Dusseldorf, Germany.

In December 2004, I went to visit my grandmother, aunt and cousins in Germany, I haven't seen them in almost sixteen years! My cousins were six when I left Russia in 1989. The reunion proved joyous. I also met other interesting people and got to see a foreign country for the first time since my arrival to America. It was a very enlightening experience.
The return to the US was also educational: the so-called "security" at Detroit airport made me think about turning back and going back to Germany. We are so far beyond a mere police state here that I am, for the first time, greatly embarrassed for my country. It was especially glaring by contrast with Europe.

Date: 2005

Size: 46 items

Date: 2004 Views: 2753	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 1716
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 1959	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 1854
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1839	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 1854
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 6075	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 1735
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 1880	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1798
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 1817	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 1682
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 1772	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 2244
maja_cries_0553web Date: 2013 Views: 377	maja_reaches_0530web Date: 2013 Views: 346
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 2093	maya_smiles_0461web Date: 2013 Views: 351
Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 2123	Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 1840
My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2054	Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 1977
Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1794	Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 1721
Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1794	Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 1713
oleg_zhenya_9231web With Zhenya on the Rein ferry Date: 2013 Views: 307	oleg_zhenya_germany_9262web with Zhenya Date: 2013 Views: 343
Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 1817	Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 1676
Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1703	Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 1671
Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1717	She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 1622
Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1696	Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 1667
The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2030	The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 2148
Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 1859	Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 2024
Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 2156	Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 1838
Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 1830	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1697
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2019	zhenya_dusseldorf_9058web Date: 2013 Views: 518