Coconut tree

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?

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

A storm approaches Maliana from Indonesia

We're, you know, working...

My first big rain after arrival. (AKA: When I got stuck in the rain on my moto.)

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

Udan boot mai - big rain on its way

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

The big Cheeses at Christo Rei