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: 2287	A rodent. Date: 2004 Views: 1534
Aunt Elena at work at a late hour. Date: 2004 Views: 1650	Aya. Date: 2004 Views: 1570
Cousin Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1654	Drei Genossen, Die Cousinen. Date: 2004 Views: 1634
Euro wallpaper. Date: 2004 Views: 5777	Flowers for Grandma. Date: 2004 Views: 1563
Galina, Volodja's sister. Date: 2004 Views: 1597	Grandma and one of her neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1557
Grandma Aya aka Khaya or Anna, depending on the time and the place. Date: 2004 Views: 1647	Grandma smiles. Date: 2004 Views: 1506
Her eye. Date: 2004 Views: 1608	Karla, a German student studying in Norway. Date: 2004 Views: 1887
maja_cries_0553web Date: 2013 Views: 140	maja_reaches_0530web Date: 2013 Views: 132
Marushka. Date: 2004 Views: 1807	maya_smiles_0461web Date: 2013 Views: 129
Mila, grand-daughter of Grandma's neighbors, Slava's niece. Date: 2004 Views: 1908	Mila. Date: 2004 Views: 1658
My cousins, Sasha and Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1743	Next time I visit, I should be able to say more than just "Entschuldigen sie bitte!" Date: 2004 Views: 1731
Niklas, Sasha's charming boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1456	Now and then. Date: 2004 Views: 1400
Oleg and Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1630	Oleg, photo by Inna. She, in turn, modeled for me. Date: 2004 Views: 1554
oleg_zhenya_9231web With Zhenya on the Rein ferry Date: 2013 Views: 81	oleg_zhenya_germany_9262web with Zhenya Date: 2013 Views: 93
Reunited with me, the ape takes it easy in Tennessee. Date: 2005 Views: 1575	Sasha at a gathering of her classmates. Date: 2004 Views: 1520
Sasha on the phone with her boyfriend. Date: 2004 Views: 1544	Sasha with one of Grandma's many photo albums. Date: 2004 Views: 1507
Sasha. Date: 2004 Views: 1557	She is very popular with her friends. Date: 2004 Views: 1458
Slava, one of the sons of Grandma's neighbors. Date: 2004 Views: 1537	Teaching Sasha to smile. Date: 2004 Views: 1510
The ever-popular Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1786	The weather wasn't very good for taking pictures of the city. Date: 2004 Views: 1849
Uncle Volodja, a chess masster and an all-around great guy. Date: 2004 Views: 1535	Waiting for a delayed plane at the Amsterdam airport. Date: 2004 Views: 1874
Zhenja -- isn't she cute! Date: 2004 Views: 1851	Zhenja amused by down plucked from my jacket. Date: 2004 Views: 1605
Zhenja on the infamous staiway of her new home. Date: 2004 Views: 1678	Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1534
Zhenja. Date: 2004 Views: 1834	zhenya_dusseldorf_9058web Date: 2013 Views: 133