Never A Change

      You should understand something about New York City.  Throughout nearly all of its history, NYC did not care about anything other than making money (for itself).  Starting in the 1810s, NYC's miserly figure of Mr. Astor--and his money-grubbing son--were the skinflint personifications of Ebenezer Scrooge.  

     There have been global wars, pandemics, international bankruptcies, and financial depressions (with worldwide impact but begun in NYC), yet nothing stops NYC from hoarding money and not caring about anything else.  Repeatedly, the city falls into disrepair and depravity, until unwitting benefactors pay extra (in addition to their exorbitant taxes) to improve things... temporarily.  

     During the COVID pandemic, the rulers of the city "sat on their money" and did the least to help.  NYC performed the worst in the entire world.  Regarding preparations, precautions, containment, cleanliness, readiness, responsiveness, and results, NYC was worse than any city on the globe.  Yet, it is the wealthiest city in the United States of America.  

     NYC did not care about the pandemic until people stopped vacationing in the city... and tenants started vacating it.  

     Then, the city reverted to its old, unchanged methods of pretending to fix things--by adding some new paint over the crumbling mess--and making "empty promises" to lure people.  (In his 1906 exposé novel, Upton Sinclair, describes those misleading paint-jobs).  It's been a long time since NYC had a reputation as an intellectual center of civilized society.  Typically, the city relies on gullible visitors and uneducated immigrants from third-world countries.  Therefore, when their lies didn't achieve results, the city offered incentives for people to come back and live amidst its filth and crumbling infrastructure.  However, one thing NYC will never try is making itself more affordable to live in.  Greed prevents that.  

     NYC remains the most expensive city to live in--more than any city in the world.  It is also the crappiest and lousiest to waste your time in.  Here is a quote from The Atlantic Monthly in 1902: "Through filthy streets crowded with noisy dirty urchins, it loomed up as a dark blot upon the blue sky.  Rows of tumble-down homes, disused carts, piles of rubbish, rags, and litter--among which the children played..."  Look at modern-day photos and tell me if the scene improved?

Due to a lack of improvements, rusty fire-escapes cover the fronts and backs of most buildings... like a prison facade. 

More unsightly--and also due to poor infrastructure--the city's buildings are capped with water tanks.  

So you see those things in Paris, Amsterdam, London, or Madrid?  Yet, NYC costs more to live in.

This is what spineless politicians lie about and claim...

Watch these short videos for a gist of how things are...

The video above mentions NYC's notoriously corrupt Voting Board... which partly explains why improvements don't happen. This video illustrates how that system existed since the 1869 era of NYC's infamous Boss Tweed (who overran the city via Tammany Hall).

     Coming from NYC (and infected with its mentality of greedy landlords), the President and his wife personified a typical uncaring when they dealt with national crisises.

Hence, people with good ideas (and ideals) fail in NYC.

     Please watch these short videos...

     Since 1852, NYC hated to spend money to improve itself, and its greedy/cheap landlords built things and let them deteriorate thereafter.  Employers illegally mistreated employees.  Everyone's arrogant attitude was "If you don't like it, you can leave, and plenty of people will replace you."  So, NYC was never truly upgraded, yet its prices surged regularly.  

     Now, people don't have to live there for their careers, and social media (especially during the pandemic) proved how loathsome and disgusting the entire city is.  With brainless repetition of old strategies, NYC will prop-up another season of geriatric Sex And The City as And Just Like That... 

....but it won't coerce and mesmerize people as it did before.  (The second season lost 59% of viewers).  

*Learn more about the media's "funneling scheme" here:

https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-funnel-to-nyc.html

     Even Mexicans don't want to immigrate to New York anymore.  NYC will probably try to lure gullible refugees.  That has always been its attitude: uncaring about people...

...but relying on gullible people to toil through their lives to support outrageous overpricing for third-world standards.

     100 years ago, the American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, wrote in New York City, and his words can easily be redone to describe the city.  "It was uncaring.  It smashed up things and people, and then retreated back into its money and vast carelessness, and let other people clean up the mess it made."

Smart people will avoid that type of place as if it had a plague.

We Got In!

     I begin this blog entry with that phrase because it is French for "We are leaving".  Zipping around the planet, Lewis and I fell in love with European culture.  Our passion for travel began early.  I was 17 years-old during my first trip out of the country.  Lewis was 6 for his!  The ambience and heritage that we experiences changed our perspectives on life.  After returning to America and trying to live the hugely-advertised "American Dream", we realized more and more that our values belonged in Europe.  He and I met 13 years ago, and our trips abroad were something that we shared in common.  

     By chance, we met a gentleman in Germany who helped us discover the beauty of Czechia.  (Circumstances and the people you meet on your journeys have a big part in your dreams coming true).  Chance became choice when we wanted to improve our lives through relocation.  We chose Czechia's capital, which is pleasantly populated with plenty of expats and immigrants.  By then, we had already visited 20+ European communities, but we knew that we wanted to live in Prague.  We were impressed with so much--especially the upstanding people, their sensible perspectives, and their successful ways of living.  Lewis and I were thrilled with Czech culture, customs, and festivity, and its centralized location and affordability will make our passion for travel thrive.  Exploring Prague, we ventured to several districts, and we continually said, "Whatever this is, we want more!"  

     We overcame the requisite hurdles (job interviews, notaries, translations, processing by the Consulate, and funds), but our longstanding vigilance for relocation made us ready.  Our patience was certainly tested while we waited for the Czech and American bureaucracies to approve our relocation.  "Patience is a virtue", and Lewis and I are virtuous in many ways.

     You must have "a dream": an aspiration.  Be passionate about it, and take action (with integrity) for whatever is needed to make it happen.  Every day, do something that advances or nurtures your goals.  Your endeavors will cause the universe to move favorably for you, and all types of circumstances will occur (that you could not foresee or imagine), and things will allow you to move confidently toward your goals.

     During our 3-month wait, the banker and realtor whom we met in Prague in February contacted us to follow-up with our status and to wish us luck.  They were aware of how slow the Czech government can be.  Our employer in Prague messaged us weekly to provide encouragement, and our video-calls were important reaffirmations.  Collectively, everyone assured us that we were desired in their culture.  It was satisfying for us to know that our endeavors made a positive impact in their opinions of us, and they rooted for us to succeed and join their community.  

     Our soon-to-be boss told the Czech Visa Officer that Lewis and I are rarities because we have highly-accomplished careers at several high-profile companies (with excellent training programs), yet we want to work for less income in Europe because we value its Life-Work Balance.  Our references also wowed our new boss, and the fact that he hired us as a couple was lucky for him!  (It cut his hiring process in half and filled both vacancies instantly).  Our willingness to relocate allowed us to be chosen for new careers in a miraculous culture.  Please watch this short video that personifies our happiness...

     Lewis and I treasured the memory of how we impressed our boss.  He was delighted with our authenticity to his questions and our optimistic openness to life in Europe.  Growing up in New York, we interacted with people from all over the world, which is a greater accomplishment than most Americans.  (200 languages are spoken in New York City, and it is an inclusive metropolis).  More than that, we respect other cultures... and that differs from intolerant Americans who appear ranting online.  Regularly, we eat internationally.  NYC is a smorgasbord of ethnic cuisine and heritage.  We always impressed friends, neighbors, and colleagues with our open-mindedness.  We built-up credibility with them.  When he contacted them as references for us, they also praised our professionalism.  We produce results with high quality and ahead of deadlines... often without supervision.  We keep our promises, and we are punctual for commitments.  Therefore, simply being ourselves won steadfast friends who were glad to recommend us for new careers abroad.

*If you want a metaphor to understand why Lewis and I knew to leave America's labor market, please use this link:

https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2015/02/inside-knowledge.html

     New logistical objectives require our attention, but we will "live in the moment" to uncork champagne and celebrate the start of our lives in "the heart of Europe".

      We are excited to escape America's captivity.  

We are excited to live to our fullest potentials.