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: 4055	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 2542
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 3016	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 2995
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2840	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 3064
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 7524	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 2627
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 3240	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 2965
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 2861	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 2751
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 2737	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 3324
maja_cries_0553web Date: 2013 Views: 1744	maja_reaches_0530web Date: 2013 Views: 1488
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 3223	maya_smiles_0461web Date: 2013 Views: 1402
Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 3385	Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 2843
My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3257	Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 3077
Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 2894	Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 2798
Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 2759	Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 2678
oleg_zhenya_9231web With Zhenya on the Rein ferry Date: 2013 Views: 1766	oleg_zhenya_germany_9262web with Zhenya Date: 2013 Views: 1468
Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 2839	Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 2656
Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 2641	Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 2557
Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 2630	She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 2516
Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 2705	Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 2584
The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3193	The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 3220
Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 2958	Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 2951
Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 3315	Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 2905
Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 2893	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2765
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 2919	zhenya_dusseldorf_9058web Date: 2013 Views: 1952