There is nothing new under the sun
Sri Lanka is a country that we visited in April 2010. A year prior, we had a transit stop in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, when we were flying to the Maldives. Something about the country’s history and novelty captivated us, and just a year later, we returned to Sri Lanka, dedicating three weeks to exploring and getting to know this fascinating destination.
In April 2008, my wife and I decided to fly to Vancouver, Canada, at the invitation of our friends. We waited for one month to obtain a visitor visa. We left our children in the care of their grandparents and nannies, and at the end of March, we flew to British Columbia, via Frankfurt with Lufthansa.
The flight was long, lasting 11.5 hours, but quite comfortable. During the landing, we noticed a group of Canadian schoolchildren with their teacher, around 20 people, who were returning from a trip to Europe. The children seemed very well-behaved, composed, and direct. They settled not only in their seats but also on the floor.
Upon exiting the jet bridge at Vancouver airport, we were stopped by a female immigration officer accompanied by another official. She carefully examined our documents and asked some obvious questions. The feeling was not pleasant.
On September 10, 1988, while being second-year students, we entered into lawful marriage. The wedding was modest. We deliberately refused a long list of potential guests, around 150 people, who were acquaintances and friends of our parents but not our close ones. Instead of a lavish wedding “like everyone else,” on the second day after the wedding, we departed in the evening by bus to Almaty and then by plane to Sochi. On the third day after our wedding, early in the morning, we landed at the airport in the city of Sochi (Adler), on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.
Nearly three weeks in Abkhazia, in the town of Gantiadi, located near Adler, were simply unforgettable.
It’s been 25 years… Continue reading “Silver Wedding – 2013 year”
Everyone in our family knew how to shoot, including my mother and sister. My father, who was an active officer in the KGB of the USSR, believed that everyone in our family should know how to handle firearms, just in case.
Due to certain internal requirements of his organization, my father and his colleagues were required to undergo regular training and periodically pass shooting exams. As a result, my father would accumulate a considerable supply of ammunition every three months, and we would organize trips to secluded yet picturesque locations, where we would practice shooting with his standard-issue “Makarov” pistol.
Sometimes we would venture into mountain gorges, while other times we would choose the banks of a river or a clearing in the woods. We often combined shooting practice with hunting. Despite that, my father never took the life of any animal or bird, but he enjoyed the process itself.
In the summer and especially in the autumn, the Black Sea becomes the season for sea fishing, which differs from fishing in freshwater bodies. Fishing from the pier, or “from the quay,” offers an exciting dynamic and thrill. The sea is home to various predatory fish species that bite with special intensity. Even if the catch is not always huge, the process of fishing and battling with the fish adds a unique energy and excitement.
From late September until December, there is active fishing for Ilaria and Kefal (Mullet), followed by Zargana (Mackerel) and Safrid (Horse Mackerel), Black Sea Sprat, and Lefter (Bluefish).