It's a small world, after all (2/2/05)

It's a cliché that the Internet has made the world a smaller place.

But the funny thing about clichés is this: They get to be clichés because they're true.

Last week, I was reminded of that fact after an exchange of e-mails and contacts spanned the globe a couple of times in a matter of days.

It started with an e-mail from my young friend Omon in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Omon, who handled logistics for our project the first time I ever visited his country, has been mentioned in this column before. He's the founder of Uzbekistan's first — and maybe only — service club.

He's also an Internet entrepreneur. Though he's only in his mid-20s, he's CEO of his own start-up company, NEXT Technology.

When he wrote to offer best wishes for the new year, as he does every January, he ended his message with that fancy-sounding job title.

It was a pretty typical e-mail from someone of his age, full of the verbal shortcuts that have become almost a second language to a generation.

"Dear Jack," he wrote. "great to hear u! hope all is fine there..yr family and business!"

Now, Omon is someone who told me when he was even younger that one of these days he plans to become president of his country. He's focusing on business first, then politics, but he hasn't given up on his goal.

"In 5 yrs there will be elections to our parliament," Omon wrote. "So working to getthere, and make a contribution to a better Uzbekistan...so as u see a lottathings to do! :)"

At any rate, I was impressed by his enthusiasm, if not with his spelling. When I asked about his new company, he wrote back about an Internet site his firm developed with partners in the U.S.

As usual, he wrote in his inimitable e-mail style: "Jack, if u need smth from Uzbekistan let me know. Also there is an online shop www.UzbekAlive.com functionning in the U.S....this project is supported by us..if u need some exotic gift...:)"

So, I did what any good friend would do and checked out his shop. I was impressed. Though the craft works for sale are high-priced by Uzbek standards, they're cheap by American standards. More importantly, there are things for sale which are hard to get anywhere outside of Central Asia.

My next step was to mention the site to another Uzbek friend. Navbahor lives in Washington, D.C., and works for Voice of America's Uzbek language service. We met when she was working on her master's in journalism at Ball State.

Turns out, she'd heard of the site and was interested in doing a story on it. Could I put her in touch with Omon?

Zip-zap-zip across cyberspace, and things were set in motion.

Within a matter of a couple of days, the contacts went from Tashkent to Jay County and back again, then to D.C., then back to Tashkent, with a stop in New York along the way to reach Omon's U.S. partner.

Sometime soon, a report should be broadcast via radio in Uzbekistan in Uzbek, a language I can't begin to understand, that came about by way of Indiana, thanks to long-distance friendships and the wonders of modern technology.

As to the UzbekAlive.com site, it's very cool.

And as to Omon's long-term aspirations for himself and his country, I would never, ever bet against him.[[In-content Ad]]