Dear Plutarch,

It's always good to see you here, by the way.

Orient and the obvious: There's all that pearl-diving in the Orient. I read an article from National Geographic years ago about some women who dived for pearls. They were champion breath-holders. I can't recall which island they dived from--it may have been northeastern Honshu--but it may have been a different island altogether.

But the word "orient" in connection with pearls I think was more than locale. Orient may have had to do with the luster. Not sure. It's been a long time since I read the article on pearls and pearl diving.

Best regards,
WordWalrus