– Please tell us about your experience in America.
I moved to America in 2013 to the tourist town Gulf Shores, Alabama. Before that, I had already been there three times when I came for the Work and Travel program as a student. It’s said that this is one of the most conservative states and that they do not like immigrants there. In my personal experience, I have not felt this. In the southern states, people are very warm-hearted and friendly. Entertainment consists of mainly fishing and going to the beach. I worked for a small IT company in assisting with computers and networks for police stations, courts, fire stations, libraries, etc. Three years later, I got bored with this lifestyle and began to look for work in other states, focusing on Boston, Denver, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle. A recruiter from Apple called me and offered me a job. So, I moved to Oregon. Having lived there for almost two years, I realized that the constant cloudy weather was not for me and I aimed again for the south. Before that, I had only passed through Texas, but I heard many times that either Dallas, or Austin, or some other city is a very good place (back then it was all the same for me); like Portland, just “normal”. I told my boss at Apple that I would like it if he could reassign me to Texas, and luckily a position was found for me in Austin.
– What do you like most about Austin?
Most of all, I like this city because there is an atmosphere of progress. People are striving for something, roads and buildings are being built, the number of people and companies is increasing, and technologies are developing. I couldn’t say the same about the other places I have visited during my 7 years of living in America.
– What do you do as your profession?
In Austin, I work in computer networking, smart homes, and video surveillance systems. It all started because I had a huge number of acquaintances who needed such things and then everything worked out by itself. In my spare time, I repair computers and other electronics. A large part of my clients are members of the Russian-speaking community. A few years ago someone in a local Russian group made a suggestion of exchanging services free of charge as a Christmas present. I offered to fix several people’s computers for free and since then the stream of people has not stopped. I even have to accept money for the work now. It seems, thanks to this, I got to meet every Russian-speaking person in this city.
– What do you like to do besides this?
Besides that, I do martial arts. Austin is probably not the best-suited place to do this. It’s too hot here and it’s hard for people to focus on the process. Plus, we’re in Texas, where it’s easier to buy a pistol than spend years developing your fighting skills. I visited a huge number of martial arts locations in our city and I did not want to stay in any of them permanently. I’m sure that sooner or later I will find a place that suits me. When the weather permits, I like to go for walks here and take a lot of pictures. Austin is a great place for this. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been to the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas side. I still would like to.
Besides that, living in Austin encouraged me to go dancing for the first time in my life. A very positive experience, but that’s a completely different story.
– How do you participate in the Russian-speaking community?
In addition to supporting it in terms of providing technical support, I go to events organized by its members. I myself have not organized anything, but I rarely miss the opportunity to attend the next watching of cartoons or tasting something delicious prepared by our members. Hopefully, we’ll get back to it soon.
– What event in the community in recent years have you enjoyed the most?
It’s difficult to remember what life was like before the quarantine. For me, the most memorable event, probably, was seeing Fyodor Chistyakov in Austin. I listened to him when I was a teenager, and then he came straight to my city, and I stood at arm’s length from him while he sang a song about an Indian. I wish I got to see more performers.
– How can Austin’s Russian speakers support you?
As a business owner or personally? If as a business owner, then recommend me to friends. From a personal point of view, organize blini tastings and other similar events more often. It would also be cool if good Russian-speaking groups were brought here more often.
– What are your hopes for Russian speakers in Austin in the future?
So that “we Russians” stay true to one another, unlike in the movies, and become an example for Russian-speaking people from other states. So that we do not divide into groups and instead be friends all together.
– What would you like Americans to learn about your culture, traditions, and holidays?
I often have to talk to Americans about all this. When they find out that I am from a different country, they bombard me with questions about politics, food, and traditions. They always listen intently and ask questions. I think that those who are really interested in our culture will learn about it themselves. In general, it’s amazing how many Americans, unlike me, have read War and Peace to the end. I somehow managed to be in a Russian lesson for Americans at Austin Community College and there we watched the Ballad of a Soldier for the whole lesson. Then they still watched “The irony of fate …” They said that they understood everything. It was very nice.
Contact information:
Vlad Ezerin
Website: www.b-compatible.com
Interviewer: Ekaterina Medvedeva-Kosova
Editor: Olga Falkowski
Publisher: Russian Cultural Center