I always wondered why English uses the expression “near miss” when “near hit” would be more logical. But after the last weekend when hurricane Emma brought down some large trees around our house I am glad the tree missed my car and it did not not hit it:
Hiring in Europe is slightly more difficult than in the US because people are less willing to move for work. And some people don’t move at all. A good example is my mother’s side of my family:
My grand-grand-grand-grandfather Franta Fona was born in Lazinky in 1650. The news of Mayflower’s voyage probably never reached Lazinky and so it must have been a big deal when Franta’s grandson Jakub Placek moved 1 mile south to Vesce in 1740.
It was not until 1805 when Matous Placek made the biggest move in this “epic journey of miniature proportions”. Matous moved 2 miles west to Laz and I am sure he was inspired by Napoleon’s advance in the Battle of Austerlitz (the battle was fought 50 miles from Laz the same year).
The Eiffel Tower has not been built yet when the whole family trek was over in 1880: Pavel Placek moved 1 mile northwest to Nove Syrovice. And that’s where my grandfather Josef Placek was born and where many of my cousins live until today…
