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--- news_letters:first_year_russia [2026/03/18 23:57] – [Health] night_writer
+++ news_letters:first_year_russia [2026/03/22 02:45] (current) – [Iran] night_writer
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ====Health====
-Due to living a mostly sedentary life in St Louis because of sickness and, education, my body was severely weakened. So, before I left St Louis, I started climbing stairs in the high rise that I lived in. This pathway back to health began with excruciation pain.
+Due to living a mostly sedentary life in St Louis because of sickness and, education, my body was severely weakened. So, before I left St Louis, I started climbing stairs in the high rise that I lived in. This pathway back to health began with excruciating pain.
 Since I've known that I would move to Russia, I've anticipated living a healthier lifestyle that an old man can have here. I don't own a car, and I rarely use public transportation, so I walk to almost every place I go. Walking the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in Sochi has strengthened my legs and lungs. Living on the 11th floor also helps, as I almost always use the stairs. Several months ago, when I was in Krasnodar, I walked 15 miles in one day. Outside, gym equipment that looks like adult playgrounds is common in Russia. Maybe I'll work on my arms this summer. Overall, I am happy that I lived in Central Sochi for my first year in Russia. It has been an enjoyable place to live.
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 I am using it as a writing aid.
-The internet here is evolving. In 2022, the last time I was in Russia, the internet was normal. That has since changed. When I arrived in March, YouTube and Meta, which includes Facebook, were throttled. Recently, they have become blocked. Telegram, which is owned by a Russian, is now throttled. The government will completely block Telegram on April 1, 2026. The government says this will protect children from terrorists that these companies refuse to police. In Russia, they also want to protect the children from Western lasciviousness, namely Western LGBT narratives. Russia's blocking technology is said to be stronger than China's. The blocks are being met with considerable resistance, and they can be legally circumvented by logging into another network. Although this is legal to do it is not legal to advertise how to do it.
+The internet here is evolving. In 2022, the last time I was in Russia, the internet was normal. That has since changed. When I arrived in March, YouTube and Meta, which includes Facebook, were throttled. Recently, they have become blocked. Telegram, which is owned by a Russian, is now throttled. The government will completely block Telegram on April 1, 2026. The government says this will protect children from terrorists that these companies refuse to police. In Russia, they also want to protect the children from Western lasciviousness, namely Western LGBTQ narratives. Russia's blocking technology is said to be stronger than China's. The blocks are being met with considerable resistance, and they can be legally circumvented by logging into another network. Although this is legal to do it is not legal to advertise how to do it.
-The house internet almost always works. On the other hand, the mobile internet goes down frequently due to missile and drone alerts. During this time, a few essential apps will work. I am sure that Russia is also learning how to block Starlink internet terminals, as the CIA recently used it in Iran to organize protests to overthrow the Iranian government. The Iranian government successfully blocked the terminals.
+The mobile internet goes down frequently due to missile and drone alerts, so I mostly depend on the house internet which almost always works. When the mobile internet is down, a few essential apps will still work. I am sure that Russia is also learning how to block Starlink internet terminals, as the CIA recently used it in Iran to organize protests to overthrow the Iranian government. The Iranian government successfully blocked the terminals.
 To do banking and communicate in the USA, I had to learn how to buy and sell crypto and circumvent the internet blocks. Trading crypto with an online exchange requires me to transfer large amounts of money, trusting that the exchange will send the needed money to my bank account. Russia continues to counter the technology that I use for getting onto other networks, so I am occasionally blocked until the technology is upgraded. Keeping up with technology is time-consuming, and with Russia's countermeasures and the consequences of the USA and Western sanctions, this process becomes more interesting and challenging. Currently, everything works well. I have a word from above that there will always be a way.
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 ====House Guest====
-I just had a 71-year-old house guest from Michigan. I call him " Biker Mike the Intelligent Biker.” I met him on Telegram in a Russian expat group and advised him about a trip to Russia. He arrived at 23:30 at the Sochi-Adler Airport. That was two days before I thought he was coming. At 7:00, I was informed by a member of the chat group that he had been stranded all night at the airport. We just had our fourth air raid siren of the morning, and I didn't know if public transportation was running. After preparing to stay all night in Adler, I rode the bus to the Sochi Central train station. The mobile internet was off, so the bus was operating without the normal payment system. At the train station, the attendants rushed me through the gate without paying. I boarded 30 seconds before the train departed. Then I paid for my ticket. I arrived at the airport at 10:00, where I did a quick search of both levels of the terminal. At 10:45, I boarded another train to the Adler Train Station. The station is three stories tall. It was built large enough to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. To my astonishment, in half an hour, without mobile internet, I found a man whom I had never met before.
+I just had a 71-year-old house guest from Michigan. I call him "Biker Mike the Intelligent Biker.” I met him on Telegram in a Russian expat group and advised him about a trip to Russia. He arrived at 23:30 on January 9, 2026, at the Sochi-Adler Airport. That was two days before I thought he was coming. The next day, at 7:00, I was informed by a member of the chat group that he had been stranded all night at the airport. We just had our fourth air raid siren of the morning, and I didn't know if public transportation was running. After preparing to stay all night in Adler, I rode the bus to the Sochi Central train station. The mobile internet was off, so the bus was operating without the normal payment system. At the train station, the attendants rushed me through the gate without paying. I boarded 30 seconds before the train departed. Then I paid for my ticket. I arrived at the airport at 10:00, where I did a quick search of both levels of the terminal. At 10:45, I boarded another train to the Adler Train Station. The station was built large enough to host the 2014 Winter Olympics so it is three stories tall. To my astonishment, without mobile internet, I found a man whom I had never met before, in half an hour.
-It was obvious that Michael had his Dorthy moment when he could have said “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!” I understand that feeling well, as in 2022, I stepped outside of the Sochi terminal without a working cell phone. This prevented my translator from working, and I couldn't find anyone who spoke English. I was carrying all the money I needed to live on for a month and to buy my airplane ticket out of Russia. With the sanctions in place, the Russian money system was as it still is today cut off from the West. It was impossible to get more money. At night, I rented a capsule bed at the airport. Today, the capsules have been replaced with miniature sleeping rooms that fill up fast due to delays caused by drone activity. The fact is, there are many nights when people use blankets and mats to sleep on the hard floors, waiting for their delayed flights. So, in Michael's case, instead of a bunch of Munchkins popping out of the bushes singing follow the yellow brick road, Michael heard me calling his last name. What a surprise to him. We then waited at the food court for our train back to Central Sochi, where we rode a bus to my house. I changed his train ticket so he could leave at 9:47 the next morning.
+It was obvious that Michael had his Dorothy moment when he could have said “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!” I understand that feeling well, as in 2022, I stepped outside of the Sochi terminal without a working cell phone. This prevented my translator from working, and I couldn't find anyone who spoke English. I was carrying all the money I needed to live on for a month and to buy my airplane ticket out of Russia. With the sanctions in place, the Russian money system was as it still is today cut off from the West. It was impossible to get more money. At night, I rented a capsule bed at the airport. Today, the capsules have been replaced with miniature sleeping rooms that fill up fast due to delays caused by drone activity. The fact is, there are many nights when people use blankets and mats to sleep on the hard floors, waiting for their delayed flights. So, in Michael's case, instead of a bunch of Munchkins popping out of the bushes singing follow the yellow brick road, Michael heard me calling his last name. What a surprise to him. We then waited at the food court for our train back to Central Sochi, where we rode a bus to my house. I changed his train ticket so he could leave at 9:47 the next morning.
 Pray for Biker Mike, the carpenter. God led me to invest in him. When he was younger, he went to Bible School, where he studied counseling. He is an educated teacher and was a top speaker in Toastmasters.  I knew I would meet him months before I did.  I believe he has been called, and God wants Mike to work for Him. This will require some changes.
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 Even though I am not afraid I can't say that drones don't bother me. The loud explosion stayed with me for 24 hours, but I haven't been close enough to an explosion that rattled my bones, so I am not afraid. Also, statistically, automobiles cause more harm than drones do in Sochi. However, as a builder, I don't like to see useful property destroyed, nor do I like to see people wounded or killed. They could live a better life.   Judging from social media posts, people shooting off fireworks during warnings have made it obvious that women are more affected by the warnings and explosions. This is something the authorities are trying to curb.
-Russians often vacation in the UAE, Turkey, and Sochi. I guess many of them desire a real adventure as well as a place to get out of the cold, as they still flock to Sochi for vacation. Since I started writing this, the attacks have escalated into more, larger attacks. There have been several instances where the airport was closed for 8-13 hours, and warnings in Krasnodar Kria have lasted over 24 hours. As drone and missile swarms increased, I wouldn't be surprised if the tourist season slows down this year.  If so, it will be an opportune time to buy property here. A potential risk diminishes when done in God's timing.
+Russians often vacation in the UAE, Turkey, and Sochi. I guess many of them desire a real adventure as well as a place to get out of the cold, as they still flock to Sochi for vacation. Since I started writing this, the attacks have escalated into more, larger attacks. Ukraine now sends drones to Ukraine almost constantly. There have been several instances where the airport was closed for 8-13 hours, and warnings in Krasnodar Kria have lasted up to 44 hours. As drone and missile swarms increase, I won't be surprised if the tourist season slows down this year.  If so, it will be an opportune time to buy property here. A potential risk diminishes when done in God's timing.
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 ====Iran====
-  *During Trump's first bombing in June 2025, my friend heard the bombs close to his neighborhood. This was difficult as family and children are dear to him. He mentioned that Israel and the USA promised that children would be excluded from injury, but he soon learned that promises don't matter as bombs and missiles don't discriminate.
+During Trump's first bombing of Iran in June of 2025, my friend heard the bombs close to his neighborhood. This was difficult as family and children are dear to him. He mentioned that Israel and the USA promised that children would be excluded from injury, but he soon learned that promises don't matter as bombs and missiles don't discriminate.
-  *The recent protest in Iran, like the failed and deadly Arab Spring, was coordinated using the internet. I read that the protest was similar to the one in 1979 when the Shaw of Iran was deposed, in that the merchants were involved due to high inflation. The CIA distributed Elon Musk's Starlink terminals and then coordinated the protest using the internet. Unexpectedly, the Iranian government blocked the Starlink terminals, which resulted in many deaths and the lack of protesters needed to overthrow the Iranian government.  Without the internal mechanism, the USA government had to change plans.
+  *The recent protest in Iran, like the failed and deadly Arab Spring, was coordinated using the internet. I read that the protest was similar to the one in 1979 when the Shaw of Iran was deposed, in that the merchants were involved due to high inflation. The CIA distributed Elon Musk's Starlink terminals and then coordinated the protest using the internet. Unexpectedly, the Iranian government blocked the Starlink terminals, which resulted in many deaths and the lack of protesters needed to overthrow the Iranian government, if that was even possible.  Without the internal mechanism, the USA government had to change plans.
   * Trump then sent a massive amount of military assets into the region, including two aircraft carrier groups. Whether it was by design or not, Israel took advantage of the military buildup and struck Iran. The USA supported Israel through a massive missile and bombing campaign. Iran stood stronger than expected. Evidently, things are out of control as the USA is sending in a third carrier group and possibly a fourth. With the Iranian government in survival mode, they now seem to be challenging the USA with a war of attrition. If they can drain the USA of overpriced weapons, they can win their place in the world as a greater power.
-  *The USA and Israel need ground troops, and it is better to arm proxies rather than send their own troops. Israel has worked to get the Gulf States into the war. After all, Iran is destroying targets in their countries. There was what seemed like a false flag operation in Azerbaijan, which has a large Jewish population and has shared interests with Israel. Azerbaijan, which now appears to be a reluctant warrior, initially seemed to take the bait and prepared to retaliate against Iran. The USA wants to arm the so-called stateless Kurds against Iran, but Trump betrayed the Kurds during his first term, so trust is an issue. People I have talked to on this side of the world say that most Kurds are integrated into other countries, and the stateless factor is exploited by the USA to propagate wars. People on this side of the world are more informed about politics than Americans. They need to be because this is where the action is. So far, Trump doesn't have anyone who will be the boots on the ground in his fight against Iran. This is a major failure for him.
+  *The USA and Israel need ground troops, and it is better to arm proxies rather than send their own troops. Israel has worked to get the Gulf States into the war. After all, Iran is destroying targets in their countries. There was what seemed like a false flag operation in Azerbaijan, which has a large Jewish population and has shared interests with Israel. Azerbaijan initially seemed to take the bait and prepared to retaliate against Iran, but they now appear to be a reluctant warrior. The USA wants to arm the so-called stateless Kurds against Iran, but Trump betrayed the Kurds during his first term, so trust is an issue. People I have talked to on this side of the world say that most Kurds are integrated into other countries, and the stateless factor is exploited by the USA to propagate wars. People on this side of the world are more informed about politics than Americans. They need to be because this is where the action is. So far, Trump doesn't have anyone who will be the boots on the ground in his fight against Iran. He can't even get support from countries that depend on the oil from the Gulf States. This is a major failure for him.
   *This leaves American or Israeli troops. Someone will be needed to attempt to open the Strait of Hormuz. Without it, the world loses twenty percent of its oil and natural gas production. Trump must be desperate because the longer the Strait is closed, the longer it will take to restart production as unused equipment quickly deteriorates. This will put Russia back in the driver's seat as its oil and gas will be in higher demand. However, if Russia continues to make intelligent decisions, the West will not be its favored customer. This scenario could further empower the defeat of Ukraine and Europe while strengthening China.
-  *The Middle East is dependent on desalination systems for fresh water. The war has damaged some of these on both sides. Without them, the Middle East will go into a drought. Well, the Ephatess River must dry up to fullfill the procesy. (Revelation 16:12): "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East". Is there a correlation here? Time will tell.
+  *The Middle East is dependent on desalination systems for fresh water. The war has damaged some of these on both sides. Without them, the Middle East will go into a drought. Well, the Ephatess River must dry up to fulfill the (Revelation 16:12) prophesy: "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East". Is there a correlation here? Time will tell.
   *  If the USA can't provide security for the Gulf states, it will lose its "reason for existence" in the Middle East. The fair and equitable exchange has been the petro-dollar in exchange for security. If the petro-dollar fails, the USA economy will suffer and have to repurpose itself.