Updates:
I do have a couple of updates. Last night I made a tactical mistake. I left my phone on Skype because I thought Cat might call. I did not plug it in so the battery died during the night. I woke up in the usual "what the heck time is it?" panic, when you realize you have no alarm and don't know the time. I plugged the thing in to find out it was still an hour before I planned to get up. Whew!!! Anyway, when the thing powered back up it started ringing off the hook with text messages. Every Facebook update anyone I follow had posted for the past 2 weeks rang onto my phone. I thought it would never quit. It finally did. Today I am receiving texts and I could receive a phone call. However, please don't call unless it is an emergency. There is no plan here so the calls are $5/minute + taxes and fees, so more like $6. I can receive texts for free, so feel free. Don't expect one back as they are $0.5 each to send. I'll hit you back on FB or EM, which I can do for free.
Dish:
OK, the team here gave the HP guys one last bunch of data to load before they left today. It was supposed to be the last of the containers in the yard that were not in the system. Then today I get an e-mail form one of the guys from HP who helped. He said it looked like it was all duplicate data. I got a look and agreed, that is what it appeared to be. If the data problems weren't bad enough we now had 197 suspected duplicate shipments in the system. I spent the rest of the day and enlisted a couple of guys to help, manually deleting all of the shipment and reject records associated with the ones I determined to be duplicates. It really sucked! I actually did not finish finding and purging all of it from the system until 9:00 PM tonight. I am absolutely exhausted from mining for data.
Other than that, it was in the low 50s here today and the sun did shine in the hazy way it does here. When the system went down for weekend processing, we wrapped up at the plant and went out to dinner. Lamb chops at Uz Turk again for me. Then we headed to a store. On the way our driver got pulled over. I have no idea why. It looks like anarchy on the streets so I don't see any objective way a cop could judge who violated some "law". I really think he saw a new car full of non-Asians and pulled us over, on general principles. The driver was clearly pissed and I think he got a ticket. He said everything was fine. We all knew what he meant.
We hit the little store to get some snacks. Not that we drink often but we have decided on our favorite Russian beer. It is the one with the 7 on the label. The 9 was too thick. So I have more Dove and Peanut M&Ms to share at work and a beer for our next movie night.
My cold lasted about 7 days. I plan to begin working out again in the morning. I need to get to sleep.
Enjoy where you are. Trust me, you are truly blessed.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
A New Experience
Thanks for all of the kind words about the photo album. I uploaded more today. Some I had neglected and others that another guy had posted, that I decided to share. I hope you like.
OK, at the risk of sounding inappropriate I need to report on the women. Please don't take any of this as more than my observations. They wear long skirts and dresses, knee high boots with high heels or colorful socks and open back slip on shoes. I've seen none in traditional Islam hijab but they do wear scarves or hats and long winter coats and always look dressed up. There are many who are quite beautiful, in a south central Asian way. There is a perfume that is very common that I have never smelled before but it is very nice. There are a couple in the office who are very pleasant. They are kind of the unofficial hostesses. I really enjoy them. Their names are Zilola and Gulzima. Gulzima wears the nice perfume. Zilola is young and lights up the room when she enters. They are both bright spots in a factory full of men.
This morning we were getting to work in our second floor office. The building began to sway. Initially we all thought it was a truck. But it was really exaggerated and continued for what must have been 20-30 seconds. I knew it had to be an earthquake. Nothing else could have caused the motion we were feeling. Sure enough...
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: TAJIKISTAN
Geographic coordinates: 38.437N, 72.749E
Magnitude: 6.1 M
Depth: 89 km
Universal Time (UTC): 24 Jan 2011 02:45:29
Time near the Epicenter: 24 Jan 2011 07:45:29
OK, at the risk of sounding inappropriate I need to report on the women. Please don't take any of this as more than my observations. They wear long skirts and dresses, knee high boots with high heels or colorful socks and open back slip on shoes. I've seen none in traditional Islam hijab but they do wear scarves or hats and long winter coats and always look dressed up. There are many who are quite beautiful, in a south central Asian way. There is a perfume that is very common that I have never smelled before but it is very nice. There are a couple in the office who are very pleasant. They are kind of the unofficial hostesses. I really enjoy them. Their names are Zilola and Gulzima. Gulzima wears the nice perfume. Zilola is young and lights up the room when she enters. They are both bright spots in a factory full of men.
This morning we were getting to work in our second floor office. The building began to sway. Initially we all thought it was a truck. But it was really exaggerated and continued for what must have been 20-30 seconds. I knew it had to be an earthquake. Nothing else could have caused the motion we were feeling. Sure enough...
== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==
Region: TAJIKISTAN
Geographic coordinates: 38.437N, 72.749E
Magnitude: 6.1 M
Depth: 89 km
Universal Time (UTC): 24 Jan 2011 02:45:29
Time near the Epicenter: 24 Jan 2011 07:45:29
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Day of Rest!
Follow-Up:
Whew, that was quite a stretch. We went to the plant when we arrived last Friday then worked everyday until today. I had laundry to do, bills to pay and we went downtown for lunch and shopping. I did finally publish all of my pictures, many of which are from today. It is actually the first day we have been here in the daylight, except for the drop off before going to the plant, on our first day. Check out the pictures, I put a little effort into the captions. I hope you enjoy.
- Hanna was able to get the Nookbook I wanted and I was able to download it. The key is the purchase must be from the US or Canada.
- Boss said not to go to the plant today. He did not have to say it twice. We are a bunch of tired puppies.
Whew, that was quite a stretch. We went to the plant when we arrived last Friday then worked everyday until today. I had laundry to do, bills to pay and we went downtown for lunch and shopping. I did finally publish all of my pictures, many of which are from today. It is actually the first day we have been here in the daylight, except for the drop off before going to the plant, on our first day. Check out the pictures, I put a little effort into the captions. I hope you enjoy.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Exhausted
We had rain, then snow, then rain today. I just got back to my room. It is 19:20 Saturday evening. I am hoping that there is some dinner at the dinning cottage. I feel like I might be getting a cold. I thought we had tomorrow off. At this point I am not sure. I'll hear from my boss when he gets back. Long days of work here. 10, 12 or even 15 hours. I hope one day to see where I am living in the daylight. I will write again soon.
Sent from Jim Preslar's iPhone
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Work, Work, Work, Work and more Work
Sorry for going dark for a few days. I am fine and acclimating well. My typical day begins at 05:00. I get up, read emails, stretch, workout, shower etc. and head to breakfast at 06:30. The cook will make you eggs or oatmeal. There is bread, jam and cheese on the table. My standard is 1 egg and 2 pieces of toast with jam and cheese. On Sunday I had an omelet. I don't want to eat that much for breakfast and I just love the cheese and jam.
At 7:15 we all meet in the courtyard, where the drivers pick us up. We head to the plant. The drivers get us past the guys with the guns, then we walk a half a mile or so on the complex, to the office. So far our time has been spent working through terrible data, writing business processes and training folks. The reason I am here is because GM has implemented the material ordering and inventory management system we use in the USA and many other places around the world. The data here is just terrible. It will be 4-6 weeks before we get the system purified to work properly. It is really a shame no one was here to lead that had a clue until it was too late.
Computer connectivity issues are frustrating. Some days we sit for 2-3 hours waiting for the network to return. When there is so much to be done it is very frustrating to have those kinds of issues. To complicate things, the system I normally run is in Plano TX, but this one is in Adelaide, Australia. This has given me security challenges that I am still trying to overcome.
On the non-work side of things; B&N won't let me buy Nookbooks due to international copyright laws and VAT issues. I didn't plan well enough for that. I downloaded a bunch of samples but I want to buy a book and can't. Since I left the actual Nook at the house, Hanna is going to try to buy one for me. Theoretically, I should then be able to download it onto my phone. Here's hoping.
Cat and I Skyped tonight. God it was good to hear her voice. The IMs are cool but there is nothing like a voice. She was on her phone so I got no picture but I really did appreciate just talking. I Skyped with Hanna a couple of days ago. She had dogs in her room that went nuts when they heard my voice. We had video so I could see. It was fun.
We finally went to a little store yesterday evening. I got 2 Snickers for another guy, a small box of laundry soap and a couple of beers. It was 15,400 UZS. That is about $9.30 using the government fixed exchange rate or $7 if you change your money at a (black) market rate. The beer was Russian and was pretty good.
I'm off to bed. Post questions and I'll do my best to answer. I do plan on starting a photo album on FB soon so friend me if you want to see pictures.
PEACE
OUT
At 7:15 we all meet in the courtyard, where the drivers pick us up. We head to the plant. The drivers get us past the guys with the guns, then we walk a half a mile or so on the complex, to the office. So far our time has been spent working through terrible data, writing business processes and training folks. The reason I am here is because GM has implemented the material ordering and inventory management system we use in the USA and many other places around the world. The data here is just terrible. It will be 4-6 weeks before we get the system purified to work properly. It is really a shame no one was here to lead that had a clue until it was too late.
Computer connectivity issues are frustrating. Some days we sit for 2-3 hours waiting for the network to return. When there is so much to be done it is very frustrating to have those kinds of issues. To complicate things, the system I normally run is in Plano TX, but this one is in Adelaide, Australia. This has given me security challenges that I am still trying to overcome.
On the non-work side of things; B&N won't let me buy Nookbooks due to international copyright laws and VAT issues. I didn't plan well enough for that. I downloaded a bunch of samples but I want to buy a book and can't. Since I left the actual Nook at the house, Hanna is going to try to buy one for me. Theoretically, I should then be able to download it onto my phone. Here's hoping.
Cat and I Skyped tonight. God it was good to hear her voice. The IMs are cool but there is nothing like a voice. She was on her phone so I got no picture but I really did appreciate just talking. I Skyped with Hanna a couple of days ago. She had dogs in her room that went nuts when they heard my voice. We had video so I could see. It was fun.
We finally went to a little store yesterday evening. I got 2 Snickers for another guy, a small box of laundry soap and a couple of beers. It was 15,400 UZS. That is about $9.30 using the government fixed exchange rate or $7 if you change your money at a (black) market rate. The beer was Russian and was pretty good.
I'm off to bed. Post questions and I'll do my best to answer. I do plan on starting a photo album on FB soon so friend me if you want to see pictures.
PEACE
OUT
Friday, January 14, 2011
Arrival in Asaka
Follow-up:
I have absolutely no cell service. Email is the only way to contact me other than to comment on this blog or via Skype, if you see me there. I was not able to connect my phone at the plant because the wireless signal is too weak. The only e-mail account I will see during the day is my GM one. If the matter is not urgent, I'll get to both my yahoo and wku accounts each evening.
New Business:
We made it today. As expected we had breakfast and the driver appeared at about 8:10AM. The trip was about 5 hours. Tashkent appeared nice and was very colorful. After we left the city we drove for about 4 hours before we saw anything that wasn't brown, gray or white. The snow capped mountains were nice but the rest...blah. There is a great deal of poverty. I was really humbled by just how fortunate I really am. Along the way we saw a few interesting things:
Thanks for your interest and please don't forget about me!!!
I have absolutely no cell service. Email is the only way to contact me other than to comment on this blog or via Skype, if you see me there. I was not able to connect my phone at the plant because the wireless signal is too weak. The only e-mail account I will see during the day is my GM one. If the matter is not urgent, I'll get to both my yahoo and wku accounts each evening.
New Business:
We made it today. As expected we had breakfast and the driver appeared at about 8:10AM. The trip was about 5 hours. Tashkent appeared nice and was very colorful. After we left the city we drove for about 4 hours before we saw anything that wasn't brown, gray or white. The snow capped mountains were nice but the rest...blah. There is a great deal of poverty. I was really humbled by just how fortunate I really am. Along the way we saw a few interesting things:
- A street sweeper (woman with a broom).
- Road crews (men with shovels).
- Hundreds of men in fur hats.
- Thousands of cars that all looked alike.
- Cars with frame structures on them to carry cargo, like furniture, firewood or whatever.
- Many broken down cars.
- The number of lanes on the road is variable based on driver interpretation.
- Lines on the road, if any, are not really used for any purpose.
- Surprisingly, no accidents.
- Pipe lines, I suspect natural gas, above ground right next to the road.
- Housing that all pretty much looks alike. Corrugated steel roofs, walls of cement or some similar material and a gate or garage size door, with a man door in it.
- Goats crossing the road.
- A cow in the road.
- Many donkeys pulling carts full of wood or straw or whatever.
- Roads that are in worse repair than the ones in Detroit.
- AK47s, lots of AK47s.
- A rest room where everyone uses the same towel. (I used my jeans thank you).
- A passport checkpoint in the middle of the country. (Everywhere you go you must be registered so that the government knows where you are. If you leave a place for 3 days, you have to register again upon your return.)
Thanks for your interest and please don't forget about me!!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday - Thursday is a blur
I was able to do some pretty cool stuff before leaving the tech center. Nothing I can talk about but believe me, it was cool! I headed to DTW at 4:00PM. I made it to National Car Rental at 5:10 PM, with a full tank of gas. I piled onto the bus and headed for Delta check in. There was a problem with one of my bags. It was too heavy. Seventy pounds is the max. I had to relocate 10 pounds from my big suitcase to my garment bag. It is really suffering.
The flight was delayed due to a water issue. The countermeasure was to use bottled water and make the sinks, in the bathrooms, out of order. They put hand purifier lotion in each. We had a snack in the Delta Sky Club, while we waited. They got us going about 30 minutes late. The only real deal with the water was the coffee makers would not work. That was a bummer!
We made it to Frankfort and rushed to catch the Uzbekistan Airways flight. We found our way and got there in time. When I gave my passport to the lady to get my boarding pass, the information page had gotten ripped. I don't know if it happened during the big shuffle in Detroit or where. She called someone and cleared me to get on the plane. She had me put my carry on bag on the scale. Then she put a yellow band on it to indicate it was approved. She leaned over and told me quietly, do not put anything more in it, the maximum weight for carry on luggage on Uzbekistan Airways is 5 KG. The scale clearly said 8.8. I said thanks and moved along.
The plane was a Boeing 767, very similar to the Delta plane that brought us to Frankfort. The seats were a little older model. No personal screens with a near infinite choice of entertainment. Just ear buds, the movie and a few music stations. Just like the old days. The flight was pleasant. Some of the food strange but mostly tasty. When we arrived at the Tashkent Airport, they moved a giant staircase up to the door of this jumbo jet and we walked down the staircase, onto the tarmac. An airport worker took our baggage claims and we headed for Passport Control, on a bus. There was no issue at all with the rip. I was worried. Our luggage took forever to come into the building. Then we cleared customs. The agent thought I must be bringing statins to sell. I promised him that all of the medicine I had was for me. He made me write that on the declaration and sign it.
Just as we were released from Customs, a guy walked in and looked at us and said "General Motors?" That was good enough for us. We piled our luggage into a little car and headed to the Intercontinental Hotel. The driver was pulled over once on the way there. All he did was show the police officer a document and told him we were Americans. The cop let us go. Then the driver pulled up to the Dedeman Hotel. We told him that our reservation was at the Intercontinental Hotel. A bunch of them discussed and one who spoke English came and told us that all GMUZ people stay here. The rate is better and this is where the driver would be retrieving us in the morning. What the heck were we going to do. We checked in.
When we finally got in touch with Am Ex, they said we would probably be charged for both hotels. Oh well, I have a room, I've made a WiFi connection and now I am going to bed. Breakfast at 7:00 and a driver to Asaka at 8:00. What a trip!
The flight was delayed due to a water issue. The countermeasure was to use bottled water and make the sinks, in the bathrooms, out of order. They put hand purifier lotion in each. We had a snack in the Delta Sky Club, while we waited. They got us going about 30 minutes late. The only real deal with the water was the coffee makers would not work. That was a bummer!
We made it to Frankfort and rushed to catch the Uzbekistan Airways flight. We found our way and got there in time. When I gave my passport to the lady to get my boarding pass, the information page had gotten ripped. I don't know if it happened during the big shuffle in Detroit or where. She called someone and cleared me to get on the plane. She had me put my carry on bag on the scale. Then she put a yellow band on it to indicate it was approved. She leaned over and told me quietly, do not put anything more in it, the maximum weight for carry on luggage on Uzbekistan Airways is 5 KG. The scale clearly said 8.8. I said thanks and moved along.
The plane was a Boeing 767, very similar to the Delta plane that brought us to Frankfort. The seats were a little older model. No personal screens with a near infinite choice of entertainment. Just ear buds, the movie and a few music stations. Just like the old days. The flight was pleasant. Some of the food strange but mostly tasty. When we arrived at the Tashkent Airport, they moved a giant staircase up to the door of this jumbo jet and we walked down the staircase, onto the tarmac. An airport worker took our baggage claims and we headed for Passport Control, on a bus. There was no issue at all with the rip. I was worried. Our luggage took forever to come into the building. Then we cleared customs. The agent thought I must be bringing statins to sell. I promised him that all of the medicine I had was for me. He made me write that on the declaration and sign it.
Just as we were released from Customs, a guy walked in and looked at us and said "General Motors?" That was good enough for us. We piled our luggage into a little car and headed to the Intercontinental Hotel. The driver was pulled over once on the way there. All he did was show the police officer a document and told him we were Americans. The cop let us go. Then the driver pulled up to the Dedeman Hotel. We told him that our reservation was at the Intercontinental Hotel. A bunch of them discussed and one who spoke English came and told us that all GMUZ people stay here. The rate is better and this is where the driver would be retrieving us in the morning. What the heck were we going to do. We checked in.
When we finally got in touch with Am Ex, they said we would probably be charged for both hotels. Oh well, I have a room, I've made a WiFi connection and now I am going to bed. Breakfast at 7:00 and a driver to Asaka at 8:00. What a trip!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
1/11 Adendum
Well, if you were worried, I can't blame you. I made it back to the hotel, so all is well. It was a crazy night. There was the BG Plant Manager's party. Who knew that would happen in Warren, MI. Then there was Marie, the fine waitress who served me at Lime Light. She does not own a computer but seems like a wonderful person. I hope she has her techy friend log into my blog so she knows she was credited. I told her to bring me what she would want if she was leaving the country for six months. She brought me some smokin' hot wings and a white mediterrainian pizza. It was all good. There was a young beauty barely older than my daughter conducing a trivia contest. I went ahead and played. There was a table of 5 or 6 folks and I that tied for 2nd. We did 2 tie breakers until I finally beat them. It was good for $15 at the Lime Light in the next week. They were obviously regulars, so I presented my card to their table and told them why. It was fun. You only get to be they guy headed to an exotic place most people could not even find on a map so many times in your life. This was my time. Tomorrow we fly...
Just about time to go
OMG...I am about to sleep my last night in the USA until July. That, I can not get my head around. I had too many drinks, too many wings and too much pizza, for my last supper. Seemed fitting in a Detroit snow storm. Thanks for reading! Tomorrow, the studio then the airport. Life is good....
Sunday, January 9, 2011
GM has been very very good to me.
I've had a good day. I finished packing and got to BNA on time. Then I had a wonderful moment with Hanna, then Nathan, then Cat, at the airport. I sware to you, when you are dropped off by your family, that you won't touch again for six months, is an intense moment. I'm a little teary right now. I had a cappuccino and a football game for lunch. Tonight a steak, salad, glass of wine and a football game for dinner. This place is so full of huge TVs, I think this is where I'll watch the best of the SEC vs the best of the Pac10 in the BCS Championship game tomorrow. Even though I am in Detroit, it is hard to get my head around Uzbekistan. Wow...what an adventure!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Plan Comes Together
Follow-up:
(Times are local, CT in parentheses for reference)
Sun 9-Jan 13:37 - 16:22 (15:22CT)
Delta flight 4964 Nashville to Detroit
Wed 12-Jan 19:20 (18:20CT) - 13-Jan 09:30 (02:30CT)
Delta flight 142 Detroit to Frankfort
Thur 13-Jan 11:05 (04:05CT) - 21:10 (10:10CT)
Uzbekistan Air flight 232 Frankfort to Tashkent
15 hours and 50 minutes, including a 1 hour 35 minute layover, in Germany
We'll spend the night at a hotel in Tashkent then head to the plant, in Asaka, on Friday (14-Jan) morning.
Today I made some more headway on preparing to leave. My family has nearly all of the meals between now and then decided. They want to eat their favorite things, that I cook, one last time before summer. I admit it, I am anxious.
- The telex number came this morning.
- Am Ex has advised that the visas will be completed tomorrow.
- I was told to expect to receive my passport, visa included, on Friday.
- My boss said to stick with Plan A and not worry about Canada.
(Times are local, CT in parentheses for reference)
Sun 9-Jan 13:37 - 16:22 (15:22CT)
Delta flight 4964 Nashville to Detroit
Wed 12-Jan 19:20 (18:20CT) - 13-Jan 09:30 (02:30CT)
Delta flight 142 Detroit to Frankfort
Thur 13-Jan 11:05 (04:05CT) - 21:10 (10:10CT)
Uzbekistan Air flight 232 Frankfort to Tashkent
15 hours and 50 minutes, including a 1 hour 35 minute layover, in Germany
We'll spend the night at a hotel in Tashkent then head to the plant, in Asaka, on Friday (14-Jan) morning.
Today I made some more headway on preparing to leave. My family has nearly all of the meals between now and then decided. They want to eat their favorite things, that I cook, one last time before summer. I admit it, I am anxious.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Another Day...Another Opportunity
Wow, 19 page views today! I've never done this before so make comments either on the blog or via email. I will not use names unless it is to give someone credit and even that would be with consent. Thanks for the interest, I'll try to make it worth your time.
Follow-up:
For those who like to fly Google Earth, the coordinates of the plant in UZ are:
40 degrees, 39' 20" N
72 degrees 14' E
If you'd like to see pictures, go to Google Maps, type in Asaka, Uzbekistan. You will see a picture of the plant. If you click on Images, you can see a number of pictures including some of the plant's products.
New Business:
I am trading emails with a guy I know who just returned from UZ. He described it more bleakly than my UZ boss, which seemed bleak enough. Dreaming in Russian takes a toll on the restfulness of my sleep. The two together had me moving very slowly today. The phone rang so I sprang to life. It was an IT guy trying to close a help ticket I had opened on New Years Eve. I had been advised that I needed to be connected to the GM network to do what I was trying to do. As a result, on New Years Day, I took my sisters to the plant. We were on our way to Bruster's for a hot fudge sundae (Chocolate Raspberry Truffle YUM!!!). Since the lobby was literally sealed up (asbestos abatement), I sat on the front porch to get a wireless connection and solved the problem myself. I agreed to close the help ticket. He then asked if there was anything else he could do for me. He seemed to regret his question when my answer wasn't no. I hosted a remote session with him and he fixed me up. The computer is now more useful. Yesterday I could not use Rosetta Stone or blog when connected through GM. Today I can.
While on the phone with the IT guy, my boss called from Ingersoll Ontario. She has a team of people doing the same thing there I am going to GMUZ to do. She asked me if I would make a trip there, on my way to Uzbekistan. I told her I would try to work it out. Since my passport is still in Washington DC, I can't even go to Canada. As soon as I get it back, I may make a two or three day side trip to Ontario.
My fingers are crossed hoping for the illusive telex number tomorrow....
Follow-up:
For those who like to fly Google Earth, the coordinates of the plant in UZ are:
40 degrees, 39' 20" N
72 degrees 14' E
If you'd like to see pictures, go to Google Maps, type in Asaka, Uzbekistan. You will see a picture of the plant. If you click on Images, you can see a number of pictures including some of the plant's products.
New Business:
I am trading emails with a guy I know who just returned from UZ. He described it more bleakly than my UZ boss, which seemed bleak enough. Dreaming in Russian takes a toll on the restfulness of my sleep. The two together had me moving very slowly today. The phone rang so I sprang to life. It was an IT guy trying to close a help ticket I had opened on New Years Eve. I had been advised that I needed to be connected to the GM network to do what I was trying to do. As a result, on New Years Day, I took my sisters to the plant. We were on our way to Bruster's for a hot fudge sundae (Chocolate Raspberry Truffle YUM!!!). Since the lobby was literally sealed up (asbestos abatement), I sat on the front porch to get a wireless connection and solved the problem myself. I agreed to close the help ticket. He then asked if there was anything else he could do for me. He seemed to regret his question when my answer wasn't no. I hosted a remote session with him and he fixed me up. The computer is now more useful. Yesterday I could not use Rosetta Stone or blog when connected through GM. Today I can.
While on the phone with the IT guy, my boss called from Ingersoll Ontario. She has a team of people doing the same thing there I am going to GMUZ to do. She asked me if I would make a trip there, on my way to Uzbekistan. I told her I would try to work it out. Since my passport is still in Washington DC, I can't even go to Canada. As soon as I get it back, I may make a two or three day side trip to Ontario.
My fingers are crossed hoping for the illusive telex number tomorrow....
Monday, January 3, 2011
Still waiting on the telex number
My traveling partner and I were all set to fly out of Detroit on January 7th. Our flights were Detroit, Amsterdam, Moscow then Tashkent. From there a driver will take us to Asaka. We had to cancel those plans. We still don't have a telex number. This is the manner in which the UZ Government authorizes a visa. The process goes something like this: We get a telex number from the folks in Uzbekistan, we supply our American Express International Documents Expert with that number and our passports. She forwards the passports and telex number to the Uzbekistan Embassy, in Washington DC. They attach the work visas in our passports and return to us. To expedite the process, we sent our passports to our Am Ex contact, she sent them on to her contact at the UZ Embassy, our folks in Uzbekistan pressed to get the telex number. It was not to be. The word today is that the telex number will be available on January 5th. That is just not enough time to finish the process and fly on Friday. As a result, our new plans are to fly on Wednesday, January 12th. The flight path is Detroit, Frankfort, Tashkent. Total time 15 hours and 50 minutes. Since we are not leaving this week, I changed my flight to Detroit. I'm headed that way Sunday (9-Jan). Today, I made a pot of soup from the Christmas turkey carcus. It was delish.
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