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[Alexandr Korol]

Saint Petersburg will always be first. But New York comes second. Let’s take New York. Even Manhattan itself is not just one thing — it’s different in different areas. I have spent a lot of time in Manhattan and in the state of New York in general, and I know this place very well. I can say that Manhattan itself is not uniform. There are parts of Manhattan that are unclear, hard to define, and where people are divided into distinct groups. Now, let’s recall that fun animated series “Avatar” and the movie “The Last Airbender”. They feature the four elements. And in reality, people do divide into four elements, even though throughout their lives they pass through all cycles and experience all elements. But there are those who lean more toward one specific element — they belong to it more strongly. Now, let’s take people who belong to one of these four elements. The four elements correspond to the four seasons. And those people who live by animal instincts, for example, or by dark intellect — that is, those who are in the third and fourth stages, not the first and second bright ones (spiritual and bright intellect), but the mirror-opposite ones. Where do these people go? To Times Square. It’s still Manhattan, right? You would think, “Wow, Manhattan!” But even within Manhattan, excuse me, there’s a backside. For example, where did I live? On West End Avenue, near Lincoln Center, with a very interesting waterfront. And how different these places are. Manhattan itself is also divided into four: spiritual and bright, material and bright — modest, self-sufficient, decent people, then the third — chaotic, instinct-driven, obsessed with impulses, and the fourth — materialistic and dark, those in Lamborghinis, covered in gold, wearing feathers, with brand names written across their chests, in flashy sunglasses — there they are. This is how Manhattan is divided. And if we take not just Manhattan, but also Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens — these four major areas — they follow the same matrix. The same formula applies. When I was little and talked to different people, I noticed that when I interacted with someone from the water element, I became like them. When I interacted with someone from the fire element, I became like them. There are four cycles— morning, day, evening, and night. And most people always belonged to one of these facets, but I didn’t belong to any. Yet, I could transform depending on what I was engaging with. The city, the district, the country, the person I chose — whatever I interacted with, that facet within me awakened. But at the same time, I was all facets at once. What is this? Who am I? What is happening?