In 1990th my parents didn't get pay for almost a year,
The government had no money to pay, teachers, miners were protesting, not eating, a few schools were closed.
Doctors couldn't protest, working and for one year we lived without money.
My mom used to borrow from her friends who started to sell food on the market and then she had to give back and borrow again.
I went to friends houses and the fridges were empty,
All we had potatoes, milk and what we had in our gardens.
Teachers in schools had no money ether,
We, girls, tried to dress up and we dressed and looked better than our female teachers.
I had seen people giving up,
It was everywhere in the country.
We had no water and light in the evening and night,
Was not safe to walk at dark,
We got a giant 180 lbs dog, who later got so spoiled that only slept on the bed and ate from the table.
I was watching tanks in Moscow, protests in our city.
Young men going to war zones to have money.
My aunts and uncles had no idea what they will do.
My grandmother's hospital had food for patients and nurses and doctors used to eat this food, take home otherwise they couldn't work.
I started to once in a while clean floors for 3 dollars a month,
It was regular salary for the job.
Nurses used to make less than 50 dollars a months,
My mom had less then 100.
Then after a year and a half the government allowed doctors to have private practice and work in the hospital at the same time.
And my father started private practice,
My aunt too, they became good at it.
This optimism inspired my uncles, aunts,
They changed their lives completely,
Went to schools again.
My mom was working non stop in the hospital,
My grandmother pushed for foreign grands.
I started to make my own clothes, going to art school instead of sitting on the street...
