Life in Australia, part I

I was very impressed with Sydney and what it had to offer, so impressed that I had spent most of the money given to me for two months in mere three weeks. I didn't have an excuse for it so in my fifth week in Sydney I was washing pans and learning how to make pizza in Pizza Hut store at Bondi Beach. It was my first job in Australia.

A year and a half after my arrival to Sydney my fathers business started to struggle. His unwillingness to play dirty games government officials wanted him to be part of resulted in a fight for survival. I was told that sending me money was no longer an option and I would have to provide for myself if I choose to stay. He would still cover university fees but that would be it. I said alright, lets try it this way.

I’ve changed a few jobs during my student years. After Pizza Hut I worked at Woolworths as a cashier operator. I stayed there until I heard the news from my dad. After that I needed more hours and a higher rate so I started working as a casual function water, a bit later I combined it with a bar back job in a cocktail bar. I was also enrolled with a few talent and promotional agencies so I got jobs from them too from time to time. At one point I went to New Zealand for 3 weeks to sell oil paintings. We travelled from town to town doing door to door sales. My last job while at uni was a sales assistant at Sunglass Hut.

      

A function waiter at a Government House

W Bar

At Sunglass Hut with Nadine and Sergei(The best team)

I was lucky to meet people who were there for me in difficult situations, people who with years became my second family. My favorite saying to this day: FRIENDS ARE THE FAMILY WE CHOOSE OURSELVES.

To be continued..

The Beginning

I was born in a small settlement with a population of 5000 people in the Far Eastern region of Russia known as Kamchatka. Untill the age of six I remember my father wearing a Police uniform. It was called ‘Militia’ back then. I remember his long absences from home as he started his entrepreneurial business activities. My father made it big by establishing a cost effective coal supply chain for the boilers that provided central heating to a few major settlements. He managed to reduce the cost of coal by triple and was welcomed as a supplier. Two years later, we moved to the biggest city in the region: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. 

I believe many people choose their future profession by observing their parents. In my case it was no different, but my father did not have a clearly defined one, he was running businesses. He was very good at 'breaking walls' reaching goals that he had set for himself and it worked for him very well. Counting pennies was not in his nature and he always kept his word. He was in charge of his life and provided for his family. I wanted the same life for myself.

The very first lesson my father taught me was at the age of 7. I had lost some change on the way back home from the store and was afraid to admit it, so I said a cashier gave me that much, my mum went to the store and found out that I did not tell the truth. The slap over the head that I received from my father was a hearty one. I was both ashamed and determined to never let anything like this to happen ever again. NOT BEING HONEST HURTS YOUR LOVED ONES AND HURTS IN GENERAL. It helped me numerous times in life, pushing through hard times when retaining the integrity and complete transparency led to a much stronger dedication from the team reaching goals we had. 

Even though our family always had everything we needed, my father would not let us raised spoiled. Another important lesson he taught me was: IF YOU DO SOMETHING, DO IT RIGHT. No matter what the task was, if it was given to me by my father it had to be carried out properly. If it wasn’t, I’d do it again and again and again until it is done right. It was in my interest to put in an effort in order to avoid shameful remarks and go through a redoing/improving process until the desired result was achieved. At an early age I could wash our car for hours, and I still remember the frustration. This lesson served me well many times when I was solely responsible for business processes. If I didn't apply my best effort, it would lead to serious consequences. 

At the age of 17, straight after finishing high school I was sent to study in beautiful Sydney. My father still doesn't understand how I ended up in Sydney. From an early age he was getting me ready to study at Moscow's top university embedding a thought in my mind that I am to inherit his business and must study in Russia. The first to come to Australia was my sister Karina, and with her stories of how beautiful the country is she sparked my interest, making me want to study abroad too. It was an exciting prospect so I thought of all the benefits I'd get coming over and stormed into my fathers office. After a 40 minute speech and 2 minutes of silence he answered with 'get the documents ready'. In 2 months my journey on the other side of the globe began.

To be continued..

An Introductory Note

I am by no means a storyteller or a person trying to write an autobiography. I am sharing my story in support of a project I am working on which I am planning to launch on a Kickstarter. I believe the project has a potential to be a success taking me one step closer to my goal. I also believe my story can be of help to those who dare to follow their dreams no matter what and be interesting to those who would like to share this journey with me as it will be unfolding in front of their eyes....