Russian Tales

Best Picture In the World!

"Photo please?" 

"Oh yes!" I say. 

With lots of gestures and few words he indicates how I should frame him in the photo. I must have done a decent job because he asked me to take a number of other photos as we leap-frogged each other across a Russian exhibit.

I ask him to take a photo of me after awhile, which he takes:

  

"Best photo in the world!" he exclaimed with a big grin and thumbs up as he handed me back my camera.

Princess of Olympic Park

"How was your day?" my smiling hosts asked me when we met up before their hockey game.

"So fun!" I exclaim. "The park was so empty this morning so I just walked around and took lots of photos."

"Ah, Nicole, the Princess of Olympic Park - here all alone!" Geniia quips.

"Now You Are Russian"

 "Well, people keep thinking I am Russian," I explained to my Russian hosts.
Laughter spills from them.
"Take a picture," they insist in front of the hockey rink.

I happily oblige:

















"Wait, hold this!" they insist shoving their Russian flag toward me.
Again, I happily oblige:

"Now you are Russian!" they say with more good natured laughter.

Encounter with NBC intern

"How's that?" I asked after taking the requested photo.
"Great, thanks."
"We should have a picture together."

"What's your name, by the way?"

"Nick"

"Oh, I'm Nicole!"

"Ah" with a smile.

"We are Russian!"

"Where are you from?" I ask the woman who has just helped me.

"We are Russian!" her son exclaims standing up straight and facing me.

I point to the boys sweater - "Russian, but Canada?" I read with a grin.

He lowers his eyes with a disgusted sigh while his mother laughs.

Russian Valentine

"Welcome! Where are you from?" bellows a tall man in a knight costume

"New York" I reply with a smile, my camera at the ready.

"Ah - New York! A great city," He says as he folds me into a bear hug. "Sorry my English is so bad!" he says as he pulls away.

"That's okay," I respond with a shrug, "my Russian is very bad."

"Ah!" I catch the knowing smile and grateful look in his eyes and he folds me into another hug. "A picture for your memory - here, my friend will take!"