DH and I went to Thailand many years ago before kids, and I found the people to be gouging us everywhere we go. I know this happens a lot to foreigners in 3rd world countries, but here I thought they were downright abusive and threatening. For example, I bought a little too much souvenirs and needed to buy a carry-on bag/backpack. The 1st shop we went into the woman got mad at us for not buying, and when I handed the bag back to her, she pinched my arm so hard it was red for hours afterwards! Also, the driver we hired for one day to tour the major sites tried to charge us some outrageous amount at the end of the day. I forgot the exact amounts, but maybe $500 for an original quote of $200? He threatened to call the police on us. Luckily the hotel staff stepped in as mediators and we settle for midway between his original quote and the new made-up amount. After that trip, I said never again.
On the other hand, I had a fantastic time in Ireland. I spent most of the time up and down the southern and western coast. The people were friendly, scenery and countryside were beautiful; I can't wait to go back!
I have a love/hate relationship with Kaiser. I hate the administration / billing side. They nickle and dime everywhere (but that could be all plans?). I think it also depends on what your particular employer signs up for. Both DH and I have Kaiser as an option, but when I was pricing out our oop costs based on what we know we'll need, his plan was significantly cheaper.
I absolutely love the care team at our Kaiser. The labor & delivery department is outstanding. If you're thinking about that for the near future, we did tours of various hospitals prior to selecting our plan. Most hospitals have tours of their L&D rooms. Friends of ours expecting at the same time chose Stanford for the name, and didn't realize their L&D rooms were shared! Having a private room was non-negotiable to me.
I can also credit my DD's life to the pediatrics team here. She was diagnosed with a rare immune disorder in May, after having a fever for 7 straight days with meds not helping. They immediately hospitalized her, and gave her IV antibiotics. If not treated within 2 weeks, her risk of a heart attack increases to 90%. All of her follow up care has been outstanding. We just feel blessed that they took action quick rather than dragged out office visits or "waited and see."