North, or what Americans call to be the North is located approximately on the same latitude as the Ukrainian Kiev. It traditionally includes such states as New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and some others. We, with our state Mississippi, are referring to the South. My daughter, pupil of sixth grade reminded all this to me during our trip. Because she tried to settle the phrases about North and South learned from the schoolbooks, to the pictures of reality she witnessed. I do not know a lot about contradictions of the southerners and the northerners during the years of their struggling for the civil rights of black, that's why I have classified the impressions from this trip based on the other principles.
During five days of a business trip that was going to describe our featured movie “Bucharest Express”, which was created in Moldovan capital, in Chisinau in 2001 and was dedicated to the issues of women's trafficking (one can learn more about it on the web-page on www.Bucharestexpress.org) we visited two of the most famous centers of culture - Yale University in New Heaven, Connecticut and the school of journalists of Columbia University in New York.
New Heaven, in translation means the new harbor. To this place ran English puritans in 17-th century in order to have the ability to promote their religious principles freely. Not big, but up to European tastes this city with 125 thousand population is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and can boast not only with old days architecture (about the tastes tell the houses with different traditions and styles) but one of the most famous college's, or how else it's called “ the university for the presidents”, called in honor of the first sponsor Mr. Yale. If the university did not take his name, as jokes told to us by the excursion guide, it would get the name of the other candidate- sponsor Mr. Dumm (and “dummy” as everybody knows gives as a word characteristic to not very smart people). But the college was lucky to take the name of the first sponsor and in memorial to the second you can see the marble tabular on one of the living buildings of this student's campus. Of course, to study in Yale the questions are not only of prestige, but of the good incomes too. Because only one year of study will cost to your or you family around 35 thousand dollars, and it will take 4 years to receive a Bachelors Degree. Of course the part of the loan you can return back while study, by paid off with your work on campus or getting the grants during the studies. But the main part of this loan you will return to the university after you are working. According to the statistics, even the graduates of such prestige university are looking for jobs during 18 months before graduation, depends on who are you and how lucky you are.
With the history of the University is connected to a lot of interesting legends, and about the first American spy of those days of 19th century, who was the graduated from Yale and the monument to whom is located inside the university yard, also the legends about first women hostel, where among 400 women was settled only one man - the sponsor of the buildings of the previous centuries, who is, as the history told married with one of the Yale women students. Yale University has a big Art collection of pieces, given as a gift from patrons at different times and epochs with their natural desire to enter if not the world history, at least the university one. The gallery is free for visitors as well as the other museum located crossroads - of the British Arts. On the contrary in general in America are the high prices to the other fine arts museums and galleries (including Metropolitan and Natural History museum in New York). Although we should notice here for the principle of justice that all Smithsonian's museums in Washington are also free for the visitors, which what will make your purse happy.
What are the other differences between the North and the South of the United States? Of course, not only with the climate, which is moderate here. The North is characterized with more intelligent expressions on the faces of people, living there. On the smoke from the automobile fuel, filling the streets of New York, especially on Manhattan, there are much more expressive faces with the signs of working intellect then on the calm southern provinces. It's possible, that all the progressive of the American continent is trying to get to the New York area, as well as all the smart people from Russian provinces will sooner or later come to Moscow. Although with my last arrival here in summer 2000 the city seemed to look different - instead of encouraging and flying - stocky and suspicious. Instead of clean and sparking - solitary, dirty and gloomy. But maybe it's just my impression. Or maybe it's the sequences of not forgotten tragedy of 2001? Or the foreseeing of the other worries and sufferings which can happen in future, who knows?
Although the attractiveness of New York in the eyes of all provincial people in the world is great, it seemed to me that living there, one could hardly call it perfect. Despite the incredible smell of gas in the air, even at the beginning of April, it's hard to breath - the same unbelievable high prices. The simple two-bedroom apartment in the districts from Brooklyn to Manhattan varies from 600 to 2500 dollars. So, if one wants to live in a better district with no garbage around - pay the higher rent. Even simple bottle of spring water that will cost 30 cents while in the shop and one dollar 25 cents while in Chinese restaurant, here on the famous Fifth Avenue will “pull” on 2 dollars fifty cents!!! Eight times higher! And like this in everything, if you have money - please, waste them. If you earn enough - spend them too. This is one of the sacred rules of capitalism and its market economy.
And although of course the American multimillionaires (who in reality counted their money?) eat and drink better then the other people, you cannot call them happier. And it's good that the human happiness - is not the privilege of the purse size you have, but of your own culture and good luck. And this replacement of the real culture- by kitsch-culture, real multilevel education sometimes with cheep high school diploma, real humanity and interest towards the neighbors and friends - the formal presents and post cards to the relatives on the eve of holidays - is felt here everywhere. The country, which was born under the Zodiac of Twins, propagates more and more the principle described by the English dramaturge Somerset Moem - not to be, but to seem to be. It's seemed to be in the country of masks, pearls lost in between the stable, permanent attempts to find the truth by looking only on the phantoms of mirages.