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Memories <strong>of</strong> Muscat<br />
The January Post <strong>of</strong> the Month story<br />
on Muscat brought back good memories<br />
<strong>of</strong> my TDY travels there. On my<br />
latter visits, the new embassy was my<br />
project. The design <strong>of</strong> the windows in<br />
the original plans was not approved by<br />
the Omani government. When I came<br />
back with a model <strong>of</strong> the redesigned<br />
windows, described in your article as<br />
Moorish arches, the royal architect<br />
approved the project. Too bad the<br />
article did not have a photo <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
embassy, as I believe it is the only<br />
U.S.embassy in the world surrounded<br />
by a moat—a dry moat.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong> our team’s travel to<br />
Muscat, entry by foreigners was very<br />
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
controlled. Unless personally sponsored<br />
by an Omani or local organization,<br />
foreigners were not allowed in the<br />
country. I found the Omanis to be<br />
very friendly and the country quite<br />
progressive. Having been in other<br />
countries in the area, I was amazed to<br />
see Omani women driving their children<br />
to school. The city was exceptionally<br />
clean and modern.<br />
Jerry Lujan<br />
Retired FSO<br />
Tucson, AZ<br />
Sixty years after World War II, compensating Holocaust<br />
survivors is an ongoing task. But when the lawsuits, international<br />
treaties and insurance claims that drive much <strong>of</strong><br />
the effort create hardship and headaches for survivors and<br />
their families, the special envoy for Holocaust issues gets<br />
involved.<br />
Thanks to the Internet and prepackaged curricula,<br />
employees can continue their children’s education no<br />
matter where their careers take them. Many <strong>of</strong> these programs<br />
even give homeschooling parents the tools and the<br />
confidence they need to be great teachers—and the<br />
<strong>Department</strong> stands ready to help. Here’s how one parent<br />
handled the challenge.<br />
What started as a project to save and replenish water in<br />
sun-parched New Delhi soon became a full-blown quest<br />
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR<br />
English Language Fellows<br />
Thank you for your article in the<br />
January issue, “Time Is Right to<br />
Engage Algerians—in English.” It provided<br />
a nice testimonial to the value <strong>of</strong><br />
English language programs in the conduct<br />
<strong>of</strong> public diplomacy and further<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> the growing demand for<br />
English language instruction throughout<br />
the world, particularly the Middle<br />
East.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Department</strong>’s key initiatives<br />
in satisfying this demand is the<br />
Bureau <strong>of</strong> Educational and Cultural<br />
Affairs’ English Language Fellow program.<br />
Fellows, who have advanced<br />
degrees in Applied Linguistics or<br />
Teaching English as a Foreign<br />
Language, work with embassies and<br />
host country institutions on projects<br />
to improve the institutional capacity<br />
for English language teaching, provide<br />
insights into American culture and<br />
enhance mutual understanding.<br />
John Connerley<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> English Language Programs<br />
Bureau <strong>of</strong> Educational and<br />
Cultural Affairs<br />
Corrections<br />
Michael Gross took the photograph <strong>of</strong><br />
Secretary Rice that appeared on the<br />
cover <strong>of</strong> the February issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>State</strong><br />
Magazine.<br />
to trim the embassy’s energy bill. In the process, these<br />
building engineers discovered that some <strong>of</strong> the best and<br />
easiest ways to cut costs are very low tech.<br />
Not everybody wants to get down to business before<br />
doing business. Outside the United <strong>State</strong>s, no-nonsense,<br />
direct negotiating tactics can quickly turn <strong>of</strong>f potential<br />
clients. Sometimes silence or body language <strong>of</strong>fers the best<br />
clues to closing the deal, as this researcher learned.<br />
APRIL 2005<br />
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