"We may have forgotten how to feel. Nobody is teaching us how to live happily ever after, as we've heard in fairy tales."

"I believe that love and laughter can only happen when one person takes the time to think about what would cause the other person to feel good."

"My father described this tall lady who stands in the middle of the New York harbor, holding high a torch to welcome people seeking freedom in America. I instantly fell in love."

"I like American women. They do things sexually Russian girls never dream of doing - like showering."

"I love the excess of Christmas. The shopping season that begins in September, the bad pop star recordings of Christmas carols, the decorations that don't know when to come down."

"Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals 'love' them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more."

"Love comes when manipulation stops when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable."

"St. Louis has a lot of weird food customs that you don't see other places - and a lot of great ethnic neighborhoods. There's a German neighborhood. A great old school Italian neighborhood, with toasted ravioli, which seems to be a St. Louis tradition. And they love provolone cheese in St. Louis."