Kyrgyzstan: unknown to me until recently...

Dr. Asel on the right.

The first time we met her, we were taken by surprise because of her Oriental features!

Last night, watched the BBC Worldwide news and saw Kyrgyzstan's President with US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Decided to check further on the country's significance to USA...

A picture from The Kansas City Star:

Excerpts:

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Kyrgyzstan's President Roza Otunbayeva, right, in Bishkek, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010.The United States will reconsider its military presence in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan once it winds down its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, Clinton said Thursday..."

More where that came from:
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/02/2492242/clinton-us-will-consider-keeping.html

Meanwhile received an email from Cheng in Maastricht, Holland:

"...check out these special "fat-bum" goats in Kyrgyzstan, reared for
their fatty meat:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60446247@N00/3792942862/lightbox/

I met up with Asel and N last weekend for dinner - their way of thanking Pa and Ma for the warm Malaysian hospitality they've received (how sweet! :)). Nico made Dutch pea soup while Asel made dumplings (with some help from our local Asian foodstore's frozen food section ;-)).

greetings from (dr.) Asel too! ;-) "

There are some nice pictures (in the flickr link above) of life in rural Kyrgyzstan (besides the 'fat-bum' goats), which offer a glimpse of this part of Central Asia.