Baa nebee?

Coconut tree

2010-10-19T09:43:00.006+09:00

Once day my friend Mana Jeni and I went for a ride out to see her family's natar (rice field). We had a nice morning, just hanging out, meeting a few random people and some of here family who were working cutting the rice ready to harvest.

It was getting pretty hot by the time we returned to Maliana, about 11am, and she invited me into sit in the shade on the small grassy patch in their yard. We were sitting there chatting when her father, who is probably about 60 (which is really old for East Timorese), decided that I needed a coconut. So, he sent his brother up the tree to pick it for me.

As I sat with Jeni I watched this old man scale a coconut tree in a matter of seconds, pick two coconuts and throw them to the ground for her and I to have. Next thing, he was back on the ground and had decided one of them was not good...so back up he went to find another one.

Jeni's dad who was ready with his machete, hacked it open for us and sat back to watch us enjoy it.

It was such a lovely moment. Sitting on a rare patch of soft grass in the shade, with my friend drinking from a freshly picked young coconut under the watchful eye of her father.

Where did that year go?

2010-10-06T15:06:00.004+09:00

First of all I need to apologise and try to justify my total slackness over the last month! Once again my dear friend Timor Telecom had a slight issue with the internet which meant limited access for 3 weeks, and my poor little Maccie laptop finally succumbed to the heat and humidity by having a nervous breakdown, and as a result I have been treating her gently and only using her occasionally.

I do have lots more photo's and a few more thoughts to put up here, so I will continue this blog for a while longer yet. Right now I am sitting in Ende on Flores Island in Indonesia. My time in Timor Leste is basically up, and as you might expect this has been cause for much thinking and reflecting about Timor Leste, my time there and it's impact on me. I am happy to be here, and to have a break before I head back to Australia, to take some time to think about the year, the people I've met, the stories they've shared, the places I've been and the things I have tried to learn and understand.

It's nice to be in-between - no job, no home, no pressing requirements, no timelines to stick to...no responsibilities. I've had a great year, a challenging year, a fun and exciting and happy year, lots of ups and downs, and hearing and seeing how East Timorese live, but I'm ready for a break. No doubt I'll update again soon. I'll put up some more photo's when I get back to my computer but in the meant time, over the next week or so I might tell you some stories.

...but right now, I'm going to drink a mango juice and go for a swim.

Friday morning Exercise in our hot green trackies

2010-09-09T16:53:00.002+09:00

A storm approaches Maliana from Indonesia

2010-09-08T17:00:00.000+09:00

We're, you know, working...

2010-09-07T16:31:00.001+09:00

After the first rain of the season last year!

2010-09-05T08:39:00.001+09:00

Second hand clothes shipped in from Australia and China for sale in the Timor Leste markets

2010-09-04T22:37:00.003+09:00

Looking in my mirror on the way to work...with an udan boot (big rain) on its way!

2010-08-25T10:06:00.001+09:00

Friday morning cleaning in the front of Centro de Emprego in Maliana

2010-08-24T07:45:00.001+09:00

The big Cheeses at Christo Rei

2010-08-23T09:02:00.002+09:00

Maliana market day

2010-08-22T13:04:00.003+09:00

On the nakroma ferry to Atauro Island

2010-08-19T15:30:00.002+09:00

Classic Example

2010-08-14T10:51:00.003+09:00

Well, it’s 3.45 on a Friday afternoon and I find myself at home eating Oreo’s. Why? I’m glad you asked.

Being Friday, this morning was Limpeza (cleaning) in the office. I decided not to go to work as I’ve been out of action for most of the week with a bad back and thought that weeding the ground, picking up cigarette butts or whatever else constitutes cleaning might not be the best idea for me.

I texted my counterpart (the preferred method of communication) to say that I wasn’t going in this morning, but that I’d be in this afternoon and I was looking forward to speaking with him. Why was I looking forward to speaking with him? Well, on Monday morning he is heading to Darwin on a study tour about Career Guidance in Australia (which is great), but unfortunately I’m not able to go with him. I wanted to speak with him before he goes, and last Monday morning he received a phone call saying that he had to go to Dili "immediately", so I haven't seen him all week.

So, this afternoon I get to work and notice that Leandro’s motorbike is not there. Hmmmm. Not a great sign.

“Where is Leandro?”
“I don’t know.”

“Do you know where Leandro is?”
“No. He was here this morning but hasn’t come back after lunch.”

Hmmmmmmmmm.

So, I pick up my phone…
“Hi Leanrdro, where are you?”
“Oh, Mana Susan, I’m in Dili.”
“You mean that big city 3 and a half hours away that you just returned from yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I got a phone call to say that I needed to come urgently.”
“And you didn’t think to text me and tell me?
“No.”

Ok, so there goes basically my entire plan for the afternoon. Not to worry – it’s not the first time, nor will it be the last time that happens.

So, back to the drawing board.

“Guys, where is Silvino?” (The only other person in the office that I work with since two of the other staff got moved into different positions.)
“Well, you see, this morning the police had a motorbike check point…”

Pause. (For them to just look at me as if this is enough explanation…which to be honest it was. I had an idea anyway, however, I raised my eyebrows and indicated I didn’t understand, just to make sure.)

“…and they seized his motorbike so he’s at the police station sorting it out.”

Oh, help me God.

(and, this was after one of the admin staff greeted me with, “Mana, you didn’t come to work this morning. Me either – my sister got married this morning so I went to the Church.”)

After a minute of silent swearing, some anger at the idea that it’s ok to go to weddings and get your motorbike back from the police on a work day, and some quick mocking of the so called organisation of my department…I shook my head, took a deep breath and smiled (well, I smiled in my mind – it may not have reached my lips).

And that, my friends is a classic example of a day at work for me.

Of course Leandro was going to Dili – his boss had told him to go. One of the multitude of things that East Timorese people do well is respond to the demands of their superiors. Wouldn’t you, if you and your ancestors had been taking orders from other people since the early 1600’s? And it’s likely that Leandro’s boss's boss told him to get Leandro to Dili. And he wasn’t going to say no to his boss, so why would Leandro?! (And neither would I, let’s be honest.)

And why, when you motorbike has been seized by the police would you not try to get it back? Financially, it is the most valuable thing that Silvino owns and is likely to own for a long time. Apart from that, it’s his only means of transport and a means of transport for his immediate and extended family to go to market, school, visit family in the mountains and lots of other things. Besides, it’s his independence. I would try to get my car back as soon as possible too!

And, of course, when family is the most important thing in Timorese culture of course you would skive off work to go to a wedding. And weddings don’t work the same way here – they’re not the big pre-planned events that we have. They happen at short notice (like pretty much everything here), and you need to be able to just go. I’d have gone if I were her.

Timor Lesson: It’s not your country, it’s not your culture.
You can get cranky and grumpy about things not going to plan (even after you’ve spent days talking about it and think it’s a sure bet), but the only person who’s going to be upset is you. So take a deep breath and move on. It’s really not that big a deal. It’s just the way it is.

Tunu Bibi

2010-07-29T08:37:00.002+09:00

Continuing on the theme of goats there is a village just outside Maliana that is called Tunu Bibi. I asked Leandro why it was called that, “well, Mana, it is called that because a long time ago there were a lot of goats there and that is all the people ate – tunu bibi – barbequed goat.”

Love it.

It’s simple, has historical context and it is about food.

And it’s about goats, and lets face it – goats are cool.

Bibi bibi everywhere!

2010-07-26T16:54:00.008+09:00

Bibi (goats) are every where!

They are so much a part of my everyday life - when I look out my window, when we drive to Dili, when I ride to work in the morning, when I ride back home at lunch time, when I ride back to work after lunch, when I ride home at night, when I go to the market, when I go for a run in the morning, when I'm sitting on the balcony reading, when I'm sitting in my office working, when I'm just hanging out with my mates, when I'm crossing the road, when I'm going to the airfield for the helicopter, when I'm sitting in a restautrant...just all the time, they're there!

The kids are so cute - I love them!

But just like the pigs, once they're beyond their childhood and turn into adults they get a little less likeable.

But, all in all, they're interesting animals and they're always around!

...and in Tetun the word for goat is Bibi. Say it - it's fun.

A little hard to see, but these bibi are making a dash across a main road of Dili

The goat is on the left.

From my balcony, they love this spot and there are often bibi just hanging around.

This one is from the back of a motorbike on one of the district roads, I don't know what it is about this photo, but I love it. Maybe because this is what they look like when you're driving past them after they've scattered from the middle of the road!

Words words liafuan

2010-07-01T18:11:00.004+09:00

Haveyoueverfeltlikeyouhavesomanywordstumblingaroundinyourheadand

you’renotquitesurewhattodowiththem? SometimesIhave English words

sometimesIhave Tetun words andsometimestheyareallintheretogetherlikebananamangopineappleand

guavainamixedjuice. WhenItrytomovefromEnglisttoTetunorviceversamy

braindoesn’tlikethat,mywordsgetalmixedupandIendupspeakingastrange

mixtureofEnglishandTetunweliketocallTenglish. OthertimesIwanttosay

thingsandmybrainwon’t

work so
it
takes

a long

time
to form a sentence.

And I feel like an idiot because I can’t speak in either English or Tetun properly!

Beep beep

2010-06-27T17:47:00.002+09:00

At home it takes a lot for me to beep my horn, but here in East Timor, it's a little different. Honking your horn is part of everyday life, in fact its a big part of everyday life. On my 5 minute ride to work I beep my horn at least a couple of times - it is strange if I don't get at least one in during the morning. It's taken me a while to work out what the beep can mean, but really, the list of meaning is endless...here are just a few that I've figured out...

Hey there, how are you?
Hi!
Just letting you know I’m here
You’ve got white skin and I think that’s weird
Just wanted you to know that I can see you
Goats, seriously, I would move if I were you, otherwise you’ll be road kill bibi
I’m going to overtake you
You might think I’m going to move over but I’m just going to continue hogging the road until you are forced to drive into the scrub…ha ha ha, I made you drive into the scrub
Just felt like honking my horn
Look out dog, I’m coming through whether you move or not
Thanks for letting me overtake you
You beeped, so now I'm beeping. Nice teamwork!
Nice day, isn’t it? I hope you have a good one!
Look out I’m coming around the blind corner
See you next time
Get out of my way you bloody idiot
Oops, I accidentally hit my horn but nice to see you anyway
Yay for life!
I’m not quite sure why I’m doing this, it just seems to be the right thing to do. Isn’t it fun?

No more rain

2010-06-24T14:05:00.003+09:00

So, the wet season has finished, finally. Almost every afternoon since December there were massive storms. Sometimes, the rain was so loud on the roof we couldn't hear each other speak. The land was so lush and green, the air turned cool just before the rain came, and the kids would play in the rain.

The end of the rain means the land has already started to go brown and dry up. What little grass there was is dying, all the rice has been harvested and smell of smoke is in the air as the farmers burn their waste. People are preparing their yards to plant gardens, the dust is beginning to return and the winds have picked up to gale force speed everyday.

I miss the sound of the rain on the roof, the kids playing in the rain and the insistent remark that "udan boot mai", a big rain is coming. But, the weather is cooler and I find myself cold throughout the night. The roads can be fixed in time to be damaged again next wet season, and clearly, riding a motorbike is easier when you don't have to carry an umbrella.

Baa Dili ho avion

2010-06-09T14:49:00.006+09:00

Sometimes, instead of the gruelling three and a half hour drive avoiding goats, cows, buffalo, dogs, goats, pigs, chickens, motorbikes, gangs of goats, (occasionally) monkeys, motorbikes, potholes the size of small towns, crazy UN drivers, goats, people sitting on the side of the roads, cliffs that beg you to fall over the edge, school kids, toddlers playing on the road, buses laden down with a ridiculous amount goods, the occasional witches hat or drum full of rocks, convoys of cars that drive down the centre of narrow roads transporting important people at high speed, other cars and goats I am lucky enough to jump on the 20 minute scenic flight that is the UN chopper.

It's not every day you get a free ride on a helicopter!

This is the helicopter….it’s hard to tell in the photo, but this thing is HUGE! It lands just outside of town, not far from my work. When I first arrived I would go out and watch it every day, but now I’m so used to it that sometimes I don't even hear it. Didn't think I would ever get used to a massive UN helicopter land 200m away from everyday.

Sometimes it feels like the chopper came just for me. They are big old rattly things...but i don't think it's going to all apart. At least, I hope it doesn't.

This is the Nunaro Plain, which Maliana is located on the edge of. Bobonaro (the name of the District) is one of the biggest rice growing regions in Timor, as you can probably see! This was taken in the middle of the wet so there are lots of “natar” – rice paddies.

Just on the right of the photo you can see part of the UN Compound (the blue roof). The building with the red roof is right next to my office.

Natar and mountains in the distance mostly surround us. It is beautiful. A quick walk outside is a good way to calm down when things get a bit much!

I went for a ride with a friend of mine down this road one day to visit her family’s rice paddy. It just goes on and on and there are heaps of people walking and riding between their homes and their natar. If your family owns a rice field and you don’t have a paying job you have to work the fields. The vast majority of people here (90% of rural poor) rely on agriculture to survive. Depending on the season sometimes they have some spare to sell and make money, but mostly they eat it. If there is not enough rain, too much rain or any other crop damage there are serious food security issues. For families in the Bobonaro district this season is not looking good. Many crops have failed due to the too much rain.

You can just see the meeting of two huge rivers. During the wet these river beds usually have some water running through them (which you can see on the left), but are not normally full, unless there has been a series of days with big rains...and if that's the case there are most likely several families who have lost homes because of flooding.

Mountains mountains mountains. They are spectacular and never ending. I am blown away anytime I head into the mountains with how beautiful it is here.

The north coast of East Timor flying into Dili.

Yes, I really am that lucky.

Hau nia kolega sira mai visita hau!

2010-05-30T16:47:00.012+09:00

My friends have come to visit me!

At the beginning of April (a long time ago now!) I was lucky enough to receive two lovely visitors in the form of Alissa and Steve (who came bearing Hot Cross Buns all the way from Melbourne). Al and Steve are very good friends of mine from Melbourne. We met several years ago when Steve and I worked together and he became insanely jealous of my poster making abilities.

Al and Steve had arrived for an 8 day tour of East Timor, and of course, to hang out with me!! I was so excited in the lead up to their arrival – I could barely concentrate on work and kept annoying all of my friends with stories about Alissa and Steve and how wonderful they are. We had a whirlwind tour of East Timor traversing the East-West extremities of the country and heading into the centre of the country to visit Maubisse.

It was so fantastic to have them here, and rather than bore you with words, please enjoy some photo's from our trip!

It was nice to be reminded of how fantastic my family and friends are and how important they are to me. I had a great time. Much laughing, some great chats, several beers, a beautiful bottle of wine from home, and lots and lots of fresh and delicious fish!

Fresh fish! Delish! We bought these beautiful fish off some of the local fishermen whose livelihood is dependent on the tourists that come to this far flung corner of East Timor (Jaco).

I don't have any photo's of Jaco...but it is spectacular! (Sorry, I'll do better next time!)

Our hotel room. Incredibly cheap, amazing views, and a free wake up call.

Just a few minutes after this a boat came by with that mornings' catch...so we bought some more fish for lunch!

The road from Jaco up to Tutuala. This stretch is pretty good...some of them are terrible.

The road from Baucau to Dili...beautiful, isn't it?

The town of Maubisse

Steve shopping in the Maliana market!

Steve and Alissa on the Risky Balcony enjoying a beverage.

Thanks for coming guys.

Kapaas loos

2010-05-03T16:42:00.010+09:00

Every week my counterpart Leandro and I try to have a meeting to talk about work issues. Because there is no privacy at our office we go to my place and sit on my balcony, drink a cup of coffee and talk about things we couldn't talk about in the office.

I commented to Leandro one day that I love the view from this balcony. It's wonderful to see the mountains, or to watch big rains come in - sometimes you can be forgiven for thinking there are no mountains there they are completely obscured by the clouds. Almost every day the sunset is reflected spectacularly on the mountain, and the light is amazing. I love that it's a corn field and that I have watched it grow from when it was planted, and how people use it as a thoroughfare. Sometimes I just sit there and watch people come and go. I told him it is "kapaas loos", very beautiful.

He agreed, "Sin, Mana, kapaas loos."

A few days later we were standing around at work and he said to me, "Mana Susan you know that corn field opposite your home that you like to look at everyday?"
"Yes, Maun, I know it."
"In 1999 my best friend and a group of others were shot there."

A little history lesson

2010-04-01T06:52:00.007+09:00

I realised the other day when I was thinking about Timor that I am still learning so much about its history, and not just it’s recent history. I thought you might also be interested in learning a little bit about East Timor and what has been happening here for the last few hundred years…

In the 1500 and 1600’s the Dutch and the Portuguese were taking a look around this little patch of the world and both wanted a piece of the island of Timor. After some scuffles the island was divided up by treaty in 1860. The Portuguese got the East and the Dutch got most of the west, all except for a little enclave on the coast of the western part of the island, Oe-Cusse. The Portuguese held on to that. Apparently it had good Cod restaurants and the Portuguese weren’t willing to give those up. No, Oe-cusse was the first Portuguese settlement on the island and they wanted to hold onto it.

During World War II Australian and Japanese soldiers fought in East Timor. Around 50,000 Timorese died as a result of a Japanese occupation from 1942 - 1945, which was a staggering 13% of the population (or thereabouts). My friend Kirra tells me that she met people in the mountains near Baucau that tell stories of the Australian Soldiers, this is I guess the beginning of a great affinity between the Timorese people and the Australian people. Near Venilale in the mountains in the East there are caves that the Timorese were forced to build for the Japanese to store ammunition.

In 1949 the Dutch withdrew from its colonies in the region and Indonesia was born! East Timor remained a Portuguese Colony until 1975, when a change of Portuguese government meant a change of policy, and so, after around 450 years of colonisation East Timor was left to defend for itself. An independence movement had begun with East Timor (Fretliin) and an independent East Timor was established on the 28^th November 1975. Portugal, Indonesia and Australia did not accept the Declaration of Independence…

Nine days (yes, 9 days) later East Timor was invaded by sea and air in a brutal and bloody operation by the Indonesians (using equipment supplied by the US). This invasion was sanctioned by many countries, including the USA and the occupation lasted until 1999. During this times many Timorese died, estimates are in the vicinity of 180,000 people dying from massacres, torture and starvation. (Considering the current population of East Timor is hovering around the 1 million mark, and this in the middle of a population boom, this number is astounding.)

East Timor was officially annexed into Indonesia in July 1976, although the UN never accepted this annexation.

While the Resistance Movement for freedom continued in East Timor with support in may other countries, the world continued on its merry way not thinking too much about what was happening on half of a little island 800kms north of Australia… until November 12 1991 when footage from the Santa Cruz Massacre was smuggled out of the country and shown to the world. The Massacre occurred at the Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili at a memorial of a young man who had been killed by the Indonesian troops several weeks before. 270 East Timorese were killed.

This event was a turning point in many ways, as it captured the attention of the world.

In 1996 Jose Ramos Horta and Bishop Belo received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in seeking independence for East Timor, and with the departure of President Sueharto from Indonesian politics in 1998 the Independence movement gathered momentum, resulting in the UN run referendum in August 1999. The year or so leading up to this referendum was marred with incredible violence and horrific fighting and murders. However, at the end of August 1999 98% of the 451,000 registered voters turned up to vote in the face of significant intimidation and threats of violence from the militia. 78% of the voters sought to sever ties with Indonesia and be an independent nation. The result was a outbreak of violence by the militia, to which the UN sent peacekeepers to try and restore order.

In the weeks and months leading up to and following the referendum thousands of Timorese were killed across East Timor. There were several massacres and many smaller attacks. Approximately 200,000 Timorese people fled to the mountains or crossed the border into Indonesia as they were understandably scared for their life.

Indonesian troops withdrew from East Timor from East to West destroying almost everything they could in the process - the scorched earth policy. I see the ruins of buildings everyday, and often my friends will tell me stories about different places around Maliana.

20^th May 2002 is the official date for nationhood of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, (or Timor Leste or Timor Lora’sae). Timor Leste has since faced a myriad of challenges…which need several entries on themselves!

Yuck

2010-02-22T13:28:00.009+09:00

There are a couple of things that happen regularly in Timor Leste that I have slowly gotten used to...

The nose picking is definitely off putting, but I guess I can understand it. I just don't understand why it needs to be public. Yuck

The cutting of nails in any public place is a bit gross. I thought it was bad enough when a housemate cut their nails in the living room, but cutting them in the office is something else entirely. Yucko.

But, the one that takes the cake for me was when one of the guys and I went to a meeting with a local senior official. We were discussing a new employment project that we are working on. All was going well when said senior official reached into his pocket and pulled out a cotton bud (a q-tip for my Canadian friends).

Well, that’s a little werid.

There aren’t too many things you can do with a cotton bud, and surely none of them are appropriate in a meeti…oh, how wrong I was.

Within 10 seconds I had completely lost track of the conversation. As I struggled to remain focused on the meeting and suppress a giggle, he proceeded to clean out his ears…and inspect it.

Yuck. Double yuck. Yucko.

Nia koalia Tetun

2010-02-19T14:29:00.004+09:00

The other day my work mate and I went to a meeting. When we walked in they all started speaking in Tetun, then when one of the guys noticed me and started speaking in English...at which point my work mate said "la problema, nia koalia Tetun."
"No problem, she speaks Tetun."

That was a very nice moment.

Dili - Maliana B.M.

2010-01-12T17:50:00.005+09:00

On my way back to Maliana after my Dili Christmas/New Years break the bus was the only option, and so my friend Su-Lin and myself caught a lift out to Tasi Tolu to catch the bus last Monday morning at 6.30. There are many stories about buses in Timor Leste, and most Malae won’t/ don’t/ aren’t allowed to catch the bus due to the condition of the buses and the condition of the roads. But, I think it’s all part of the fun...right?

So, Su-lin and I sought out a Dili-Maliana B.M. bus (B.M. means Baa & Mai, or going and coming). It was certainly an eventful day, and there are several things I will remember next time I need to catch a bus…
• When catching a bus just turn up and hope that the bus fills up sooner rather than later so that you can leave.
• Set aside an entire day for the 153km trip.
• Don’t put your pack on the top of the bus in a tropical country during wet season.
• Your bum will get numb. It’s unavoidable.
• Two malae (foreigners) sitting in a seat made for Timorese is perhaps a little squishy.
• Don’t forget to take your travel sickness tablets before leaving. They work wonders.
• Don’t step on the chickens.
• Don’t step on the chicken pooh.
• If you only have to stop for an hour when the bus breaks down it’s a good day.
• The bus WILL break down.
• Yes, the bus leaks.
• Be prepared to spend some quality time with sacks of rice, boxes and bags of various shapes and sizes…and smells.
• There is a reason there are no safety signs limiting the number of people allowed on the bus.
• …and limiting the number of people allowed to hang out the door.
• …and limiting the number of people allowed to sit on the roof.
• Don’t forget to look out the window – it’s really pretty out there!
• Smoking is allowed and it’s best to sit in front of someone who likes to exhale directly at your head, or better still – right in your face if you happen to turn around at the right time.
• Don’t freak out too much when your bus turns away from your destination towards the Indonesian border. Chances are it will get back on track soon.
• You will feel uncomfortable when random Paksitani soldiers ask to take a photo with you when stopped at the border while your bus is being repaired. Don’t try to understand it, just say yes and smile.
• Don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll be home in 10 minutes when you pass the town limits. The bus driver will probably need to pop by the office to do a little business on the way. Just be patient.
• Buses in Timor Leste drop you off at home. That’s nice.
• When you are within 40 metres of your home and can see your bedroom the bus may reverse back down the road AWAY from your home to drop off someone who lives up the next street first.

Christmas in Timor-Leste

2010-01-03T11:47:00.009+09:00

Hello everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am so sorry for being such a slacker and not updating this for a while.

I have a lot to tell you and lots of photo's to show you, but I thought that maybe for now I would stick to Christmas! There are some lovely traditions here in East Timor that I wanted to share with you, and of course I wanted to show you what I got up to on Christmas day!

As for New Years...well, we might just leave those photo's for another time (and place).

As East Timor has a very high number of Catholics, Christmas is of course an important time of year. For me it felt a little odd. I almost kept forgetting that it was Christmas without the constant reminders that I really need to buy everyone I've ever met presents. While there were western influences here, mostly it was easy to forget what a big event Christmas is - especially in Maliana!

The first day that I was reminded it was Christmas was when my workmates had the radio on and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" came on. I started singing along and then realised I was singing completely different words...as it was being sung in Tetun. It was kind of strange, but nice to hear.

In their generosity, our central office in Dili sent us a Christmas tree with lovely accompanying ornaments and some very special lights that played music...my workmates loved them, except that the only time we could have the lights going was when we turned on the generator (as we have no power in our office). So, over the noise of the generator there was the very faint tinny sound of the Christmas tree lights playing music! It was very funny. Unfortunately I had a little malfunction with my camera so I am unable to show you any pictures of the Chritmas tree. But, it did make me smile everytime I saw it.

One afternoon we had a massive storm (which is common at the moment), with huge amounts of rain and wind and the poor little Christmas tree, which was sitting out on the front verandah of the building was blown over. Everyone rushed outside to rescue it. It really was a very valued part of the office, and there was a real sense of pride that we were able to have such a beautiful tree at our office.

Having the Chrismas tree out the front of the office was common throughout Maliana. If anyone had a tree at their house they would also put it on their verandah or at least in a place where other people could see it. It was kind of nice to see the trees around town, and certainly being able to afford a Chritmas tree indicates a degree of wealth...but I like to think that they just wanted to share their beautiful tree with their neighbours!

Aside from the Christmas trees around town there is also a nice tradition of people building mangers. It is actually a competition, but the work that goes into them is impressive. I have some photo's for you...

This nativity scene was put together by my friend Eugenia's family. There are around 5 houses on the street that are all the one family and so they worked together to make this one. It is probably my favorite one in Maliana. It's not in this photo, but they had a star suspended above it, as well as shells dug into the walk way (a special trip was made to the beach which is about an hour away to get the shells).

Just because I thought you might like a photo of me, this is Eugenia and I!

...and these are her nieces and nephews. Cute, huh?!

This one is on the main road in Maliana so I ride past it at least 4 times a day, which the guys building loved. I would occasionally stop and chat with them to check on the progress of it (which they also loved!) I really like Eugenia's but this one certainly gets points for innovation. These guys have not only pulled up grass from somewhere else to lay it inside the stable, but they've also painted the bamboo fence that they built...and the pole of the sign, as well as the fence and part of the drive way behind them which belongs to the electricity department.

But, as far as I am concerned, this is the best bit. While Eugenia and her family have a beautiful painted picture in theirs. these guys have got hold of a very small nativity set (kind of like one you or I might have) and set it up on the grass entwined with little Christmas lights. I love that they have spent a week building this enormous stable and then put tiny figurines inside it. Love it.

This is also one of my favorites. Again, it was built by a family who all live in one neighboruhood. These guys actually built stairs for their nativity scene.

The first day I saw people building these I had not idea what was going on, but all of a sudden there were heaps of them - I reckon one just about every 200 metres. They were built over the period of about a week, and were mostly finished on the 23rd of December. It was so nice to watch them be constructed, and such a nice idea that the families and friends combined their resources and creativity to build such pretty structures. Dili also has many of them around, but in my opinion (and I'm not at all biased) I think the quality in Maliana far exceeds that of Dili!

I decided to stay in Maliana until Christmas day and make the trip to Dili in the morning with some other Australians that live in Maliana. We decided to go to Christmas Eve mass together, as it was a nice thing to do, and very obviously a part of the Timorese Christmas tradition.

Driving up the hill to the church was amazing - there were so many people heading up there, we had difficulty getting through! There were so many people there, it was incredible. I think the mass lasted for just over two hours, with a few interesting moments - including the incense burners catching on fire (twice), the priest telling people that if they didn't come inside they weren't allowed to have communion, and the entire congregation scrambling to the altar to kiss a statue of baby Jesus (of which they had to have four as there were so many people). The singing was absolutely beautiful - the Timorese are very musical people. The photo above is not very clear, but that group of people in pink shirts is the choir. The church is a like a big open shed - it has no walls, which is kind of nice as it is so hot here!

Timor Leste is a place that just keeps on giving...this Christmas tree is actually a fountain near the Dili airport covered in green plastic. I love this. I can't explain how happy this made me - or why I think it is so funny. I just had to put this in for anyone who has seen the fountain (which is actually a series of replicas of woven baskets, each smaller than the one below). I thought those who know the fountain might appreciate it. You can't see it in the photo but there was reindeer the whole way around bottom of the tree. Nice.

So, I arrived in Dili at around 12.30 on Christmas day, and went to my friends' house for lunch...which we spent the afternoon preparing (all the while having a few drinks)...

...and finally eating at 5.30. It was de-diddly-icious. The fish was (on the Tiger box) was absolutely divine (thank Lizzie!).

And of course, what is Christmas day without people whose company you enjoy?! Lizzie in the red dress (and two of her friends visiting from Australia on either side of her) and Jemma in the purple dress (with her partner Justin who was also visiting from Australia)...

...and some more of my lovely ladies Rachel and Michelle.

So that's my story of Christmas! in Timor Leste. Of course, there was much more to it (but we'll save that for another time!). I have been having a little holiday in Dili for just over a week now and am heading back to Maliana tomorrow morning. (Well, I had a few "meetings" here in Dili last week, so I had to stay in town!) I am catching the bus back to Maliana for the first (and hopefully the last) time. I am not particularly excited about the journey, but I am very much looking forward to getting back to Maliana. I enjoy coming to Dili and seeing people, eating lots of good food and having easy access to things (well, easy in comparison to Maliana!), but I am looking forward to returning to the quiet life in Maliana. (I'm sure that will last about a week and then I'll want to come back to Dili!)

As yet I do not have a permanent home in Maliana. I have been lucky enough to stay in friends places while they have been away on holidays. Unfortunately it looks at though my friend Rachel (from the photo above) will not be in Maliana permanently. We had planned to live together, but until she finds out for sure whether she will be based in Dili or Maliana things are a little up in the air. While it has been a little difficult not having a place to call home, I really do feel lucky to have met some wonderful people in Maliana and made some great friends. I feel well supported by my friends in Maliana, my friends in Dili and of course my family and friends from every part of the world.

A big thank you to all of those that have sent me emails, messages, called me, skyped me and sent me parcels! On that note, if you have skype please let me know! I try to get a few skypes in when I am in Dili. The best way to contact me is by email - susiemaggie80@gmail.com

Big love to you all - boas festa ho feliz tinnen foun.

Maliana

2009-12-07T11:19:00.004+09:00

Well, it was only a matter of time before I got lazy and didn’t update the blog. Although, my argument could be that I have been trying to adjust to life in Maliana! After spending four weeks in Dili feeling like a backpacker, hanging out meeting lots of fun and interesting people I jumped in the car on the morning of the 16^th of November and headed out to Maliana with my boss. The four hour drive was beautiful, mostly along the coast with pristine waters, picturesque villages…and the slightly scary roads.

The first three hours of the drive basically followed the coast, until about 6 km’s shy of the Indonesian border where we head up into the mountains. The climb up towards Balibo is spectacular. The flame trees are in bloom, which meant the brown earth of the dry season and the green were beautifully disturbed by this incredible bloom of red, while behind us there were amazing views of the coast line far below. We climbed the mountains and dropped over into an enormous plateau, on the other side of which is the town of Maliana. Half of the township sits on the plateau, with the remainder of the town snaking its way up onto the side of the mountain.

I have been in Maliana for three weeks now. I’m in back in Dili at the moment, which is a nice change from Maliana but feels very surreal. Maliana is very small, with three restaurants or Warrung’s (where the food is prepared and you select from what is on offer). There are probably about 10 shops, and thankfully a great market that is on everyday. The produce in Maliana, in Timor in general, is really beautiful. It is mostly local, fresh and organic (as there are no pesticides here). I am looking forward to finding a house so that I can start cooking with all this delicious and local veg.

The first two weeks of my time in Maliana I stayed in a guest house, and then in my third week I was lucky enough to stay in Sally and Ben’s house while they went way for the week. Sally and Ben are two Australian volunteers working at the hospital, which is especially great as they have one of the best kitchen’s in Timor Leste and it means they are connected to the hospital generator during the day. Maliana has electricity from around 6.30pm – 6am every night, so being able to use a fan during the day was pretty special! For the first two weeks I had been waking up pretty much as soon as the power went off at 6am, as the fact that there was no air movement was pretty noticeable!

So, most mornings I have been up at or around 6am, and then heading of to work just before at 8am for an 8.00 start. The work day in Timor is pretty nice – 8am – midday when there is a two hour lunch break, followed by 2pm – 5pm. The lunch break is pretty good, although it is fairly hot by that time of the day. The nice thing about staying at the guest house was that it was on the hill, which meant that it got the breeze that usually kicks in at about 11.30. On the days that there is no breeze it is so stinking hot and disgusting! But thankfully, in the time that I have been there have been breeze’s most days.

Also since getting to Maliana the rains have arrived. The first few days there everything was very brown, but it is amazing how quickly things have started to turn green with just a few “udan boot” (big rains). The other massive change has been that being completely surrounded by Tetun has improved dramatically. My workmates have been wonderful at helping me learn, they’re very patient! While there are certainly many moments of pure frustration I never thought that I would enjoy learning a language so much. I am looking forward to the day when I don’t need to take my Tetun word finder with me everywhere!

My workmates are wonderful, and I am looking forward to getting to know them better. Maliana has a pretty big contingent of UN staff. I’m not sure how many exactly (maybe 30 – 40), but I haven’t met any of them. I have however met most of the other Malae in town – Sally & Ben, Sue, Ida and Bas. All of us are Australian, except Bas who is Dutch. I have spent a little time with all of them, and think they will be a great support over the next year or so. So, I guess that fact that I am currently one of 6 white Malae’s in town (not counting the UN) gives you some indication of how much I stand out. I think am also the only Malae in town riding a motor bike – everyone else pretty much has a car. So, I am quite the spectacle!

That’s it for now – I’m sorry to say that my internet connection is too slow to put any photo’s up! I hope you're all well.

Last days in Dili...for now!

2009-11-15T17:02:00.008+09:00

It feels like ages since I have updated the blog - I'm sorry it's so long...you may need a coffee break somewhere in the middle! So much seems to happen here in a relatively short time – or more probably, because everything is so new everything feels like a big event

I was lucky enough to head to Baucau for the weekend last week. I spent time with my friend Tony, who many of you know. It was lovely to see him, and to spend some time around someone I feel at home with. He and Fons welcomed me into their home, unfortunately John had needed to come back to Australia so I was unable to see him. Baucau is an exceptionally lovely place that I had spent a few days in during my trip to Timor in May. As a result, I didn’t take any photos! I’ve included some from the my last trip for you to see what it’s like. My friends Katie and Matt will be working in Maliana, so I definitely hope to be back.

TC, Tara, Lauren and Kirra at Baucau beach in May. TC, Katie, Matt and I went to the beach last weekend. Within just a few minutes of getting in the water we were surrounded by kids.

This is the old market place. It is was built during Portuguese times, but is not in use anymore. This photo is also from my trip in May - now, the side of the building is covered in murals from the Tour de Timor.

TC and I after a yummy brekky at the Pousada in Baucau last weekend.
The weekend in Baucau came at the perfect time – I was feeling a bit like a caged lion being stuck in Dili and having lived in a container for two weeks…our hotel is seriously blocks of portable containers! Containers with air con – love it. I had a chance to chill out, have some space, read lots, wander around, go to the beach, see the country, and see a good friend. It was exactly what I needed. I also got to catch up with Nat Houlihan, who I haven’t seen in years.

Baucau is much cooler than Dili, much quieter and just a generally nicer to be in than Dili! Friday night we all went to one of the local restaurants for drinks and dinner. I met some of the Aussie’s that live in Baucau, as well as some more who had come up from Dili for the weekend.

It is pretty easy to meet new people here and make friends. Most people seem willing to have a chat, at the very least, but it usually ends up with an exchange of phone numbers and plans to have a beer or a meal at some point. Everyone has an interesting story to tell, and Dili has its fair share of quirky people.

Having now had 4 weeks in Dili I have spent a good deal of time with my friends in my AYAD intake, and have met lots of others. I am sure when I come back into Dili I will enjoy catching up with everyone, and will no doubt miss everyone and be more than a little envious of the choice of restaurants, latte’s at Hotel Timor, karaoke (not that I would ever sing…), and air conditioning. I will really miss the air conditioning. I mean I will REALLY miss the air conditioning...and the people. I suppose I'll miss them too!

Mana Lizzie, Mana Abi and Mana Jen at Abi and Jen's house. The house has no walls - it is an indoor outdoor place...very cool, although a few issues with rodents...

This is Mana Rachel, myself and Mana Katie. Rachel is going to be in Maliana as well, and Katie is in Baucau.

Tomorrow I am heading off to Maliana, which am both excited and nervous about. I have come to rely on my friends in the last few weeks. It is amazing how quickly friendships form in different, and sometimes very trying, circumstances. I will miss everyone, but am looking forward to finally getting to work and starting to build new relationships in Maliana. Most of the friendships I have made here have been with malae (foreigners), so I am looking forward to spending more time with Timorese people. I am also looking forward to my Tetun improving. I have found being at work this last week difficult, as the training I’ve been attending has all been conducted in Tetun. There were several occasions that I was so close to falling asleep it was embarrassing! I was trying so hard to concentrate…but the room was so warm, and I got too sleepy! I ended up having to get up and go write an email, or talk to someone to wake myself up. I was lucky though that the 4 trainers all spoke really good English, so they were able to translate different things for me, and when I got stuck trying to remember a Tetun word that could just tell me. I won’t have such a luxury in Maliana, I think only one of my colleagues speaks only a little English. I have met two of my workmates, so at least I will know some people when I arrive at the office tomorrow.

This last week I have done lots of stuff. The big challenge for me was to sort out my licence – work have supplied me with a motor bike to ride (a scooter really), but refused to give it to me until I have my licence. Apparently it would be confiscated if I ever I get pulled over. Fair enough – I can live with that.

Luckily, work was able to assist with the process, and took me the Transport offices 3 or 4 times over the space of a week in order to get it all done. The third time we went 9I honestly lost count of how many times we went there) I had to follow up with a practical test for my motor bike. It would be too much to ask that you would complete your paper work and do the test at the same place, so of course I had to ride the bike out to Hera, which is about 30 minutes away to do the test. It sounds simple enough, but considering I have not really ever ridden a motorbike that much, I didn’t really know where I was going, and the chaotic nature of the motor bikes, cars, taxi’s, four wheel drives, mikrolets, buses, trucks, dogs, goats and pigs that use the roads here it was a bit of a challenge.

I managed navigate my way through town, avoid most of the potholes, not kill anyone or anything, and importantly not get killed (there were only two or three times that seemed likely to happen, which I am quite proud of). I got out to the testing ground, where the guy showed me what I needed to do, and off I went…and failed twice! Going slow around tight corners it really hard!! He told me that I wasn’t allowed to have my license, but I managed to talk my way into one more go (well, I had to have a couple of practices). Third time lucky, so I am not the proud holder of a Timor licence! (And I passed legitimately, contrary to anything any of my brothers may tell you. There was no bribe. I swear.) When I finished the test I realised that I had quite an audience – about 10 guys from the building site across the road had wandered over to watch me. I guess I was a built of a novelty – not only a malae, but a woman to boot. Oh well, what can you do?! At least I entertained them for a little while.

In the midst of my week, Thursday the 12^th November was a public holiday to commemorate the Santa Cruz massacre in 1991. My mates Zena, Lizzie and I went to the cemetery for the ceremonial part of the day. There were so many people there and as far as we could see for ages we were the only malae there. Of course, we were getting loads of looks and were just starting to question whether it was appropriate for us to be there when this lovely older gentleman came up to us, greeted us and shook our hands. It was such a lovely, moving moment. It made it clear that it was definitely ok for us to be here.

Mana Zena at Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Cemetry

Getting the licence was definitely the highlight of my week, but we had a less pleasant incident yesterday. Some friends and I went out to Dollar Beach for a swim and unfortunately the car (which was about 20 metres away) was broken into and my friends bag was stolen along with my new Digital SLR. It was pretty awful, and is a real pain but it could have been much worse. One lovely thing though, some men were out fishing just off the beach and saw the whole thing. They came onshore and ran off to try and find the guys who had done it. They were locals and spent about an hour with us trying to figure out if they knew who they the guys who had stolen our stuff were. As much as it was an awful thing to have happen, these 4 fisherman were wonderful. They didn’t hesitate to stop working and help us.

Today I have had lunch at a friends house and will soon be having dinner with some other friends (sorry Dad, that’s “tea” with some other friends). I’ve only been here for 4 weeks and I’m already saying good-bye to my friend Mohamed who is going home to Jordan after 18 months here. Tonight we’re celebrating his birthday…even though it’s not really his birthday. It’s too ridiculous to explain.

In the morning I am off to Maliana! I’m not sure when I will be back online, so I apologise for any delays in responding to emails. Sorry this has been such a long entry! There is really too much to tell you all.

I hope you’re well and doing something fun!

Stepha, I’m not sure what the temp is – I think it’s pretty consistently in the mid thirties, but it could be higher. I have no idea! The killer is the humidity, which I am sure you had your fair share of in Vientiane. Whatever it is, it’s hot. Even the locals are starting to say that it's getting hot. Hot hot hot.

Photo's as promised!

2009-11-03T14:34:00.014+09:00

Happy Birthday Tori - I hope the par-tay was fun.xo

A little reminder of what I left behind! This is taken on the way into Tinamba, close to Maffra

This is most of our group in the Mikrolet. We're not all in the photo, as a couple of people were squeezed in the front seat, with one of the Timorese guys hanging out the door (which common and by far the coolest way to travel!). If you think it looks uncomfortable, you're right - it was so cramped in there. When we have told our new Timorese friends and colleagues about the number of "malae" (foreigners) that were in the Mikrolet (which is probably smaller than a Tarago) first their eyes nearly fally our of their heads and then they kill themselves laughing! It was so small that we couldn't even sit up straight. We were glad to say good bye to our green, bass thumping Mikrolet, although our drivers were cool!

This photo is taken out the back of the Mikrolet window. It is the road into the Dili Institute of Technology - for about 7 of the 9 days (until we begged off the Mikrolet) we crammed into the Mikrolet and entertained the locals by driving through Dili and finally turning onto this road, which may look ok, but was "la diak", not good! It was bumpy and rutted and we had to drive so s-l-o-w-l-y so we didn't stir up dust for the people that lived along the road. Besides, the Mikrolet was struggling with all of us in it! It got 2 flat tyres during our time with it, one day a tyre popped while we were driving alonf Dili's busiest road! (We were all fine, and it explained why the driver kept putting his head out the window to look back at the tyre...)

This is us waiting for the Mikrolet to arrive at Dili Institute. We did a lot of waiting for the Mikrolet! By 12.30, when we finished classes it was very hot, so we would stay in the shade until we saw the Mikrolet come bouncing along the road.

Friday afternoon futebol on the beach. It might be a little hard to tell, but at sunset the light on the hills around Dili is incredible. The earth has a real richness to it, and the light makes it look stunning. We are at the end of the dry right now - apparently after the wet these hills are lush and green. I'm looking forward to seeing it!

On our first Sunday the previous intake of AYAD's organised an Amazing Race around Dili. Tori and Steph, disappointingly neither of you were available to participate, so Katie and I and some Timorese english language students had fun exploring the city. Katie will be doing the same position as me in Baucau, about 3 hours East of Melbourne. This photo was taken just after a brief visit to the Santa Cruz cemetery, which was the site of a terrible massacre on the 12 November 1991. This is a fairly typical Dili Intersection. The little booth on the right is a UN Police and local Police booth. They are not in use anymore.

This is Mana Rachel, Mana Zena and Mana Abigael getting all bohemian at our Hotel.

This is the street at the back of our Hotel. The hotel is actually a series of containers....kind of like offices on building sites! but, they've got air con, which makes them ok in my book! You can't really see it, but Mana Lizzy is having a motorbike lesson down the other end of the street.

This is Mana Lizzy on Maun Jason's bike, after her riding lesson!

The beach front around the corner from our hotel. I went for a walk during deskansa (like siesta), so there were not many people around.

This is the soccer pitch near the hotel. Again, is was deskansa, so not many people about. About 2 hours later this would have had a game pumping with lots of spectators. Mostly young boys. I'll take a picture one day and put it up. One day I stopped while they were playing to have a chat to them and practice my Tetum - so much fun! Normally this road would be streaming with motorbikes, scooters, taxi's, UN vehicles and other vehicles, but everyone was at home resting during the hottest part of the day...except me!

On the left here is a small market, and it might be a little difficult to see but there are 2 guys standing in the shade towards the right. These guys are guarding the entrance to Xanana Gusmao's house (the Prime Minister). Our hotel neighbours this house, one street back. Most afternoons we see somebody walking his horse along our street. It's kind of strange! These guards are always holding massive guns, but give you the biggest smiles and hello's when you walk past. Just passed Xanana's house is the Lita Supermarket, which comes in very handy.

Men and boys wander around town carrying these sticks with all sorts of things hanging from them - pinapples, bags of peanuts, vegetables, but my favorite is fish. Yes, fish. The fish guys usually start wandering around in the afternoon, after the catch comes in.

That's it for now! I haven't been brave enough to pull out my brand new SLR yet. I am looking forward to playing around with it, but I've felt a bit to self-conscious so far.

I have to go back to the hotel and do some preparation for my Tetum lesson. The importance of learning is becoming clearer everyday. Tomorrow I will go to work - I was meant to go today, but as there have just been two big Religious holidays most people are not at work so the government decided to make work optional today...the words "only in Timor" come to mind!

Happy Melbourne Cup day!

Week 1 - feels like a month has passed!

2009-10-24T09:06:00.008+09:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY H! I hope you had a wonderful time in Hong Kong.x

(Friday afternoon – 23rd October)
I’m sitting in the garden of our hotel listening to one of my friends play guitar, the sun is shining there’s a cool(ish) breeze blowing (every now and then!) and birds chirping. I just went down to the internet café to try and email everyone with my new number and stuff but after half an hour of trying to load the “compose” page I gave up and decided to come back to the hotel and write this instead. I’m hoping that I can just bring my laptop down to the café, plug it in and use my computer email account – that will make life a whole lot easier! (Hence the new email address - it is much easier to do it that way - susiemaggie80@gmail.com)

On the way back from the internet café I passed men selling phone recharge vouchers, boys selling pineapples they’re carrying across their shoulders, guys hanging out doing not much, security guards (lots of security guards) working around the place, dogs, cats and pigs running up the street, lots and lots of NGO 4 wheel drives speeding down the dusty back streets narrowly avoiding pedestrians (they’re crazy!), kids hanging out, people selling fish…among other things. Dili is quite lovely in a way. It's hard to believe that this will be my life for the next 12 months.

I met some young girls today and was able to practiced a bit of my Tetum with them. My lessons are going ok – I was feeling very frustrated yesterday as I was able to follow what was happening and what others were saying but when it came to speaking I was completely lost! It’s only normal I guess but it was very frustrating. I had a minor break through today with one of my teachers today. I realised that she came from Suai which is kind of near Maliana. I was asking her about the languages she speaks and that I was heading to Maliana in a few weeks to live and work and was wondering what language they speak up there. The conversation lasted for less than a minute, but it was great! It wasn’t until after I had finished that I realised what I had done! Then I organised for our Mikrolet driver to come back later and take us somewhere at a specific time. I was riding on such a high I headed to the market to do a bit of shopping (which was mostly about practicing Tetum). It seems that I am mastering the basics (the very basic of basics!)!!

(Saturday morning 24th October)
I had a little sleep in this morning – 7am. I guess I’m still adjusting to the time difference a little, but also getting into the habit of rising early. Most mornings I’ve been up at 6 or so, so it is nice to have be able to make some of my own decisions – it feels a bit like we have been being ferried around since arriving, which is a little trying at times, although I have to say that I think our group is really great. There are 11 of us that have arrived all together, and while we are all very different personalities we seem to get along and compliment each other well. I have started to connect with a few of them especially. It is a little strange at the moment as the 8 who will be living in Dili are running around looking for housing and wanting to start getting settled, however I won’t be going to Maliana until around the 14th of November.

We have also met quite a few of the other AYADs from previous intake, most of whom have been lovely and very helpful. Today we are heading out to the beach for a swim and snorkel and tomorrow we have an “Amazing Race” around Dili.

I hope you’re all keeping well and I’m sorry about the length of this post!! I will put up some photo's soon.

I'm here!

2009-10-21T16:51:00.011+09:00

So I'm finally here in Dili! Monday was a looooong day starting 5am and finishing somewhere around 10pm Dili time (I think midnight in Melbourne). It was great to see the other AYADs on the plane, and to have the chance to catch up with my cousin Amy who took me out on the town in Darwin. It was a nice distraction during the 4 hour lay over to Dili.

Monday was a funny day...it was a real mix of emotions - sad to say good-bye to my lovely parents who had come to Melbourne to see me off, impatience to get going and surprise that the day had actually arrived. At no time did it not feel right though. I have no idea what lies ahead, but I am so glad to be here.

We (the 11 AYADs - Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development) flew into Dili at around 4.30 and were met at the airport. We threw our gear in the back of a truck, jumped in a mikrolet (like a tarago) and headed into town to our Hotel...Dili is pretty much like I remember it from my brief time here: busy, dusty, lots of movement and colour, cars and motorbikes everywhere, roosters, goats, cows, well manicured memorials and parks dotted along the esplanade and lots and lots of people.

We dumped our stuff and were taken straight out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach (I mean literally on the beach) to meet AYADs who have been in Dili for anywhere between 3 and 9 months. It was nice to meet them, and mostly be reassured and encouraged by them, although it was a little overhwhelming to suddenly be surrounded by so many people.

Incredibly I slept like a log on Monday night - and even used a blanket! Yesterday we started out Tetum lessons at Dili Institute of Technology. We will have lessons every morning this week and next - so hopefully I will be able to speak little when I head out to Maliana in a few weeks time.

While the lessons have taken up most of our days, the rest of the time has been spent trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this will be my home for the next 12 months or so. I am slowly getting used to the idea, and am looking forward to being able to understand some Tetum so that I can understand more of what is going on around me.

The weather is of course hot, and it is coming into the rainy season so the build up is beginning. Hopefully as I am in Maliana it will be a little less humid and disgusting and a little cooler. I really have no idea, and everyone tells me something different about Maliana! "It's hot there", "it's cold there", "it rains a lot there", "it's beautiful there" and my personal favorite..."Maliana at its best, is boring". Nice - sounds like a fun place to be! I am trying to take everything that is said with a grain of salt and not have too many expectations. I want to take it as it comes, (some might say PIBE it).

I am heading out now to meet one of my work contacts. It will be good to see her and hopefully get a few questions answered, and find out a little more of what I will be doing for the coming year.

Pull my finger

2009-10-18T19:42:00.007+09:00

...less than 12 hours to go and I find myself in the midst of a game of "pull my finger" with my Dad. Not surprising, eh?!

Am feeling excited and ready to hit the road. I've had a lovely evening with my parents, spent some time with my good friends Alissa and Steve, Jo, Steph, Gab and H...and many many others over the last few days, not to mention the family funtimes.
It's time to go...See you in Timor-Leste

Farewell tour!

2009-10-12T06:43:00.009+09:00

I'm currently sitting in my dear friend Jo's lounge room waiting for her to come home from night shift so that we can sit down and have brekky togethr before she heads off to bed and I head off to go off for a day of shopping and catch ups. (Hmmm, new camera - excited!)

I'm in the midst of my farewell tour (ha!), which is very weird! It's an enjoyable task, you know. Seeing people you think are marvellous, savouring those last great conversations, enjoying coffee/beer/food (or maybe all in one sitting) in the delightful city that is Melbourne.

I have spent my days since finishing work packing up my room and moving out and hanging out with cool peeps. I had a wonderful catch up with my aunt and uncle on Friday (thanks for the coffee Moss), a quick drink at the Wesley Anne on friday night, brunch at my place with Janey and Steve, drinks on Saturday night at The Pinnacle with a whole mob of mates, Sunday catch ups with Shez, Mads and Caroline and a Monday ahead of Ange, Thomas, Meredith, more Mads and Steph B, with some Jo time sprinkled throughout for good measure.

Saturday night was good fun...lots of awesome people, it was hard to say farewell. I have some cool friends. Well, I reckon they're cool anyway. I love the way my friends form different parts of my life seem to enjoy each others company too - they generally like to chat to each other as they've met each other enough times now to know each other a little. Saturday night reminded me that I will be missing some significant life moment for some of my friends, like Nick and Issy's wedding in early April. I would love to be there (a rockin party for sure), but will have to drink to them from Maliana instead, and I'll be missing a few 30ths. Anyhoo, it was great to have such a great crew there, and especially great to have a couple of kids running around! The surprise visit from Fatima, Rick and Jack Jack was lovely.

I've said it before, but it truly is feeling very odd and surreal, this process of packing up and saying "seeya in a year". There is sadness in the strangeness, although the sadness seems to hit me in waves and at very odd moments (like driving down the eastern chatting about Shez's holiday), and it's usually a good 12 hours after I've seen someone.

I've been thinking alot about some of the people I met at pre-departure training over the last week of so. Many of them were headed to Samoa, Tonga and Indonesia (mostly Jakarta). I have been thinking about the natural disasters that have occured there, and the tragedies and trauma the communities have experienced. I hope that all of these people still get to go to their respective countries to complete their AYAD assignment. Obviously the need is still there, but I am sure their assignment will be considerably different to what they may have experienced had it not been for the devastating natural disasters. I was thinking about how I would feel if something were to happen in Timor-Leste and I couldn't go...I would be at a loss I think. It feels very right to be heading there, but I hope that I have not built it up and am expecting too much out of the experience. I am trying not to have to many expectations, but I am only 'uman and it is inevitable that will happen!

I am officially in my last week now. It's taken a while to get to this point, but I reckon it will fly now. A few jobs left to do, but otherwise time to spend with some friends and a few days of hanging out in Maffra with my family, which I am looking forward to.

Bring on 4.36

2009-10-06T13:29:00.020+09:00

This is my last day of work…it is very strange. I kind of feel like I should be sadder than I am, but I am too excited to be sad or concerned about leaving. I have certainly valued my work in my current position far more, and in different ways, than I had ever expected I would. It’s not to say this job has not been without its challenges – I have experienced significant personal and professional challenges associated with this job (as those who have lived with me or spent much time with me during this period will know), but for the most part I have worked through them, and feel that the experience has been invaluable. The bottom line is, that if I had not had the experiences and been given the opportunities through this role I would not have been successful in my application to AYAD and Timor-Leste.

I am almost constantly in a state of impatience at the moment…impatient to finish work, impatient to move out of my house so that I can enjoy my last few days in Melbourne, impatient to get back to Maffra to hang out with my family, impatient to have some fun times with my friends, but most of all – impatient to get on the plane and make this idea of Timor as my home (for a short time) a reality.

I’ve just realised that it has been exactly five months I made the decisions to apply applying to live and work in Maliana. No wonder I’m getting impatient!

I am sure there will be times in Timor Leste that I regret being so impatient – but for now…bring it on!

Things seem to be coming together (I have inherited my mothers organisational skills) and am trying to achieve a little each day. I will be ready to move out of the house by Saturday, which will be sad as I have had lots of fun times in that place over the years. But, moving is the last big job I have to do and after that I am sure the time will fly – I’ll be in Dili before I know it.

My fellow Timor AYAD’s have been very helpful, and almost everyday there is another email with an idea or a reminder (bring a surge protector, don’t forget your snorkel!). I am looking forward to getting to know these people a little. They all seem lovely (so far!).

Technically, I’m still at work – so I better get back to it. (It is almost time for a nice glass of red wine...)

Surreal

2009-09-28T14:35:00.020+09:00

It’s all feeling a bit surreal.

I’m making dinner for some friends of mine tonight. The four of them (plus one adorable puppy) will come to my home and hang out, we’ll eat drink and be merry – all the while, in the lounge room my housemates are recruiting to fill my room. This is odd.

I have this strange feeling that moving to Timor Leste is a bit of dream…

This is my friend Sylas. Cute, huh?
He's coming to dinner tonight.

Vibes of the High variety

2009-09-20T20:39:00.011+09:00

Well, I have thought a lot about whether to blog or not to blog...and finally decided that creating this would be a good thing. Whether or not I update it regularly is something else - mostly reliant on access to internet and some sort of commitment to it (which I'll admit is not something that I am good at).

I'm not entirely sure what this will be, I guess that will all unfold as the time passes. For now, just like my time in Timor-Leste, I am excited at the prospect of sharing it.

I am feeling a little excited (or high) tonight. I've just returned from High Vibes in Northcote, and thought this was appropriate as I am feeling particularly excited after returning from a week in Canberra completing my pre-departure training. Life feels like it's in fast forward at the moment- so many things to do, limited time and running from one thing to another. If I'm not catching up with someone, I'm chatting to someone from overseas (only too aware that my opportunities for proper "catch ups" are limited) or trying to squeeze in one more thing, knowing that in 5 weeks this will not be possible!

I was thinking that it might have been good to start this from the time that I found out I was headed to East Timor, when the initial...shock (yes, I was in shock for a few days) set in, but having had some time to adjust and get excited is not a bad thing that I waited.

I honestly believe this will be one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but how it will challenge me is a mystery. There will be the expected - language, limited access to communications, different culture, different food, limited social network - but really, until I'm in the midst of it I can't imagine what it will be like.

It is four weeks till I leave my Melbourne, and along with it all the comforts I am used to. Who knows what will happen?

Regardless, I'm excited.