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: 5374	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 3263
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 3828	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 3856
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3529	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 3908
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 8380	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 3327
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 4124	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 3807
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 3566	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 3463
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 3449	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 4182
maja_cries_0553web Date: 2013 Views: 2613	maja_reaches_0530web Date: 2013 Views: 2357
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 4080	maya_smiles_0461web Date: 2013 Views: 2200
Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 4124	Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 3538
My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 4117	Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 3950
Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 3762	Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 3535
Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 3447	Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 3376
oleg_zhenya_9231web With Zhenya on the Rein ferry Date: 2013 Views: 2596	oleg_zhenya_germany_9262web with Zhenya Date: 2013 Views: 2268
Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 3576	Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 3335
Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 3337	Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 3234
Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 3311	She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 3178
Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 3385	Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 3263
The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 4000	The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 4089
Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 3880	Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 3690
Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 4251	Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 3698
Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 3582	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3419
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3514	zhenya_dusseldorf_9058web Date: 2013 Views: 3206