At Home Doctor: When I told my older brother that I was moving to France, he warned that I might not be able to get quality medical care. Even though I confidently assured him otherwise, I was privately concerned. I needn’t have worried. Despite my best intentions to experience a carefree entry into French life, I’ve endured a series of medical problems and misadventures requiring a doctor’s care. In five months, I’ve tested almost all aspects of the French medical care system. Following this unplanned survey, my conclusion is that my medical care in France is superior to that in

French Phone Numbers With the help of my son, Expresso, I set up an international bank account when I moved to France. Money is automatically sent—in dollars—from an account in the United States to an account in England. Whenever I need money in France, I arrange to have the dollars transferred and converted into euros. (The current exchange rate, by the way, is not so good: one dollar is discounted to eighty-eight euro cents.) In addition, the international bank issued me a debit card so I could make purchases in France from my euro account. The only problem is that

Risk To Take In Life: I first heard the term self-efficacy when Linda, an elderly guest at my home in Nevada City, described her unwavering confidence in her future. I found her outlook puzzling since she’d spent the better part of the prior year in a rehab hospital due to a random accident. Linda was hiking when a speeding bicyclist came around a blind bend, lost control of his bike, and ran her down. The rider was bruised and scratched but otherwise in one piece. Linda, however, suffered a concussion, cracked ribs, deep bruising, and a broken leg. Her injuries