Monday, April 10, 2006

Finding a Dentist

Have been having some problems with my ISP hence the gap.

I'll have a longer post later, but just a quick word about the perils of foreign.

It's the first week of April and it is still snowing each day! At least, though, there is sunshine, but a piece of advice for those who don't know. British sunshine is no guarantee of warmth! You can see it ( occasionaly!) but you very often can't feel it - kind of like the British smile - but that's another story.

Anyway, I've been in Leeds for over a year and haven't been able to get registered at a dentist. The trouble is there's a shortage of NHS dentists (i.e. the ones you don't have to pay again to use) and so most people have to go private which means they pay twice, once by way of taxes to keep the NHS in business and again to the private dentist.

Now the government has forced through a new contract on dentists which they are not happy with and so finding an NHS dentist is nigh impossible.

I finally got through with the dentist down the street from me - they have put me on a four week waiting list to register - I'm very very lucky!

Speaking of the British government - they've changed the immigration laws again. Another time I'll tell you about the fiasco of their last raft of changes which has screwed up my wedding plans, probably forever -but for now, they've decided to institute a points systems, like the one they have in Australia. So now only if you fit certain criteria will you be allowed in, and those criteria are qualifications and high level skills. If you aren't highly skilled you have less of a chance getting in, which seems quite stupid to me. The majority of the people doing what I call core services and what the Brits call 'I ain't cleaning up someone's s*** for £5.50 and hour! I'll sit on my arse and collect benefits!' are immigrants who are not 'skilled.' What happens when they aren't allowed in?

Seymour said the other day he wished he could ask all immigrants and children of immigrants to go on strike just for one day to let the nation see how much they contribute. I pointed out that it would be inhumane to do so as people would most certainly die (all those doctors and nurses) - and dentists come to think of it!

Bye for now.

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