Sharpwriters' Thoughts Blog Archives - Archives - July 2001 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 June 2007 August 2007 September 2007 December 2007 March 2008 May 2008 July 2008 August 2008 April 2009 September 2009 October 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 June 2010 Current Posts Friday, March 12, 2004 Back in the U.S.S.R. Rustem and Vladimir Vladimir Sukhorykov and Mike Rollins watched the historic concert given by Paul McCartney on Red Square in the same way--on television. Mike was in Abilene, Texas, U.S.A. and Vladimir in Stavropal, Russia. The event was a culmination of the music that shaped their lives half a world apart. The two sat at our kitchen table last night, talking of the music and the times, while Rustem Ganibaev visited by telephone with an old friend who left Russia 12 years ago and now lives in Colorado. It was the kind of night in which memories are made and friendships formed. Vladimir and Rustem apologize for their limited English. Mike and I assure them it's far greater than our non-existent Russian! They tolerated our menagerie, even Bugsy the flamboyant dog. Vladimir asked what kind of dog he is, and I answered, "Mutt." He mulled that over a while then, with the explanation it meant all the breeds, he came up with a yard-long word for it in Russian. We'll continue to visit until they and the others in the Productivity Enhancement Program go back home to Russia on the 21st. Perhaps we'll meet again after that. Mike and I, though, are quite sure we don't want to visit Rustem at his home in Kazan during the winter months. We struggled with the conversion of Fahrenheit and Celsius, but we do know temperatures about 20 below zero Celsius are way too cold for us! (It's -4 Fahrenheit. Yes, way too cold!) Share | posted by Barbara Rollins @ 10:57 AM << Home