I have two cautionary tales to bring to your attention today. They don't involve Russia, but they reflect attitudes toward inter-country adoption that could have reverberations there. And if nothing else, I hope you will take away from these stories some common sense steps to take in your own adoption journey.

The first involves a family who posted to their blog a picture of the child they had been referred--before their court date. The authorities in this country found out--the Internet is a global phenomenon, folks--and canceled the adoption.

Could... more

I picked up an interesting piece on adoption today from Newslab, a Russian wire service that focuses on news in Sibera. The news it reported is both bad and good.

The story says that 34 children were adopted by foreign citizens in the region of Krasnoyarsk for 2007, down from 180 for 2006 and 168 for 2005. That is, unfortunately pretty much in keeping with the larger nationwide slowdown in inter-country adoptions, which I wrote about back in December when I... more

No, that's not a typo. Sushi may have started out in Japan, but Russians have heartily embraced it as their own. With a Russian twist, of course.

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City, near its Russian neighborhood in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When the big influx of Soviet émigrés began in the 1980s, the first restaurants to open up on its main street were simple soup and pelmeni places. As the newcomers succeeded, entrepreneurs converted old movie theaters into big catering halls for weddings and parties. The restaurants got fancier--I still have a taste memory... more

Russia named nationalist politician Dmitry Rogozin as its new representative to NATO. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the 44-year-old Rogozin has led several marches and demonstrations to assert the rights ethnic Russians. He has been strongly critical of the West and NATO, and is opposed to the missile-defense shield that the United States has proposed deploying in Poland and the Czech Republic. Rogozin kicked off his tenure by giving a... more

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I'm a big fan of adopting Russia's older children. But a new program in Novosibirsk is pushing older adoption to the limit. According to Russia Today, the Siberian city is testing out a plan to have local families adopt its senior citizens.

Typically, the report says, Russia's elderly would live with their children and grandchildren. But apparently some either... more

There is perhaps no undertaking that begins with as much hope as an adoption. It's a strong, positive emotion and that can be a good thing since getting through an adoption can sap mental and physical reserves.

Most of the time, the hope we place in the adoption process is richly rewarded. Mine comes from the joy my two Russian-born kids bring to me, even on the days when they are enacting World War III in the living room. But sometimes there is no fairytale ending. Sometimes, an adoption becomes the nightmare described in a Chicago Tribune story... more

I don't know what to make of the story that showed up on RIA Novosti yesterday.

RIA Novosti is a news agency owned and operated by the Russian government. It grew out of a news service started by the Soviets in 1941. And as such, you probably wouldn't be surprised to see stories on it that reflect an official viewpoint.

The story that showed up yesterday on its English-language site (RIA Novosti publishes in Russian, English, German, French, Arabic, Persian, Japanese and Chinese) carried the headline "40,000... more

Sure, Russian cuisine has lot of fancy foods, like caviar. But get a Russian talking about food and the conversation will quickly turn to mushrooms and a memorable moment gathering them in the woods.

Foraging is a tough concept for Americans. We have become accustomed to getting our food on plastic trays from a refrigerated counter, and have long forgotten what the real stuff tastes like. But there are lots of mushrooms out in the wild and Russians love to go find them--and... more

With Russia on holiday break until after Russian Orthodox Christmas, this week's news is all business.

The lead story is energy: According to a report in the London-based newspaper The Financial Times, Russia's Gazprom is negotiating for a major stake in Nigeria's energy reserves. The talks, which a Nigerian official characterized as "mind-boggling" were confirmed to the paper by a Gazprom executive. Nigeria is Africa's biggest supplier of crude oil... more

The Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is now offering a different kind of Russian entertainment. "ICE: Direct From Russia" is a circus on skates. The show runs Saturday to Thursday at 8 p.m. and tickets are $68.15 for general admission or $77.25 for VIP seats. You can reach the casino's box office at (702) 794-9433.

Trinity Rep in Providence, R.I. will stage its final performance of "Memory House" on January 6. The play, written... more