Tag Archives: Soviet Union

An unexpected find

Posted on 2019-03-01 by

I am trying to get rid of most stuff and have been quite successful already. I have no car, only one hat, and I am even letting go of books. But one thing is piling up: notebooks, full of memories, … Continue reading →

Posted in Georgia, Travel | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

A Walk around Tbilisi

Posted on 2019-02-22 by

Each year for my birthday, I like to explore a new country, preferably alone. In July 2017, I treated myself to a trip to the Caucasus (and ended up celebrating my 42nd birthday with the former president of Azerbaijan). The … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Georgia, History, Islam, Military, Photography, Religion, Travel, World War II | Tagged , , , | 51 Comments

Random Thoughts (12)

Posted on 2017-04-27 by

If you have doubts about humanity, listen to this podcast about a hospital in Israel treating wounded and sick Syrians. I wouldn’t have thought that many people read articles as long as the one about my decision to return to … Continue reading →

Posted in Albania, Cold War, Education, Films, Health, History, Israel, Military, Syria, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Random Thoughts (9)

Posted on 2017-03-26 by

In Bolivia, I spoke with a lawyer about feminicidios, the killing of women by their partners, which carries a higher sentence than a “regular” homicide. Out of curiosity, I looked up the figure for Germany – and was shocked: 331 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bolivia, Economics, Germany, Health, History, Human Rights, Immigration Law, Law, Mexico, Military, Music, Poland, Politics, Romania, Russia, Statistics, Travel, US election 2016, USA, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pardon me!

Posted on 2017-02-19 by

When laws change, people who were once convicted as criminals are (sometimes) pardoned. We often find that just and necessary, like in the case of those convicted of homosexual acts when this was still a crime (which isn’t all that … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Cold War, History, Law, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Random Thoughts (7)

Posted on 2017-01-31 by

Don’t blame me for looking at your ( . )( . ) when you wear sunglasses and I can’t look at your eyes. In Venezuela, the richest country in South America between the 1950s and the 1980s, and still the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Economics, Education, Facebook, Films, Germany, Media, Politics, Religion, Technology, Terrorism, Travel, US election 2016, USA, Venezuela | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The allure of chess

Posted on 2015-10-11 by

In a civil registry office in the Soviet Union, some time in the 1960s: The men are immersed in a game of chess. The brides are bored, most of them have already fallen asleep. So, the long waits in government offices … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Marriage, Sports | Tagged , , | 2 Comments