An immigrant from Belarus talks about life in Los Angeles, queues at clinics and the language barrier

Yulia Potapova, who moved with her family from Belarus to the USA in 2013, shared with the Belarusian edition Lady.TUT.BY his vision of life in the “city of angels”. ForumDaily publishes a shortened version of her story.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

- We left Belarus in 2013 year. We are me, husband and daughter (at that time she was 9 months). Back in May, 2012, we learned that we won Green Card. Of course, we were surprised a lot, but we were very happy about that. And they did not think about whether to go there or not: of course, go! They argued at that moment like this: if nothing happens at the new place, we will go back. At the moment we are not a bit sorry about the decision.

Of course, life in the United States did not immediately become as beautiful and prosperous as one wanted. Initially, we had a small budget and we didn’t have any friends, relatives or even acquaintances who could tell us what and how or morally support us in an unfamiliar country. We ourselves went through all the difficult stages. And never once did we have a thought to quit what had begun and return to Belarus.

I always dreamed of living in a warm country near the sea. Where there is summer all year round, and where you don’t have to walk in three sweaters around the apartment while utilities figure out to turn on the heating. Therefore, it was not very difficult to choose a place of residence. The choice was only between two warm states bordering the ocean: California and Florida. Florida has disappeared because of predators (there are a lot of alligators there), very hot weather and a lot of rain. There is no such thing in California. In addition, Los Angeles is a big city and it is easier for newly arrived immigrants to find a job here.

When the plane landed and we got out of it, I thought: it is necessary to smell the smell of democracy and freedom, about which they talk so much in their native Belarus. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I realized that there is a difference in it here and among us, but the reasons for this are much more prosaic: there is an ocean nearby.

The first time in a new country, I looked at everything through the eyes of a tourist. Therefore, my initial impression is this: everything is very cool around! And only after a couple of months came the realization that even in the US, things are not as easy as it seems at first glance.

But what really upset me on the first day was the food (I am talking now about products from stores, not from cafes). They are disgusting. Not all, of course. In Belarus, I used to not be afraid that I can buy something that tastes like cotton, cardboard or food for pets. And here it is possible. And for a long time we have been looking for something that can be eaten with an appetite.

There are no stray animals. There are no cats and dogs freely walking down the street. All homeless animals are kept in numerous public and private shelters. In one of them we took our wonderful cat Edik. By the way, they don’t give them away for free: the cat will cost 50 $, the dog costs 70 $. This is justified by the fact that if you paid for the animal, then you will be more responsible towards it and do not throw it out on the street in a week like a boring toy.

Cat Edik. Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

The climate here is just awesome! The sun shines constantly, and the average annual number of days with precipitation is in the 30-35 region. But, for example, over the past year of these days, it will be only two weeks. So, a little rain came in the middle of July, and the next rain was already only in December. Hence the frequent drought.

Average temperature in summer + 29 C, in winter + 21 C. But the sensations for the body here are not as hot as in Belarus. In Los Angeles, this temperature is easily transferred thanks to the ocean. There is no snow - you can only find it in the mountains that surround the city.

But the ocean is very cold all year round (water temperature in the area + 15С). We never bathed (it is really ice cold, and we are not walruses). But many people swim anyway. Mostly Mexicans with their children. Interesting fact: these people are bathing, as a rule, in clothes, and not in swimsuits. That's right they came in shirts, bikes, jeans, dresses - and went into the water. Those who are in bathing suits lie on the beach and sunbathe. And there are a lot of surfers here. They can lie on a board in the ocean all day long and never meet their wave.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

If we talk about knowledge of English at the time of arrival, then my husband’s knowledge was limited to the words “Hello!", "Thank you" and "Goodbye"". Fortunately, I had a larger vocabulary. Meanwhile, just the most difficult thing abroad is to overstep the language barrier, the fear of being misunderstood and the fact that someone laughs at your speech. Every now and then you begin to speak, but with excitement, half of the words are suddenly forgotten. But Americans are very good at supporting and encouraging you in every way: they say that everything is fine. And it seems that they are ready to listen to you endlessly until you squeeze the whole thought out of yourself. But as soon as this torture is over and you sigh with relief, another problem arises: your American interlocutor begins to respond. And here you understand that you do not understand anything. It seems that they say it is not clear, this English of them just cuts ears, some kind of chewing-swallowing words. And do not make out where the word began, and where it ended - I just want to run away! And if during a real dialogue, when the interlocutor is near you, it is much easier to explain (after all, you can show everything on yourself or resort to gestures), then talking on the phone is just a monologue. I listened to my interlocutor, like a radio.

Fortunately, now I have no problems with communication. The husband also understands almost everything, but cannot formulate phrases correctly. Although Americans understand it thanks to “sign English”. For those who do not know English and those who want to improve it, there are a lot of language courses in Los Angeles: both paid and free. The cost of paid ones varies: the minimum price that I have seen is $320 per month. Training centers often serve as assistance in maintaining legal status in the United States. Some people use these courses for years: they finish the year, take the exam specifically for an unsatisfactory grade, and after being excluded, enroll in the courses again. These are the eternal students. This is not entirely fair, but from the point of view of the law they do not violate anything.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

We have a small child, and therefore the question of the presence of kindergartens is topical for us. In Los Angeles, a large number of them, and there is no need to stand in line for enrollment. You simply choose any garden you like and, if there are places there (and they are almost always there), write down your child there. There are also Russian-speaking gardens. Children are admitted there at the age of 6 weeks. The cost per month for a child up to 3 years is from 1100 $ and up, for children older than 3 years - 800-900 $. We’ll give our daughter to the Russian kindergarten so that she understands and learns to speak Russian. And the reason is that in American gardens, children are fed with pizza, sandwiches and other such nonsense. But even worse, the daytime sleep they have is not in the crib, but on the floor on the rugs. For Americans, this is normal, but for us it is crazy.

Now about housing. The first time we lived in a hotel. I booked a room via the Internet in Belarus. The cost per night was 40 $. This is despite the fact that we are talking about a fully-fledged one-room apartment with its own large kitchen and a rather big dressing room.

Later, renting housing turned out to be not so easy. I called several dozen apartment owners, of which we only went to see seven. Some of the “apartments” shown to us were so miserable that it is simply incomprehensible how it was possible to even think of implementing such a layout in them. Do you imagine entering the apartment through the kitchen, from which you can get to... guess where? No, not to the living room... to the toilet! And only after that can you find yourself in the living room.

Rental prices vary. I’ll just tell you the minimum cost of apartments that I came across (these are not bedbug infestations in dangerous areas, but standard housing): studio - from $800, one-bedroom - $950, double - $1. Sometimes (mainly in winter) landlords hold promotions like “First month of stay free.”

We rent a two-room apartment for 1060 $ per month (according to the local system we have a one-bedroom apartment). This cost includes all utilities (water, electricity, garbage collection; we do not have gas - an electric stove) and one place in the underground parking. We can also use the pool for tenants.

Buying a property here will also cost a variety of amounts. Two-bedroom house can be bought for the amount of 300 000 $ (only the area of ​​its location is unlikely to please you) - this is the price of homes in Mexican and African American areas. In a typical neighborhood, home prices start at 600 000 $. Near the ocean and in Beverly Hills, the cost starts from a few million dollars and can grow to infinity. Much of the Americans prefer to live in rented accommodation (you can live for decades without fear of being thrown out) because it’s cheaper. In the US, a high real estate tax, it is equal to 1% of the cost of housing and is paid once a year.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

The average salary in Los Angeles is 64 000 $ per year. In each industry salary is different. For example, in health care it is 95 000 $, in education - 61 000 $, in trade - 48 000 $, in the field of IT - 102 000 $ per year. Of course, these are average numbers, and, for example, a waiter or a seller does not earn so much. They have an average annual salary in the 21000 $ area, and for teachers, for example, 48 000 $.

If the family has a total income below a certain amount, then such a family is entitled to financial assistance. Maximum assistance from the state - 2 500 $ monthly (again, depending on income and number of family members).

If we talk about medicine, I expected more. There is no such thing as a clinic in Los Angeles. They are replaced by a huge number of clinics. Each one does something different: therapists, ophthalmologists, pediatricians, dentists - you cannot find all these doctors in one clinic. Reception is strictly by appointment. You won’t hear our eternal “I just need to ask” here. If you have a question, call the reception, the nurse will advise you or make an appointment. All patients sit in one room, and nurses call them by name.

And all this, of course, is good, if it were not so long. A very long time. The process is delayed every time, regardless of which specialist you came to. We sit steadily in the waiting room until 17.00, when our reception is assigned to 13.00. But these are flowers compared to the queue to the children's dermatologist in the hospital: it lasts for months! This is just to get a prescription for medicine and simply because the pediatrician is afraid to write it out. And he is afraid of the fact that he faces a serious responsibility if something goes wrong (he's just a pediatrician, not a dermatologist). Even the fact that we have a prescription from Belarusian doctors does not simplify the process: here our prescriptions are a simple and meaningless piece of paper. In Belarus, the same drug is not sold to us.

A doctor's appointment costs an average of 200 $. Blood test - from 20 $. If you have a medical insurance, then it pays part of your expenses (depending on the insurance plan).

If something serious happened and I had to dial 911, then get ready for an account about 9 000 $. The more and longer you will be treated, the more expensive. Again, in most cases, insurance will help pay only some of this amount.

Food here is almost the same as in Belarus. Dairy products (organic milk: 1,89 L - 5 $) and bread (from 2,5 $) sell more expensively. A month for food from our family takes about 280 $. And this is despite the fact that we do not deny ourselves anything.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

Gasoline here costs $2,25 per gallon (3,8L). The price of cars is 30-40% lower than the price of similar cars in Belarus. An hour of parking will cost $2, and a movie ticket will cost $15. Going to a decent cafe on the ocean will cost $50 for two (this amount includes alcohol). A visit to a good restaurant will cost $250. By the way, local restaurants are often frequented by very famous actors (we saw the characters from the series “Desperate Housewives” and several other American television stars).

Clothing and household appliances in Los Angeles are cheaper than in Belarus. The services of a mobile operator on 2 numbers will cost 95 $ per month. This tariff includes unlimited calls to numbers of any operator, unlimited SMS and unlimited 4G-Internet. Home Internet (speed - 100 mb / s) costs us in 55 $ monthly.

I would like to talk about the important role played by the Internet. Everything in Los Angeles is bought and paid online. If this is an online store, then you do not need to call there, check the availability of goods, contact the courier, and then wait until midnight (in Belarus this happens all the time). You will receive your order by mail, whose employee will bring it to you at home (no need to stand in any queues). All utilities, insurance, loans and taxes can also be paid via the Internet. Even a business can be opened online. Through the Internet, you can also call the postman to the house (if you can not or do not want to go to the post office). It's free. In order not to lose time in the mail, you can issue an online receipt for sending a parcel. You enter the address and weight in the appropriate fields, and then paste it all onto the box and give it to the postman (or drop it into a special box).

As for appearance, the people in Los Angeles dress very diverse and not gray. Local men look better than the Belarusian. They are well-groomed, well dressed. With women, it's the other way around. In the sense that they do not dress as brightly as Belarusian ones. On the street, they go or no makeup, or only with slightly painted eyes. Hair - tail. Even in restaurants where we were, most women looked the same as any ordinary day.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

Men are very kind. Always hold the door, in public transport I have repeatedly given way. Simultaneously with this, according to my observations, the elderly are not inferior.

Americans love to spend time with their families. On weekends there are trips to cafes and amusement parks. In recreation parks, they play ball with their children: they run, jump, laugh, and feel free to show their emotions. I was surprised when I saw on the sports field men playing basketball, who were already grandparents by age. Generally, people of age here lead an active lifestyle: they walk in pairs along the street, go to shopping centers for shopping, ride bicycles along the ocean and just do daily jogging.

All types of transport in Los Angeles are adapted to serve disabled people and mothers with wheelchairs. Each metro station has elevators. Buses are equipped with special lifts, on which the wheelchair user can get on the bus. Cyclists didn’t pay attention either: so that they don’t get passengers on their two-wheeled vehicles, all bicycles are attached in front of the bus.

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

Photos from the personal archive of Yulia Potapova

“Is Belarus somewhere in Africa?” a postal worker once asked my husband this question. And earlier this comrade generally said that such a country was not on his list and asked to name another. Unfortunately, almost no one here knows about Belarus. Although I met several people who knew our country thanks to Belarusian athletes. Americans also often assume that Belarus is part of Russia. Apparently due to the fact that we also speak Russian.

Americans are very friendly and smiling people. Everybody is smiling. This is not enough for Belarusians. Although, as they say, we are not like that - life is like that. At any grocery store in America, the cashier will greet you, ask with a sincere smile how you are doing and wish you a good day. Everywhere the staff is very friendly.

Los Angeles is an interesting city. It has its own atmosphere: peace and lack of fuss, which you usually will not see in megacities. We really like it here.

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