July 17, 2009

If you read my previous post, you already know that there are homeless Russian students living here in New York. So, here is the continuation of my story.

At the rickshaw garage, I met a Russian guy who flew to New York with three hundred dollars in his pocket and no job offer. With that kind of money, there's nothing to do here, so he didn't even try to look for housing; instead, he rented a bike for $200 a week and started riding around Manhattan, trying to earn some money. I must say, he succeeded and was able to rent a place. But before that, he spent three weeks in Central Park, the subway, and at the rickshaw stand.

The next character, a 20-year-old Kazakh guy, was living and working normally, but at one point, for some reason, he started drinking and blew all the money he had. As a result, he's been wandering the subway at night for three days now with 30 bucks and a can of beer.

Actually, I'm not much better off than them. I barely have enough for food and the subway. But at least I have a place to live.

Yes, and most importantly, none of us Russian guys are losing heart. We keep pedaling, trying hard, and looking for more work. And we believe that everything will be just fine.