It's Thursday and I feel good. After a really long but productive week I can say I feel really good about things. I haven't been posting as much because I have been busy doing. I've gotten into a nice routine now that I have a CAR which has afforded me the luxury of going to many places and meet people that would have otherwise been a major inconvenience. Hallelujah!
On Monday after work I played tennis with a friend at some "courts" near my compound that are in a somewhat residential neighborhood. Oddly enough we were still surrounded by chicken coops filled with fighting cocks- at least 4 of them. They were fighting the entire hour and a half we were playing. While we volleyed we also had the pleasure of listening to Usher and other various top 40 hits blasting from all corners of the house closest to the cement block where we were playing. Once the neighborhood found out we were there we quickly had an audience of seemingly well intentioned teenage boys (yeah right have you met teenage boys?) with English vocabulary limited to specific tennis commentary and sporting words of encouragement. They shouted random scores at us even though we weren't playing a game. They sat in the linesman's chair and pointed and shouted when they believed a ball was in or out (which has nothing to do with where it was on the court at the time). "40 love!" was a popular choice, and was "tie!" After every hit it was a rotation of "good job!" or "nice try!" or my favorite- "faster faster!" Needless to say it was all very surreal- quite different from what I imagine Wimbledon to be. After tennis I went home and made homemade pesto (yes I found basil at a local market AND pine nuts- pinch me I'm in heaven) that I put over an al dente farfalle pasta with tomatoes, bacon, and fresh mozzarella.
After work on Tuesday I climbed up to the top of the Jesus statue at Cristo Rei (read: amazing leg workout- there are a million stairs) and saw an amazing sunset with a friend. After our calorie burning adventure we stopped at an amazing Vietnamese restaurant (I have decided Saigon is now my favorite place in Timor) and shared seafood stew (squid, fish, shrimp, noodles, yum) and these paper thin beef pancakes with this addictive soy/fish/chili sauce that you want to drink with a spoon.
Last night I collected the most amazing shells I've ever found on a quasi-exercise-getting walk on the beach and saw one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen in Timor from a new vantage point. Following this outing was a Thai dinner of fresh green papaya salad with carrots and chilies and peanuts. Am I making you jealous and hungry?
We are getting closer and closer to the end of rainy season so my new ride is less dusty and in desperate need of a cleaning. A $3 hand wash will restore it to it's pristine pre-duststorm glory.
Other than that life is moving along at a nice cadence and though work is (often) frustrating I am genuinely happy to be here. I haven't gotten robbed, or contracted malaria or dengue. I've made good friends and am doing my best in my job, which despite its many challenges is also going well. I produce the first of a few major deliverables last week and can now look to start developing the materials that will be the main focus of my work while I am here. Very satisfying and encouraging for me.
This weekend I am facilitating a workshop on gender and corruption for 50-80 people (yikes!) on Saturday morning, which should be awesome.
Here ends my most boring post yet. I'll at least leave you with a cute picture of these boys at the Tais Market.
On Monday after work I played tennis with a friend at some "courts" near my compound that are in a somewhat residential neighborhood. Oddly enough we were still surrounded by chicken coops filled with fighting cocks- at least 4 of them. They were fighting the entire hour and a half we were playing. While we volleyed we also had the pleasure of listening to Usher and other various top 40 hits blasting from all corners of the house closest to the cement block where we were playing. Once the neighborhood found out we were there we quickly had an audience of seemingly well intentioned teenage boys (yeah right have you met teenage boys?) with English vocabulary limited to specific tennis commentary and sporting words of encouragement. They shouted random scores at us even though we weren't playing a game. They sat in the linesman's chair and pointed and shouted when they believed a ball was in or out (which has nothing to do with where it was on the court at the time). "40 love!" was a popular choice, and was "tie!" After every hit it was a rotation of "good job!" or "nice try!" or my favorite- "faster faster!" Needless to say it was all very surreal- quite different from what I imagine Wimbledon to be. After tennis I went home and made homemade pesto (yes I found basil at a local market AND pine nuts- pinch me I'm in heaven) that I put over an al dente farfalle pasta with tomatoes, bacon, and fresh mozzarella.
After work on Tuesday I climbed up to the top of the Jesus statue at Cristo Rei (read: amazing leg workout- there are a million stairs) and saw an amazing sunset with a friend. After our calorie burning adventure we stopped at an amazing Vietnamese restaurant (I have decided Saigon is now my favorite place in Timor) and shared seafood stew (squid, fish, shrimp, noodles, yum) and these paper thin beef pancakes with this addictive soy/fish/chili sauce that you want to drink with a spoon.
Last night I collected the most amazing shells I've ever found on a quasi-exercise-getting walk on the beach and saw one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen in Timor from a new vantage point. Following this outing was a Thai dinner of fresh green papaya salad with carrots and chilies and peanuts. Am I making you jealous and hungry?
We are getting closer and closer to the end of rainy season so my new ride is less dusty and in desperate need of a cleaning. A $3 hand wash will restore it to it's pristine pre-duststorm glory.
Other than that life is moving along at a nice cadence and though work is (often) frustrating I am genuinely happy to be here. I haven't gotten robbed, or contracted malaria or dengue. I've made good friends and am doing my best in my job, which despite its many challenges is also going well. I produce the first of a few major deliverables last week and can now look to start developing the materials that will be the main focus of my work while I am here. Very satisfying and encouraging for me.
This weekend I am facilitating a workshop on gender and corruption for 50-80 people (yikes!) on Saturday morning, which should be awesome.
Here ends my most boring post yet. I'll at least leave you with a cute picture of these boys at the Tais Market.
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