PART 1.
From New York to Baltimore (MD)
So, imagine this situation: June 17, 2008, I am standing in front of the exit of JFK airport in New York. It is about eight o'clock in the evening, I need to get first to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, buy a bus ticket, and, having traveled 600 km southwest of NY, get to Baltimore, Maryland. Can you picture it? Now I will tell you the sequence of my actions, describing in detail all the mistakes I made so that others can learn from them)
- From JFK airport, there is a so-called airtrain to the Howard Beach subway station. One trip costs $5. One subway ride costs $2 => you can get from JFK to PABT for $7.
I, not knowing all this, shelled out $80 for a taxi.
Anyway, I made it to the terminal. And now I am standing in line at the ticket office for a ticket to Baltimore. There are many people around me, mostly African Americans (as it is customary to call them "politically correctly," although I have nothing against them, I talked to them - they are different, like all of us).
Having bought the ticket, I looked at the clock: it was 8:55 pm, and the bus was leaving at 9. Damn!!! I rushed to look for the "gates" I needed.
2. Tip: if you are lost or just a little confused, be sure to contact a police officer. Unlike Russian... um... policemen (especially Moscow ones, damn them), an American officer will definitely help you!
I fly up to a policeman, shove my ticket at him: "PLEASE, TELL ME WHERE IS THIS GATES????", fortunately, the policeman turned out to be sensible (they sometimes have problems with this) and immediately pointed out the right direction. As a result, I was a little late, but fortunately, the driver was not in a hurry either, finishing his cigarette near the bus))
I get on the bus and realize that I am the only representative of the white population here XDDD... This is where the culture shock begins))) And then the driver turned off the lights... In a black-black room...)))))))
As a result; five hours of driving and I get off on the outskirts of Baltimore, and I need to go to downtown! That's what they call the Center...)
Another $20 for a taxi and I finally get out near the Holiday Inn hotel, explain for a long time to the front desk (frontdesk - administrator) who I am and what I am doing here, spend the night in a utility room, and in the morning my employer comes and tells me the good news: I, you see, arrived late, and there is no work for me... That was harsh) But now I understand why it happened.
3. NEVER get hired by a RUSSIAN employer. Why? Strangely enough, Russians in America are deceived... by Russians. Especially immigrants from the former USSR. My advice to you: look for an American employer! They still have their own concepts of... business cooperation.
Yes, and it is better to pay an extra $200 to the agency for finding an employer. There are also very unpleasant situations here. I did not go through an agency, perhaps that is why there were so many mistakes)
The mistakes I made are quite natural for the first time. Do not repeat them)
But I have never regretted my decision to participate in the program for a moment! There were difficulties, but over time everything fell into place.
The main thing is not to be afraid of mistakes and to broaden your horizons))))))))))))))))
