4th writing - A proposal for the re-opening of operating theatres in Catalonia

Due to the economical situation, the government of Catalonia has taken some resolutions that I consider clearly wrong, especially those that concern health and education. The reduction in budget are affecting now essential services in a great number of hospitals, through the closing of rooms and operating theatres, and in primary care centres, in which the A&E departments are being closed at nights.

The government must do actions to improve the efficiency in public service, but neither decrease medical attention nor the human resources in education. In these activities related to health, doctors, nurses and other experts in sanitary specialities who have put forward proposals to ameliorate, which the government has not taken in consideration.

Whereas the health sector proposes a better control over the expenses in pharmacy, shifts and organisation in the hospital staff, the government has taken decisions about removing inheritance taxes that are only paid by the richest part of the population, who are the owners of huge properties and enormous amounts of money. Only the amount of these taxes in 2010 was estimated over 400 million €, which approximately is half the deficit in the health budget. I strongly believe that this is a political decision that should be changed because never have I heard of people dying because of a lack of operating theatres.

The Catalan government must reconsider their decisions, taking care of the importance of public health and they need to study carefully the best options to amend this mistake that can cost human lives.

3rd writing - The best holidays I have ever had

I waited for the train departure from Sants station, at the age of 22, a heavy backpack, my Interrail ticket, a youth hostel book and my savings for doing a whole month travel around Europe.

New York, London, Edinburgh, Paris, Athens, Istanbul...are wonderful cities that I have visited with my family, all of them astonishing experiences and each of them different. You can learn so much travelling with your family or friends, and talking with anybody that you meet throughout your holidays. Nonetheless I want to explain my first trip alone, which was for me an unforgettable event and a lesson about diversity, respect, customs, variety of traditions and indescriptible foods. Every country has its own personality, interesting sightseeing places and its peculiar style to receive foreigners.

I traveled on my own for the first time, after almost eight years without more than a fortnight of break every August. I felt a little fear, although I was totally decided to make a trip which I would keep on my mind for all my life.

My first destination was Paris, in the “Cité Internationale Universitaire”, a nice city and a great encounter with the kindest group of Moroccan students, who gave me a particular point of view about the peculiar character of French citizens. The second stop in Germany visiting my father’s family in Alsdorf, where I met a lot of their Spanish friends and remembered traditions, culture as well as Spanish food. They still felt homesick after being in Germany for more than thirty years. I also went to Munich and stayed some days in a youth hostel, where I realized that German people are not as square-headed as some people say about them.

The trip between Germany and the old Yugoslavia made me feel apprehension because of the continuous verification inside the train, not done by the ticket inspector but by soldiers. Having arrived in Sophie for discovering some interesting places like its magnificent cathedral, and the fighters for Albanian rights, which was the reason for the constant train checking. I am fond of saying that I have seen Split and Dubrovnik before the destruction of the war and I enjoyed the walk within its walls and its delightful beaches.

The next country was Greece and I went first to Thessalonica and Athens afterwards. Having reached the Parthenon, I felt overwhelmed by the majesty of its structure, with a splendid sight of a hospitable capital that reminded the history of Ancient Greece. I have loved Greece since then and I return on every occasion I have. Here I coincided with a bunch of Spanish people doing the same as me, but travelling in groups of four or more. They insisted on me joining their troupe, nevertheless they had different plans from mine and I continued alone, taking pleasure in my freedom. I travelled along all this country to catch a boat in Patras on my way to Italy, which I crossed from south to north, passing through Rome and Venice and going to visit an amazing place, Garda Lake. The last places I went to before coming back to Barcelona were Montecarlo and Nice, a bit stressful and crowded with beach tourism.

A truly pleasant trip, full of contrast and sensations, short in time for my pleasure but interesting enough to give me an open mind in front of the new situations which were approaching my oncoming. The next year, in summer, I would be married.