Car Shopping on a Long Weekend

Although Columbus Day itself is controversial nowadays, I'm not one to complain when I have a three-day weekend! This one was particularly busy with several social activities: wedding, brunch, birthday party, plus car shopping.

I will not dwell on details about shopping for a new set of wheels, as it is terribly tedious! I've had my trustworthy Toyota Corolla for many years, but the time has come for me to purchase something newer. However, I'm having a heck of a time deciding what exactly I like and want given my budget. On Friday night I test drove two cars, on Saturday I drove those two cars again, plus a third, and on Monday I drove yet another car. This would be on top of at least eight previous vehicles I've tried out!

This might be my "if I win the lottery" car (Source: Volvo.com)

Cheapest new car on market = too small for tall Latvian.

Saturday evening I attended a friend's wedding, held at a restaurant called Roofers Union in DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood (better known to Latvian-Americans as the former home of Pharmacy Bar, which was owned by Latvian-American Kristaps Kreslins, who now has a similarly named establishment in Riga's Old Town). The wedding was casual and fun. The bride is a friend with whom I sing, so my group sang her and the groom a song to bless them in their new life. Later, while on the awesome rooftop bar, we gathered for a group photograph and ended up belting out one of my favorites, Riga Iesu Es Mamina, which then proceeded to loop in my ears for the following 24 hours. This was the first wedding I attended that utilized an app and website called Wedpics - anyone with a smart phone could immediately upload photos to the couple's site. Those of us with regular cameras can also upload our photos after the fact. It's a great way to get many different photos from the event.

Singing "Palidz', Dievs"

With J &J, enjoying the cool rooftop.

Group photo! Nice greens in front row, and blues in the back.

Sunday brunch with two friends took me to the Petworth neighborhood, and Domku, a restaurant known for its Scandinavian and Eastern European menu. I loved the bright cheery interior, and many of the menu options sounded delicious. My gluten-free diet, however, did not allow me sample the Norwegian pancake, or the mushroom Benedict, which one friend ordered and loved. I kept it simple with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Service could have been better, but it's definitely a nice spot to enjoy various European dishes that one cannot find on other menus in the DC area. If you're a beer drinker, the menu offers two Lithuanian beers, although no Latvian or Estonian brews.

In the evening I helped celebrate a friend's daughter's third birthday. You know you are very good friends when your arrival is greeted not by "Hi, good to see you, glad you could come!", but by "Excellent, one of the tall people is here - she can put up the party decorations!" Luckily, I was amply compensated with freshly homemade guacamole, interesting conversation and happy little kid smiles.

On Monday a friend and I had hoped to go hiking, but gray and damp weather altered our plans. Instead I test drove yet another car, and we hit up the famed grocery store Wegman's. For people who grew up in New York State, Wegman's is the end-all-be-all when it comes to grocery shopping. The chain set up shop in Virginia and then Maryland several years ago. The nearest one is not particularly close to me, although I do like to stop by occasionally, as they have an enormous selection of products, and excellent prices on some of them. Their gluten-free brownies, in particular, are quite amazing. If you do ever find yourself near a Wegman's and have at least an hour to spare, check it out.

Somehow we now find ourselves already in the second half of October. I seriously hope that the news about Siberia's serious snow cover possibly predicting a hard winter is incorrect! I am not ready to hibernate -- too many things to do, too many people to meet!

Links for You: What I've Been Reading

For your reading enjoyment, here are several links to articles or blog posts I've found to be interesting.

• Heather loved beautiful Tallinn, Estonia and the fall weekend in which she explored Sigulda, Latvia.
• Bev's vacation to Taiwan included hiking in a national park. Check out the shrine on top of a waterfall!
• (In Latvian) Ceļojumā uz latviešu debespļavām Katskiļu kalnos ASV.
• Liene and her family admirably represented Latvia in Spartanburg's (SC) International Festival.
• A reminder that experiences are more valuable than things. 
• Excellent English language summary of the Latvian parliamentary election that took place on October 4.
• Fascinating election information about Latvians voting in foreign precincts. Ninety Latvians voted in Dubai! (Once you are on the site, scroll about halfway down the page until you see "Vēlēšanu results Ārzemes iecirkņos" - gotta love the mix of Latvian and English here. If you select "All" under "Displayed entries", you will find details about every single precinct outside of Latvia - how many people voted, and for which parties.)

Šoreiz latviski - Vēl mazliet par GVV50

(This post is in Latvian. I will return to writing in English in my next post!)

Uzdrošinājos šoreiz latviski rakstīt. Ja gadijumā nav skaidrs no "About Me" apraksta bloga labajā pusē, esmu ASV dzimusi un augusi - citos vārdos: forši, ka es vispār protu savu mātes valodu, vai nē?

Liekas, ka manam blogam nav daudz latviešu lasītāju. To gan grūti zināt, jo sagādātā statistika man dara zināmu vienīgi no kuras valsts lasītāja/s ir pieslēdzies, un ja lasītāja izciemojās bez kommentāra uzrakstīšanas, tad nezinu kas viņa tāda ir! Zinu, ka ir vismaz daži latviešu lasītāji (sveika, mamma!), un tā kā man noder kādreiz arī savas latviešu valodas spējas izvingrināt, nolēmu kaut ko arī latviski uzrakstīt.

Par Gaŗezeru un GVV varētu gari un plaši rakstīt, bet pieļauju, ka tādiem rakstiem nav tik milzu liela publika. Gribējās gan pieminēt dažas lietas par Gaŗezeru, GVV un tā jubilejām. 

Es sevi saucu par 'Gaŗezera bērnu.' Pirmajā Gaŗezera vasarā biju tikai zīdainis, un līdz desmit gadus vecumam katru vasaru ar ģimeni pavadīju apmēram astoņas nedēļas Gaŗezerā. Mani vecāki mācīja GVV, un es ar māsu dabūjām baudīt bezbēdīgas vasaras dienas - peldoties, vardes ķerot, makšķerējot, pie ugunskura sēžot, u.t.t. Divas vasaras - kad man bija 11 un 12 gadi - netika pavadītas mūsu mīļajā Gaŗezerā, un tās sezonas ļoti smagi pārdzīvoju. Beidzot, 13 gadu vecumā bija laiks apmeklēt GVV, un tā tur mācījos piecas vasaras. (Tajā laikā bija piecas klases, bet tagad ir četras tādēļ, ka ir īpaša sagatavošanās skola bērniem 11 - 13 gadus vecumā.)

Dzejolis par godu Garezeram

Nav jau tā, ka ikkatrs Gaŗezerā pavadītais brīdis bija skaists - tika pārdzīvotas arī visādas vilšanās un sirds sāpes. Tomēr, laikā kad Latvija vēl bija padomju okupēta, iespēja pavadīt nedēļas latviskā vidē un draudzēties ar latviešiem no visas Ziemeļamerikas bija neprakstāma.

Mana GVV absolventu klase

Kā jebkurai sabiedrībai, GVV ir savas tradiīcijas. Piemēram, katru piektdienas vakaru notiek ugunskurs, par kuru atbildīga cita klase vai darbinieki. Sestdienas vakarā vienmēr notiek ballīte. Divas vai trīs reizes vasarā ceturtdienas vakarā ir svecīšu dievkalpojums. Gadiem ilgi katru vasaru tiek rīkota arī "pērkonīša ducināšana" - tautas deju maratons: pārītis, kurš visilgāk dejo uzvar.

Kaut priecāšanās Gaŗezerā daudz un dažādas, mācības GVV tomēr nopietna lieta. Klasēs tiek uzdoti mājas darbi, un notiek arī pārbaudījumi. Daži īpaši pārbaudījumi, saukti par "biļetēm," ir kaut kas tāds, ko tipiskais GVV skolēns savā ikdienas ASV vai Kanādas skolā nekad nepiedzīvo - jo atbildes jādod mutiski veselai komisijai, kurā parasti sastāv trīs skolotāji. Otrajā klasē "liek biļetes" Latvijas ģeogrāfijā, trešajā latviešu vēsturē, ceturtajā latviešu literatūrā un gramatikā. 

Ar citiem GVV audzinātājiem (1995.?)

Pēc savas GVV absolvēšanas, es tur atgriezos vairākas vasaras strādāt. Vienu vasaru biju pieteikusies strādāt par audzinātāju, bet kad ierados man direktore pateica, ka vajadzīga latviešu valodas skolotāja pirmajai klasei. Biju gatava apgriezties un tūlīt doties mājās, bet mani pierunāja palikt. Mācīt latviešu valodas gramatiku trīspadsmit gadus veciem jauniešiem bija - ja nekas cits - tad interesants piedzīvojums. Pāris vasaras strādāju audzinātājas darbā, kurš arī bija raibs.

Garezera saulesriets

Pirms dažiem gadiem manai absolventi klasei apritēja apaļa jubileja, kad bieži tiek rīkots salidojums un tikšanās. Tad, kad mēs svinējām desmit gadu jubileju, es biju sarīkojusi salidojumu. Bet šajā reizē likās, ka cilvēkiem īsti nebija intereses, un tā nekas netika rīkots. Nesen dažiem klases biedriem ierosināju, ka mēs varētu salidojumu rīkot nākamgad, kad viss Gaŗezers atzīmēs 50 gadu jubileju, un kad tiek plānota  trīs dienu garas svinības. Bet klusēšana izsaka daudz ko, un jāatzīstas, ka esmu nedaudz sašutusi par reakciju vai to trūkumu. Tā laikam vienkārši jāpriecājas par jau aizvadīto GVV 50. jubileju (kura bija ļoti jautra!) un par gaidāmo Gaŗezera apaļo jubileju, kura tiks svineta 2015. gada julija sakuma.

Atskatoties uz GVV50 (par kuru rakstiju agrak) gribas vēl pieminēt vienu īpašu momentu, kurā pati nebiju klāt, bet kurš laimīgā kārtā iemūžināts. Piektdienas vakara ugunskurā pašreizējā GVV direktore un divi iepriekšējie direktori uzstājās uzvedumā, kur rādīja kāda ir dzīve GVV direktoriem kad tie aiziet penzijā. Tā kā ugunskurs notika tumsā, tā ir uzvedumu mazliet grūti saredzēt, un uzveduma saturu īstenībā sapratīs vislabāk tie, kuri paši strādājuši vai apmeklējuši šo vidusskolu. 

Tādēļ nobeigšu ar dažiem ierakstiem, kuri būs saprotāmi plašākai publikai.

1) Skaists 2014. gada svecīšu dievkalpojums, kurš notika ezermalā.

2) Tautas deja ar ko GVV skolēni uzstājās Garezera brīniškigājā 45. gada jubilejas lieluzvedumā

3) Brīdis, kad GVV koris dzied kopā ar Latvijas vispārejo dziesmu svetku noslēguma koncertu.

Going Back in Time: National Park Seminary

Amazingly, another gorgeous weather weekend was coming up (we had a generally fantastic summer and thus far wonderful autumn this year, with many sunny, dry and warm days -- I hope as a reward for living through a terrible winter, not as a precursor to another freezing cold season). Doing something at least somewhat outdoorsy was definitely necessary. When a friend invited me to join her on a tour of the National Park Seminary district, I jumped at the chance. Having heard about this historic area, I was intrigued by its history and architecture. Much of the tour took place outdoors, although we were shown a couple of interiors, including the marvelous ballroom.

Located in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring (yet "inside the Beltway"), the land had once been a tobacco plantation. In 1887 the area was repurposed as a resort, and a hotel named Ye Forest Inne was built. On the photo below you can see the original stained glass sign above the hotel's main entrance. However, the hotel was not successful, and the land and building were rented and then purchased by a couple who created a finishing school for young women. Opened in 1894, it was named National Park Seminary. (Apparently for a short while in the U.S. 'seminary' denoted a girls' school, while 'academy' was a boys' school.)

Difficult to spot, but the stained glass says "Ye Forest Inne"

Over several decades the school was owned by three different couples, and expanded with many new buildings constructed in various styles. At its peak popularity, the Seminary educated approximately 400 high school aged women annually, and was attended by girls from well-off families from around the country. During World War II the Army seized the property, and it was turned into a rehab hospital. Later the Army practically abandoned the Seminary, and many buildings fell into disrepair. Eventually the county purchased the property for $1, then selling it to a developer. By that time the Seminary was listed as a historic area. Many building have been beautifully renovated. The original  hotel building now contains apartments, the sorority houses are single family homes, while the additions to the school have been converted to condominiums, some of which are quite spacious and sell for up to $1 million.

Our tour guide was brimming with interesting facts and funny anecdotes about the school, its students and owners. My favorite tale was about the annual Colonial Ball, which was held on George Washington's birthday, February 22. Although the school had regular dances, those for many years did not include any boys - the girls danced with one another. For the Colonial Ball, half of the girls would dress up as Martha Washington (George's wife), while the others dressed up was George himself. Almost as good as having boys at the dance, right?

View of the ballroom

Sororities evolved to be a significant component of the school's existence. Each sorority had its own house, although those were used only for meetings and events, not as residences. (When the Army  owned the property, the sorority house were converted to officers' housing.) Many of the sorority houses were architecturally unique.

This former sorority house has recently been purchased, and will be renovated.

Pagoda sweet pagoda

At the end of the tour we visited a small room that contains historical artifacts from the school, including yearbooks, sorority pins, and the like. A few items were also available for purchase, including three different postcards, which can be seen below. The organization which runs the tours is Save Our Seminary, and they also offer other events, including occasional happenings in the ballroom (which is otherwise very rarely used). Guided tours are held the fourth Saturday of most months, and only cost $5 per person.

Dance in the ballroom in the early 1940s

Painting depicting Army time in later 1940s

Japanese pagoda in earlier times

Books That Have Affected My Life

Recently there have been a spate of lists on social media consisting of individuals listing books that have changed or impacted their lives. While "change" is a strong word, I'm joining in the fun by listing some books and authors who have had some type of impact on me. They are listed in no particular order.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
I remember asking for this book as a gift from my parents for some occasion (Christmas? name's day?), and being quite excited to receive it. I may have been in 8th or 9th grade, and I read it quickly. It had enticed me initially because it was about Lithuanian immigrants in Chicago, but the book is best known for its impact on public policy, as it exposed various unsavory and unhealthy practices in American slaughterhouses at the beginning of the 20th century. It's not a particularly uplifting tale, yet it does an excellent job in describing the difficult life many immigrants experience in this country.

Homo Novus by Anšlavs Eglītis (in Latvian)
In 1982 a large Latvian song festival took place in Milwaukee, and one of the events was a play called "Homo Novus." Many parents would not take their young kids to theater meant for adults, but my mom and dad were not just any parents (and I was not just any kid)! The play, which is about artistic types in Riga in the interwar period, left an impact on me - it was funny and interesting - and when I discovered it was based on a book, I insisted I needed to read it. That was likely a couple of years later, yet I was still on the young side to be reading such a long novel. The story captivated me with its descriptions of bohemians and their vibrant lives in Rīga in the 1930s, and was motivation for reading quite a few more Latvian novels.

Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Not only were these my first ever poetry books, but they are also the first books I remember needing to read. They were so popular in my elementary school that a waiting list was created in our library--only once you reached the top of that important list could you check out one book. I was overjoyed when I eventually received them as gifts, and those 25+ year old books still have a place of honor in my bookcase. Silverstein introduced me to the notion that literature can be really fun. I suspect non-American reader might not be familiar with his poetry, so I will share one of his poems from the collection A Light in the Attic.

Shaking 
Geraldine now, stop shaking that cow

For heaven’s sake, for your sake and the cow’s sake.
That’s the dumbest way I’ve seen
To make a milk shake.

Other poems are more than just silly.

Memorizin' Mo

Mo memorized the dictionary

But just can’t seem to find a job

Or anyone who wants to marry

Someone who memorized the dictionary.

Shel Silverstein's books (including the newer Falling Up) in my bookcase.

As luck would have it, my love of poetry was further developed by a high school English teacher, a college German professor, and - wait for it! - a PBS special by Bill Moyers. The special had a companion book called The Language of Life. It features 34 American poets, a couple of works from each, as well as interviews. Some of them have since passed away, but several years ago I managed to get four of the poets' signatures by shlepping the book with me to various readings and events. 

It was from this TV show and book that I was introduced to my one of my favorite poets: Naomi 

Shihab Nye. She is what one can call an "accessible" poet, as her poems are typically easily understood, and have led me to further appreciate language as such.

I adore Nye's collection Fuel. While I was living in Kalamazoo for a short while after having graduated from college, my love for her poetry compelled me to drive for 90 minutes in the dark and the rain to hear her read and speak at a college in Grand Rapids. (This was pre-internet, but I had read a small announcement in the Kazoo paper about the event.) Below is one of Nye's poems that I love best.

Hidden
If you place a fern
under a stone
the next day it will be
nearly invisible
as if the stone has
swallowed it.

If you tuck the name of a loved one
under your tongue too long
without speaking it
it becomes blood
sigh
the little sucked-in breath of air
hiding everywhere
beneath your words.

No one sees
the fuel that feeds you.

A few of my poetry books.

Latviešu tautas dziesmas by the Latvian people (in Latvian)
It is impossible to imagine the Latvian culture without singing, and - in particular - its folk songs. Thanks mostly to the work of Krišjānis Barons in the late 1800s, we are fortunate to have written texts of many songs. Between 1894 and 1915, eight books containing a total of  217,996 four-line songs were published under the title "Latvju dainas." After World War II, the work was reprinted in Western Europe, and those are the books that I own - having inherited them from my grandparents (paldies, vectev, mati un mamma!). Having now sung with an a cappella Latvian folk music ensemble for over a decade, I have a sincere appreciation of our rich culture, and these volumes on my bookshelf are a reminder of the bountiful beautiful songs that Latvians are blessed to have.

My full set of volumes: Latviešu tautas dziesmas.

Which books have left an impact on you?

Life in these United States: Reality (aka Health Insurance Issues)

Recently I was complaining to a friend that being an adult can be a drag sometimes. Those times include: when you realize your car might need several hundred $ worth of work, which means finding time to take the car into the repair shop, hoping they don't rip you off, and then dealing with the bill, or when a doctor's office tries to charge you for something your insurance company should be covering, and you spend far too much time on the phone clarifying the situation so that you are not stuck with having to pay more than than necessary. This second point got me thinking about the U.S. health care system, and how it differs from those in most other countries. Because quite a few of my readers live in countries other than the U.S. (and some of you might be considering a move to the U.S. at some point), I thought it might be interesting to delve into some of the realities of life here because - as opposed to what American movies and TV shows might seem to imply - it is not necessarily the land of milk and honey! (N.B. - This is all based on my personal experience and knowledge, so - as the saying goes - your mileage may vary, or your experience might be different.)

Top 5 things to keep in mind about health insurance in the U.S.

1. It's expensive.
2. It is complicated.
3. Just when you think it cannot be more expensive, it gets even more expensive.
4. It is illogical.
5. Making full use of it, and ensuring you are not being charged erroneously is time consuming.

Health insurance in the U.S. is employer-based, which means if you are unemployed, you might have it rough. Another caveat is that often one has to be a full-time employee (working forty or more hours a week) to qualify for certain benefits, such as health insurance or vacation time. Of course, the recently implemented Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") changed health insurance availability to some degree. Additionally, for quite a few years now, anyone poor enough can qualify for Medicaid, while most people over the age of 65 qualify for Medicare. These are, essentially, health insurance programs run by the federal government.

How's your blood pressure? (Source: CDC)

However, for the vast majority of us, health insurance is provided by our employer, whether that be a business, non-profit organization, or local/state/federal government agency. By "provided," I don't mean that your employer gives you a little insurance I.D. card, and says - go use, have fun, you won't have to pay a single dollar. Ha, far from it!

Very few companies fully pay their employers insurance premiums, which means that an employee has a certain amount deducted from each paycheck to help pay for their insurance. This number and percentage can vary wildly. My company, for example, for many years paid 50%, while the employee paid the other half; a couple of years ago the company (thankfully!) increased its percentage 60% and I pay the remaining 40%. The monetary amounts I'm talking about are not inconsequential. (More on that in a bit.)

Depending on the size of the company and what it has decided to offer, an employee's options vary. Sometimes there are only two health insurance options - with differing prices and coverage - while other times there might be several. You can typically make your choice only when you begin working at the company, or during an "open enrollment period," or during a short time frame in the late fall when you are presented with the new prices and updated options. It can be difficult to make a decision, as one never knows what the future holds (one friend recently decided to switch to an option for which premiums cost less per month , but charges more for out-of-pocket expenses for surgeries and the like, and several months later needed surgery, negating any savings on the premiums), and also because deciphering anything health insurance-related in this country requires a great deal of patience and more than a little bit of smarts.

To lay out some specifics, I receive a weekly paycheck, and $74.04 of each and every paycheck goes toward my health insurance premium. How much I earn is irrelevant - I would be paying that much if I were making $30,000 or $150,000 annually. My company offers five or six different health insurance options, and this is one of the more expensive in terms of weekly cost to me, yet it covers more than some of the cheaper options. When you do the math, it means that I am spending $3,850.08 annually just for my health insurance premiums! Additionally, if my company is covering 60% of the cost of this insurance, it means that the yearly sum which is paid for my health insurance totals about $9,600! Additionally, this does not include vision insurance (because why in the world would anyone need to see?!), nor does it include dental insurance (because who the heck needs teeth?!). I pay extra for both of those.

If this meant that I could waltz into any doctor's office and have all sorts of tests done, etc, that would be great, but that is not how the system functions. First, I have to make sure the doctor is "in network," meaning that this specific doctor works with my insurance company. Going "out of network" can have expensive consequences. Second, the insurance company has a complex chart that lays out what they cover, what they don't, what I will have to pay, and what I might need to pay. For example, to go see a doctor costs me $15 up front at the doctor's office. (Some insurance companies structure it so that seeing a generalist, such as a pediatrician, internist or ob-gyn, costs a smaller amount, say $20, while seeing a specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist costs a larger sum, such as $40.) However, if the doctor says - you need to have that x-rayed, you need blood work, etc., that's where it can get tricky and expensive. Again, I typically need to find out whether that will be "in network," then I hold my breath and hope it doesn't get too expensive.

Time for a flu shot! Luckily, the place I work provides them.

Each year I have to satisfy a "deductible." This is a sum that I need to cover for anything beyond a simple doctor's visit. Let's say I see a doctor at the beginning of the year. That will cost me $15, and will not count toward my deductible. However, during the appointment the doctor is concerned enough that she wishes for me to have Tests A, B and C. After these test have been performed and the claims processed by the insurance company, I receive an "explanation of benefits" from my insurance company. This document explains the following:

• The "cost" of Test A is $200, but the rate negotiated between the doctor and insurance company is $70, so that is the amount I will have to pay.
• Test B "costs" $130, the negotiated rate is $65.
• Test C "costs" $94, the negotiated rate is $12.

Adding up the 70 + 65 + 12 = $147, and that amount has gone towards "satisfying my deductible." In other words, I have not yet reached my deductible. However, if I then sprain my ankle, and get it x-rayed and the amount I have to pay for the x-ray is $110, then (by adding the $110 to $147 for a total of $257), I have reached my deductible. Then, for the rest of the year any test will cost me 20% of the negotiated rate. Let's say, a test "costs" $400, the negotiated rate is $139, so the amount I owe is $27.80 (i.e. 20% of the $139).

Confused yet?!? Yes, pity the person who has many health problems, or who is in a serious accident, or has suffers from anything serious such as cancer. I have seen massive piles or files of papers - explanation of benefits, bills, reminders, etc - on the desks and kitchen tables of such people.

As you can see, health insurance and health care are quite confusing in the U.S., and it can be argued that it rates rather high as a stressor for quite a few people. As a matter of fact, a disturbingly high percentage (around 20% from what I've read) of personal bankruptcies in this country are caused by medical bills. While the United States is wonderful in regards to many factors, the cost and complexity of health care is not one of those.