One February weekend, a friend invited me to an ice show, after which we wanted to prolong the pleasure of a wonderful day, and we went to have dinner. The choice fell on the restaurant "Chances R". Entering the restaurant with an enticing name, we joked that now we will check what our chances are, what interesting things await us there. People often refuse the chance to get what they dream of, afraid of losing what they have. Since we were in a great mood after the fabulous show, a positive attitude became a guarantee of "continuation of the banquet", which the soul asked for. We were served by a nice young man, who at first glance seemed to both of us an ideal waiter. He felt so comfortable in this role and handled his duties with flying colors that he immediately got us talking about wines, food pairings, menu features... You won't find such a waiter in every restaurant - open, hospitable, able to interest visitors and create an unforgettable atmosphere for them, and not just beautifully serve the ordered food and politely bow! Intuition told us that the guy had Slavic blood. And yes, he turned out to be a native of the post-Soviet space, who had been living in Canada for almost ten years. A radiant smile, not forced and artificial like many of the local service workers, but captivating and very sincere, made such a spectacular impression on us that we wanted to interview him, which I suggested. And he did not refuse! During the interview, which took place in a very relaxed and sincere atmosphere, we did not notice how time flew by, because we learned a lot of interesting things. There are people whose lives are on one note, they have never left their native country or even the city where they were born and raised. And there are so-called people of the world, greedy (in a good way) for novelty, admiring adventures and travel, boldly challenging fate and themselves. Such people's lives are not on one note, but are spread over several octaves.

We are all very different, and therefore our chances are different. Once I read this phrase on the wall in a restaurant: ''If you don't take your chance, somebody else will take it!'' And this is absolutely true, because if you don't take advantage of your chance in time, someone else will, and then it's all over. Therefore, I hasten to share with readers what a charming stranger told us, who wisely manages the chances that fate throws at him.

33-year-old Andrey Varfolomeev. He ended up in Ottawa a couple of years ago, although he came to Canada on a student visa several years before that. He grew up on a farm. He was interested in biology since school, and at the same time took English seriously as the language of science. Having received a bachelor's degree in biology from a university in his home country, he decided to study abroad. Circumstances worked out in favor of Loyalist College in a small Ontario student town called Belleville. In the winter of 2016, he flew to Toronto, not really knowing either spoken English or anyone in the country of the maple leaf. From the airport, he had to get to the train station in the city center on his own, and from there go to the final destination of a long journey, where both the date of arrival and the conditions of accommodation had already been agreed upon. Since the plane was delayed, Andrey did not make it to the train, the ticket for which he had bought in advance. The next train on the schedule was not until the morning, meaning he had to spend the night in Toronto. Fate was testing the boy's strength. He didn't have any extra money, but his optimistic attitude helped him find a way out of an unforeseen situation: since the train station in Toronto, like in many Canadian cities, closes at night, and wandering around an unfamiliar city in winter is unrealistic, he had to somehow explain himself to the station attendant. Andrey apparently had to use all his English vocabulary and natural charisma. And what do you think? The Toronto clerk allowed him to go back to the airport for FREE, to sit there until dawn, and early in the morning return to the train station by the same route... Having finally reached Belleville, he still had to explain himself to the college administration due to his lateness, because of which they decided that the student had changed his mind about coming. In short, he had to be pretty nervous the first day. But the impression of the new country was the most wonderful! After all, you can never make a first impression twice!

A new page in Andrey's life began. He settled into a house for six students, which is common in Canada. Each had his own room, but the kitchen was shared. Everyone had come to study from different countries, and therefore from different cultures. This was a real school of life, not just academic studies at the college! The surprise for the newly arrived foreign student was that there were 200 people studying in his specialty at the college, that is, an incredible number. In parallel with his studies, he worked part-time as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Belville. This is the hardest of all restaurant positions, but many hours and good practice in listening. It turns out that the kitchen staff talks all the time! At the same time, you can pick up some culinary secrets...

After studying for four semesters, Andrey moved to Kingston, where he worked for four years in a sleep clinic as a laboratory technician, which gave him tremendous experience in communicating with clients. In addition to his main job, he worked part-time in a restaurant, but as a waiter - his natural sociability and already good English by that time needed direct application. You can't hide an awl in a sack, just like God-given charisma. Something important was also passed on from his parents (his mother is a financier, his father is a sales specialist, the son took the best qualities from both). In Kingston, the guy developed a new hobby - rock climbing, although as a child he was afraid of heights. It seems that the algorithm for overcoming is his main life line.

Having a clearly developed plan to achieve his goal, Andrey moved to a new stage of his life in Canada, moving from the former capital to the current capital. And the plan was to enter Algonquin College for respiratory therapy - a specialty, the best three-year program in Canada, which is offered to students in Algonquin. A diploma in this profile opens many doors. The hero of my story, for example, is going to work in a hospital. Today, this option attracts him from many others. And I am sure that everything he has planned in professional terms will certainly work out! Sophistication of mind and a rational approach to choosing a profession, the ability to develop a step-by-step plan and take responsibility for strictly following it bear fruit. You can't do without discipline here. Here is a living, clear example of how patience and work will grind everything down, how a foreigner who has not smelled gunpowder can not only settle in a foreign country, but live in it perfectly, feeling at home, having achieved everything on his own. The simple but respectable story of Andrey's life confirms the theoretically known fact that doors open for purposeful practitioners, not dreamers; doors open for people who do not wait for the weather by the sea, but act, turning dreams into goals, finding ways to make them come true. Even through an open door, you need to be able to enter, do it beautifully and confidently. I wish everyone good luck in assessing their chances! 

MARINA KOCHETOVA