"An unforgettable life experience of the Russian student in America"

Interviewee: Zagreba Daria

Interviewer: Sukhorukova Katya

Zagreba Daria is an exchange student of programme “Work & Travel” in the USA. She spent three months in America and  has returned to motherland,Russia, recently. Daria lived by herself and had a full-time job there. She is ready to tell us about her experience abroad and impressions about the USA.

J:As, I know that you’re a third year student and the idea of visiting America occurred  to you in the second year of studying. Why did you want to take part in the programme “Work & Travel”?

D: First of all, it seemed tempting to me to spend three months in America. And, of course, I got a great chance to improve my English, see the world and meet a lot of new people.

J:Many students ask for advice from their parents about such an important thing. What about you? What did your parents say about this intention to work and travel in the USA?

D: Of course, they  worried  about different stuff like being alone on the opposite side of the world, living and working conditions and survival in general. But my parents understood perfectly that I had a chance to see the world, to have good language practice and so on.

J: Did you have any problems with this programme or visa before your travel to America? If there was something, please, tell me about it.

D:The most horrible thing is uncertainty. As for me, the the USA Embassy worker told me that everything  was perfect, but...he needed to check some information. And I had to wait for visa some more weeks without knowing whether I’m going somewhere or not.

J: I agree with you, it is awful  not to know whether you’l lget the visa or not. But in your case, visa was in your procession. And when you had stepped abroad, what were your first feelings,impressions and emotions about the US?

D: To be honest, I wasn’t surprised very much from the first sight. I mean, just because you can turn on the TV and you’ll see the US on every single channel. Same crowds of people, same streets, same shops, monuments.

J: Okay,if you want to see America just turn on one of the American films! What about your state? Where did you live?

D:I lived  in Gaithersburg,state Maryland. It’s 30 minutes away from Washington,DC. It’s a lovely place!

J: That’s why I consider that your first trip was to Washington. Did this city live up to your expectations?

D: Yes, of course. I visited Washington, DC immediately and I liked it immensely! Washington is one of the best places for tourists, in my opinion. Firstly, there are a lot of monuments : the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol and if you don’t mind walking you can get to all the destinations on foot. The only things you need to have with you are a camera, a wallet and a bottle of water, there are dozens of water fans everywhere. You can have a cheap and tasty snack in hundred cafes. You just walk around, enjoy your trip, meet new people, recognize familiar places from the books and movies and worry about nothing.

J: Did you make other excursions around America? Where?

D: Sure. I traveled around the East Coast. I’ m so happy, I’ve been to the Niagara Falls. My favourite artist is Ivan Aivazovsky and his masterpiece “The Niagara Falls” is also my favourite picture. Since I was a child, I’ve been dreaming  to see those falls in reality. And now my dream came true.

J: It’s great when your dreams come true! Relaxation and travel are very good things, but it’s high time to talk about your job there. What kind of job did you have?

D: Well, I worked as a lifeguard in the swimming pool. I was satisfied with my job and had enough free time to spend it with new friends. I have known many interesting and useful things about American business and it differs from ours. Americans have hourly pay and if you have overtime, you’ll get more money for other hours.

J: What stereotypes can you break about America? I enumerate some of the stereotypes: there is only fast food; American smile is insincere and the feelings are just for show.

D: All my friends ask me about the same and I’ll answer again with big pleasure. Fastfood-yes. Sometimes it’s cheaper to eat in cafes or restaurants  than to buy healthy food in the supermarkets. They smile at you, but they have two faces. Nobody worries about you. They ask: “How are you doing?” automatically and often don’t respond. It’s really easy to get acquainted with new people because Americans are much more friendly than Russians. The only thing that they know about Russia is that it’s big, it’s always cold and everybody drinks Vodka.

J: Your last answer doesn’t  surprise me. It’s very predictable. It was a pleasure to talk to you and thank you  for  answering my questions.