Your Culture

Lagoon in Icelnad

This picture encapsulates so much of the Icelandic culture. Swimming pools and lagoons are one of the biggest parts of Icelandic culture. We believe that being in the water and frequently going to hot tubs, cold tubs, steam rooms, and saunas promotes health and well-being, making this a huge part of Icelandic culture. This picture also captures how important nature is to us and how we incorporate it into the architecture of our buildings and facilities like this one. Moreover, this illustrates the simplistic and minimalistic style that is very popular in Nordic and Scandinavian cultures. To me, you can almost feel the peaceful atmosphere and vibrant yet calming energy of this place and Iceland just by looking at the photo, which is why I chose it. 

Culture Variance

Northern Lights in Iceland

The photo is supposed to highlight the pollution in London and the US, compared to Iceland. Moreover, it is supposed to highlight the difference in priorities and values, as Icelanders highly value preserving and protecting the outdoors and nature, as it is a huge part of the culture here. This was taken at a place called the bubble hotel, where you sleep in a clear bubble with no locks on the door. There is no one there, so it's completely safe, but you could never have this set up in any other place in the world, both because of safety reasons and how un-polluted the area is. When I was falling asleep, I thought to myself that maybe someone would brake in, but then I realized I'd just watched too many American horror movies over the years and went to sleep. 

Health in London

Bike on the street

The photo illustrates that the main mode of transportation here in London is not cars, which is very different from the US. Because of the infrastructure in London, people are able to get to most, if not all, places by walking, biking, or taking the train or bus, which promotes their overall health. Furthermore, this also promotes environmental health, which in turn promotes our health because we need to have a safe and healthy environment to live in for us to be healthy. 

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Health Protection Item

Rose garden

I believe that having dedicated beautiful spaces with flowers and greenery promotes and protects the health of the country's citizens. It promotes mental health by having a space for the people to enjoy and relax in as flowers and nature have a very relaxing and calming effect on people, and also physical health and walking through the garden a couple of times is a very healthy thing to do. Placing gardens such as these in communities also provides the community members with a common area to explore and enjoy walking around in. 

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Diversity

Crosswalk light at Trafalgar Square

This photo was taken of a crosswalk light at Trafalgar Square that had multi-gender symbols on the lights instead of typical people on the crosswalk sign. This started as part of London Pride a couple of years ago, but they decided to keep it since it was located as such a famous spot and made people feel included and welcome in London, regardless of their gender. This is such a clever way of highlighting the diversity in London, and is also used in other places around the world to incorporate the values of each place into the visible environment.

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Healing

Fitness studio in London

This image highlights how people in London are concerned with healing their bodies and the environment at the same time. Connecting to nature and the environment can be a very spiritual experience and promote healing. Therefore, I believe that this fitness studio is intending to help people connect to nature and work out at the same as a form of healing and maintaining health. Moreover, if the environment we live in is bad, this has detrimental effects on health, and therefore, healing. I believe more companies should adopt this strategy of connecting their work to nature in order to help the planet and the people living on it have healthier lives.

Modern Healthcare in Paris

Medication prescribed in Paris

This image speaks to me about modern healthcare in Paris because this is a bag of the medications that I was prescribed at the clinic and hospital in Paris. One of the medications I was prescribed highlighted how language barriers can negatively impact healthcare, as I was prescribed the French version of the same allergy medication I was already taking. Had there been no language barriers, or even just a translator present, the physician would have understood that these were the exact same medications with the same active ingredients, just from different brands. Had this happened, I would not have had to go to the doctor again the next day to get appropriate medication for my allergies. 

Health Communication

Doctor's notes and prescription at Paris Hospital

This picture highlights the exclusive use of French in the French healthcare systems, even when assisting foreigners. These directions were not understandable to me as someone who does not speak French. Moreover, no one at the hospital spoke any English. This picture also highlights that the lack of a translater at the hospital can result in poor decision making by prescribing a medication to the patient that they are already taking, which results in the patient's needing to come back and spending multiple hours at the hospital, which is not good for the patient or the provider. 

Health Practices

The foyer of Doctor's apartment in France

This photo highlights the variance in the facilities of clinics between the US and France. Moreover, the informal facility in France also speaks to the difference in healthcare practices in regard to the interactions between the provider and patient. I found the english speaking doctor that I went to in Paris to be much more informal and personal than the experience I have had with doctors in the US, and this photo is taken of the foyer of her apartment that I walked through when going into her doctor's office, which is located in her apartment. It is very unusual to go to a doctor's home in the US, and I believe that this personal approach to healthcare influences the healthcare practices for the people in France and in how the person is viewed more holistically than in the US, where there is much more of a "cure" approach to illness in healthcare.