We tried everything in the first few weeks to "make some quick cash." I'll tell you about a few notable methods))
- Participating in medical studies.
We found this option on Craigslist with Yurka (Kolia's neighbor, whose place I crashed at the first night). It turned out they only preferred former drug addicts and HIV-positive people. But we decided to call anyway. They asked us about 20 questions regarding our health, bad habits, how much alcohol we consume, and how often we use drugs... I didn't get in, one of our guys was invited, but he never went. Yurka and I went to this organization to get tested for HIV; that was a separate, very funny story. Not only did they take our blood for free, but they also gave us a lecture on what you can and cannot do... Yurka talked to some guy and was let go quickly; they only asked if he had any questions. I, on the other hand, was "interrogated" by a huge Black man with tattoos.
"Tell me, please, how is the virus transmitted through anal sex??? No, you don't quite understand, let me explain it to you now!!! Do you brush your teeth before oral sex??? What??? You don't??? How good!!! You should never do that!! And let me show you some more photos... No, you really must look..." And they shoved photos of an African American man's genitals at me, printed on A3 paper, covered in some kind of sores. I thought I wouldn't make it out of there... that's how much they care about patients' health!
By the way, you can't sell blood for money; it's only done as an act of goodwill... unfortunately(((
-
Selling eggs. 5,000 dollars. No comment needed.
-
Donations.
One of my neighbors sat on a crate on the street for several weeks selling flashlights. Legally. Because he didn't set a price... "give what you can"... and the money went into a jar labeled "Donations." In the end, this activity was shut down; we assume it's because he did end up setting a price. Stupid Japanese tourists don't understand what "donations" are, and it's easier for them to be told "1 dollar" than to have it explained that they can take a flashlight and give whatever they want... and that's how it all ended.
Bracelets. This topic also falls under donations. Seeing how easily Vanka was raking in cash just by sitting on a chair for 3 hours a day, I decided to weave some friendship bracelets and sell them as donations too... beads cost pennies... or so I thought. I went to Chinatown and found out that one bead costs a dollar... I don't understand how it's possible that finished beads are 3 times cheaper than individual ones. In short, the idea exhausted itself immediately.
- Russian show.
Sasha came up with the idea. He also shut it down. Although it could have been fun... our girls dancing on the street in Russian folk dresses (a yard of fabric costs $3), a boombox with our Kalinka-Malinka, and a box labeled "Donations for the reunification of the Soviet Union"... we have representatives from all the former CIS republics here. It would have been almost true....
In short, all these ventures failed... and we continued our search for a normal job))
