The place they call our own

We're back in Berlin. This time around (as probably almost every other time) our flat felt huge, empty and lonely after spending two and a half weeks living with my parents in Novosibirsk. We had a really great time and we (the adults) are in need of a massive diet. People keep feeding us so many yummy things that our iron will couldn't resist!

Generally we had a very good and relaxing time. The only downside to the trip was that parent's cat Sommerset got scared a lot and hissed often at Tim. So now Timmy is a little scared of some things that he wasn't scared of before - mainly anything involving sudden loud noises. We really hope this passes soon.

Some of the things we got up to:
- Tim went for lots of walks with Mum and Dad, and really enjoyed digging in piles of snow with a shovel
- we celebrated Mum's 60th, my brother Gleb's 21st and my uncle Yakov's 75th birthdays
- Gleb (who is getting married this summer!) taught me how to make sushi - very very cool
- I met up with a few good school friends
- we brought home about 20kgs of old parents' books (mainly Russian classics) and there's still more that I'd like to have here in Berlin
- Jack fixed parents' kitchen sink
- we all played cards on a few evenings and perfected our "500" skills. Usually it was Mum and me (Titans) vs. Jack and Dad (Giants)
- spent a couple of evenings drinking beer with Gleb in a nice little pub 'Garage' across the street (they have actual cars strapped up to the ceiling and the whole place done up in old Rockabilly style)
- flights there and back were really good and on the last leg of the journey (Moscow to Berlin) Tim kept playing peekaboo with a little girl on the seat behind us :)

Some photos...

From the world of chocolate, mountains and cheese

Ilya and Patricia are here for the long Whit Monday weekend. It's been very nice to see them. On Sunday we managed a trip to Treptower Park followed by a stroll along East Side Gallery and a stop for beer at the beach bar there. Timmy was also happy about the beach bar, 'cos he got to play in the sand and chase our beer bottles that we kept putting on the ground. It's nice to have the guys over, to catch up and also to listen to their stories about Switzerland and how pretty it is. I have to say - it makes me want to go there right now :)

Some photos from the weekend and the last few weeks...

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The great conflictologist

Denis was here for a visit a few weeks back. It was really nice to see him and chat, and drink (breastfeeding is over - yey!!!), and chat and drink... Together we also paid a visit to the infamous Tacheles gallery. I was a bit scared of going there before, but with Denis at our side I knew that all conflicts would be peacefully dealt with. It's actually a pretty cool place. I think I'll be visiting it a lot more often now.

From "far North Queensland after 3 or 4 beers" with love

As already mentioned Tim and Michelle are here for a visit from Melbski. They arrived last Friday night and we nearly missed them at the airport due to their Qatarian efficiency of landing 25 minutes ahead of schedule. But then all was good anyway, especially once we could sip a beer on the metro (conviniently prepared by Jack).

On Saturday we managed a very nice walk up to the Reichstag. Security is tight, so we had to prebook our visit a couple of weeks in advance and being a very efficient German systen we didn't know if we'd be able to go up until two days prior to our requested date. Speaking of efficiency, Jack and I were very inefficient with our time management and instead of having a leisurly stroll to the Reichstag, we miscalculated and pretty much had to run. But we made it in time and after a brisk frisk by security got admitted. They now have audioguides that tell you what buildings you're looking at from the glass dome, which is a really good idea for tourists... saves us talking too much.

Last night we ventured out to have some fried chicken at Zur Kleinen Markthalle. Timmy slept well in the pram while we were having our first round of beers and chicken and then woke up just in time to have most of our bread. On the way home the guys got (once again) exposed to the true freedom of drinking beer on the streets, which they report to be very liberating :) T'was a good night...

1 !!!

On Sunday it was Timmy's very first birthday. He is no longer 'zero' years old, but there's an actual number :)

He got heaps of pressies and even though he was mosly oblivious to the hustle and bustle around him, there were a few moments when he was "holding court" as Michelle put it.

In the afternoon we had a few friends come over who brought along some of Timmy's friends (ie. other babies). I made a monster cake - I am not entirely sure why I decided to go with the green food colouring, but hey! I think it's a good symbiosis between "House M.D." (because Jack said that's it's hospital green) and "Monsters Inc." As Michelle predicted Timmy managed to get his hands into the side of the cake when we were singing 'happy birthday' and was rather pleased with himself.

All in all it was a wonderful day and wonderful party and just amazing to think that it's already been a year that the three of us are together.

Thank you also so much to everyone who SMS-ed, emailed, Skype-ed, sent pressies and cards, came to the party and flew across the world to visit - T and M, that's you! ;P