"If you want it enough, you can fly to space!" - Folk wisdom

Irina, Volzhsky, Volgograd region

South Africa was not the first country I went to on a student exchange program. Before that, I was in America. I stayed there for a year and three months. When I first arrived in the States, the first thing I did was look for Russians. I had an inner confidence that everything would be fine, that I wouldn't get lost. I just needed to find my own people!

At the hotel where I checked in, the first thing I asked the room server was if he knew any Russians here. He said he did. I asked him to introduce me to them as soon as possible.

I still remember seeing Nastya; she came out of the hotel restaurant, all sweaty from work, in a hurry, but happy. We met. And, indeed, things just started rolling... smoothly. One job, then a second, then a third. Until I got a job as a hostess, which I worked for the rest of the year.

But in South Africa, everything was completely different! Africa is an absolutely different country. In every sense and relationship!

On the day I arrived here, I was met at the airport an hour late, which gave me a reason to be nervous (I only realized later that being late is the hallmark of South Africa). I was met by some elderly Indian woman in a headscarf, who puzzled me with her appearance. And in a prehistoric car. But she stepped on the gas so hard that we reached the place in about twenty minutes! They brought me to these "luxury apartments" called a "student hostel." Everything around was wooden — the doors, the floor, the walls; three bunk beds, a wardrobe.

The first person I met was a black, pregnant, toothless receptionist downstairs. She showed me the room. I knew, of course, how it would be, but it's one thing to imagine it and another to experience it yourself.

And I fell into a depression. My head was pounding: "I need to eat something urgently! Cheer myself up!" I went along Main Road. I walked, looking here and there. And I didn't know where to go, what to buy. I also thought: "I need to call my mom!"

I walked and walked, went into a "Cell-phone" shop, tried to ask them to either let me make a call or help me figure out Vodacom — the local operator for which I already had a SIM card. They didn't understand me. I got upset and kept walking.

I saw another similar shop. I went in, and there was a Chinese guy sitting there. I thought: "Well, that's it! This is the last straw!"

I started talking to him. It turned out his English was no better than mine. But he turned out to be a kind guy, he was sympathetic, you could see he was trying to help.

He sold me a card for a payphone for international calls. I immediately called my mom, told her how great everything was here, that I liked it wildly, and that I was satisfied and infinitely happy with everything. After that, I immediately called my friend and told her that I was in complete..., excuse me... In general, I told her the true truth about my feelings.

And then I went back to Jackie, the Chinese guy. I said that I had called and everything was fine. We exchanged phone numbers.

I bought food... Well, what kind? A chocolate bar, instant noodles, chips, and something to drink — coffee, I think. The food started to make me feel nauseous.

The next day Jackie called and invited me to a Chinese restaurant. We went. And the next day, the first excursion to the center was supposed to take place. In the morning I felt even worse. Probably from the Chinese food now. But Dale, the tour guide, arrived. We went out — about ten people with him — and headed for the center. Dale was so energetic and cheerful. I walked with them for about two stops, and I felt my strength leaving me. I said: I'm not going any further! I returned to the room. I lay down. I felt bad.

I lay there for a while, thinking: "This is no good! Why am I lying here?" I got ready and went to Jackie again. There was no one else to go to, and he had become almost like family. He comforted me. In the evening he bought fruit and suggested going to the shore. And I was afraid to eat anything except fruit, but I was hungry. So we sat by the ocean and ate oranges. And I felt better. Both physically and psychologically. I lost about five kilograms during all this time!

I started looking for work. I walked around the city, leaving resumes everywhere. In principle, I wanted to get a job at the reception — that's work in a hotel. Greeting guests, assigning rooms, keeping order, and all that.

In parallel, I also asked at the store where I always bought food if there was any work for me there. The owner said no, but introduced me to Joe, the boss of a motorcycle repair shop next to the store. Joe, in turn, vaguely said that there were Russian girls here and work in a nightclub where they pay well. I didn't understand anything, as he described everything very vaguely...

Things weren't going particularly well with the reception. The last thing I tried was the "Oi-Yo" restaurant, where Alexey worked as a bartender and Katya was getting a job as a hostess (greeting and seeing off guests), and later she got a job and worked there for more than half a year.

I also tried out at "Oi-Yo." I left my resume, but they didn't call back. I went back to Joe and asked him more specifically about the club he had mentioned so transparently. It turned out to be a strip club. "Damn!" I thought at first. But when it turned out that I could also get a job as a waitress, I decided, at least, to go and find out. Joe took me there, and I met Alan, the manager of "Mavericks."

Alan asked if I wanted to dance. I replied: "No!"

— Clear. And when can you start working as a waitress?

— Tomorrow, I say.

— Good, — replied Alan. — We'll be waiting for you tomorrow at five. And don't be late!

And it started! They accepted me immediately, without any talk or promises to "call back if anything." I earned good money in tips. It turned out that everything was not as bad and terrible as I had imagined. Gradually everything normalized, and I got used to it.

And what about housing? On the last or second-to-last day at the hostel, a student girl from England told me that a week ago there was another Russian girl here, Katya.

— Really? — I was surprised. — Can I contact her somehow?

She happened to have Katya's phone number. I called her, told her about myself, and asked if we could meet.

We met. Katya came with Lesha. At that time, several of them were living together, renting an apartment in Green Point. They invited me over. Liza also lived with them, but by that time she was already with Edward all the time and practically didn't appear, her further stay was in question. Dasha, who is from St. Petersburg, went to travel around South Africa with a friend. And then she was supposed to be returning home soon. In short, the guys could take me in. Well, they did. I started living with them.

A year flew by. It flew by, there's no other way to say it. A lot has happened this year. I quit "Mavericks" just recently, but I worked there all this time. I earned a decent amount.

The past year has brought me acquaintances with a lot of interesting people and vivid impressions. And several trips for vacation. I flew to Kazakhstan, Almaty. Twice to Turkey, to Istanbul and Antalya. I visited Egypt (like in Turkey, I met my mom there, we had a vacation together). I went to Johannesburg about five times to see friends. Once to Pretoria, twice to Durban. I was in the desert in Namibia. I traveled around the surroundings of Cape Town quite a bit. In general, I traveled coolly.

South Africa is a relaxed country. No one is in a hurry here. People promise a lot of things, but there is no point in these promises. I grew up here, somehow started looking at life more seriously.

I like it here! I like this country. It's beautiful. I can't specifically say what exactly enchanted me so much... Both the people and the nature... yes, everything together! Maybe that's why I don't rule out the possibility of staying here forever.

Of all the travels, all my trips during the year of living in South Africa, I loved the desert in Namibia the most! I will never forget it and I constantly remember it. I am impressed by everything related to deserts. I was still at home, I heard about Angelina Jolie. She is an ambassador — a goodwill ambassador for the UN, she helps people, adopts children. And I saw a program about her, photos — she went to Namibia with Brad Pitt. I was impressed by the beauty of this country and was eager to visit it!

And I went. It's quiet and peaceful there. An extraordinary place!

So. That's about me. And what could I advise future program participants?

The most important thing is to believe in yourself! Treat life optimistically, and, of course, try! No pain, no gain!

If your goals are not related to building a career here, you are going to relax and just want, say, to get a job as a waiter — this will not be difficult and, in principle, will bring good money by local standards. But if you want to build a career in South Africa — you will have to work hard! It's not easy here, I judge by my own experience.

Good luck to you! And wonderful impressions!