For the last few weeks, I’ve hosted a young, diminutive, digital media journalist from Tula, Russia by the name of Kseniya or ‘Susha’ for short. She just left on Sunday and already I miss her.
Her visit was part of an annual government-sponsored program called Open World that fosters greater understanding between societies by focusing on mutual interests that are non-political in nature.
Locally, our sister-city organization, the Albany-Tula Alliance, has spent nearly 25 years doing the same by encouraging peer-to-peer exchanges with students, educators, business leaders, scientists and civil society organizations.
Susha is the leading editor of Tula’s most popular news website called MYSLO. She was most interested in visiting Capital Region media outlets so a number of outlets: the Times Union, WRGB, Albany Business Review and Overit Media; along with dozens of Tech Valley businesses, took time to entertain the curious editor with facility tours and one-on-one instruction.
Beyond the big issues, Susha and I bonded over a love for the Big Bang Theory, Mother Nature (Thatcher Park and Central Park were both highlights) and creative web design. Give her another week and I might convince her to enjoy pumpkin craft.