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: 40 items

Date: 2004 Views: 1332	A rodent. Date: 2005 Views: 1014
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 1025	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 973
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2005 Views: 1124	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 996
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 4137	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2005 Views: 1045
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 1039	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 994
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2005 Views: 1168	Grandma smiles. Date: 2005 Views: 1029
Her eye. Date: 2005 Views: 1138	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 1272
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 1156	Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2005 Views: 1311
Mila. Date: 2005 Views: 1121	My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1146
Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 1121	Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 908
Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 826	Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2005 Views: 1141
Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2005 Views: 1091	Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 1002
Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2005 Views: 1050	Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2005 Views: 1053
Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2005 Views: 1020	Sasha. Date: 2005 Views: 1060
She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2005 Views: 996	Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2005 Views: 1055
Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2005 Views: 1000	The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1100
The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 1213	Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 960
Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2005 Views: 1401	Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 1226
Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 1015	Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2005 Views: 1124
Zhenja. Date: 2005 Views: 1000	Zhenja. Date: 2005 Views: 1046