Hospital Design/病院のデザイン

一昨日、健康検査を受ける為に、近くに有る台南病院に行って来た。「台南病院」と言う看板がもし無かったら、俺は本当に病院がどこに有るか分からんやったかも！見た目は全然アメリカ人の俺の「病院」のイメージに合っとらんけん。凄く中華風に成っとる！
また、中に入って、地図ば見たら、中華医療部も有ると気付いた。（「中華医療」は俺が考えた訳し方。漢方薬とか、針療法とか、昔から中華系の人が使っとる治療法を指しとる。正確な日本語の名前分からん。）台湾ではこの中華医療は一般人にだけじゃなくて、政府にも認められとる。病院にこう言う専門家も居るし、国民保険もカバーして呉れる。
その時、俺台湾に居るなぁ、とめっちゃ感じた。
The photo above is of Tainan Hospital.  I had to go there the other day for a health check that is part of applying for a resident visa.  I wasn't sure where the hospital was, and I probably wouldn't have found it if not for the signs.  The architectural style doesn't mesh with my preconceived notions of what a hospital should look like at all, so I totally overlooked the giant building at first when I was still on the road in front of it.  I had to literally follow the signs to the front door before I realized, "Oh, this is the hospital!"
While I was inside I noticed something else interesting too.  On the map of the hospital, along with the x-ray department, and the internal medicine department, etc, there was also a "Chinese Medicine Department".  Traditional Chinese medicine is still widely practiced in Taiwan, and it's such a part of the society here that hospitals will have a section devoted to it, and the national health insurance will cover the costs for it the same as any other medical care.
Visiting this hospital gave me a bit of a "I'm not in Kansas anymore" moment.