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I haven't posted here in a while for several reasons.

I haven't had a lot of time, and the ship's onboard internet is so painfully slow that it isn't worth the effort.

We've only been to the same few ports over and again since ... well, for over a month now, and there's not a lot new to report of sights seen of trips taken.

Stockholm, Helsinki, three days in St. Petersburg, Tallin, Visby, Copenhagen... then reverse that. That makes for convenience in getting mail, but not from St. Petersburg where apparently a few birthday gifts are now in the hands of the black market.

The same black market where I obtained my personal birthday gift of a... well, I honestly can't say what it is but it facilitates the viewing of any DVD in the world, and the playing of any of the abundance of $3 Playstation 2 games the sell here. There's a big black market, for electronics primarily, called "Unona"... that's ????? in Russian. I'm learning to read ... to be able to pronounce... Russian text.

This is odd because ... I probably already blogged this, but so many of the signs form English words when you finally do sound them out, you wonder why they're in Russian at all.

What else? I had a copy of the new Harry Potter waiting for me at this great bookshop in Copenhagen... they're called "bogers" they're, no lie... but I finished the... "bog" and... if any of you have read it, well, damn. I got to the end and thought about what the next book will have to be and how many children will be distraught upon reading this one. Wow.

Also, we found an amazing, huge, English language movie theatre in Tallinn and finally caught Batman Begins and War of the Worlds. I guess there's quite the longing for the familiar, the taste of home, lately. Batman Begins blew me away. Even with the Estonian and Russian subtitles.

Today I bought "Bewitched" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" on DVD to watch in the next few days. I've also been picking up a lot of souvenirs for gifts when I return. . . Russian militaria and etcetera. The things they have here, and the inexpensive nature of the place... I'll miss it.

There are many stories to tell or immigration, customs, taxis, gypsies, gypsy children, and other such things but... another time.

I'm a little homesick lately if you can't tell. Might have to do with my approaching birthday, four days hence... but it also might be that I'm midway through the cruise.

I promise to blog more often. I'm just a lump lately, missing kith and kin.