Windows to Russia

Sweet Potato: In our Globus nearby, we found sweet potatoes. Sveta loves sweet potatoes (I introduced her to her very first a few years ago.) and they are very rare in Russia. In fact so rare that Sveta took some to her mother to try out. It is not often that we find sweet potatoesContinue reading Sweet Potatoes, Caviar and Whatnot’s Abound…

MOSCOW, January 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to grant legendary French actor Gerard Depardieu Russian citizenship, the Kremlin press office reported on Thursday. “In accordance with clause “a” of article 89 of the Russian Constitution, the application for Russian citizenship by Gerard Xavier Depardieu born in France inContinue reading Gosh Darn it Anyway: Lucky Depardieu got Citizenship…

Beer is officially Alcohol as the rules and regulations go into effect January 1st. Our little grocery store near us has removed beer completely and will no longer sell it. They can not afford the license that is required to sell it. Finally beer is alcohol in Russia… A 5 years business visa is possibleContinue reading Russia started the Year 2013 with…

Yes – 2012 taught me a whole bunch. This is what is going through my mind as I sip that delicious cup of coffee here in Russia… I watched 2012 with earnest and had decided early on that if 2012 ends up the way it started, I would do some drastic changes in 2013. SinceContinue reading It is 2013 and did 2012 Teach Us Anything?

The Russian Federation and the United States of America cut mutually beginning from January 1, 2013 the rates of consular visa fees. “Beginning from January 1, 2013, Russian consular services abroad reduce from 180 to 160 dollars the consular fee for processing for the US citizens business, private, humanitarian and tourism visas,” Russia’s Foreign MinistryContinue reading Update: Russian Visa Fees for Americans… (2013)

Dear friends, We are saying goodbye to 2012 as it is about to become history. This was an important year for our country. I would like to sincerely thank all of you for your efforts, your work and achievements, your trust and support. In these moments, we are particularly aware of the fleeting of time,Continue reading Putin and the New Year – 2013…

Sveta is going to whoop me today! So don’t tell her that I went out in -12c and snowing like crazy and went shopping for New Years… It is so hard to shop for a woman and Sveta is real particular about things, but that does not mean I will not try… 🙂 The photosContinue reading Happy New Year and Santa (Ded Moroz) comes to Russia tonight…

1. Little things are important and 2. Never loose an opportunity to mold a young person in the correct way and 3. Never judge a book by its cover… Two things stand out very strong in my life as as kid of 9 or 10 years old. These two things are still in my mindContinue reading What Molded My Life When I was a Kid…

Found this tidbit of info laying around the ignore trash pile, of the news section of the Internet… Military and intelligence sources report: The Russian foreign minister’s statement was a message to Washington, DC that the transfer of Syria’s weapons of mass destruction to one or two protected sites was under Russian control. This hadContinue reading Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian civil war achieved four objectives…

Sri Lanka during the war years bore the brunt of the global phenomenon of the growth and proliferation of the so-called Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). The secessionist war provided the opportunity for international NGOs to establish themselves in the country and to forcefully intervene in national affairs under the guise of humanitarian and anti-corruption activities andContinue reading NGOs are facing a backlash globally by Dr Kamal Wickremasinghe…