Just discovered this notice in our Oberursel paper, published 9 June 2011:

- Starting 1 June 2011 -

If you need emergency dental care, then contact the Notfallvertretungsdienst for Hessen at 01805 – 60 70 11.

You no longer have to go through your dentist to find out what on-call dentist is available in an emergency.

Calling this number will give you the nearest dental emergency clinic operating in your area.

The Netherlands is known for their relaxed public attitude in regards to drugs and prostitution. Another example of its liberal approach to weaknesses (or just human traits) is set by the clinic, Centrum Maliebaan, in Amersfoort, which is the first European institution to offer a Canadian beer therapy  for curing alcoholism.

At the moment, 19 patients are being treated and each one gets to drink up to five liters of beer a day. The clinic’s psychiatrist, Eugene Schotten, refers to this treatment as controlled drinking. Patients have to wait one hour before drinking another half a liter of beer. The purpose for this scheduled drinking is to stretch the alcohol intake, thereby keeping the patients from getting drunk.

This program is intented for patients with severe alcoholism, such as the ones gulping down a bottle of Martini or Port before breakfast.

With this controlled drinking, patients keep their blood alcohol at a constant low level. This enables them to be seen by the doctor, by the psychiatrist, they can shower on their own, and behaviour is at a normal rate. To reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms, their diet is supplemented with vitamins and medication.

At first, clinic staff found it hard to get used to this new form of treatment. But success in the treatment has been noted – patients start drinking less and their physical wellbeing improves.

Personally, I believe this might work. People, addicted to hard liquor, might find beer an easier companian to live with. Of course, this is coming from a German who grew with beer. Look at the German Biergarten in summer time filled with beer drinkers, as early as noon time. Some might chuck down a few liters a day.

In the early 80s, while while working for one of the major steel industrial companies in Germany, I noted many men stopping by the beer vending machine (there was one on each floor) just before we started work. I usually got to the office a bit before 7 a.m.  While I was craving another cup of coffee, some guys wanted their first bottle of beer. I remember asking my boss about this, stating I could not work if I had beer that early in the morning. He just replied, “Frau…. , they could not work WITHOUT beer that early in the morning.”   So they did work, the beer did its job, and the company was doing well. Maybe these guys practised controlled drinking as well and limited their intake to, say, five bottles a day.

To some people , drinking up to 5 liters of beer a day might seem horrendous, to others it might seem like a holiday (go to the Oktoberfest in Munich), and to the rest, drinking this much might seem like a cure for alcoholism. It all depends on your chemical balance and drinking culture.

The German post can be read on Mit der Bier-Therapie gegen die Alkoholsucht

Our family had to take separate vacations this year. While my husband and son went to Sardinia, our daughter and I opted for a completely different type of vacation.

Theirs, on Sardinia, is in a self-catering vacation apartment. To get around the island, my husband booked a rental car.

Margo and I enjoy All-inclusive this year, with a paid driver on the side.

On Sardinia, the temperature is a decent 27° (80 F). Where we are, the temp is hovering at 35° (95 F) for today, with 38° C – 40°C (100 F – 104 F) in the forecast for tomorrow. We have a nice view onto a beautiful park stacked with flowers and lounge chairs. There is an in-door pool and we are getting spoiled by room service versus the regular line-up at the buffet.

The staff is very kind and it makes me wonder if they had to go through a U.S. American customer-service training. We are being greeted every time we step in and out of the elevator. Doors are being held open for us. Special requests are delivered promptly.

And – I have never met so many men in my life. This place is just swarming with guys, suntanned from their extended stays. Margo has her own room boy, who takes her out for leisurely strolls.

In the hallway, there is a special room with only an ice-machine in it. We can help ourselves to ice at any time!

The other guests are extremely nice and kind, too. We open each others doors  as the staff is setting a supreme example. Meeting new guests is made very easy and we freely talk about how we ended up in this location.

We arrived by car. Special guests arrive by helicopter.

80% of the guests are male, ranging from young men to senior citizens. Everybody is so kind and helpful – I doubt it could be any better in a 5-star hotel.

Curious now  where we are spending our vacation?

We are having a lovely time at the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik (BGU) a.k.a. Workmen’s Emergency Clinic in Frankfurt.

Due to our daughter’s injury at school three days before the planned family holiday, we ended up here.

By the way, her knee surgery (avulsion fracture, torn ligaments) went well and we just learned we are booked for another five days with the ever remaining option for another extension.