We started class with the first current event presentations for the quarter. The topics covered included loneliness, caretakers’ stress, and driving as elders. The question that got me thinking the most is deciding what age is too old to drive. This question arose from recent news of the UK’s Prince Philip, who is 97, getting into a car accident.
Setting the rules for when someone has to give their license is extremely difficult since driving often represents freedom for nearly all of us. This didn’t apply to my family’s life as much since I am from San Francisco, where the public transportation is amazing compared to other cities. In S.F., there are bus stops everywhere and buses come frequently, so it’s easy to go to any corner of the city. However, after coming to San Diego, I realize how isolating it can feel to not have a car. A 13 minute drive may translate to an hour bus ride. Now, I can see how important it is for a city to provide reliable public transportation or other ride services to its residents.
This reminded me of my travels to Asia (specifically Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Singapore) where the public transportation system in big cities are spot on with providing frequent and extensive services. In Seoul and Tokyo, a majority of the population rely on public transportation, and it was evident whenever I hopped on the subway. There was a mix of the elderly population going to the market and the younger adults heading to work. The subway maps are easy to read, and there are many exits to take people closer to their destination. I truly miss Asia’s subway systems because of their efficiency, and I often wonder why American cities cannot offer the same.
For the rest of class, we discussed the Neighborhood Assessment Projects (NAPs), individual and group Healthy Aging Projects (HAPs), and book presentations. After a few weeks of confusion, I was glad to finally get clarification on the specifics of these projects and get started on them. My group is analyzing Barrio Logan for the NAP, and I’m excited to get to know this area that’s full of history and culture. Overall, it was really overwhelming to hear about all our projects at once today, but I’m confident that every one of us will pull through and do so well!
Setting the rules for when someone has to give their license is extremely difficult since driving often represents freedom for nearly all of us. This didn’t apply to my family’s life as much since I am from San Francisco, where the public transportation is amazing compared to other cities. In S.F., there are bus stops everywhere and buses come frequently, so it’s easy to go to any corner of the city. However, after coming to San Diego, I realize how isolating it can feel to not have a car. A 13 minute drive may translate to an hour bus ride. Now, I can see how important it is for a city to provide reliable public transportation or other ride services to its residents.
This reminded me of my travels to Asia (specifically Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Singapore) where the public transportation system in big cities are spot on with providing frequent and extensive services. In Seoul and Tokyo, a majority of the population rely on public transportation, and it was evident whenever I hopped on the subway. There was a mix of the elderly population going to the market and the younger adults heading to work. The subway maps are easy to read, and there are many exits to take people closer to their destination. I truly miss Asia’s subway systems because of their efficiency, and I often wonder why American cities cannot offer the same.
For the rest of class, we discussed the Neighborhood Assessment Projects (NAPs), individual and group Healthy Aging Projects (HAPs), and book presentations. After a few weeks of confusion, I was glad to finally get clarification on the specifics of these projects and get started on them. My group is analyzing Barrio Logan for the NAP, and I’m excited to get to know this area that’s full of history and culture. Overall, it was really overwhelming to hear about all our projects at once today, but I’m confident that every one of us will pull through and do so well!