We arrived in Las Vegas - our camping trip to the Yosemite Nationalpark was cancelled, because one night of endless rain destroyed our dreams of having a dry and comfortable tent.
With wet hair and socks, a little drousy, because we left our tent at 3 am to sleep in the car, we hit the road to go to Las Vegas. Through the endless wilderness of Yosemite, Sierra Nevada and the deserts, we drove 9 hours until we saw the first lights of Las Vegas.
With wet hair and socks, a little drousy, because we left our tent at 3 am to sleep in the car, we hit the road to go to Las Vegas. Through the endless wilderness of Yosemite, Sierra Nevada and the deserts, we drove 9 hours until we saw the first lights of Las Vegas.
We checked in a cheap motel, the "El Mirador", and went to a bar at the 5th avenue, near the Las Vegas Boulevard. The bar is called "5th Avenue" - what a clue. It remembered us on our favorite bar in our hometown in Germany. A pool table, darts and many slot machines were in the little room.
The bar man had to open the door for us: "Just for security", he told us.
Only four people were in the bar, sitting at the bar - each with a glass of beer in their hands. The bar man gave us our drinks and smiled a teethless smile. "Where are you from?", he asked. Our accent, again... "From Germany? Nice country, hm?" He took a seat next to us. "Hope you do not have the problems we have in America." He must have seen our surprised view around, noticing the few people.
The bar man Nick started to tell us his story:
"Two years ago, everything was great in here. I had a nice year in 2006. Look over there, I bought the flat screen TV to watch the Super Bowl. Man, we had a great summer. But then my wife got the diagnose, that she had cancer. Well to cut a long story short. Her treatments costs us our complete savings. When she died in August of 2007, I had nothing, but the pub and a lot of unpaid bills. No chance to pay another month the runnings debts. Fortunately, I bought the building here many years ago, so I do not have to pay the rent for the pub." Bill took a break and fetched another Bud for us. One of the guests left. "Bye Nick, see you tomorrow", the grey-haired man with with the cowboy hat, stepped out of the door.
"You see, I have my guests who come in here every day after work. But I barely see any other people coming in this year." Nick sat down. "In the end of 2007 I noticed, that not only I have got financial problems. Many of my friends could not pay their bills, many of my every-day-guests, did not come anymore. To me the start of the financial crisis is in 2007. But after my wife's death I had much more problems, that unpaid bills and creditcard debts. Now, after a year, I see it clear. If there's no change in our economy, I will lose my pub. I was always my own boss. I had a good running business in Las Vegas - my whole life a was a barman and I had a great income. I never felt this frightened of what happens next that this days. You know, I never trusted in politics. I was never interested in what happens in Washington. But now I am affected by their doing. My business runs, I can survive, but what if, my last guests won't come anymore? In this bad times, who can afford to spend maybe 20 Dollars a day for just being in my pub?"
I asked him, what he thinks about the upcoming elections. He laughted. "Well, to me the question 'Obama or McCain' does not matter much. I will go and vote. I am a Republican and I will vote for McCain - I will take advantage of my right to vote. But I think, it is a long way to go until our economy is fixed again. You can destroy it very fast - but to rebuild it it will take a long time."
We left the pub and the conversation left a bad taste in our mouths. Now we'd seen how much the financial situation of the economy can affect the average people in America.
Hopefully, there will be a good plan made by the new president, which will help to get America's economy back on it's feet.
Only four people were in the bar, sitting at the bar - each with a glass of beer in their hands. The bar man gave us our drinks and smiled a teethless smile. "Where are you from?", he asked. Our accent, again... "From Germany? Nice country, hm?" He took a seat next to us. "Hope you do not have the problems we have in America." He must have seen our surprised view around, noticing the few people.
The bar man Nick started to tell us his story:
"Two years ago, everything was great in here. I had a nice year in 2006. Look over there, I bought the flat screen TV to watch the Super Bowl. Man, we had a great summer. But then my wife got the diagnose, that she had cancer. Well to cut a long story short. Her treatments costs us our complete savings. When she died in August of 2007, I had nothing, but the pub and a lot of unpaid bills. No chance to pay another month the runnings debts. Fortunately, I bought the building here many years ago, so I do not have to pay the rent for the pub." Bill took a break and fetched another Bud for us. One of the guests left. "Bye Nick, see you tomorrow", the grey-haired man with with the cowboy hat, stepped out of the door.
"You see, I have my guests who come in here every day after work. But I barely see any other people coming in this year." Nick sat down. "In the end of 2007 I noticed, that not only I have got financial problems. Many of my friends could not pay their bills, many of my every-day-guests, did not come anymore. To me the start of the financial crisis is in 2007. But after my wife's death I had much more problems, that unpaid bills and creditcard debts. Now, after a year, I see it clear. If there's no change in our economy, I will lose my pub. I was always my own boss. I had a good running business in Las Vegas - my whole life a was a barman and I had a great income. I never felt this frightened of what happens next that this days. You know, I never trusted in politics. I was never interested in what happens in Washington. But now I am affected by their doing. My business runs, I can survive, but what if, my last guests won't come anymore? In this bad times, who can afford to spend maybe 20 Dollars a day for just being in my pub?"
I asked him, what he thinks about the upcoming elections. He laughted. "Well, to me the question 'Obama or McCain' does not matter much. I will go and vote. I am a Republican and I will vote for McCain - I will take advantage of my right to vote. But I think, it is a long way to go until our economy is fixed again. You can destroy it very fast - but to rebuild it it will take a long time."
We left the pub and the conversation left a bad taste in our mouths. Now we'd seen how much the financial situation of the economy can affect the average people in America.
Hopefully, there will be a good plan made by the new president, which will help to get America's economy back on it's feet.
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