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: 1885	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 1340
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 1425	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 1356
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1478	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 1429
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 5492	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 1393
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 1396	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1357
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 1478	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 1330
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 1444	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 1648
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 1573	Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 1667
Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 1478	My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1520
Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 1528	Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1267
Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 1210	Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1464
Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 1393	Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 1377
Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 1357	Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1379
Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 1328	Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1391
She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 1302	Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1367
Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 1340	The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1562
The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 1615	Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 1329
Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 1721	Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 1623
Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 1408	Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 1475
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1333	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1569