Hi! Frank, wonderful story...
Let me add just one interesting bit of my background... Normally we wouldn't sit all the night through and watch the festive TV programs... We would fall asleep and they would repeat the programs anyway... Naturally, back then in SU they did not celebrate Christmas, but New Year... It was easier too - same date each time.
There was this movie about a man who gets drank and instead of going to Moscow ends up in Leningrad. The funniest thing is that he goes to the same address (street, building, apartment) and his key opens the door... Naturally he meets a woman and you can infer the rest yourselves...
I should say that I loved New Year holidays and I somewhat miss them here... Channukah has one significant drawback - we work throughout the whole holiday ;-). The candle light is magnificent though.
Frank, thanks again... That was beautiful. Boris
