The power of my dream always leads me forward.

My dream always pushes me forward!

(for the full translation of the blog into Russian, see the end of the text)

"Boldly continue in the direction you have chosen in life.

Be as faithful to it as possible.

Only then will you achieve success."

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

May 25, 2014. Local time 4:44 PM. The Italian plane numbered "AZ7616" that took off from Venice landed at the airport. As soon as we got off the plane, we flowed towards registration with a thick crowd of people. We look around, then we look at each other. People speaking in various languages. We continued to move forward, following the people in front of us. I still can't believe anything. It's like I'm dreaming. At one point, we reached the document check. Only after the customs officer stamped my passport did I feel that the dream I had been waiting for for a long time had come true. Yes, I am really in America! This building is the amazing John F. Kennedy Airport.

From the airport, we were heading by subway towards 42nd Street in Manhattan. Along the way, images of my life path up to this point began to appear one by one. It is very easy to say everything in words now, but how did it all start?...

I, Oralbek-bey Zhubanalyuly Otegulov, will try to describe as accurately as I can the things I have witnessed, known, and accepted as truth...

Exactly 12 years ago, an event happened that completely changed my life. At that time, I was in the 4th grade. I was only 10 years old. We opened the floor in the house, assuming that some valuable document that had been lost had fallen under the floor. The document was not found, but something that had been lying under the floor for many years and had been chewed up by mice was found. When I wiped it off and read it, it was a "Map of the USSR History Textbook" published in 1964. That is, an Atlas. That Atlas became my close friend. Thanks to that map, I got to know the world. Thus, I developed a dream to see with my own eyes the countries of the world that I knew from the map. Later, I started buying large atlases and reading the history of the countries of the world. Perhaps I felt even then that all this would be a great help to me in the future... At 11 years old, my geographical understanding of the world was formed. I could find any country in the world on the map in an instant. However, knowing the world only from a map or a book is not enough. For that, you need to travel to that country and get to know its culture, traditions, and rhythm of life. And to achieve all this, of course, you need to know the language. With this goal, as soon as I finished the 9th grade, I went to college. After studying for 4 years in college, I entered the university. In the first year, I submitted my documents to the AKEAK agency in Aktobe to go to America with Work and Travel. My parents accidentally gave me permission and money. They gave it, but deep down they wanted me to change my mind. I, of course, felt this. Even though I felt it, I did not turn back from my path. At first glance, it seemed like everything was going well, but everything turned out completely different from what I expected. They didn't explain anything to us. They did everything themselves. We only signed. Due to some misunderstanding or perhaps disagreement at the top, we were unable to go to America. Later we realized that our Job offers were not approved. So my hopes sank, and I lay at home all summer with the "American dream". We were 15 people left from Aktobe. Later, we barely got our money back. The next year, I decided that I would go no matter what. I hung a large map of America in my bedroom, and every morning when I woke up, I directed my first words to that map: "America! I will come to you no matter what"!

So, the next year, AKEAK closed that program. I learned that there was another agency, Inter Exchange. Thus, I tried to get to America again. The process took place in a very secret condition. No one knew about this, not my classmates, not even my parents. I kept the money I gave last year for myself instead of returning it home. I secretly went to Astana and got a visa. I deceived my classmates and teachers by saying that my brother's son was getting married in Astana and I was going to the wedding. The most interesting thing is that exactly one month later, my brother's son really did get married. (But at that time I was in America.) Only when everything was ready did I go home and secretly explain the situation to my father. He might not have given permission, but he gave his permission without any objection. Except for my father and the two classmates who were going with me, no one else knew about this. My father told my mother only 2 weeks after I left for America. I wanted it to be that way myself. Because last year I announced that I would go to America, and I was disgraced because I couldn't go. That's why this time everything had to be done secretly. And so it happened. My first advice to those who are thinking of going to America is – "There is no need to brag that I am going to America. Do everything as secretly as possible or within a narrow circle. In case you can't go, you won't be disgraced to anyone!"

My paths with my classmates Aida and Zhuldyz, with whom I left Kazakhstan together, parted at Greyhound. They went to South Carolina by bus. My bus only runs in the morning. So I had to find a place to sleep and stay in New York for one day. I was thinking about what to do. A black girl was passing by. I immediately asked that girl for help. Fortunately, she turned out to be a kind person. She used her mobile phone to go on the internet and found me a place in one of the nearby hostels. I asked her for something around 20-30 dollars for one night. "It's 50 dollars at the cheapest, if you have 40 dollars, I can pay 10 dollars for you," she said. Who wouldn't agree to such an offer? Her name is Danela. Although she is a black girl, she is Jewish. She is 5 years older than me. Moreover, she saved my life. My attitude towards Jews was positive before. Danela further strengthened that correct attitude of mine.

It was about 7-8 PM local time. It was getting quite dark around. Danela and I were talking, when suddenly some car's ear-splitting alarm started blaring. I don't know where it came from, but when I turned sharply to the right, I saw some monster garbage truck looming towards me. My heart skipped a beat. There was no chance to run forward. Whatever happens, I had to retreat backwards. As soon as I stopped and started pulling back, Danela, who was walking on my left, managed to push me from my chest with her right hand. If she hadn't done that at that time, I would have fallen face down with momentum, and by the time I said I would stand up, that garbage truck would have crushed me. My second advice to those going to America is – get used to strictly following traffic rules. Personal safety is first. The rule of law is strong there.

The copyright of my first photos taken in New York also belongs to Danela. She brought me to the "Chelsea International Hostel" located on West 20th Street and settled me in. Along the way, we also had a good conversation. The most regrettable thing is that even though I had a camera, I didn't take a picture of the black girl, nor did we take a picture together. She wrote down my Facebook address saying she would send me a friend request, but I accidentally gave her my address incorrectly. I still regret this to this day. Another piece of advice – never forget the people who did you a favor!

According to the internal rules of the Chelsea International Hostel, if you return your key and towel in the morning, they will return your 10 dollars and provide you with a free breakfast. Danela paid the 10 dollars she promised. So I spent the night in a comfortable place for 30 dollars. Finding a place in Manhattan for that price is not an easy task.

I arrived in Rehoboth Beach (Delaware state) that evening. There is no place to sleep. I had to stay in a hotel for 120 dollars. The next day, I looked for an apartment all day. I couldn't find it. At one point, the thought of why not ask for help from this church popped into my head. So I headed towards the "Saint Edmund" Catholic Church, which was a stone's throw away. When I opened the door of the church, it was full of people, it seems they were reading mass. A man with a bright red nose sitting on the side asked me what kind of help I needed. After I explained the situation to him in detail, he asked me to come tomorrow because it was too late. "We will definitely help you," he said. So I stayed in a hotel again that day. When I went back to the Catholic Church at the appointed time the next day, the church was giving a free dinner for international students. The man from yesterday said, "You take your time and eat, we will help you now." All summer, this Catholic church offered a free dinner every Wednesday. At one point, he introduced me to a Bulgarian girl named Mihaela Filipova, and we agreed to stay at that girl's house for 100 dollars a week. A kind priest named James Welsh not only found me an apartment, but also paid for a week's rent, 100 dollars, out of his own pocket. I didn't expect it to be like this at all. I am infinitely grateful to him. Catholics are truly kind people. I lived in that house for 2 weeks. Later, as we got to know each other, the Bulgarian girl became like my own sister. After two weeks, my new job, the "Brighton Suites" hotel, gave me a place to sleep. In the new house, 8 people, 7 Bulgarians, 1 Kazakh, lived together for more than 3 months. The third advice I would give to those who are going to participate in Work and Travel is – try to get Job offers that have accommodation. If that is not the case, prepare your accommodation in advance from the places where you will work. Otherwise, you will face some difficulties.

Rehoboth Beach, where I lived, is a small town on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded in 1873. Local residents call the city the summer beach capital of America. Many people come here in the summer to relax on the beach. Accordingly, there are many jobs. There are also many students gathered from all sides. If you say you are from Kazakhstan, students from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus immediately start speaking Russian. I refused Russian and spoke English with everyone, even with the Russians themselves. I wouldn't answer if they didn't speak English. They would get offended and ask why I don't speak Russian. I would answer them: "I came here to learn English, not Russian. This is not Russia, this is America. Why should I speak Russian in America?" Thanks to that, my English improved a lot. My fourth advice to those who are going to America is – if you aim to learn English well, try to enter a purely English-speaking atmosphere. It is enough for you to use Russian in this place. If you give up Russian for 3-4 months in America, you will not see any harm from it. On the contrary, your English will improve.

On August 20, organized by the "New Testament" Presbyterian Church in Lewes (Delaware state), we took a trip to the settlement of German Anabaptists, whom people call "Amish people", in Pennsylvania state. If someone had told me that in the 21st century, living in America, the center of civilization, there is such a group of ultra-religious people who mock all the achievements of science and technology and live a medieval lifestyle, I would never have believed it. They don't even use electric light. Do you believe that there are people who don't take pictures, don't wear wedding rings, don't buy new clothes, and even avoid talking to other people? This is what surprised me. Today, there are 15 thousand such people in "Dutch Country", and 290,100 people in the whole world. The first wave of Anabaptists moved here in 1715. But no descendants were left from them. Because all of them were ascetics. Later, after their religion gave up asceticism and allowed marriage, they began to multiply. Yes, this also happens. At such times, the words of the bearded old man (I mean Karl Marx) "Religion is an opium that poisons the human brain" come to mind involuntarily... Perhaps it is really so....

In general, the fun of America never ends. I lived there for 4 months and 3 days. If I were to write down the events that happened during this period one by one, a book-length story would come out. One day, while I was working at the hotel, one of the vacationers read the inscription "Oralbek Kazakhstan" on my uniform and asked me if I was from Kazakhstan. I answered him happily, "Yes, I am from Kazakhstan," and when I asked him back if he knew it, he hesitated, "There was a movie... How was it? Borat?" When I heard this word, my blood rushed to my head, and I barely held myself. When I said, "Borat is stupid. Only stupid people can believe him!", the white man in his 40s-50s was confused and couldn't find an answer. Whether my voice sounded harsh, or the word "stupid" hurt him, he changed immediately. "Yes, yes. I know Kazakhstan. I know," he said, blushing, and hurried out of the elevator. Perhaps he realized his mistake and felt uncomfortable because of it. In fact, he knows nothing about Kazakhstan. Stupid American...

My most important advice to future participants of the Work and Travel program is – no matter what happens, do not lose your self-confidence. Believe in yourself and your English. You should be self-confident! Believe in yourself and your English! I went to America alone, but you don't go alone!

These are not the only achievements I reached in America, most importantly, I met the "Eighth Wonder of the World" in America. Although it is an unattainable dream for me at this moment, I believe that sooner or later, that dream of mine will also become a reality. Because my dream's power always leads me forward! And Good luck to future participants!