While I was standing there for 3 hours a day handing out flyers, I met a ton of people. They were the same characters who lived and worked on that street. In the first few days, Pocho's promotional campaign was quite successful - people really "flocked" in. A couple of times I even helped him in his little food truck since he couldn't keep up on his own... that's when I learned how to make tacos and burritos, the famous Mexican salsa, and also learned how to work the register.

All of this brings me huge pleasure because people come back and say it was delicious, they leave tips, and you feel like you're not just standing there for nothing...

But after a couple of weeks, the locals got tired of me shoving the same flyers at them... Some would turn away and walk by, pretending not to notice, some would smile and nod but wouldn't take one. There were also some funny Japanese guys who asked to take pictures with me (one came twice with a yacht catalog and poked at the pictures, showing me where he was ready to take me).

There were a few really cool dudes I chatted with for a long time - a guy named Jesse from a tattoo parlor, a man walking his huge German Shepherd wearing a Hawaiian lei instead of a collar :)))) I also regularly saw a strange old man with a red beard who, every time he walked past me, would ask questions like "What was Russia's GDP in 2008??", "What do you think about the president??", "How much do they pay you??"... there were a bunch of cheeky Latinos who tried to hit on me :))) All these people made my 3 hours of work go by faster, so I was genuinely glad when I saw any of them =)

One day, some guys walked past me speaking Russian, so I addressed them in Russian too, asking them to take some flyers... That's how I met Anton and Igor, who have been hanging out in Honolulu for the last few years =) Anton plays tennis for the university and his tuition is paid for, but I didn't quite get it about Igor. They were the first people to say they were fed up with Hawaii. It's cool for one month – living in a tropical paradise, but 2 years is just depressing.

Igor said he worked at Señor Frog's and could talk to the manager about me getting a job... I didn't take those words seriously – a bunch of people had already told me that someone knows someone somewhere and maybe someone needs a worker... as a rule, absolutely nothing ever came of it.

But a few days later, I met the guys again, and we decided to go anyway.

Señor Frog's is a completely insane, debauched, fun, and very bright place that manages to combine healthy humor, vulgarity, family vacation vibes, and a spot for unforgettable drinking sessions. Ulyana was there at a party a few weeks ago and was shocked by the freedom of morals =)

Igor told me right away that I had to be outgoing, stupid, and charming. While he was negotiating with the manager about me, I walked back and forth, acting enthusiastic, chatting with the waiter and the bartender...

At first, the manager said they didn't need anyone, then he looked at me and still scheduled an interview for Wednesday.

We prepared thoroughly for the interview. We came up with a backstory for how I met Igor, my experience, and well... everything. =) The guys stopped by my place before the interview and I had a beer with them... as a result, I went to Carlitos completely relaxed, uncoordinated, and a little tipsy. Carlitos was 40 minutes late, and while I had nothing to do, I started chatting with a lady who was also waiting for him just like me. It turned out she had her own marketing agency and she does advertising for Frog's and had brought some samples. We had a very interesting conversation, and at the end, she gave me her business card, expressing a sincere hope that he would hire me specifically. She left, and I stayed to wait for him... and so... we sat and talked. The interview was very unconventional. He didn't ask for my references' phone numbers, he didn't ask for the addresses of the places where I worked. He started asking me about what I do in Hawaii, about my hobbies. I mentioned the lady who didn't wait for him (the marketer) and that we had a very interesting conversation, and the next 15 minutes were devoted to discussing advertising strategies for Señor Frog's. To the question of whether I'm here for a long time, I answered without hesitation that yes, for a very long time... like, I'm going to enroll in college and everything. Hawaii has been my dream since childhood. And then, the key words came from him: Wow, I enjoy your attitude! I will hire you for sure!!! I walked out of there, still not believing what I had heard =)

To think I had to wander through hostels for 3 weeks, hand out flyers, stand in lines for free food, just to end up, so simply and practically by accident, getting a job at one of the most popular and rowdy restaurants in Honolulu.

HOORAY!!!