2 People Birthday Party in NYC

                 - Morning, Alex! Are you still up for meeting today?

                 - Sure I am! Columbus Circle under the globe at 2, right?

             It’s hard to explain how much I valued the fact of meeting Alex. Here I have to clarify something. I’ve never met her in person before. That’s definitely something I would never expect form myself – meeting a friend online through another online fiend.

             The thing is, a couple of years ago, there was Ringo Starr concert in Moscow which obviously became an absolute must-see for me. And, as all dreams become true, I got the tickets to the concert as my birthday present! The performance went amazing, and, as I knew, the All Starr Band’s tour was continued in St. Petersburg, I found a girl who went on that show and asked how it went.

            It turned out that we have a lot of similar interests, and we started regularly writing long letters to each other. At one point, she found out about my plans on coming to the US to study. ‘My best friend is a student in New York, you guys should so totally talk to each other!’ – she told me.

             Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? However, Alex and I started Skyping and writing letters to each other. By some chance, we also had very similar views and interests and, more than that, a bonding fact of being a Russian student in the United States. Even though, we’ve kept in touch the entire time, we never got a chance to see each other as Oklahoma and New York aren’t the closest states.

             But, time has been passing and my life has been changing a lot, so today, after 2 years of online friendship I finally met Alex.

             - This is for you! – she said giving me a little bag. I know you’re a sweet-tooth just like I am, so I’m sure you’ll like it a lot! 

             As we didn’t have a certain plan, we just started going to place that looked like fun.

             I was pretty amazed that little ice-cream shop gave me a free frozen yogurt just because it was my birthday! It’s just so cool to be a birthday girl in NYC!

     

        'Toys R US' was one of the cool stops we made. It’s probably one of the greatest stores ever! I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing the carousel inside.  And being typical internationals, we got pretty excited about the dancing video game. We had to stop when we spent all of our coins though. Being in this store I felt like I was in Neverland, where childhood lasts forever. Nevertheless, I think it is person’s choice to keep the child in his/her heart or not.

           

      Later that day we walked down Broadway and I saw IT! Times Square at night – the view the visitor usually has when he/she is coming to the city. Commercials, movie trailers, cool interactive screens – all of this lightened up the entire square making it bright as it could be during a day. The skyscrapers looked so tall (obviously they are), people were all over the place and, for the first time in my life, I felt so small! I felt like I was just a little drop in the ocean. However, I didn’t get scared by this view. It gave a challenge to be on the top of the wave in this ocean.

                   -  Linda! Wake up! Haha, you got fascinated by the view, didn’t you? The more you’ll stay here, the more ordinary it will look to you.

                  -  No way! How can you get used to this? I mean, it’s like pure MAGIC out here!

             As Alex lived pretty far away from the city, I invited her over to my place. And, as we’re adventurous and pretty brave Russians, we decided to walk at least half way to my apartment which was, as you remember, in the very top of Harlem. Walking along Central Park we were talking about everything and nothing at the same time. All of this and even more was discussed during that walk - dreams, problems of the past and present, life views, thoughts about NYC, and even some girly talks about boys

            - Oh, no! I’m not interested in all of this right now at all. I mean, my family and friends keep bothering and asking me about that, but I’m just interested in career and studying right now, they’re definitely my priorities at this moment, - I said. (Just a little note, but don’t ever say ‘never’, as I bet your views or situation is going to change right away).

             Finally we got to my apartment. We had

some hot tea with the amazing cake Alex got me and planned out our next day which we were going to spend at Columbia University Campus.

            -  Good night, Alex. I’m so glad I met you!

            - Good night, Linda. I know! Me too! Oh, and Happy Birthday again.

What doesn't kill me makes me stronger

             - Alright guys, how long on that avocado sandwich? - I asked the kitchen crew after looking at my watch that showed 9 minutes of customers' waiting time
             - Mommy, who are you to ask or demand anything outta here? We're doing what we can, -The kitchen manager laughed at me, getting a pita from the package.

             I've been working in the place for 4 days now. And I didn't see anything but horrible attitude both from crew and customer sides.
             The place presented itself as a superhealthy place. What was it in real? Not-ever-washed rags, greasy plates you could barely hold in your hands, decaf coffee instead of real coffee (whenever there were decaf leftovers, they were poured into regular coffee. The only comment I got on this was "they won't understand or die so who cares"). Whenever I put attempts into changing the situation all I got were laughs and smirks from colleagues.
             The worst part about it started whenever I was still considered a trainee but somehow replaced the real servers. As all crew was too busy sitting in front of all managers putting new pictures on Instagram and updating their statuses on Twitter, I literally got the pressure of the entire place all on me. People got very annoyed and kept shouting things like that: 'why I've been sitting here and waiting for somebody to come up here for 5 minutes?'

Ok, it's not the place I've worked at. But it was close to that!

             So I talked to people, trying to calm them down and encouraged my co-workers to start doing what  all of us were supposed to do.

             - Missy, I've been here for 28 years now. I've seen three generations of management in this place. Are you really trying to tell me when to get to the table?
             - But they've been there for 8 minutes already! - almost crying, I insisted. I couldn't
understand how very simple things that are supposed to be part of common sense were so had to be understood here.
             - I'm BUSY now! - she almost shouted at me sitting at empty table and eating some frozen yogurt with strawberries.
             I couldn't let this go, so I just started serving the table. Two young girls were very friendly with me. They had a few modifications and requests I've given to the kitchen, but everything was served in time perfectly.
             'Thank you so much! Everything was just amazing!' - they said leaving the table.
             Just in a few minutes, the manager called me to the front. The young ladies give me compliments in front of the manager.
             - Excuse me, ma'am but she wasn't your waitress. She's just a trainee, - the manager said.
             - We know, and she did a great job, - the young lady smiled and gave me 15$ tip right in my hands.  I smiled and thanked her.

             As soon as the girls left, the manager came up to me and publicly took the money out of my hands passing it to the other waitress.
             - But she was sitting there the entire time on her phone, - I couldn't believe how unfair the whole situation turned out especially considering the fact that the manager saw everything happening.
            The waitress started coming to every other employer and telling them how much of ungrateful trainee I am. And I was just looking at all of this and started asking myself - what am I doing in this place? At that moment I realized that I probably value more that this. Even though I don't have place to go now, I know I deserve better. I just knew that this was definitely the bottom, so I took my cap and apron off, got my handbag and went to the exi
t of the cafe.
            The manager obviously asked for some kind of explanation. Well... as we all do something for the first time in our lives, I totally told everything I though about management and working conditions right in his face. I have always been a very calm person my entire life, so I didn't expect it from myself even. The only thing the manger told me was "We know. We suck."
             Walking away I saw that waitress that got the tip who, smiling at me, said: "It's New York, sweetie, and not Oklahoma or even Russia. You definitely won't survive here with such an attitude."
             I left the cafe and started walking towards subway station.
             And then it started raining. At first I got very sad, but then I thought: 'Doesn't this how it happens in the movies?'
             Running down the street I saw Starbucks. Confession time. Sometimes I went to Starbucks to use their wi-fi. But I promise I bought their staff sometimes. I did!
            So I was sitting right next to the window and watching the view I've dreamed about for the past couple of months. Yellow taxis kept crossing the street, businessmen throwing away the packs from their sandwich-lunches, a few fashionistas walking with their little chihuahuas... And here's me - miserable, sad, poor, alone. Was moving to New York City really a right thing for me to do? Maybe my friends were right, and should have stayed there.
            Being pretty tough in my nature, I was ready to cry. But then I saw a family with two little kids.
            The younger boy made the face to the other one and did some kind of a funny dance behind his father's back. The other boy saw that and started laughing and then he saw me in the window. He realized that I've seen the whole seen and told his older brother. The other boy looked at me, but, seeing my unconscious smile, he just started cracking up.
             These two little boys were so happy and amused with this little and, from the first sight, unimportant situation! They were laughing and kept smiling at me. It was still raining, but they just kept catching the drops from the sky and dance in the rain. They were so happy! And I couldn't help smiling while looking at them.
            It made me ask myself: why do I let all of this unimportant things make unhappy? Life goes on! I'm in the city of my dreams! I'm where I'm supposed to be.
            With a wide smile on my face I left Starbucks and went home.
             

Job in New York City

            Coming to New York City, I remembered one of my previous friend's words: 'If you're coming to NYC,there won't be a problem for you to find a job AT ALL.'

            As all people tend to believe everything they would like to believe in, I believed that without checking this information. However, it wasn't that easy at all. Especially for a youngster with no education except High School Diploma and no experience. 

            I decided to walk down the street and come in in every single place that seemed to be hiring. But every single place asked me the same question: 'How many years of experience do you have?' Neither my strong and passionate willing to work, nor my qualities were enough to get a job.

            One of my friends, who were now living in New York City, but who I found a lot earlier than these big changes in our lives, suggested me to look for
a job on Craigslist.

            - Craigslist? Sasha, you must be kidding me! What can you find there? Some sketchy invitation to massage position? 

            Sasha though insisted on looking for a job through this website. 

            - Try to look for an "open call" opportunities, - she said.

            The next day I was standing in front of the little cafe-deli-restaurant with a great promising name: Truly Healthy Manhattan Bistro. 

            I came in and asked about the post I found online. 

            - Ohh.... You need to talk to the Boss about that. 

            I got a quick interview, and in about an hour I got signed up for training. How excited I was! Even though this place definitely wasn't the place of my dreams, but it had people coming in and buying. That meant to me only one thing: I can make some money here.

            - You just need to finish a week-long training. 

            Every day I got up at 5AM to get to work for the opening, getting there on my bike all the way down from 153rd st. to 56th st. I left every day at 4-5 o'clock which wasn't too bad. As it happens in most of New York places (restaurants, cafes and etc.), I didn't make a single penny for the training doing all the work. But I was absolutely alright with that. I was on the first step of fulfilling my American Dream. 

Do the Harlem shake

            I knew approximately where I’m supposed to go. Well, I knew it by looking at maps. So I was totally relying on Google Maps. And here I am in La Guardia airport with violin, backpack and two heavy suitcases that were barely accepted with the limit of acceptable weight.

            I got to the bus station which was pretty full of people. At that moment I relied that communication skills aren't that bad in NYC. People offered me help and put my luggage inside the bus.

            On the way from the airport I was looking at the skyscrapers, bridges, the river, few private cars and the yellow ocean of taxis surrounding our bus. People around me had very serious faces on, while I was smiling as a little child. Everything looked like some part of  a movie to me.

            Asking which stop it was and if I had not missed mine, I finally got to final stop and changed to subway.

-                                - Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I get to subway? Do I need some kind of card? – I asked the lady in the assistance box. 
                                   - 2.50, - she replied to me. Her face showed pretty well that she was amazed with my smartness.

Some people helped me to drop my luggage over the entrance machines. Now I had to get to 145^th. I had no clue which train or which way I’m supposed to go. Asking people, they asked me only one question: “Uptown or downtown?” I didn’t know as I was acknowledged with the name of my final station only.

Somehow, asking people on the streets and working some inner maps in my head, I figured out where the house is. How happy I was! I’m almost home.

In a few minutes I realized that my apartment was on 6^th floor with no elevator.

I experienced a great workout carrying my luggage. After about 15 minutes, sweaty and tired, I rang the bell on my new apartment's door. I didn't realize how fast everything happened and I gave away nearly all the money I saved back in Oklahoma on my move-in deposit. All I had left was money to get my transportation - bike and living expenses for the first week. 

I decided to make my first walk in my first neighborhood in NYC. 

- 'Sup, pretty!'

- 'Watcha doin' here, Snow White?'

I wasn't scared at all, as, first of all, I was mentally prepared for this, and, more than that, I consider myself pretty tough after living in Russia for 17 years. However, I still decided to keep my family back home away from knowing the whole picture of my current location in NYC.

Upper West Side sounds slight better than Upper Harlem, right? (Just saying, but apparently all the songs I sing tend to change my reality. Yep, you're thinking exactly what I've been thinking - 'DO THE HARLEM SHAKE')

My new roommates suggested me to just ignore everything by straight and confident walking. They looked very mature and experience in NY life to me, so I kept asking them about life here a lot.

18-year-old, all by myself, with 70$ in my pockets till I find job, I didn't know how I'm going to survive here, but somehow I knew I was going to be alright.