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