Looking for reasonably priced, tolerably drinkable, New World Chardonnay that doesn’t taste like paint thinner in Russia is an experience akin to panning for gold in California in the 19th…
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A cautionary tale of cool cucumbers caught in a hot spy ring sends me into the kitchen to make pickles. (more…)
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Metals companies make a lot of money, which could, I suppose, make them fun to work for, were it not for the fact that they are all located in remote,…
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The peat bogs outside Moscow are burning, spreading their acrid, foul-smelling smoke into the city. Now I know what Mordor smell's like...
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In 1991, HRH and I were not living lives that were destined or designed to intersect. I was traveling the world as a free-lance tour guide and he was settling…
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Here we are, once again, drowning in clutter. It's time for some major Life Laundry. (more…)
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“What has been the most…just amazing thing about living in Russia for 17 years,” asked an American visitor. “Affordable smoked salmon.” I answered promptly, which made everyone laugh for some…
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If Dmitry Medvedev is really serious about beefing up Russia’s economy, he ought to put Skolkovo on the back burner and turn up the flame on the catalog mail order…
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Lighting is another one of those issues that makes me gnash my teeth here, particularly in my own living room, where we have 400 watt, gut-wrenchingly expensive recessed lighting and…
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