This is that place on earth where I feel most at home. I see it in my dreams the most. This is where I spent about twenty summers of my life, and even a few years when I was little. In that pink house, that used to be yellow, on the first floor, the first three windows from the left. Grandpa's room, kitchen and bathroom. It's called Koiva, a village in the Ural Mountains, that divide Asia and Europe. The man and a woman next to him are my grandparents. They lived to 80 years old until 3 years ago. He died in November, and she died in February, 3 months apart. I can only envy that and wish that to myself. I will miss and love them forever. I am glad they lived to know that I had a first child, Andre. They would be so happy for me if they knew I had three boys! May be they do know, I hope they do.
This is how I know that money wan't make you happy. I was the happiest there with them, just from their love.

This is where I live now, Boston!

Now compare the two bridges: this one is from Boston, below is the one from Riga!
Wow it just hit me, I lived in Riga for 11 years and in Boston for almost 14.That's scary, but there is still more of Riga in me, than Boston.....

And this is where I grew up, Riga, Latvija

This is where I was born, Kamchatka, Russia

This is where I am from... I am not kidding!
This is 9 hours on the airplane from Moscow - Kamchatka, the eastern penninsula of Russia. It is one of the few uninhabitted places left on earth. The territory is the size of Britain, with one major city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskij, accessible only by air. The whole city is on the mountain side overlooking a bay across from seven volcanoes. That was my view out the window. May be that's why I am still so drawn to the ocean, I still have oceanview! Don't call me spoiled... it's hard to break old habits. Fishing is the major industry in Kamchatka. When I was little all we ate was seafood. I remember eating red caviar out of a bowl with a spoon, and king crab legs for snacks at a playground. And it's not because we were rich, that's what everybody ate. This is near Alaska, famous for salmon etc., you get the idea. The downside is frequent earthquakes, as many as several a day, unnoticed by people. But sometimes it gets shaky. Once when I was about 4, I was sleeping, and the earthquake started, I thought a war broke out. But we just had some broken glass, and a tv fell off a shelf. Oh my god, I forget these things, I have been in an earthqake?! My half sister, who still lives there goes helicopter skiing and hot springs swimming for fun. The beach is black with vocanic sand. Her husband goes bear hunting with friends. When they drove a few hours north, they found a village with one street, and tanks parked outside houses, as the only possible way of transportation on the frozen snow. Yep, and most people in the village were drunk...drunken russians on tanks, on the snow, what can be worse?