The Exchange Student

Nikita Nesynov

The book is based on actual events. The book tells about the author’s memories about his year in the United States, living at host families as a youth exchange student of Rotary. The book shows different cultures of Russia, the United States of America and Japan through the eyes of a teenager. The events are taking place in a difficult time for Russia – the country was moving to a new era and was way behind western countries.

The Exchange Student

Dedicated toВ Rotary International

Nikita Nesynov

This book is dedicated toВ my American host families and Rotary International.

It is based on actual events.

© Nikita Nesynov, 2016

© Tatiana Nesynova, translation, 2016

© Vlad Nesynov, illustrations, 2016

Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero

Siberia

I was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. When I was one year old, my parents moved to Irkutsk city (Eastern Siberia). At first, we lived in a hostel. Looking from the window, I could see a prison. By seeing the prisoners walking in circles, I learnt how hard life was in that place. Then, we lived in our friend’s studio. After a few years, the local government gave to my dad a two-bedroom apartment for his hard work at the union of artists. That’s how we started living in the neighborhood named “Pervomayskiy”. Almost 18 years of my life passed in that “wonderful” district.

The whole new world took me into its dreadful arms; it was the world of fear, grey nine-storey buildings, street gangs, guns and fights. I couldn’t escape from this system; I became a part of it.

Crimes in that area were all over the place: there were fights, robberies, even murders. Up to a hundred people came to massive fights, which always resulted in people getting fractures, bruises and other wounds. For such actions lots of young people were sent into jails. My parents started to worry about me, because they often noticed me smoking with my friends and sometimes saw me dealing with illegal affairs. If it hadn’t been for my music school, where I had been going to since I was six years old, I wouldn’t have been different from the others.

Because ofВ the fact that my parents were members ofВ the local Rotary Club, which dealt with international programs, there was aВ wonderful opportunity for me toВ live inВ the United States for aВ year as an exchange student, so that IВ could experience aВ different lifestyle, meet new people and change my outlook on life.

At the age of sixteen I left my country. I knew little English, that’s why, when I came to America, I had some difficulties understanding people.

I’ll start my story with the arrival in Vladivostok city (Far-Eastern Russia), as I got my visa there. I flew from that city to Chicago, changing planes in South Korea. My mom accompanied me till I left Russia, and my father said, “Keep a diary!”

IВ made his wish come true. Hearing the roar ofВ huge engines ofВ aВ 2- storey Boing 747В heading toВ Chicago, IВ started taking down all memories from my Siberian childhood.

В В В В From my diary

The City ofВ Vladivostok

When the train arrived in Vladivostok, no one met us and my mother ran to call someone, leaving me with all the suitcases. She got back and said, “Let’s go and look where we can rent a room for some time here.”

One bus stop later, we were in the city center. We entered a huge building. My mother ran to look for accommodation for newcomers, and I was waiting for her on the first floor. After about an hour, she came and said, “Let’s go Nick! They’ll show us apartments where we can stay.”

Having come out ofВ the building, we got into aВ black car and drove away from the center. We came toВ an old apartment building; an elderly woman opened the door and letВ usВ in.

We came inside. The smell was disgusting. The woman showedВ us our new room. There were an old sofa, aВ bed and aВ TV. We paid her 10В dollars aВ day. She introduced herself as Tamara Ivanovna. Tamara was 6