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: 2027	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 1414
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 1534	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 1448
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1566	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 1542
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 5660	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 1480
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 1485	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1460
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 1559	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 1408
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 1527	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 1741
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 1664	Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 1775
Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 1559	My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1626
Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 1630	Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1355
Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 1294	Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1547
Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 1469	Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 1479
Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 1436	Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1469
Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 1423	Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1476
She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 1374	Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1450
Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 1424	The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1679
The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 1738	Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 1423
Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 1802	Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 1740
Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 1513	Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 1590
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1432	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1674