For a different perspective, we sat at an elevated booth, with a tall bouquet on our table and a nice view for "people-watching".
We ate omelets, sausages, roasted broccoli with mushrooms, toasted rye bread with creamy butter, freshly-squeezed OJ, and a ginger infusion. Lewis got pancakes from the griddle and he drizzled maple syrup on them. We also had yogurt with berries.
While Lewis packed our suitcases, I wanted to try the coffeeshop recommendation from the friendly fellow at Statholdergaarden, so I headed to Fuglen Espresso House. It was a pleasant walk.
Seen above, the sleek office building has the National Authority for Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime. Veering left, I passed the Embassy of Georgia and arrived at the corner of University Street. The coffeeshop is within an office building. Its name is the Norwegian word for "bird", so that explains its logo.
The chic interior is reminiscent of the 1960s because the company was established in the capital in 1963. The woodsy parts are equally evocative of a Scandinavian aesthetic. (In 2014, they opened shops in Japan and are hugely popular).
Despite the early hour, the baristas mixed cocktails, too.
I paid 36 crowns for one of their well-regarded espressos. Organic "Danche" beans from Ethiopia (in the Horn of Africa) were ground, measured, and tamped for my perfect drink. (They never mix beans). The tasty beans were grown under semi-forested shade at an elevation of 2,100 meters to produce a citric taste.
Fuglen uses a "Nordic Roasting" method of hot-air, instead of flames; it heats the insides of the beans without burning the exterior (burning makes bitterness). That technique made my mouth happy. :-)
With a sweet smile, the barista asked if I wanted to sit indoors our outdoors, and she volunteered to bring my drink to me. I opted to perch on a stool at the counter, so I could absorb the vibes. Dutifully, she placed a tumbler of water and a coaster by me. Even the cup and saucer were handsome!
The taste was pure, rich, and bright! I loved it!
I rendezvoused with Lewis outside our hotel, where he admired the horses of the mounted police.
Then we began our excursion! The clean and reliable Metro whooshed us to the borough of Gamle (it means Old Oslo) and into a historic neighborhood named Kampen. If you want to experience quaint curvy streets lined with old wooden houses, go there. (Gamle has the oldest parts of the city from the year 1000, and many places are preserved from the 1700s). Helpfully, Metro signs are printed in Norwegian and English, and they tell you the direction of trains.
We also admired the walls of the subway walkways because their mosaic artwork "changes colors" as you walk through each passageway. Please enjoy Lewis' video of it...
Every time we used the Metro, we loved the cleanliness!
Within moments, a reliable train sped into the station, we got aboard, and it zoomed onward. No delays. We got to Kampen within mere minutes!
The area began as two farms: Bergsløkken and Ladegård. Many historic homes were built between 1820 and 1859 (all before America's Civil War).
As you can see above, newer homes are modeled on the historic ones. Walking through a tunnel in a wall brings you to older structures.
Most of the wooden homes in Oslo burned during the Great Fires, but the outskirts and suburbs have them. Amazingly, Kampen is a modern suburb in many ways, yet it preserves its wood houses and keeps them lovingly painted in bright vibrant colors: pink, saffron, cream, scarlet, violet, and baby-blue. Many of them have detailing that Americans call "gingerbread" styling—which are testaments to the woodcutters' craftsmanship.
For New Yorkers like us, it was enchanting to walk amongst street after street of perfectly conserved historic homes. We currently live in Old Astoria, Queens, and it has the most Civil War-era homes in the county: less than 30. Yet, due to NYC's greed and overdevelopment, they are not preserved as landmarks, and one is demolished and bulldozed every year.
A noticeable redbrick structure is Kampen Church, from 1879, which occupies a property that is a traffic roundabout.
That area segues into a contemporary area.
The northwest part of the community is full of buildings from the 1930s: stores, restaurants, apartment houses, and grocers. It is how "Main Street USA" used to look... before corporate commercialization, and Big Box Stores that conglomerates used to bankrupt small-businesses. It's a pretty area.
We lunched gloriously at The Golden Chimp. It opens at 4pm, but they graciously gave us a seat early.
The staff was happy to greet us, and we had time to watch their meticulous preparation for that night. They use prime ingredients (with fair prices) and precise techniques to achieve Chinese flavors.
With mouth-watering anticipation, we were eager to try their cookery! We got a table beside a window, and our Norwegian waiter liked our bag-hooks. He will buy one!
Lewis selected a platter of Soup Dumplings, which they correctly labeled as Xiolongbao. (165 crowns).
We were enraptured with their creation of King Crab Dumplings. Their succulence compelled us to eat another platter! (330 crowns each).
Their authentic recipe of ox tongue dumplings wowed us! (165 crowns).
The cooks prepared a platter of Shrimp & Pork dumplings that was immensely flavorful. (310 crowns). We gladdened our waiter by ordering a second platter!
It was some of the best Chinese food we ate outside of China... and it came from a humble restaurant... operated by white guys. You would never guess that!
Their passion for China's 3,000-year-old culinary history is awesome. Golden Chimp is worth detouring for! Needless to say, they tallied our bill without the option for tips. Our praise seemed enough, and our sincere compliments (regaling them with our trip across China) illuminated their eyes. Their carefully-made recipes will remain as some of the tastiest Chinese food we ever had! And we got it in Norway!
Burning calories, Lewis and I strolled a short distance to Gronland Station for the Metro.
All Metro trains bring you to the Central Station and Stortinget Station, so we hopped aboard the first train that came. We exited at Stortinget.
We napped at our hotel, while the weather cleared from overcast clouds to partially-sunny skies. At dinnertime, we waited at the the National Theatre...
...and boarded the next westbound bus to Inkognitogata. It was our first time using a public bus in Norway; it was dreamy! Unlike the dirty dilapidated ones that we see daily in NYC, Norway's looked sleekly splendid. The drivers are friendly, too.
After days of watching those buses drive past us and barely hearing their superior-modern engines, we were eager to ride in one. Please enjoy my short videos of the super-quiet electric buses in Norway! Amazing technology!...
Yes, a simple pleasure like that excited us... because we currently reside in an uncaring-yet-overpriced city where buses rumble loudly like Soviet-era tanks and lack peacefulness inside them. They sound like this (enjoy my short videos—with the sound on)...
America's richest city resembles a third-world country. Now, listen again to one of Oslo's double-length buses...
That simple comparison speaks volumes of truth.
The heavenly experience of using buses in Oslo is worth mentioning. Buses have futuristic lighting on the doors—similar to sophisticated Asian nations. When doors are opening, they illuminate "green", and they turn "red" before they will close.
If the doors are closed, you press a button that opens them. Another button activates a retractable ramp for handicap passengers or baby carriages.
Inside, the lighting is stylishly subdued with a bluish hue.
As a bonus, all buses are equipped with e-charging sockets... which America's wealthiest city lacks in most of its buses.
The buses that we saw and rode were all very clean. No smeared windows, stained seats, or scuffed walls. No smudges on the plexiglass dividers, and no food was discarded/spilled. Lewis said that the floors of the city's buses were cleaner than any he saw during 40+ years in NYC! Yes, Oslo is very clean, and a clean city seems miraculous for people from America.
Being inside Oslo's buses was so quiet that it was unbelievable, so I recorded a video of it! Please enjoy my short video, and turn on the sound...
It's as quiet as a Rolls Royce! Wow! Additionally, the bus didn't jostle, bounce, or bump; it rode on the road smoothly. Such a luxury was a true highlight of our day!
Getting off the bus, Lewis noticed a vintage phone booth that was conserved and repurposed as a public-use Lending Library. Nifty!
The area is quite pretty—like most of Oslo. Its picturesque buildings gleamed in the ebbing sunshine, and brass stanchions at sidewalk cafes glinted in the light.
We crossed the street to dine at a fabled restaurant named Plah that serves genuine recipes from Thailand (not Americanized or popularized). It opened in 2004, and it remains successful, thanks to Chef Terje Ommundsen. Its achievement of authenticity won a special designation from the King of Thailand.
Plah is the only Thai Select restaurant in Norway. Earning a “Thai Select” designation from the Royal Thai Government proves that the kitchen team uses authentic cooking styles and tried-and-true ingredients: coriander, lemongrass, Thai basil, galanga, tamarind, palm sugar, Nam Pla fish sauce, shrimp paste, and chilies. Those things impart true Thai flavor into every dish. Having a “Select” status certifies that real Thai food is served. Plah was honored when Thailand’s royal seal of approval was upgraded to “Thai Select Premium”—equivalent to 5-stars. The award is proudly displayed in the restaurant. The cooking team is also rightfully boastful of the Michelin Star that was bestowed on the restaurant! Two huge accolades!
Recently, Chef Ommundsen opened an adjoining restaurant named Ahaan, which is among the most popular in the capital. It serves "casual Thai" cuisine. The a la carte menu consists of "small bites" inspired by street vendors in Bangkok, and main courses are designed to be shared "family style". Both restaurants share the same building, but you enter through Ahaan. Standing by the podium, Ahaan's dining room bustled with high-spirited vibes. We decided to eat there! It looks like this...
A fey-looking young man sauntered to the podium: trendy haircut, slim-fitting suit, pierced nose, and manicure. With eloquent diction, the Thai fellow welcomed us... and gushed a compliment at Lewis' bracelets. They chatted briefly about both restaurants, and he was happy to describe them. He inquired if we wanted to begin our night by sipping wine on the terrace? Lewis preferred to sit inside, to enjoy the fun-loving mood. The host ushered us to seats at the window, so we could "people-watch" inside and outside.
The Thai guy returned with a sprightly effervescence and took our drink order: Poire and More and Two Miang.
Lewis perused the menu, and a smiley Norwegian server jotted-down our order: prawn crackers with Nam Prik Plah; Crispy Chicken Skin with their homemade Sri Racha Sauce; and Grass Loaves (seen below).
We shared a portion of grilled squid. Lewis requested a bowl of sticky rice. Next, we had Cha Plu leaf with shrimp and roasted peanuts (100 for two); chive cakes with soy sauce (165 crowns);
Our flaxen-haired waiter astutely refilled our water and cleaned our table between courses. As a main course, I selected a thick fillet of Grilled Turbot, with noodles, herbs, and a piquant seafood sauce. Every forkful was sublime! It was 395 and worth every crown!
Lewis chose a hefty portion of Grilled Fermented Pork-belly with Nam Jiim. Yummy!
Our dining experience cost 1,615 crowns. After dinner, it was such a joy to have a "nice experience" (unlike NYC) to simply leave the restaurant, cross the street, and wait merely two minutes for reliable-and-clean public transportation to take us (without detours or delays) to our destination. We hopped aboard another of Oslo's fantastic buses. It was a treat to ride comfortably and smoothly, without traffic congestion delays, and without beggars trying to sing or do hip-hop dances for money, and without rancid homeless people huddled on the floor or ranting in deranged ways. A simple bus ride made us so happy.
When the doors swooshed closed, the lights dimmed, and it seemed like riding in a limousine.
Osloites have nice things = Happy Society & Life/Work Balance.
In the morning, we perched ourselves on our hotel's balcony and admired the scenery on the street.
It seemed a fine idea to try the coffee at the cafe next to our hotel, so I tried to enter. The door was locked. The shop was due to open within 10 minutes, and most punctual societies have businesses that open at their exact times... not before. Yet, my endearing smile beckoned the barista to let me in early. Wearing perfect makeup, the Asian girl welcomed me to Nio Cafe. I was astonished to realize that it was part of a car showroom for Nio electric vehicles.
Just like with Supreme Roastworks (with Porsche), the car salesmen never bothered the café's customers.
They had an upscale lavatory with aromatic soaps... and hand lotion (as all civilized places should have).
We sat on stools by the window. The smiley barista carried my espresso and cinnamon bun to me. It was a classic Norwegian pastry: Kanelknute, with a mild sweetness and dusted with confectioner's sugar. The drink cost 30 crowns, and the bun cost 48. My espresso had perfect crema (foam)!
Her colleague blended matcha powder for Lewis' cappuccino, and their high-tech "printer" sprayed cinnamon onto it to add "foam art" of a panda bear! That's amazing!
Courteously, we asked when the outdoor tables would be available to use? Without shifting her pleasant smile, the barista said that it would happen momentarily. True enough, two young men appeared and cranked-open the umbrellas and placed cushions on all the chairs.
Enthused to enjoy a peaceful street-side experience, we stepped outside and had a "sidewalk cafe" moment. So nice.
No traffic congestion, blaring horns, ear-splitting sirens, "road rage" of aggressive driving, or motorbikes on the sidewalk. There was only deliciousness and peacefulness.
That morning, we joined a Free Guided Tour of the City Hall. (They are free during the summer, with three per day). The roof is unmistakable from its matching towers.
Oslo's City Hall contains the Nordic region’s largest carillon tower. Every hour between 7am and midnight, all through the year, Osloites hear a delightful diverse playlist, ranging from classical to pop music. That’s wonderful! 49 bells dangle in the east tower. The heaviest weighs 4,000 kilograms; the smallest is merely 14 kg. Most of the time, it is operated by automation, but it has a carillonneur named Laura-Marie Rueslatten who performs on Sundays at 15:00 during the summer months.
In fact, its webpage announced the playlist to be used from June until September: a short song for each hour. Alas, nobody indicated the the bell tower was silenced due to restoration construction. That indignant omission—uncaring to hundreds of visitors—reminded us of both of our trips to London when Big Ben and the bells in the Elizabeth Tower were silence for delayed restoration. (When the Queen died, the month after our visit, they hurried to get the bells functional for her funerary procession).
I'm not sure if your City Hall has pretty gardens, but Oslo's has splendid flowerbeds and boxwood hedges.
While we were there, we saw groups of school children gathering for a football (only America calls it soccer) event. It's nice that government buildings are approachable for the citizenry. That doesn't happen in New York.
The Art Moderne exterior is festooned with friezes, and statues (more bare-breasted women) are "sprinkled" around the property.
It has many fountains—evocative of Versailles.
Under the awnings of a colonnade, Lewis and I ogled intricately carved-and-painted wooden friezes that exuded an Old Norse flair. One features the Norse god, Odin!
Medieval vibes seem incomplete without a dragon, so we were certain that we'd find one!
There is another frieze of a knight slaying a dragon that is by the main entrance.
On the west facade, a stone relief by Anne Grimdalen in 1950 depicts King Harald Hardrådes on horseback. It seems apropos that the City Hall "in the heart of Norway" honors the city's founder.
Born in the mountains in 1899, Anne was a main contributor to the ornamentation of Oslo City Hall, which is remarkable of equality because 1950s America (the so-called "Land of the Free") was dominated by women being compelled out of workplaces and into outdated corsets and kitchen-duties.
Marianne Borgen has been the Mayor of Oslo since 2015. She is a native Osloite. She does things in an Osloian way.
As seen above, part of her mayoral outfit is a fealty chain. They are prevalent in Europe, but Norway was inspired by the ones used in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1808. All Norwegian mayors wear them, and they are individualized for each city.
Evidently, a tradition-minded city—that is home to a monarchy—welcomed a female mayor, but New York City—which pretends to be trendy and liberal—has not allowed women to become Mayor… and it seems like it never will. (Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, and its Lord Mayor is a woman. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, and it’s enjoying its second woman as mayor. As the capital of Finland, Hesinki already had one in 1996 for five years. Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, and it enjoyed three women as its mayor since 1994).
After going through a security "bag check", we arrived in-time for one of the free tours! We wanted the one spoken in English.
We went downstairs to use the lavatory. Old-fashioned porcelain fixtures are preserved but the mechanics are modern.
Returning upstairs, we waited in the Great Hall for the tour guides. Tours last for 45 minutes on two levels. Thankful for our early arrival, we had plenty of time to gawk at the room!
With skills honed at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel and Florence's Palazzo Vecchio, Lewis noticed a row of cushioned bench-seats that stretched across one wall. They were perfect for observing the murals and ceiling... without straining our necks like other tourists did.
The murals highlight industries and crafts that made Norway successful until the 1950s.
One wall was dedicated to their experiences during the Second World War: being invaded, regrouping, uncertainty, loss of their demolished ideology, internment camps for resistors, and a glorious reinstatement of their values.
Seen above and below is a great mural of the city's patron saint, Saint Hallvard, depicted with the (bare-breasted) woman he rescued and holding the weapons that killed him. We liked that depiction of him as the best.
In that area, I studied a mural and observed a steam-shovel. It reminded me of a children's book that my grandma read to me, which infused sensible notions of usefulness in me.
Upstairs, murals depict more frolicsome nudity.
Other chambers are stupendously awash with colors, geometric patterns, and floor-to-ceiling murals that bring Nature indoors.
To refuel at lunchtime, Lewis was curious to try a restaurant named Egon that we passed many times on Karl Johans Gate. There was a queue to have an outdoor table, but the vast interior was mostly unused.
Being hungry, we ate inside and enjoyed the spaciousness and lack of clatter. The restaurant has three levels! In classic Nordic style, every table was adorned with a flickering candle, and there were dozens of candle-lit lanterns on the floor, food counters, cashier areas, and stairs. It was only midday, but that is no excuse to ignore the ambiance of candle-glow. We liked that!
Seen above and below, there were candle lanterns throughout each level, in clever places so they were noticed. Some added charm to the cashier counter, too.
I sat at our table, and Lewis went to the counter to give our order to a humorous Italian waiter. Moments later, the cooks handed our food to a Portuguese waiter, and he brought them to our table. Our lunch included Seafood Stew, Fish & Chips with mashed peas, and Beer-battered Cod (caught in North Norway), served with crispy bacon, boiled potatoes, and roasted mushrooms & vegetables. Lewis sipped a pint of pilsner, and I drank organic apple cider. The total was 850 crowns, including 38 that Lewis left as a tip.
Once again, we unfolded our "bag hooks" and dangled our shoulder-bags from them. A waitress paused to compliment that ingenuity, and she took a photo of our version so she can buy a similar style.
My next objective was purchasing a piece of classic Norwegian clothing: a perfect souvenir! Unable to find classic German attire during our trip to Berlin, I was determined to find something in Norway. Thankfully, Norwegians cherish the apparel of their heritage. Foremost, traditional Norwegian garb is called Bunab. It's a colorful and quirky mishmash of textures, materials, and dangling parts. Lovely!
Seen above, the ribbons attached to his socks remind me of British "hunting socks with garters". Yet, the pattern of the white yarn resembled German trachten hosiery.
Out of curiosity, Lewis and I browsed several shops in the city-center. We were astounded by the cost of those handmade garments: $20,000 per outfit!
I only wanted a classic hand-knitted Norwegian sweater, so I knew the price would be nicer.
Once again, our hotel's perfect location put us within steps of a boutique owned by Dale of Norway. Unafraid of shoplifters who grab-and-dash, the shop had its front door open hospitably.
Founded in 1879, it is world-renown for premium knits that defy the elements.
After perusing their selection, I asked the Jamaican-sounding saleswoman for a cardigan. Instead of typical buttons, I wanted one with metal fasteners, which is sartorially unique. It is their longest-running model. Unlike American sweaters that are oversized and baggy, it fit me perfectly in the waist and for the length of my arms. Hooray! The cost was $320.00. Sold!
In another "twist of Fate", Lewis also found the d'Orsay cologne that he wanted (after smelling it at Maaemo) in a cozy-sized perfumery near our hotel on Upper Castle Street. Named "Heaven Scent", it was a wondrous emporium of fragrances!
After meticulous collaboration with the shopkeeper, my beau centered on two aromas made by d'Orsay (as seen above). He invested 550 crowns for each 10 milliliter bottle of fragrant perfection. I photographed three candles that I intend to buy online: "Cedar" and "Cypress" by Carriere Freres (founded in 1884) and "Country Home" by Nicolas Beaulieu (a famous perfumer) for a company named Frederic Malle. They are great souvenirs of our wonderful time in Oslo!
*To see what to be wary of in cosmetics and skincare, please use this link:
As we returned to our hotel, Lewis noticed a funhouse of illusions named Paradox Museum. Spontaneously, we went in and had a really fun time! It teaches you about perspectives and optical illusions. Very cool.
Please enjoy my video, as I demonstrate that the chair is not really a chair!...
In this video, Lewis shows you how Yes can change to No...
As we checked-out of the hotel and left our luggage with the Front Desk, we saw a marching band forming on the street. We pretended that the musicians were there to wish us Farewell.
We had some time before our homeward flight, and airports outside of America do not require people to arrive 3 hours before their flights... so we invested a couple of hours at the waterfront of Akers Brygge again.
Seen below, we noticed a ferry with an amusing name!
We browsed through a spiffy shopping center and loved the urbane public lavatories! Sleek and handsome.
We treasured the serenity of the fjord, and many others did the same thing. For them, it's a daily pastime that never gets dull. Please notice the serene beauty in these photos.
Seen above, a vehicular bridge brings cars to tunnels into various buildings. Seen below, a sculpture seems to depict bare breasts, but it is titled as "Eyes". (It could be a crafty way to disguise more nudity as public artwork).
All around us, couples snuggled and canoodled.
Instead of Flytoget Airport Train, we tried the Regional Express Train. Less costly, its price is $12 each and it requires 34 minutes, instead of 19 minutes. Not bad at all.
The first railway in Norway was pulled by horses in 1805. After the invention of the steam engine, locomotives starting pulling the trains in 1854. An an eco-friendly tactic, the routes near the capital were electrified in 1927 to prevent smoke damage, coal-burning pollution, and noise pollution. From 1883 to 1996, Norwegian State Railways was a government-owned company that operated the kingdom’s rail network.
It’s first director was Sir Lorentz Segelcke, who was knighted in 1873. The model of trains serving Oslo and its airport have an amusing name: Flirt.
Since 2012 (long before the supposedly-great USA), they had free WiFi. Unlike America’s outdated-yet-expensive railroads that move sluggishly at 60-miles-per-hour...
... Norway’s trains travel at 124-miles-per-hour (200 km/hr). They had that speed capacity since 2012!
They are also equipped with motion-sensor glass doors throughout each car, to preserve peacefulness. They have trash bins to preserve cleanliness. Both are absent in American trains.
Unlike the ruckus of old trains that we are accustomed to in the USA (and rowdy passengers), the train in Norway was impressively quiet. It rolled ahead smoothly and silently like a turbo-charged Bentley. Please enjoy my quick video (and turn the sound on)...
The train whizzed into the station at the airport. Once again, we were enveloped in thoughtfully-done design that was meant to be uplifting and soothing. That's how air-travel should be.
The crew of Norse Atlantic continued their delightful habit of letting passengers get aboard the aircraft much earlier than expected. With our Priority Boarding, Lewis and I were plushly settled in our seats, sipping juice, within moments. The jet departed on-schedule.
As usual, there were unwelcoming experiences for us when we returned to NYC. The temperature was a scorching 93-degrees! Even by 9pm, it seared the city by staying high at 86-degrees.
On the day that we returned to work, there was a heavy rain during the morning commute. For two days, the humidity was at 92%, which was disgusting.
By the time we walked to our jobs (or the grocery store after work), our clothes were damp from sweat.
Before that week ended, I endured a calamity on the subway. While trying to go home after work, I had to misfortune to be on a train that was held "indefinitely" in the station because two women started fighting. Since the train was built in 1974, its air-conditioning barely functioned, so the atmosphere was already miserable.
(NYC likes to announce that "trains have functioning air-conditioning". "Functioning" doesn't mean "working". Learn to understand NYC's lies). Making it worse, the train stayed in the station with its doors open, so the sweltering heat from NYC's uncaringly unfixed-and-overheated subway poured into the train. (NYC is the only city on Earth that still has a steam-heat system underground... because its rich creator commanded it to outlive him. Its excess heat is uncaringly poured into the subway system. Other excess breaks through the pavement, so the city must pay to rip apart its streets in all types of neighborhoods. It looks like this...
It resembles a third-world country, yet it's the most expensive city in the world to live in).
The reason for the delayed train was absurd. A disheveled black woman spent 15 minutes screaming and shouting at a white woman because she bumped into her and didn't apologize. The trashy-speaking woman threatened to punch the white woman, who refused to apologize. Even if she was wronged, the screaming woman was not entitled to deprive thousands of people from going home after work.
Fifteen minutes passed before NYPD arrived at Fifth Avenue & 59th Street. That is an insanely long delay for such a high-traffic area. During that unforgivable lapse, overheated passengers simmered in the unnecessarily-hot station and endured repeated shouting from the trashy black woman about the obstinate white woman. The incident halted dozens of trains on both sides of the tracks—coming into the city and trying to leave the city! It's absurd that the entire route (carrying 748,000 people per day) was blocked during Rush Hour because the system couldn't resolve a simple issue!
Nine passengers shouted at them to end the disruption. The barely-working air-conditioned spluttered and the outdated lights flickered unsteadily. What kind of crappy hellhole was I paying to be in? I hated being in NYC. I pay half of my income to taxes for a crappy subway in America's richest city... and for the world's biggest police force that rarely responds quickly (and resolves crimes less than they respond to them).
With the constant noise pollution from their police sirens during every hour of your existence in Manhattan, they seem to always be nearby. So why did it take them 15 minutes to come downstairs to the subway?!
Lewis had the worst time on his way to work: his subway train had several cars occupied by homeless men. Unabashedly, one of them was illegally smoking on the train (as if it was his personal lounge)! Trying to evade the stink of cigarettes, Lewis fled to another car, but it was being used by two homeless men as a bedroom to sleep in. Their stench propelled him and other passengers to a third car, but a homeless man got on at the next station and started yelling profanities. (Despite demanding pay increases every year, the NYC police and transit police refuse to deal with lawbreakers on the subway, and they blatantly refuse to handle homeless vagrants on the subway).
After work, Lewis discovered that the subway cancelled service at his local station, so he was forced to take another route, but those trains were rerouted on a different track, so he was taken in a different direction. Enduring the unfixed heat that plagues NYC's underground subway stations, he walked to another route and rode an overcrowded train to a station that was nearest to his regular route. He went upstairs to the street, and re-entered a station to go downstairs for the route that he needed (because NYC uncaring hasn't connected side-by-side stations, during the previous 120 years). By the time he got to the station by our home, the shuttle service for our condo ended, so he trekked for 15 minutes in the sweltering humidity. He was drenched with perspiration when I greeted him, and I had sad news that our electricity bill doubled since last month due to unidentified "surcharges", and fees for "Merchant Function Charge" and "System Benefit Charge"... even though we didn't use more electricity. Also—and as usual in America—our monthly rate for cable/internet increased sneakily (without warning) by $10, for no apparent reason. Welcome to America.
Making things worse, the nationwide financial firm that is overpaid to watch Lewis' 401K funds (Fidelity Mutual) wrote a letter to say that they endangered his security credentials for the second time this year during a data-breach. The first time, he changed his credentials, and he did extra to enable more security protections. Yet, the wealthy company didn't change its weaknesses and suffered another data-theft. Lewis and his tax-attorney contacted his company's Finance and Human Resources teams to say that Lewis felt unprotected. Nobody responded. Thank you, USA.
To defend ourselves from its encroachment of stress (that could easily be avoided if our authorities cared), we reinforce the notions of Zen and inner-peace that we were reminded of... and we'll strengthen our efforts for a better existence.
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