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: 4575	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 2844
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 3361	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 3363
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3111	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 3418
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 7882	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 2892
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 3628	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 3348
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 3147	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 3043
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 3031	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 3712
maja_cries_0553web Date: 2013 Views: 2155	maja_reaches_0530web Date: 2013 Views: 1878
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 3587	maya_smiles_0461web Date: 2013 Views: 1743
Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 3682	Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 3119
My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3624	Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 3454
Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 3266	Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 3103
Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 3044	Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 2962
oleg_zhenya_9231web With Zhenya on the Rein ferry Date: 2013 Views: 2154	oleg_zhenya_germany_9262web with Zhenya Date: 2013 Views: 1809
Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 3161	Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 2933
Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 2934	Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 2826
Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 2893	She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 2787
Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 2985	Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 2860
The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3530	The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 3580
Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 3382	Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 3254
Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 3774	Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 3252
Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 3180	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3022
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 3168	zhenya_dusseldorf_9058web Date: 2013 Views: 2429