From the editorial board

March is rich in holidays and festivals in our country. On behalf of all the staff of the magazine, I congratulate the entire Muslim world with the bright Navruz holiday and wish prosperity and peace.
You are welcome to visit the generous and hospitable Central Asia!

As always, the hard working staff at Timeout has put together an issue to help you navigate what's what and who's who in Uzbekistan. Whether you're a professional who works and plays hard or a student with too much time on your hands (that was a joke), our mission remains to entertain and inform you, our dear readers. When the two might fuse into one is up to you. In this issue we give you practical information from the folks who make their living in the tourist industry. Here you will find addresses and phone numbers of travel companies and hotels servicing Bishkek, Tashkent, Samarqand, and Bukhara.

Forever seeking out interesting people to interview, we introduce you to two fascinating gentlemen from abroad who currently reside in Uzbekistan: Mr. Muhammad Fatkali, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Uzbekistan, and Mr. Alan France, the Deputy Rector of Westminster International University in Tashkent. On the arts and music scene, we take you inside a rockin' jam session which took place recently at the Ariston restaurant in Tashkent. Several members of the Timeout staff attended this event and all of us agreed that these guys nearly blew off the roof with their guitar riffs. Just check out the photos from the session!

On the cerebral side, we give you a crash course in architecture here in the capitol and a fascinating look into where the water that comes out of Tashkent citizens' faucets comes from. Splish, splash! Understanding full well that our readers need to eat something with their water, we provide you with our trusty restaurant guide. And for those who have the courage to try and whip up something new in the kitchen, you'll find four awesome recipes for some exotic dishes inside.

Need to work off that extra half bowl of kovatak plov? Then check out our club listings, hit the dance floor, and send your fat cells back to their original sizes. Finally, for all of our art loving readers, we believe that you don't have to be like the late Andy Warhol to see that advertisements can be seen as works of art. Look closely at our ads, and you be the judge.