Musta: Guida di viaggio, prezzi e alloggi gratuiti · 2026

ССлаваErofeev · 11 ott 2010Leggi

Once again, we headed out into the heat, no longer 100% sure we’d find work or housing today—well, at least housing. How many times did we walk between the unbearable heat of the sun and the unbearable heat of the asphalt on Collins Avenue looking for a place to stay? We needed shelter in this unfamiliar space. Even if the place looks like paradise, we certainly don't look like angels. We want to sleep in safety, we want to eat without fear of gaining weight, we want to wash up somewhere other than a public sink, and we want to use the bathroom without waiting in line! =( It turns out we ended up in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, where a Ford Mustang is seen more often than a VAZ 2106 in any Russian city, where American uncles and aunts easily spend $200/night on a hotel room, where people like Alla Pugacheva or Pavel Bure own apartments, and where a Russian student can only afford the local equivalent of instant noodles. =( #advice #7 Definitely buy a phone in America. The phone you used in Russia will now serve as your clock and alarm. =) We bought a phone at a store called "MetroPCS" for $40 + $60/month (unlimited SMS, unlimited domestic calls, unlimited calls to landlines in Russia). In short, it's a decent enough connection for the lucky holders of a J-1 Visa. =) So, if you aren't afraid of strangers calling you—like some Jose Carlos—or if you don't mind calling your mom and ending up at your travel companion's grandmother's house, or if you aren't scared of frequent connection drops, then MetroPCS is for you! =) Sorry, but those are the costs of cheap service. It’s bearable. __ We got our miracle device, and the housing search started moving faster. We picked up some ads at the already familiar Kalinka. To get results, you have to stick your nose everywhere. That’s what we did: we called everyone, talked to everyone, and asked about everything. In the end, we even had a choice. On one hand, there was the suspicious, broke Eduard, who offered us a place to stay for a couple of days, and then maybe we could move, or maybe not, etc. On the other hand, there was Arkady, who was busy with work but offered to meet and show us a decent option. We had to ditch poor Eduard and meet with Arkady. And we didn't regret it. For $750/month, we rented a very cozy studio in a motel just a three-minute walk from the ocean! So, we found our sweet home. We got very lucky with the price. I'll tell you a secret: some guys from Moscow rented the exact same studio in this motel, but not through Arkady, for $900. =) So, another bit of luck in our hands. =)

LNLira Nikitinalirchik · 13 ott 2009Leggi

Did you know that Americans are literally obsessed with antiques? At the very least, in America, you can find antique shops more often than anywhere else... Yes, there are plenty of collectors of all kinds there: some collect stamps, some collect coins or figurines, for example, frogs :))), and some collect cars (why not, if your income level allows it?). For wealthy Americans, buying some old junker, investing tens of thousands of dollars into it, and turning it into a masterpiece is a matter of prestige. Some might call it eccentricity, but for others, it's a successful investment and even a stable business. I can't say that I'm obsessed with cars or that I appreciate antiques, although I can admit that I also enjoy collecting, but I won't reveal to you—sorry about that :)—the great secret of what exactly ;)... By chance, as they say, I ended up in the right place at the right time, and I was dragged along with some guys I know to an antique car show. Oh! What a sight that was! The guys were running from one exhibit to another with childlike delight, taking turns photographing each other. At first, I was touched by this spectacle from the sidelines, as I was patiently waiting for us to go to the store (they promised!), but then I got "sucked in" myself. After all, you don't see such a RARITY every day! ;) My curiosity was especially piqued by a glamorous pink Cadillac, like Elvis Presley's, and an anti-glamorous black Mustang that had FIRE coming out instead of exhaust fumes!!! Honestly, I thought those were only made for Hollywood movies... The price of this specimen (see the last photo) was $80,000!!! Just think, almost 2.5 million! And yet, a brand-new Mercedes costs about $50,000. That is what I call PROFESSIONAL-AIR-TO-MONEY-MAKING! ;)

ДДанаkarelina · 24 lug 2009Leggi

It feels like people here do nothing but pack their super surfboards into their super cars. Sunday. You can stop thinking about everything, head to the beach, dive into the waves, admire the gorgeous surfers, stare at palm trees that don't fit into the lens or your eyes, and... find no words to describe what's happening. Cacti the size of a house. Small cacti, almost like the ones growing in pots. Trees that look like combed hair. Huge bushes of incredible flowers. Five hundred thousand types of palm trees. Some with huge leaves hanging so low you have to duck to walk under them, others tall, spreading their few small leaves only at the very top, others small, cozy, almost domestic... Cars. Yes, yes, I'm writing about cars myself. Lots and lots of stunning cars, convertibles shining in the sun, bright colors, old, new, whatever you want! There's an old red Mustang convertible in the yard... A Ferrari parks nearby regularly. Almost all the cars have surfboards sticking out of them... And you walk around, looking at all this, and think, what the hell, Work and Travel???