After ten years of almost constant travel, I am finally getting the hang of packing light. I have, for two weeks, my backpack and a small gym bag. Three shirts, two sweaters, two pairs of pants, underwear, sleeping clothes, and various electronics/toiletries. Unfortunately, I didn't get any sleep last night. I stayed up talking with a good ( Read more... )

I leave tomorrow morning for Chisinau. The flight leaves at 10:15am, and arrives at 10:15 am. It's like a time machine. I'll be there approximately 2 weeks visiting friends and taking a breather from Moscow. As always, it's the night before, and I'm not ready. Two summers ago I lived five weeks out of a carry on bag, and after that experience ( Read more... )

Over the past three years, I have noticed a marked increase in the complexity and attractiveness of the New Year's decorations around St. Petersburg. As a quick recap, everything that we in the West have for Christmas, the Russians have for New Year's - lights, trees, presents, and an old guy in a red suit. Though the Russians have added ( Read more... )

I was standing in the entryway to church on Sunday, when an elderly woman approached me. In her hands was a stack of paper. She explained that it was a list of prayer requests, and asked if I would be willing to spend a half-hour each day praying for various members of the church. It was first time at this church, and the list of requests looked ( Read more... )

Most Russians will claim that their education system is far superior to the American one. If we are talking about high school, then they are absolutely correct. The average Russian high school senior would easily wipe the floor with an average American senior in a discussion on any given topic, from literature to history to science. There are ( Read more... )