DEPARTED FROM
Kharkov, Ukraine
ARRIVED IN
Portland, Oregon
YEAR
1998
AGE
22
NOW LIVES IN
Vancouver, Washington
TRANSCRIPT
First day came, I was so happy. I’m glad I’m here and old people now I see, like my neighbors, like I said “Hi” when I see them and “Hi” when I go away and say “Hi!” *laughs* Like, they say bye to me as I’m laughing, but they’re so nice. People so nice, I like that.
It’s like people here more smile and more open. And there, they’re like good, but they’re not gonna...if you smile there, they think *laughs* you have something wrong with you or you want something or something.
It’s like they tell us in stores, you can buy anything you want and it’s true. Because like in our country, we’re supposed to stay in long line to get some food, you know. It was really, real bad economically that years, you know. For some, even some milk and sour cream, you’re supposed to stay in line sometimes for one hour or more.*laughs*
What surprised me, it’s so clean everywhere. Because like in our country, it’s some like real expensive, rich houses and it’s clean inside and in the yard and everything. And around the houses, it’s all mess and like garbage and everything. They not clean around the houses, just inside, you know, inside the yard.
And it’s so clean here. And roads so straight and smooth. No holes in the road. And I never drive there like and it surprise me how much cars here. Like, have big roads and like everybody have a car. Because like there, when we live in my husband’s village--it’s like small village--for whole village it’s like five thousand people and it’s like maybe three cars or four cars.
You change all your life, you know. And you doesn’t speak English, you go into different country you’ve never been. You know, you’ve never been whistled or housed there. We’re selling like our furniture, everything! Like nothing left, you know, and we come here just with two bags. That’s it.
