Day two... where to start! We were greeted at our hotel by our host families and then driven to their individual homes. We were quite surprised at the unusually warm whether of 78 degrees. Mark and Andrew stayed together while Nikki and Joe each stayed in their respective seperate homes. We visited with each host family, got to know each other and then headed out to the country side "Dachas" on the river bank, for a very special "Mayofka Picnic". This is an annual event at the begining of May to celebrate the revolution and to welcome spring. We were greeted by the local Rotary Club and Rotar-Act members and received traditional necklaces made of bread. The day preceeded with traditional Russian games and dance with an enormous feast, complete with homemade "Summagon" (aka moonshine) and Siberian entrees (bishbarmark). The outdoor table was over 50 feet long with a toast made by several people to celebrate this special day and all our new friends. There was a small home on the riverside with a giant indoor sauna called a "baunya." It is similar to our saunas, only much hotter and they dip small leafy branches from poplar trees and tap each other's back to detoxify the body. Then...a mad dash out of the house 50 yards into the 35 degree river! They had already built a bonfire for everyone on the bank for a speedy recovery. This was truly one of those moments that we will remember for a lifetime! The evening ended in downtown Omsk at an "Insight" seminar, similar to a Landmark Education seminar in the US.

Today, day 3, we began our morning on a cultural tour of Omsk city with a local historian and enjoyed a wonderful lunch together. Afterwards, we each had our own meetings with our respective local professionals. Andrew went to an upscale Russian/European fine dining resturant to talk the owner, Mark went to meet with local Omsk auditors and Nikki met with the Marketing Director of 5 Lakes Vodka, Russia's largest Vodka brand. After our individual meetings we met for a press conference with members of the Omsk Business Association as well as the media for a Q&A about American small business, commerce and our own professions. The day ended with another amazing feast at Joe's host family's house, complete with yet again, plenty of vodka, laughter and new friends. If this is what the first 2 days bring...we can only imagine the next 3 weeks!

Stay tuned!