I woke up in a Chelsea hostel - it was a nightmare. I'm writing this based on memories from almost a month ago, but back then I was like a lost kitten - poking around here and there, sleep-deprived, not properly washed, and tired as a dog after a sled raid to the North Pole. I found Wi-Fi, found housing - it turned out a guy was looking for roommates for a studio in West Harlem - Morningside, right next to Columbia University. Well, I thought, what the hell - after talking to this brother (his name is Serega, by the way) for a good half hour, I rushed to Harlem - and what do I see? Heavenly conditions for only $2000 a month. Anyway, after chatting with Serega, we came up with a very reasonable payment system - $2000 a month comes out to $66.66 a day, and then we split that amount by the number of tenants. Since 6 people were planned, the planned rent was $11.11, which is very, very good for Manhattan. And even at the moment when there were only two of us, I paid only $33.33 - the same as in the hostel but with better conditions. Damn it, how dull all these numbers are. Oh, to hell with it, a day later another roommate moved in - Vova, a day later Irina arrived, then Anton and Pasha arrived. They are all wonderful people, but with their own, ahem, quirks.

Well, that's all uninteresting, here's what was interesting - a trip to Times Square at night. Damn it, thousands of times people told me about it, and yet it was mega-cool to see it for myself. Crowds of people, an abundance of advertising, limousines, sports cars, police, tickets, flatiron buildings, tickets... to hell with all these lists, you have to see it for yourself - come and see!

So, what else was interesting... Yes, a lot of things, but everything needs to be in order... So, a few words about working in New York. This summer there is so little work here that you can consider it non-existent. On Craigslist, they are always offering something shady like paid training for a security guard, and restaurants are not particularly eager to hire - I personally went around about a hundred and fifty cafes and restaurants, left resumes for busboy positions, filled out applications, chatted with managers - and always a refusal. But I must say that Americans are a polite and friendly people - and I didn't expect it at all, but they almost always tell me 'good luck', which I think is like sympathy, as if without divine intervention you won't find a job at all.

Well, nothing, today I had an interview (I think it was unsuccessful, although the manager told me that I was a good fit and he would recommend me, but Serega and Anton were interviewed with me, and he told them exactly the same thing, we will continue the search), also an acquaintance called, said there is a small chance to get a job at a factory. I think it won't work out, tomorrow I will go to restaurants again to ask for busboy jobs. There are still a thousand untold stories left.