Wide World

U Live Where?

www.ulivewhere.com
http://www.ulivewhere.com/downloads/download-bukhara.html

This show is a great listen for those who are curious about the world and want to hear other people's experiences. The host, Jordan Russell, selects a different, exotic location for every show, seems well prepared and asks pertinent questions.

In the episode focusing on Bukhara, Uzbekistan Mr. Russell interviews a woman named Andrea who is quite knowledgeable of her city and the country, the geography and the history of the Uzbek nation. According to her North American accent I'm not sure she's a local, although she speaks in the possessive when talking about who the Uzbek people are and who they are not. She and the host speak of the intricacies of trade on the Silk Road and she provides interesting historical anecdotes on more contemporary history when Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union.

Despite these positives, this episode has an 800 pound gorilla in the room - but neither the host nor his gushingly enthusiastic 'expert' give it a mention. When Mr. Russell asks Andrea whether the country is safe, she brushes aside any concerns and says it's a 'very progressive Islamic country'.

I'm sure Uzbekistan is a fascinating place and I'd love to go there, but you might want to think twice when faced with the facts. For one, just last year Uzbek security forces fired on unarmed protesters in the city of Andijan, killing over 500 people. Uzbekistan also has a very poor human rights record and the US State Department has recently renewed a travel warning for the country.

It turns out at the end of the interview that this woman is some sort of tourism development consultant hired to promote Uzbekistan. So overall 'U Live Where?' is a great format but the show is only as accurate as the honesty (in this case dishonesty) of its guest.