Russian woman in the US - about life on credit, the development of the budget and large tips - ForumDaily
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A Russian woman in the USA talks about living on credit, managing a budget and big tips

Tamara Morozova. Photo: from the personal archive

Tamara Morozova told the publication “So it goes" your immigration history to america.

I am a Siberian, from Novosibirsk, and my husband is Kazakh. In the last years before leaving, we lived in Moscow, where we didn’t like many things - the environment, crowds and bustle. But we made the final decision due to the political situation. In December 2011, when there were Duma elections, I, like many, was deceived at the polling station. I did not have a Moscow registration, but as an obedient citizen, I came to the polling station three days in advance to write a statement that I would vote there. They told me nothing and sent me to vote at the Main Post Office. It turned out that only people without registration, that is, homeless people, vote here. I am a nervous person and take any injustice close to my heart. It felt like they spat in my face. And Moscow really fueled this feeling: today you walk past the “Occupy Abai” camp on Chistye Prudy, and tomorrow the square is surrounded by a fence. I was literally hysterical, I was sobbing and asking my husband: “Take me away from here!” And he said: “I’ll take it away.”

Fortunately, my husband has the very right profession for moving. He's an IT guy. At first we looked at Europe, and we had all sorts of stupid stereotypes in our heads about “stupid and fat Americans.” But in 2011 we came to San Francisco - my husband participated in the team at the World Card Game Championship Magic the gathering, - and fell in love with this city. And they began not only to consider America as an option, but to dream about it.

Mastering budgets and Russians abroad

At one time, the former head of her husband moved to Washington. He recommended her husband to a small company, and after an interview he was taken. It was difficult to call it a dream job, but they gave us a H1B visa in which it was written what company he was going to. In order to change a company, another organization had to be very willing to reissue it for big money. At first, my husband spat terribly from work. His company worked on subcontracting with the state, and government money led to the development of budgets, even in America. Stealing here is, of course, difficult. But the state allocates a certain amount of money for solving the problem. If you effectively solve it and spend less, then next time you will be given less. Accordingly, all work, picking his nose. In this case, you are required to come on time and comply with the dress code.

My husband's relations with colleagues also did not develop, although ninety percent of the employees were Russian. He tried to make them work, but the Russians do not like it. In general, it all turned into a constant hassle, but he did not quit, because the company promised us to make a green card - an American residence permit.

We waited for two years, and then spat and started looking for other options. Fortunately, the husband found a position in Microsoftand we moved to Seattle. Within one and a half years we hope to receive documents. In another five years we will be able to apply for citizenship. There is a clear feeling from Russian news: thank God that we are not there now. And now it remains to somehow pick up their parents from Russia.

Tamara Morozova. Photo: from the personal archive

Dollar debt, big brother and ambulance

I am a business consultant by training. But still in Moscow she studied for a fitness trainer. Fizrukom I can easily get a job in any country in the world, but here I do not have a work permit. I learned how to do needlework, paint furniture and sculpt jewelry from polymer clay, went to work as a volunteer in a dog shelter. From the first day that we arrived, I had and have a feeling that we did everything right and were in the right place.

In America, life is stable, and people almost always know what will happen to them tomorrow. Therefore, any contract - whether it is renting a home or connecting to the Internet - is a long time. If you, for example, prematurely move out of an apartment, then you pay a penalty in the amount of a two-month rent. In the gym can not close the subscription ahead of schedule.

It is difficult for new arrivals to estimate the level of monthly and annual expenses. We were too relaxed and rented an apartment more expensive than we could afford. And since, as I already said, the contract cannot be broken just like that, we had to tighten our belts for a year. For example, we did not expect gas bills at 200 $ per month. We did not know that not only the state, but also the municipality can take taxes, and considerable ones. And we regularly received surprise bills on 300-500 from the tax.

There is such an unusual concept as credit score - the story of your handling of money. Maintenance and development creditor - a separate art. Americans have been taking care of him since 16 years - they cherish the honor of a son of his own. To have loans - necessarily. Until you start credit score, they call you ghost - the ghost. We bought our first car as “gousta"- and received 10,5% per annum. Already less than a year, starting credit score, we bought another car under 1,8% per annum.

In Russia, I tried never to take loans. But here everyone lives like this, and I’m used to it. So “big brother is watching you,” but it doesn’t bother me. I am a law-abiding person and I have nothing to hide.

In America, another culture tip. We screwed up tight in the first weeks, when we left the usual 10% in restaurants and thought that was enough. Here "like" is equivalent to 20-25%. Most often, tips are not included in the bill, but the waiters live with them, so they can call the manager for 10% to ask what the customer was so unhappy about. But the size of the portions in restaurants just horse. You can eat salad, and you should not order the first, second and compote, - food is served in basins.

Here medicine is different. If you have good insurance - you can relax, the level of service is very cool. But if there is no insurance - trouble. The cost of medical services is exorbitant. Of course, they will not give up dying and, if anything, will pump it out. But then you will have to. Here the ambulance works differently. In Russia, in an ambulance, tired doctors are sitting who don’t care about you. Here everything is done on the highest level.

But just like that to drive 911 will not work. First, the call for an ambulance, if there is no threat to life, costs $ 700. So try to get to the hospital themselves. And secondly, on an emergency call comes the whole disco - fire, police and ambulance.

From the sad - very bad things are with the hairdressers-cosmetologists. This is just a big minus and misfortune. Such services cost a fortune - $ 40-100 for a haircut, plus 20% of tips for a hairdresser. But to find a normal master is very difficult. I have never heard anyone praise a manicurist. Big trouble for the Russians - there is no tea here. A normal sheet costs big money and is not for sale in ordinary supermarkets. So, if you are going to visit America, bring tea.

Tolerance, traffic rules and life by the rules

Only then did I really understand what tolerance means. They don't care at all where you come from. And even if you don’t speak a word of English and try to explain something on your fingers, they will listen to you patiently and try to help. In Moscow, I felt more “out-of-touch” than in America.

Another important difference: America is a car country; without a car you can’t go to the supermarket for groceries. Here everyone has been driving since they were teenagers, but they drive much better than in Russia. And it's dangerously relaxing. And traffic rules vary from state to state, and traffic lights are located only beyond the intersection. The first couple of weeks of driving after Russia, I constantly had to slam on the brakes to avoid driving into the middle of an intersection.

I am very good here. Apparently, I approach this country according to my mentality. I love it when life has rules of the game, not concepts. As a person who loves to cross the road to the green light, I am very comfortable here.

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