last sunset in april

Enough said.  Bring on May.

Hanging out in traffic

There is an ambiguous, yet definite correlation between the way dogs and people gravitate towards laying in the middle of the road here in Timor.

Let me set the stage.  It's a bright, starry Tuesday night around 11 pm.  You are driving home from a farewell party somewhere on the beach.  The sky is painted with an impressive display of blazing white stars.  The air is so clear you can see the variations in color on the speck that someone once identified as Mars, and you can even see a twinkle in the otherwise dull, faint light from the 3 stars comprising Orion's belt.  It's hot and everyone knows heat makes one lethargic and slow moving- sometimes even bored.  What better way to celebrate such a wondrous night sky than to bring your entire family into traffic and lay down and look up, right? That's what I'm talking about.

It is quite common to see families and large groups of people seek the solace of a wide strip of pavement in the middle of the road to check out this wonderment.  This star viewing platform isn't necessarily on a side street either.  In fact, more often than not it is on the nicer newly paved road (since there is only one, we all know I am talking about the Beach Road) which inevitably has more traffic.  I can't blame them- I wouldn't want to lay across a pothole either. Entire families of more than a dozen people, ranging from a pregnant mother with a suckling babe accompanied by her 8 other children, husband, some extended family and friends and perhaps an estranged "pet" in tow, lay down in the middle of the street to get a good look.  

As interesting as that practice is, what I find even more amusing is that it's not just the Timorese who lay in the middle of the street.  Of course dogs anywhere might be in the road, especially those without homes, but here they seem to gravitate to the exact middle of the road finding the perfect spot on a strip of highly trafficked pavement.  And they do. not. move.  Hot spots: Comoro Road, the streets near Pantai Kelapa, across the street from Little Pattaya next to the trash pile where the pig just had her piglets where the deer is always tied up, just to name a few.  These are usual high traffic spots for dogs.  Street gangs of these half-cared for, half-abused, underfed, pitiful creatures lay idly in the exact middle of the damn road- not to the side but in the perfect center, without so much as a second (or first) thought.  Are they not conditioned by the multiple cars all day long, that this might not be the best place to nap? Dangerous, even?  

Each has their own way of acknowledging the passing driver.  At the sight of an oncoming vehicle the families will remain in the road and give a smile and a friendly wave as it is understood that the driver won't be running anyone over.  This is why it is important to drive a Mini Pajero.  When faced with an oncoming car, a dog will also remain sprawled across the road giving the driver a look that taunts "you think you are actually going to hit me?" to which the driver swerves around the dog only to drive straight into an uncovered pothole 2 feet deep cursing the underwhelmed animal who is still resting it's head peacefully on its neck abscess unmoved, glaring back at the driver smirking "yeah I didn't think so."  Again, important to drive a Mini Pajero.  In both cases, neither the dog nor the family moves.

Given that this happens at least a few times a week, I have to wonder- who is actually mimicking the behavior of the other?  How did this start?  Is it purely coincidental that neither the people nor the dogs feel obligated, or frightened, or even out of courtesy, the need to move out of the middle of the road when faced with an oncoming car?  Or, over the evolution of this odd practice did one observe the other and decide yes- laying in the center of the street is in fact a good idea- I'm going to start doing that.

I will never know, but I will continue to be amused by this phenomenon.  And let's face it- astronomy is important.  It's quite a display and I am in love with what I see every time I look up too.  The transit of Venus is coming up June 6th- who knows what kind of turnout we could have.  

Mitsubitchy

ok so that's not the most politically correct name for my new car but it is in fact a Mitsubishi (Pajero io) and I am really proud of her.  It just kind of rolls off the tongue right? 

Mitsubitchy comes from a 2006 series of 4WDs created in Japan.  She was imported to Timor in late 2009.  Timor has a funny little rule that no used cars be newer than 5 years old- I guess it's to keep resale values high?  Ah the inflation- don't you love it?  After a long 2 month search she is finally mine.



I can't quite make out the radio buttons so I press all of them until something happens which works fairly well.  The 1.5 radio stations here are awesome.  Timor talk radio streams Indonesian religious services during the lunch rush, and on my way home today I get to hear the new pop hits.  I bee-bop down the Pantai Kelapa beach road bumping around the roads (see below) knowing I will get home thanks to my hot new ride.

So far all the windows work, I have A/C and yes, it has a little rust problem but don't we all?

I also have these sweet sun shades along the windows.  I think they add a real "I'm hard core" value, don't you?

My "license plate"  which is merely a photo copied, laminated piece of paper tied to the front and back of my car with zip ties, does have a 5 digit number that I found out expired 2 years ago, so I'll need to take care of that.  Ah the zip ties- they really do everything here.


Have wheels, ready to ride. 

the usual

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.

yup, still pretty here

Yes, my weekends are still gloriously sunny and sandy.  I work hard during the week and instead of going to a movie or a museum or a festival or a concert, when I'm not in the office I come here.  It's pretty perfect and 15 minutes away from my apartment door.


God is good.

bird of paradise?

I was sitting in my office at the Ministry this morning when my colleague brought in a bird that had fallen outside.  He was nonchalantly chatting holding it in his hand, stroking its (probably) broken neck. People were passing it around and then the proceeded to put it in a plastic bag and let it sit on a desk (right next to the giant copier which was going full on) in the bag for a while.  You know- while they finished their chat.

So this bird is freaking out because it's in a bag inside a building with a lot of chatty people and it's probably got some sort of bird concussion anyway.  And then the guy leaves work to take the bird-in-bag to his house to set it free (was it not free outside the Ministry?) which will likely take an hour or 5.

My morning was more interesting than yours, I bet.

2 months

Today is my 2 month anniversary in Timor-Leste.  It has been a great 2 months, despite the many challenges.  I've met many lovely new friends, I have been on many adventures and will certainly go on many more.  Here's to you Timor-Leste- and to this new chapter of my life and everything ahead.