Good luck with the 2 websites as well!

Did you get much from the Kashgar exhibition? – I too have Shipton’s Arch on my to do list (I think it’s Shipton’s after the Ambassador Shipton – I have a funny story about him which I must tell you some time)

During the week I had lunch with a guy from Uzbekistan, the same guy I was having lunch with on April 7th – the day of the Revolution. He suggested that we finish our meal that had been interrupted by the revolution four months ago and I was reminded of the story about the Oxford Don who was suddenly called up for Army service during the Second World War and who, on his return after being demobbed at the end of the war, returned to Oxford and climbed to podium to give a lecture – which he opened with the words: “Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted four years ago …”.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fray_Luis_de_Le%C3%B3n for an earlier variation on this theme (“As we were saying yesterday…”), and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Unamuno for another 20th Century version.

All the best

Wish you a good further break and let’s hope the elections (and time after the elections) pass by quietly and in order.

take care