It’s one of those anywhere but here days. This morning in the car on the way to work, Lilya told me their dog had been stolen. She said dogs are stolen all the time, and that people eat them. I asked if people were hungry, or just liked the taste of dog. She said they’re hungry.

The weekend was fine, not good and not bad. It was hot – at least 90 degrees both days and on Saturday I had heat exhaustion for the first time in my life. I actually got dizzy and was seriously worried I would pass out. I also nearly threw up. Kir says I can’t go out this summer any more unless I wear a hat. Today we’re back to cold and grey. Well, not cold. Maybe 65 degrees. But I am very grateful for it. I’m even grateful for the drizzle. The longer the Turkmen summer holds off, the happier I will be.

I noticed on Saturday that there are coniferous trees here. Proper pine tree, with needles and pine cones. You wouldn’t think they would survive this weather. They seem fine, though – the pine trees I saw were big enough to be at least 20 years old.

The phone is buzzing again. I’d kind of forgotten about it, since last Monday it held off. According to the research I did on phone tapping, though, most phone monitoring is impossible to detect from sounds on the line. So probably the buzzing is not what I was told it was. Or the Turkmens are using really old equipment.

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USAID is one of many donors for the project I work for. The views expressed herein are the author’s own views and do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer or especially those of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. And I mean it. I probably give the US government heart attacks.