Hello Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Sarah and James have started their fourth Foreign Service tour, landing in exotic Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Go ahead, press pause to go get your atlas and figure out where they are. A dental hygienist recently guessed the Middle East. Note to self: Find new dental hygienist.

No matter, they're ready to start the next adventure.

What does their housing, neighborhood look like? Glad you asked.

Here's their house. Kind of contemporary oligarch. Actually, it's not their house. Fuzzy State Department rules don't allow for such preening to the public. Let's just say that if you saw their real house, you'd agree that this house looks a lot like it.

The neighborhood is an old one that's been mostly obliterated by an army of oligarch McMansions. Here's a humble old house, all basic one story hut-like and a new, massive palace. Good to protect a few plants with a little netting.

Front courtyard of a mansion, a backdrop to a more palatial location.

An old touch, the classic Lada automobile. A new touch, iron fencing to look like sticks, branches and a tree. Sure.

Modern, front yard landscaping, a grid of trees.

Maybe blue and green are your oligarch colors of choice? The Alice In Wonderland, Versailles look.

Fun with scale in front of a mansion.