How I ended up in Hawaii for a whole year. Traveling America: Hawaii - First Impressions of the American Way of Life

Thoughts of settling on a paradise island, arranging leisure time on the ocean with a diet of fruits and fresh fish, are probably visited by every inhabitant of the metropolis. Continuing a series of materials about compatriots who settled abroad, Lenta.ru publishes the story of Natalya, who replaced Moscow with Hawaii.

An idea came up

My husband and I moved from monsoon-swept Vladivostok to Moscow at the very end of the 1990s. We lived there for six years, but there was not a day when we would not remember the ocean and the fresh summer breeze. Holidays were spent, as a rule, in Europe. The desire to change everything intensified upon returning to Russia: as soon as you get off the ladder, your mood drops. In addition, we wanted more adventure in life.

Galloping across the USA

The husband decided: to walk like that, and went to the USA. There he spent six months trying to find his Palestine. So he entered the image of the discoverer that he did not linger anywhere for a long time, could not find perfect place for a family nest. According to his descriptions, New York came out as an even noisier copy of Moscow, in Washington the level of crime alerted, in the picturesque Maryland it was boring, in the festive Miami it was stuffy, in Minneapolis it was cold.

In Chicago, he was almost shot by stoned black guys, sincerely indignant that they were overtaken on the road by a "white punk". I liked Boston and Denver, but they have cold winters. Missing in Los Angeles fresh air and the starry sky, and in San Francisco and Seattle - the warm sea.

Having swept across the United States up and down, getting rid of a substantial share of family savings and a few pairs of rose-colored glasses, he woefully shared with me over the phone, if not priceless, then very expensive conclusion: "The country is big, but there is nowhere to live." But after my question about when he was going to return home, the husband was silent for a few minutes, and then said: “There is another place here. While my visa is valid, I’m flying to Hawaii for a couple of days, I’ll look around.”

In translation into human time, "a couple of days" in the universe, a spouse meant a couple of months. I was already afraid for a visa, zeroing the financial fund of family wealth, the state of Hawaii and the USA as a whole.

Found!

Late in the night I was awakened by a call. “Finally I found what we need!” - the husband shouted joyfully into the phone. On Hawaiian Islands waterfalls, turquoise water, azure lagoons, endless beaches, volcanoes, palm trees and even Christmas trees that I love so much.

Everything turned out to be more difficult

But in Moscow, his bronze tan and illusions quickly faded away. Everything turned out to be much more difficult. To organize everything properly, we needed money, lawyers and more money. Our "let's go" turned into whole year fees and expectations.

Russian friends and acquaintances did not understand our zeal: “Why do you need this? Go to Machu Picchu, to Greece, to Alaska in the end, if you really want adventure. But do not move to the island forever. Start everything from scratch! What will you do? Now it's fine here."

One year later

But we did it anyway. We moved. I can quote the words of one of the taxi drivers who met us literally at the door of the airport and immediately carried us away with a conversation, but here they like to chat:

“Hawaii is not America. And we have our own queen, and there are an order of magnitude fewer crimes, weapons are prohibited, and there are almost no murders. We are against wars and conflicts, we believe that each country should develop as its people want. And so glad to see everyone here. And we have less competition in any area than in other states, and the rules are simpler, ”he praised local life.

“And we know the Russians. Hawaiians remember Queen Elizabeth. Local children were named after her. The Russian fortress is still standing. And the Hawaiian king gave the island of Kauai to Alexander II. Did you have such a king? Noticing our surprise, he explained: “You don’t see that I am a taxi driver, I used to be a history teacher. Now he is retired, but among us Koreans, it is indecent for a man to sit at home and grow old idle. Here I am a taxi driver four days a week and work.

Terra incognita

Almost everyone asked what we are going to do here, how to earn a living. Nevertheless, Hawaii is not the most explored territory for Russian people.

At first, we decided to take on the most obvious - tourism. True, every third person from Russian-speaking countries works here in this industry.

Having received a license (in Hawaii it is much easier than in other US states), they got down to business. Website, mailings, marketing, calls to agencies in the USA and Russia. The process of sending letters seemed to us never-ending.

We learned

Firstly, in the USA there is everything, and even with a surplus. If you come here with a brilliant idea, you will quickly feel like the fifth spoke in a chariot. Five or ten other enthusiasts like you, who can do a little bit of everything, will breathe down your neck.

Realizing this, my husband and I began to study tourism business. For about a month he wandered around all the islands in search of exotic, reserved places away from the generally accepted tourist routes. Spent a week with shamans on big island and Kauai. Local stories, myths, legends made a great impression on him.

We have our first clients. My husband gradually left the travel agency on me, and he himself took up real estate. In principle, a standard set for immigrants.

Secondly, everything must be done as it should be. If you broke the law or accepted rules, very soon it will turn against you. Even if you just like to listen to loud music after 10 pm.

Thirdly, one must be conscientious and not let others down. Then the doors of new possibilities will open before you.

Common misconception

It is widely believed that you can live in the US with an expired visa. Theoretically - yes. Until the first road test. But you will not be able to get a license, take out insurance, rent an apartment, rent or take over a car, fly somewhere and ever legalize your status. Live in constant stress under the threat of deportation? Who needs it?

Related to this is our fourth lesson: you must be better than others. And this, perhaps, is the main thing. Here everyone works like Papa Carlo. But at the same time smiling and singing songs - and this is the norm.

You have to be able to do something better than others. It doesn't matter what it is - painting, treating people, renovating houses or driving a truck, doing development or finance... The main thing is better. And then you will succeed

The island doesn't let the bad guys in

Oahu is the most international island. It doesn't matter where you're from or how well you speak English. It is easy to become your own, find like-minded people and even friends. Here you are judged by who you are. First of all, a person, in the second place - a specialist. And they decide whether to have business or a relationship with you or not. Therefore, "byaki" on the islands do not linger.

"There is no need to hurry and no need to strain"

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, a worldwide resort, but the city has a metropolitan feel. Especially when leaving the freeway during peak hours.

Hawaiians are said to be lazy, all they need is fishing, a ukulele guitar and pacalola (hemp) herb, which is popular here. But they are hospitable and generous, family and kind, despite the very ferocious appearance and solid dimensions.

I would say that locals not lazy, but leisurely, never rushing anywhere, enjoying every minute of life in paradise. People try not to dwell on the negative. And if at first we rushed around the island and the streets in Moscow style, always being late and nervous somewhere, then over time I realized that there was no need to rush and no need to strain.

Hawaiians live in large and friendly families. On the beach, having heard an accent, they are interested in where you are from, and having learned that you are from Russia, they immediately invite you to the table: “Bra, pliz join ace!” (“Brother, please join!”)

The best place

The cost of living on the islands is the highest in the United States. This is not surprising: they strive here successful people from all over the planet, because here are the most clean water and air, the comforts and benefits of civilization, the ideal climate and the delights of a tropical island. Life expectancy is second in the world after Okinawa.

There are about six thousand Russian speakers in the Hawaiian Islands out of one and a half million of the state's population. As a rule, these are people who have wandered around the world in search of a better life. So ours is coming!

Maldives or Hawaii- where to go on vacation, which country to choose for paradise vacation in the tropics? This is not so easy to do, but my article will help you understand such different popular beach resorts. I succeeded several times as well, so now I can tell you how these islands are similar, what is their difference and what you need to know when planning a vacation. How much to fly to Hawaii and the Maldives, how much such a trip will cost and who is suitable for a holiday on bounty islands or volcanic tropical islands. I will also help you understand how best to choose an island and a hotel in all the variety of proposals. Well, let's take a virtual trip to such remote and exotic places like the Maldives and Hawaii.

To begin with, both the Maldives and Hawaii can be called dream places, where you should definitely visit at least once in your life. One way or another, we are all familiar with these tropical ones. Pictures from the Maldives, which many have seen in magazines or advertisements, do not lie. This is exactly the classic image of paradise on earth: turquoise sea water, pleasant white sand, a palm tree leaning over the beach, in a word - a bounty!

The beaches in the Maldives are the best in the world!

And mysterious Hawaii you could see more than once in the TV series "Lost" ( Lost). After all, they were the location for filming many episodes and scenes. This lush tropical vegetation, mountains, volcanoes and, of course, a great variety of beaches suitable for swimming and sunbathing, as well as for surfing and other water sports, simply could not leave you indifferent.

If you have already decided exactly what you want to go to Hawaii, and you need to choose an island and a beach, then I advise you to read my article on how to combine with big amount practical information.

It is important to know:

A beach holiday will not disappoint you if you choose Hawaii (for example, a 5* hotel The Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach) or a luxury resort Four Seasons in the Maldives. It is beautiful in both resorts. And the decisive influence on your choice will be what you like to do in your free time from sunbathing.

So, let's start comparing the Maldives and Hawaii!

1. What are these countries and features of recreation in them

Many tourists do not realize until they start choosing a place to stay that Maldives- it's independent Island state, consisting of a huge number of islands: inhabited by local residents, completely turned into resort hotels, as well as uninhabited islands. In total, the state includes about 1200 islands, grouped into atolls. Read more.
Hawaii is a large archipelago, consisting of seven major islands and some smaller ones. All of them belong to the USA and are a separate state. Americans prefer to relax in Hawaii in a rich way, so they plan a trip there on vacation at least a year in advance. Tourists from all over the world also come to Hawaii to enjoy their unique natural beauty and charm. It is considered very prestigious to visit there, and therefore the best Hawaiian hotels in high season are no cheaper than .

2. Do I need a visa

To visit the Maldives, citizens of almost all countries of the world do not need a visa at all. Upon arrival, they put a stamp allowing you to rest in the country for no more than 30 days. It is quite possible to extend your vacation for some more time. How to do this, read in, which considers in detail all visa situations when visiting the Maldives.
To visit Hawaii, you need a valid US visa. In America by tourist visa you can stay up to 6 months, but this is fraught with subsequent questions at the border at the next entry and when obtaining new visas. In any case, no matter how long your vacation is, an ordinary American visa is enough for you, which is better to do in advance a few months before your trip to America.

3. Location and where is on the map

The Maldives are close to the equator Indian Ocean close to India and Sri Lanka. Read more.
Hawaii is located in the northern part Pacific Ocean at west coast USA.

3. How long to fly and how to get there

There are direct Aeroflot flights from Moscow to the Maldives. lasts 9 hours. You can also fly with transfers, which will also be approximately 12-15 hours, taking into account the time for a transfer in Arab countries, Sri Lanka or Europe. Main airport The Maldives is located on a separate island of Hulule, 2 kilometers from the capital Male.
There are no direct flights from Russia to Hawaii. From the European part of the country it is easier to fly through big cities USA - New York, Atlanta, Chikako, Seattle, Los Angeles and others. And from the east of Russia, you can fly to Hawaii via Korea. Most of the planes arrive on the island of Oahu and the city of Honolulu. However, there are direct flights from the US to other islands - Maui, the Big Island. Read more about the flight, which lasts 12 hours. From Los Angeles or any other US city in the west, it takes about 6 hours to fly to Honolulu.

Male is the capital of the Republic of Maldives

4. When to go

during the winter months: December to April. It's Christmas time and New Year holidays, Valentine's Day and gender holidays on February 23 and March 8. At other times, the southwest wet monsoon reigns here. Read the detailed article:
And it is best to go to Hawaii in the summer - from June to September. Keep in mind that in America this is the time of mass vacations, so look for cheap flights in advance on the website Aviasales.

5. Features of culture

The Maldives is a Muslim country in which all tourists are allowed to relax as they are used to only on the territory of resorts. Being outside of them is a must. For example, vacationers on inexpensive island villages (for example, on) are extremely upset by the dry law in the Maldives. However, this does not apply to tourists in resorts, because there you can walk in a bikini.
The Hawaiian Islands, although part of the United States, are proud of their local Polynesian culture. Hula dances, the gentle ukulele giant singer Israel and his unforgettable voice, the ancient belief in the volcano goddess Pele - all this is not forgotten and intertwined with modernity. Look evening shows and dancing is extremely interesting. and if you like outdoor activities, then do not forget that to travel around the island it is better to immediately rent a car at the airport, having previously booked on the website rentalcars.

Developed infrastructure of Hawaii

6. Prices

Which is more expensive - Hawaii or the Maldives? The answer depends on the choice of island. The Maldives has great islands with very low prices, where the average the cost of one day of rest for two is about 200-300 dollars(For example, Kurumba And baros). distant islands like a hotel Four Seasons they are much more expensive, but the comfort and service there are simply prohibitive-cosmic. The total cost of a holiday in the Maldives consists of the price of air tickets, hotel accommodation, meals in restaurants, excursions, additional services like massages and spas, as well as transfers to the hotel. Prices for boat, seaplane or flight domestic airlines differ greatly. To simplify, I’ll say that a week of budget holidays in the Maldives with a flight will cost about $1500-2000 , and for a week and a half in the resort "" you will have to pay at least $3500 . luxury worth $5000-10000 .
In Hawaii, things are different. A fairly expensive flight to Honolulu or other islands and serious prices for decent hotels will definitely say that a luxury vacation in Hawaii will be a little more expensive, because prices for a double room start from $250-300 per day if booked in advance (look for an example of good 5-star hotels Halekulani or The Royal Hawaiian on the island of Oahu). Like an average hotel Hilton Garden Inn can also be found for $150 but don't expect luxury service there. Therefore, if we talk about inexpensive way to relax in Hawaii, you will have to sacrifice the quality of services and the comfort of living.

7. What money to take with you and how much

The official currency of the Maldives is rufiyaa. However, in the Maldives, as in Cambodia, two currencies are in use: local rufiyaas, as well as U.S. dollars. Tourists for all services can easily pay in dollars, both in cash and bank card. In the capital, you can pay in dollars everywhere, and get local currency at the normal rate for change. Almost no one pays in cash, and the general bill is usually issued at the end of the holiday, which is easier to pay with your credit card. Therefore, on a trip to the Maldives, in addition to money for card account, take a minimum of cash to pay for souvenirs and any small expenses, a few hundred US dollars will be enough. Read more about money and prices in the Maldives.
You must bring cash to Hawaii U.S. dollars for petty expenses and bank card(preferably dollar). You can pay with cash in cafes and restaurants, but in taxis they accept payment only with a card. Hotels don't like to accept big cash either, so credit card you will definitely come in handy, including for renting a car. Read about features and prices, as well as how to pay a tip.

8. Things to do while on vacation

There is another very important difference between giants. beach tourism Maldives and Hawaii.

People go to the Maldives mainly for two reasons: to relax on the beach, along the coast or go diving. The small size of the island-hotel and the relaxed atmosphere plunge you into a sweet slumber, and you just want to relax in the Maldives. And sometimes have fun, try yourself in different aquatic activities sports, go boating, ride desert island to the picnic, . It's still relaxing. And only experienced divers really strain in the Maldives. But deserves it! Read more.
And in Hawaii, you can not only fully explore the island you fly to, but if you wish, you can also fly to neighboring islands! Although tourists usually do not have enough time for this. I really wanted to go to Maui, but I didn’t even have time to see all the most interesting things that it offers. Here you can do trekking dormant volcano, see waterfalls, you can rent a car and ride around the island in search of great beaches, ride a wave on a surf. And also visit military museums (Pearl Harbor),. Night life is also very saturated - clubs and concerts. In general, Hawaii is more suitable for lovers active rest which can be successfully combined with a visit to the beaches.

9. Shopping

There is no special shopping in the Maldives, you can only talk about relaxation.
Shopping in Hawaii is just great! I bought here clothes of world brands, excellent souvenirs for gifts and local sweets.

10. Attractions

We can say that the best attractions in the Maldives are themselves Paradise islands! This is exactly what everyone comes here for. There is no such atmosphere anywhere else in the world.
But in Hawaii there are a lot of attractions - both natural, cultural and man-made.

Bonus

If you go to the Maldives, you can also see the monuments ancient culture and tea plantations where the famous

About the “American way of life”, probably, loudly said. This is Hawaii and judging by them how life is in all of America is wrong, just like judging the whole of Australia, being only once in the same Cairns, if we really draw parallels.

And yet, in February of this year, for the first time in our lives, we are flying to America, and in particular to Hawaii. By the way, they were the last in the list of all American states. And whatever one may say, first impressions and comparisons cannot be avoided.

We also understand that comparing America with Australia is also wrong, because. Australia follows in the footsteps of America and not vice versa, but because we have been living on Australian soil for three years now, and it was from here that we first went to America, then our comparisons take place in this way “Australia vs America”.

In general, the states are very, very interesting to us, and to everyone - both the natural component and the way of life there. We do not feel any reverence for America, it is interesting to us just like Canada and all countries Latin America, and Asia, and Africa, and of course, like Russia.

America for us is simply one of those interesting and unknown places, where we have not been yet and really want to know “how it is there”, that's all. I would very much like to live there, because. plunging into the very environment of living - it is easier to understand the way of life of a particular country.

Travel does not give a clear idea about this, because. traveling is just a pleasant vacation with a usually limited time period, always having money and some kind of organized program.

And when you live in a foreign country, work or study there, you begin to see the pitfalls of local residence, which are often not noticed during travel, and if something catches your eye, it is perceived quite differently.

Well, here are the first impressions. It will be interesting to read them again later, when we get to the main American mainland and see how it is there.

The hedgehog understands that these first impressions went through the prism of our perception of life in Australia, from where we flew to Hawaii, so we will compare everything with Australia.

1. Are there any special significant differences between Australia and Hawaii?

None at all! Having already rolled a lot on the Australian mainland and having already seen a lot of things in terms of organization tourist holiday here in Australia - we did not notice any differences with Hawaii at all. It was like driving through tropical north Queensland.

The principle of organization of rest is the same. The same information centers, around right on the streets there are stands with free information brochures, everything can be booked online and paid everywhere with a credit card if desired, rent a car for almost every taste and finance, shops with souvenir goods, various agencies with agents who they will immediately (and often very annoyingly) help organize this or that tour that interests you.

In general, to come to Hawaii and feel at a loss, helpless and unaware of where to go on vacation, will not work in any way.

The only differences you will encounter are:

right-hand traffic on highways; instead of kilometers, everything is in miles; instead of kg - in pounds; instead of Celsius - degrees Fahrenheit; liquids are not in liters, but in gallons.

And the living white population here is only 10%, everything else is Japanese and Asians, Hawaiians and other nationalities. And Japanese hieroglyphs around will be even more common than English.

And here we did not meet a single wild animal (including predatory or poisonous), except for a couple of small animals, similar to rats, running across the road.

Remembering all the Australian animals that stubbornly crawl under the wheels on the roads, traveling by car in Hawaii seemed like a sweet fairy tale to us!

Some areas of central Honolulu generally resembled Melbourne, nature - the tropics of Queensland, and residential areas with a private sector - Tasmania or the province of Queensland.

2. Climate and nature in Hawaii.

We completely traveled around two Hawaiian islands - Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. We just didn't have the time or energy to do more.

I loved the nature I saw! It is so diverse there that the eye will not stop rejoicing and nature will not let you get bored, because. its diversity in such a small area is simply mind-blowing!

And what makes a vacation in Hawaii pleasant is the fact that you can find something to do here for every taste, and these are:

Just "deposit seals" on the most beautiful beaches on Cote d'Azur with white, black and even green sand; excellent conditions for surfers of different levels of training - from beginners to advanced aces in this sport; kiting; kayaking; diving; snorkeling - and almost on many beaches. Concerning water sports– here simply paradise for all.

There are seething waterfalls and tropical rainforests with heavy rains and heavy clouds hanging very low over the mountains, which, in my opinion, never cease to rain on the local forests, and high mountains-volcanoes (the highest point in Hawaii is 4205 m, which is very easy to reach), and then lava flowing into the ocean and slowly and surely increasing the territory of Hawaii in this way.

Below in the photo: clouds hang so low in the northern part of the island of Oahu.

There are also fruit plantations with juicy fruits, and the warm sun with pleasant humidity envelops the skin like the most gentle moisturizing body lotion. And the heat of +30 was perceived by us here much easier than in Australia.

In general, Hawaii is somewhat similar to the northern tropics of Queensland - the same Port Douglas, only with the addition of its own flora, and it is no less beautiful here, very interesting and generously blooms here with all the colors of the rainbow.

We will talk about the natural component in more detail in our next notes, because. we devoted all our main time and energy and interest to nature and took with us a sea of the most pleasant impressions.

And what is especially interesting: the Hawaiian Islands are not only beaches with delicate azure and palm trees, there are so many interesting things that we did not waste precious time on the beaches.

It was much more interesting to walk in the pouring rain to the raging waterfall along tropical forest and get wet through; or climb the most high point Hawaiian Islands - Mauna Kea; or get lost in bloom botanical garden; or in total darkness trying to get to the lava; or ... More on all this later.

3. “Household” way of life of the population in Hawaii

Very modest, somewhere even ordinary and down to commonplace. The Waikiki area in Honolulu on the island of Oahu is not considered in this plan. It is designed for tourists - from mere mortals to the wealthy and looks like a picture from a fashionable glossy magazine. We will talk about it separately and a little later.

Otherwise, simple private sector. There are poorer districts, there are richer districts, there are quite miserable ones. We do not consider the rich of this world, but we look at the life of a simple middle class, and he lives here simply and mediocre and generally not pretentious.

Next to a pretty, clean house, rotten junk can immediately stand nearby. And the climate is so comfortable that people live “half-at home, half-outdoors”.

There is nothing more to add, because what they saw did not impress at all and did not surprise at all with something new and hitherto unknown. Australia seems to be more comfortable in this regard.

4. Roads and cars in Hawaii

Just a separate point I want to tell.

First, about the roads. On the island of Oahu, they are poor compared to Australia. In Australia, you still need to look for roads of such poor quality as on Oahu. And this applies primarily to the capital of Hawaii - Honolulu and its highways.

But the Big Island of Hawaii, on the contrary, pleased with its good asphalt canvas. Apparently, there is more tourists on Oahu and the traffic there is many times more intense.

The road lanes are wide, there are road markings everywhere, there are a lot of road signs. The speed limits are big.

In my opinion, the fastest that was allowed is 55 miles per hour (88 km per hour), in places in cities and towns - the limit is 25 (37 km per hour), and on average - 35-45 everywhere.

The movement is somewhat reminiscent of Russia. Very intense and not always polite. Already accustomed to a comfortable ride on the roads in Australia and very relaxed in this regard, I had to gather my willpower again and try to fit into the energetic flow of cars on the Hawaiian roads, this was especially true of Honolulu.

To change lanes on the motorway, you had to be a little nervous, because. we have already got used to the fact that in Australia they drive very correctly and will always give you the opportunity to calmly change lanes, but not on American roads. There, everyone is deeply purple, where you need to go and what you need on the road. It was partly even dumb with unaccustomed that.

Now about cars. And while briefly and about the very first impressions.

Personally, I (Natalya) prefer large cars - SUVs, jeeps, etc. I will not go into details, but large cars definitely please my eye. So such large cars on Australian roads cannot be compared with American ones at all!

Americans definitely love everything big. And not just big, but just gigantic! This caught my eye from the very first minute, as soon as we drove out onto the road. And the volume of these giant private cars just rolled over!

As a result, we rented three cars in Hawaii - two sedans and a convertible. There were moments when we just felt like ants on the road. What's funny: not only is the car so big, it's not enough for the Americans, they also specially raise it higher, attach huge wheels or whatever they come up with, just to be bigger and bigger ...

The topic will later tell in more detail with photographs about the love of Americans for everything large-sized-automobile.

5. Food in Hawaii

It is also an interesting point by which one can judge how people live in a particular country.

In a separate note here:

6. Hotels in Hawaii

The same as everywhere else. Why should they be different, right? out) at 12:00 (which is convenient).

On the island of Oahu, we stayed at a hotel in the Waikiki area, the room had a small built-in kitchen with everything you need.

And on the Big Island of Hawaii, they booked a room in a huge restored house with a large kitchen and shared showers. The main guests there were Germans, and in large numbers.

Their mentality has long been familiar to me, they are mostly friendly people, but they always ask, “Why is everyone leaving Russia?” forgetting at the same time that people from Germany very willingly leave to live in other countries for some reason, but the Germans stubbornly do not notice this fact regarding their homeland.

Well, here's something about the first impressions on the vskidku. Remember something else - we will definitely write.

If not for the hours-long flight from Melbourne to Honolulu, it would feel like we were relaxing in the tropical part of Australia.

And as for holidays in the Hawaiian Islands, you definitely need to visit several of them, because. they are strikingly different from each other and each is interesting and unique in its own way.

What we saw there, what we liked the most and what was filled - we will tell in our next notes. To be continued for sure.

Your restless Nata and Tyoma

How more people learns that I once wintered on these islands, located far away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the more questions they have. In this article I will try to tell you about the main points of my very first and therefore most unforgettable trip over a distant hillock.

If Thailand and wintering in Thailand are described in some detail on the Internet, then Ukrainians and Russians still rarely get to Hawaii. It is understandable: far, expensive, more difficult to get a visa ... How did I manage to get to these paradise islands, at the age of 16, and even spend almost a whole year in Hawaii for free? As I promised recently in the comments to one of the articles, I will tell you about this today ... 😉

Part 1. Participation in the selection of FSA FLEX

The FSA FLEX program is the Freedom Support Act Future Leader's Exchange Program. Translated: Freedom Support Act - Future Leaders Exchange Program. In simple terms, this is an exchange program for students who come from post-Soviet countries in the USA for the exchange of culture, experience, knowledge, and this event is sponsored by no less than the US State Department.

FSA FLEX has existed since 1992, and since then more than 20,000 people have traveled to America through this program. To date, students from ten countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine can become FSA FLEX participants. It is noteworthy that in 2003, teenagers from Belarus and Uzbekistan also came to the United States under this program, and I personally know these people, but now these countries are not on the list of participating countries. Politics however...

How FSA FLEX works

The bottom line is that any student aged 15 to 17 from the above countries has the opportunity to take part in the competition for free. The main thing is to know about it and come to Right place at the right time and necessary documents on hands. The competition itself is held in several stages (in my opinion, in four). It is logical that at each stage the vast majority of students are eliminated, and each stage is a whole bunch of surprises and nuances. Participants take a wide variety of tests, such as live speech comprehension, listening comprehension, grammar tests, etc. The very last stage consists of an assignment to write three essays in English on completely unexpected topics. Each participant has only 45 minutes at his disposal, and even for mother tongue it is not always possible to quickly orient oneself and formulate one's thoughts. Jobs are submitted with a click. Delay in one second - automatic departure from the program. Everything is very tough!

As far as I've heard, essays are checked by psychologists, among other experts. In a word, the selection is really serious and according to many criteria - obvious and not very obvious. After writing an essay, the participants of the last round go through an oral interview with a very important American, on whom a lot also depends ... And then everyone can only wait for their work and a whole bunch of documents to be checked, which takes several months. Absolutely everything is managed and directed by the Americans, and the work is sent to the United States for verification, so the possibility of bribing anyone is completely excluded.

As you can see, everything is quite difficult, but the game is worth the candle. The finalists of the program receive an unprecedented opportunity to go to study in the United States of America for the whole academic year absolutely free of charge. And all at the expense of the State Department and host families, from plane tickets to pens, notebooks, school meals and hair shampoo.

So, schoolchildren from countries former USSR arrive in the US in August before the start of the school year. There are only 50 states in America, and before participating in the program, everyone signs a paper that if he becomes a finalist, he will agree to go to any of the fifty states, including Alaska or Hawaii. When we signed these documents, I remember exactly that it was a lot of fun - everyone joked about who, in his opinion, would go to Alaska, and that he personally, of course, would go to Hawaii. But then, no one seriously counted on it for 100% - too many people are weeded out by the program, and the probability of getting into a certain place is too small.

To be honest, I really wanted to win and go to America, and in particular to Hawaii, where another girl from our class was already studying at that time. I looked at her photos, listened to the stories that our classmates told about her journey - and I understood that it was difficult, but real! At that time, this was my most cherished dream, although I was well aware that it would be very, very difficult to even go through several rounds of the program ... Plus, I realized that the probability of my getting to Hawaii (even if successful) is so negligible that even meeting a dinosaur on the street is more likely... 😀 And yet I hoped and worked hard, leaning on textbooks! I cannot but say that I could not have learned English if I had not had a simply amazing teacher and a Person with a capital letter - Tamara Vasilievna. The second person who constantly encouraged me to learn the language was my mother. I am simply immensely grateful to these people, because knowledge in English changed my life forever!

When the results are known, the finalists of the program are called to tell them what exactly they won. The organizers draw lots or choose a family based on compatibility... No one knows for sure how they do it, and it is also completely unrealistic to influence these results... As a result, each finalist learns about the state and city he is going to, and a little later he send a large envelope with instructions and information about the host family. The American families participating in FSA FLEX are volunteers. It is in these families that schoolchildren from Ukraine and other countries of the former socialist camp are placed. Then everyone is determined to study at the place of residence - in the most ordinary American schools.

An ordinary Hawaiian school, though almost new - Kapolei High School

The aim of the program initially in 1992 was to lift the so-called Iron Curtain that separated the countries of the former Soviet Union from the capitalist world. Now the Iron Curtain, fortunately, has long since fallen. But the FSA FLEX student exchange system continues to work and be funded, so every year there are an increasing number of lucky ones who get very much for their efforts in learning English. I think it's incredibly cool that the program works, although, of course, there are different opinions on this matter.

Criticism of the FSA FLEX program

1. As a rule, I have heard criticism from the lips of people who did not participate in the program. However, there are many exceptions. Indeed, it is quite difficult to organize such a program - everything must be thought out to the smallest detail. But the human factor has not yet been canceled.

Sometimes our students get into trouble. No matter how experienced psychologists check the work, and no matter how hard the FSA FLEX organizers try to prepare teenagers, sometimes the system fails. The terms of the program clearly state that if a participant in the program is expelled from school, then he returns home ahead of schedule. Also, you can not violate the laws of the United States, smoke, drink, engage in debauchery ... much more. When our children enter the country great opportunities, and even abruptly get out of maternal and paternal custody, sometimes they fall under someone's negative influence or simply go crazy. Cases are different, but I can assure everyone that in 99% of them, from what I heard, everyone passed the program successfully, regardless of the state, city and family in which they lived.

By the way, about families. It happens that our teenagers do not agree in character with their "adoptive parents", their children or other family members. Under the terms of the program, in case of irreconcilable conflicts, a replacement of the host family is allowed. I know a case when a girl from Moscow changed her family twice. And each time she found a new family in Honolulu - exactly where she lived. In the end, in the third family there were moments that did not suit her, but she achieved a lot. Her first host family was of the Mormon religion. They forbade her to drink tea and coffee, determined what she was allowed to wear and what not, forced her to go to bed at exactly 9 pm, came up with a million more rules for her ... By the way, the girl was from a very decent family, just the soul of the company, and you couldn’t get along with her character, you still had to try. These “unfortunate parents” themselves did not have their own children, but for some reason they decided that they could experiment on a girl from Russia.

Someone also comes across a great family, but not everything is in order at school. For example, one girl was assigned to a school where only blacks studied, who constantly smoked weed, fought and were mostly dysfunctional ... Fun, right? Or someone might be randomly placed in a black neighborhood. Let what they say about equality and non-discrimination in America, but believe me, living in a black neighborhood for a white person and going to a school every day where 99% of students are black is not the best option spending a year of your life. Nothing bad can happen, but the team must be healthy and it is important for a teenager at the age of 15-17 to have his own social circle - people with whom he will be interested, comfortable and safe to communicate.

The list of possible problems goes on… Someone just comes across a bad school, or a bad coordinator of the host organization, unable to resolve sensitive issues, or some other annoying nuisance…

And yet, in general, such cases are exceptions, although sometimes students remain dissatisfied with their families, schools, neighbors, social circle, but continue to live in these conditions, not telling anyone anything. Accordingly, their life in the United States turns into some kind of "departure". Subsequently, you can hear a lot of criticism towards the program, family, school from such people, but in fact, all problems within the program are solvable - in extreme cases, each student has almost a direct round-the-clock number of the State Department. Level, huh!?

2. The second portion of criticism falls on those who have never had anything to do with the FSA FLEX program. I’m talking about conspiracy theorists… Especially for them I would like to write that there is no catch in the program… But it’s pointless to convince people of something that they know better than anyone in the world. 🙂

Some believe that such programs are needed to zombify our people and almost to recruit special agents ... Bugaga! What I just have not heard in many years after participating in FLEX. And most importantly, sometimes they say such things as a joke, and sometimes - in all seriousness ...

As for brainwashing, I can say that every day each of us is given a dose of noodles. Do you disagree? How about this:

“Buy 190 toilet lids and get a roll of toilet paper as a gift… Bounty is a heavenly delight… It is this chewing gum that best restores the acid-base balance… We will return the country to the people! Vote for ... shhhh ... "

What is it if not manipulation of your opinion and consciousness?

Sometimes this flow of unnecessary zombie information makes your head spin. A lot of people are trying to brainwash us, and everyone is faced with this from birth and on every corner ...

I can say with complete certainty that during the FSA FLEX program, no special brainwashing approach was applied to me personally. I saw the whole life of a simple town in which ordinary American schoolchildren studied, talked with them, made friends, played football, went to the movies ... Perhaps with a slight correction that all this happened in Hawaii ... But each state of America has its own amendments. By and large, Hawaii is still part of the United States, and if it were not for the climate and the presence of the ocean nearby, then how would Hawaii differ from West Virginia or Ohio?

Although, of course, it is difficult to judge, because I have not yet been fully in other US states, except for Hawaii. In any case further we will talk about these paradise islands.

Here they are - Hawaii ... =)

Part 2. How we were prepared for a trip to the USA

After the news that I was going to Hawaii for the whole academic year, many new people, events appeared in my life ... The finalists of the program were brought together several times. We have worked with FSA FLEX alumni (so-called Alumni), American volunteers, American Councils staff and many others. interesting people. Everyone got to know each other and talked to each other. Just before the trip, a Pre-departure orientation was organized for us. The whole event, which consisted in the fact that we lived for several days at the recreation center, communicated in English, played American games, watched films, the graduates of the program told us about their experience ... It was incredibly fun and great! Everyone asked each other: “Where are you going?” - “I'm in Missouri”, “I'm in Minnesota” ... And I was a superstar because I went to Hawaii. 🙂

Since then, the nickname "Aloha" has stuck with me - the Hawaiian greeting and official name state. 🙂 Alyokha… aloha… that’s what other finalists of the program started calling me. The coolest thing was that all these people were very friendly, sociable, positive with a minimum of unnecessary show-offs and some other negative points. They could only envy someone as a joke, because everyone understood that it was just the lot that had fallen, and everyone was expecting a lot of interesting things from their next year in America. Where exactly to go - was in second place. The main thing is that everyone here was happy winners, who six months ago could only dream of a trip to the United States.

I can say with absolute certainty that each of us is lucky to a certain extent, because there is a considerable share of the lottery in this program. After all, this is not mathematics - either you solved the problem or not ... We were evaluated on an incomprehensible scale - anyone could be deleted at any moment ... Or kicked out of the audience for the slightest mistake - with discipline, as I said, it was very strict! In general, to some extent, all the finalists of the program, including me, were lucky! Honestly speaking!

Part 3. Flight to Hawaii

It was the first time in my life that I had to fly on an airplane, and immediately over such a long distance. If you draw a straight line on a globe, you will know that the distance between Kiev and Honolulu is more than 12 thousand kilometers. Given the fact that there are, of course, no direct flights, I had to cover a much greater distance by air. However, I did not have a drop of fear - only euphoria, joy, anticipation!

The air tickets were given to me completely free of charge, although my mother is still asked how much it cost to send her son to study in Hawaii. 🙂 Some of our people are like that, they don't believe in anything! After the default, "MMM" and other crises - I understand them willingly! They certainly do not believe in a freebie that suddenly fell on a neighbor! 😉

1. Kyiv - Frankfurt am Main

The shortest flight of my route in just a couple of hours took me to huge airport, which is one of the largest air interchanges in Europe. Frankfurt Airport is the third largest in Europe, one of the ten most big airports world, and more than 50 million people move through its air gates every year.

We flew to Frankfurt in a huge crowd - most of our flight was purchased specifically for FSA FLEX students. It is noteworthy that we all had to fly without taking off our signature blue T-shirts, so half of our plane was in blue T-shirts - it looked very positive. 🙂

However, the next flight was also a joint one for most of the finalists.

2. Frankfurt am Main - New York

Yes, yes ... We all flew to New York, and it was a reality. For many of us, this was the only opportunity to break out abroad at the age of 16, and we were proud of it, we wanted it, we were already looking forward to meeting our family and our new adventures in America.

The atmosphere on the plane was incomparable, the flight lasted about 7-8 hours, I don’t remember exactly. Everyone shared their emotions... Many managed to become close friends in the last weeks and months before leaving... The girls even cried, remembering the upcoming separation from girlfriends and friends! Now there were a lot of us, and in a few hours everyone was supposed to be on their own. We never met many people again... Some stayed in the USA. Despite the two-year ban on re-entry to the United States, which we agreed to under the terms of the program, some guys and girls found workarounds and were able to return, enroll in American colleges ... I am often asked why I did not stay, but I did not have such a goal and I didn't think about it for a second. Those who wanted - found solutions. Who did not really want - could not find. Personally, I and many others simply did not look for them. But that was all later. At that moment, we flew towards our dream, which was about to come true.

I will remember the flight over New York forever. The first thing I saw - do not believe it: this is the Statue of Liberty, which flashed below under the clouds. We flew right over it, but because of the thick clouds, absolutely not a single building in the city was visible. But then a statue flashed between the clouds - half the plane saw it, so there could be no doubt! It was a cool feeling ... As if she showed herself to us on purpose and hid in the clouds again. Parallel Reality!

It was then that I first experienced what turbulence is. Nothing terrible happened - our large transatlantic liner just trembled a little.

We spent the night in a hotel in New York. We were accommodated by two people, and the hotel was very decent. I don’t remember anything else - neither the names, nor how we drove around New York. There were some fragments of memories, frames ... Everything was like in a dream. I remember that in the morning we were picked up by a bus and taken back to the airport. We said goodbye to some of the guys immediately upon arrival in New York, since they had to continue to get to land transport. But many flew to distant states - Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington state - though almost all of them were on different planes ...

3. New York - Salt Lake City

In the next liner, there were only two of us in blue T-shirts. Me and some guy I didn't really talk to before, but for a few hours we were almost best friends. 🙂 We exchanged mail, then probably corresponded for a month, and then Hawaiian life completely absorbed me, so I even began to write to my really close friends less often)) I'm sure they forgave me!)

At the airport in SLC, as the Americans call the city of Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, I was left alone for several hours. I had to wait for flights to connect... And I just walked around the airport, looked at duty-free windows, rode escalators... Then I found my terminal, sat on a bench, noticed that Americans prefer to sit on the carpet - for some reason they are not satisfied with comfortable seats… 🙂 Marveled at these wonders of wonders, and then found out that my flight was rescheduled…

The organizers gave us all a magic phone number - we had to call it free of charge from any payphone in case something happened or the flight was delayed. I called from the nearest device - the woman on the other end of the wire listened to me, said that I should not worry that everything was in order. And I didn't worry. 🙂

I saw the first people in Hawaiian lei. Then I didn’t know yet that these were “lei” - but it turned out that the famous wreaths of Hawaiian flowers are called that ... I saw the first very, very fat people! Although no, I saw them back in NY. 🙂

The waiting for the plane dragged on for a long time - there was absolutely no one around. Still, the people who waited with me were confirmation to me that everything was going according to plan. No one was nervous, everyone was waiting, sitting on the carpet. 🙂 Through the huge window of the airport building, I had the opportunity to view the sandy-brown city. From the side it seemed that Salt Lake City is located in the crater of a volcano, which is surrounded by desert ... I began to imagine what this city is like, if you look deeper into it. In the end, I decided that the nature of Utah is rather poor, and the city of SLC is boring and dusty. I don’t know if it’s true, but the skyscrapers looked depressing against the backdrop of lifeless mountains and sand. “It’s also hot here in the summer, and it must be very cold in the winter,” I thought, and grinned. Once again, I was glad that fate was throwing me not to some gloomy and dull place, but to a fabulous tropical island with the sweet-sounding name of Oahu ...

Soon our plane nevertheless decided on a feat ... And we began to rapidly approach the Hawaiian Islands.

4. Salt Lake City - Honolulu

How to get to Hawaii if you are 16 years old and your parents have been working at a factory all their lives, earning rather modest money, even by the standards of your not the richest city? How to get to Hawaii if you were born in a non-existent state, and live in one of the poorest countries in Europe, twelve thousand kilometers from Hawaii? How to get there if you have heard about this place only in jokes about new Russians? Finally, how to get to Hawaii if the coolest trips in your life were trips to Gelendzhik on the Zaporozhets? 🙂

On a bright sunny day in early August 2003, I first set foot on the land of the island of Oahu, which became my second home for one academic year, and for my soul - perhaps for life.

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Continues a series of materials about compatriots who left Russia and went abroad. This time the publication writes about the history of Natalia, who replaced Moscow with Hawaii.

An idea came up

Galloping across the USA

The husband decided: to walk like that, and went to the USA. There he spent six months trying to find his Palestine. So he entered the image of a discoverer that he did not stay anywhere for a long time, he could not find an ideal place for a family nest. New York, according to his descriptions, came out as an even noisier copy of Moscow, in Washington the level of crime alerted, in the picturesque Maryland it was boring, in the festive Miami it was stuffy, in Minneapolis it was cold.

In Chicago, he was almost shot by stoned black guys, sincerely indignant that they were overtaken on the road by a "white punk". I liked Boston and Denver, but they have cold winters. In Los Angeles, there was not enough fresh air and starry sky, and in San Francisco and Seattle - the warm sea.

Having traveled far and wide across the United States, having got rid of a solid share of family savings and a few pairs of rose-colored glasses, he woefully shared with me over the phone, if not invaluable, then very expensive conclusion: "The country is big, but there is nowhere to live." But after my question about when he was going to return home, the husband was silent for a few minutes, and then said: “There is another place here. While my visa is valid, I’m flying to Hawaii for a couple of days, I’ll look around.”

Found!

Late in the night I was awakened by a call. “Finally, I found what we need!”, The husband shouted joyfully into the phone. The Hawaiian Islands have waterfalls, turquoise water, azure lagoons, endless beaches, volcanoes, palm trees and even Christmas trees, which I love so much.

Everything turned out to be more difficult

Russian friends and acquaintances did not understand our zeal: “Why do you need this? Go to Machu Picchu, to Greece, to Alaska, in the end, if you really want adventure. But do not move to the island forever. Start everything from scratch! What will you do? Now it's fine here."

One year later

“Hawaii is not America. And we have our own queen, and there are an order of magnitude fewer crimes, and weapons are prohibited, and there are almost no murders. We are against wars and conflicts, we believe that each country should develop as its people want. And so glad to see everyone here. And we have less competition in any area than in other states, and the rules are simpler, ”he praised local life.

Terra incognita

Almost everyone asked what we are going to do here, how to earn a living? Nevertheless, Hawaii is not the most explored territory for Russian people.

At first, we decided to take on the most obvious - tourism. True, every third person from Russian-speaking countries works here in this industry.

We learned

Firstly, in the USA there is everything, and even with a surplus. If you come here with a brilliant idea, you will quickly feel like the fifth spoke in a wheel. Five or ten other enthusiasts like you, who can do a little bit of everything, will breathe down your neck.

Realizing this, my husband and I began to study the tourism business. For about a month he wandered around all the islands in search of exotic, protected places away from the generally accepted tourist routes. Spent a week with shamans on the Big Island and Kauai. Local stories, myths, legends made a great impression on him.

We have our first clients. My husband gradually left the travel agency to me, and he himself took up real estate. In principle, a standard set for immigrants.

Secondly, everything must be done as it should be. If you broke the law or accepted rules, very soon it will turn against you. Even if you just like to listen to loud music after 10 pm.

Thirdly, one must be conscientious and not let others down. Then the doors of new possibilities will open before you.

Common misconception

You have to be able to do something better than others. It doesn't matter what it is - painting, treating people, repairing houses or driving a truck, doing development or finance ... The main thing is better. And then you will succeed.

The island doesn't let the bad guys in

"There is no need to hurry and no need to strain"

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, a worldwide resort, but the city has a metropolitan feel. Especially when going on a freeway during rush hours.

I would say that the locals are not lazy, but unhurried, never rushing anywhere, enjoying every minute of life in paradise. People try not to dwell on the negative. And if at first we rushed around the island and the streets in Moscow style, always being late and nervous somewhere, then over time I realized that there was no need to rush and no need to strain.

Hawaiians live in large and friendly families. On the beach, having heard an accent, they are interested in where you are from, and, having learned that from Russia, they immediately invite you to the table: “Bra, pliz join ace!” (“Brother, please join!”).

The best place

The cost of living on the islands is the highest in the United States. This is not surprising: successful people from all over the planet strive here, because here the cleanest water and air, the comfort and benefits of civilization, the ideal climate and the charms of a tropical island. Life expectancy is second in the world after Okinawa.