head banging

head banging
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

i finally found the courage to take the Mikrolet this past week. The mikrolet is , as it's name suggests, a micro bus. There are so many of them plying the streets of Dili but like in many Asian and also developed countries, there are no bus stops and signages to indicate which bus goes where. That is why it has taken me so long to muster the courage to take one as I had feared getting into unknown parts of Dili.

After some weeks of observation, I decided that Bus 10 is a good bet because i see it everywhere I go i.e. outside the church i attend, the supermarkets i go to, and the wet market i trawl for cheap veggies, and most importantly, Bus 10 stops outside my place.

So I hopped onto one on Saturday after shopping at Comoro Market, the traditional farmers' market where locals sell their produce - tomatoes, bitter gourds, bak choi, kailan, kangkong, cassavas, pumpkins, avocadoes, tofu, bean sprouts, peppers, etc. I struggled up the tiny bus with 3 bags of barang-barang, everyone was staring at me curiously. It's not often that a malae takes public transport. Most malae hop onto the many taxis on the street and it costs $1 to go anywhere. I used to think that was cheap until i started taking the mikrolet which costs only 10 cents to go to the same places!



Incidentally, someone told me that a malae who knew Tetun once took the mikrolet and he heard the locals comment on what a cheapskate he was for squeezing with them. You see, in Timor, all malaes have osan barak (a lot of money). That's hilarious to hear. But i think my presence didn't quit stir up that kind of conversation in the tiny bus.

Anyways, the ten-cent ride, if you look at it positively, entails a Dili tour of sorts. The bus stopped frequently,and I had to squeeze with 15 others, and wait patiently for it to pass all the supermarkets i frequent before i reached the red gates of my compound. Not recommended if you're in a rush, but a must if you want to see the sights of Dili economically and have plenty of time to spare. People are also friendly, and some strike up conversations. I had a conductor ask for my name once and when i alighted, he shouted , "Good bye, Miss Brigida!" Malaes sure feel like superstars here. *Guffaw*

But what i really don't understand about mikrolets or any other buses i have squeezed in in Myanmar and cambodia or Laos is 1) why they like to squeeze into small spaces 2) why the buses are built so small. I remember taking a jeep in Myanmar and we had 15-20 people packed into it, with me, Elaine and Rae hanging off the back.

In Cambodia, we packed 8 adults and 2 kids into a Toyota Corolla on a 5-6 hours journey to the northeast. How did we do that? They put TWO persons in the driver's seat (YES!) and another TWO in the front passenger seat and four of us at the back and 2 kids stuffed somewhere. I still have a picture of that somewhere....

kopi timor

kopi timor
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

Food has become an obsession for me here in Timior Lorosae. More specifically, shopping for food and cooking them. YOu see, in Singapore, I am known as one of the 'parasitic kidults'who live off their parents even at an age where they should be living on their own. Not that my parents complain - in fact, the few times i raised the subject of moving out, I was met with hysteria and emotional blackmail. But i digress.

My point is - in Singapore, i never had to worry about cooking my own meals but it is only when i go overseas that i begin to take on housewife traits. ;-) it has worsened here in TL because, as i have explained before, there ain't anything to shop for - except for food. So my Sundays before and after church are spent trawling the traditional and super markets for the best buys.

Last week, i totally OD-ed and ended up buying enough veggies for 10 people. So, i have been wracking my brain each day planning how to cook the veggies that were ageing in my mini bar fridge.

For those who might have tasted my cooking, you know it's not great. No way near haute cuisine or cuisine anything. But i have been surprising myself. With food as my only obsession, i have been keeping my eyes open to observe how others cook.

Here's a list of what i've tried so far:
1. stir fried eggplant/brinjal
2. sweet and spicy fish
3. stir friend sesame-flavoured chicken
4. avocado juice (!!!!)
5. sweet potato & white fungus soup
6. chicken stew
7. celery, tomato & bitter gourd juice

Cooking isn't as leisurely compared to when I was in Hawaii when classes ended at 3pm and we had time to potter around the kitchen. Here in TL, i come home after work about 630 to 7pm and then start cooking. But it's therapeutic and keeps me away from too much TV.

Cooking, as i have found out, is also the cheapest alternative to entertaining people. Last week, i was asked to have dinner with some people i couldn't say no to. I paid $12USD for the dinner. OK, sounds so little to you city people reading the blog. But do the math - $12 translates to TWELVE days of lunches for me here. So i blew 12 lunches with one dinner. Being the type who 'eat to live', i was really disturbed.

SO when i had some people who came from Singapore visiting me, I decided to host them at my place and cook for them. Last night, I cooked sweet and spicy fish, stir fried chicken, brinjal, and stir fried veggies. It cost me about $5 for the whole dinner, and my sweat of course.

Did they enjoy the meal? :-) I don't know but i sure hope they did!

;-)have a great weekend

define WORK : 'w&rk

I hope those who asked me about work will not regret cos this update might sound like PR materials! ;-P but please, humour me and read on....

(Disclaimer: anything i write here are MY views and should not be quoted in any form anywhere else. I am not representing UNICEF when i write this but only myself and my own perspective)

Here goes...

I work as a media volunteer in the Communication Section of UNICEF. Besides supporting the other sections in their events, our section's main aim is to raise awareness amongst Timorese of the rights of CHILDREN. We love kids and we think these kiddies are the future of Timor Leste and so a lot of emphasis should be on helping them.

'Childhood under threat'

that's a great tagline huh? It's exactly what a lot of kids here are experiencing. Many don't grow up healthily; they are malnourished and stunted; others don't survive beyond their 5th birthday. There're still many not in schools, not receiving quality education and thus will not grow up to be well-informed individuals who can participate fully in society.



One of the ways UNICEF encourages young people to express their views is by supporting and training children's editorial teams in community radio stations. Most Timorese listen to radio then tv or read newspapers so it is a great medium to spread the message. Volunteers (like Silvia you see in the picture) works with youngsters to interview fellow villagers, write stories, edit them and put them on radio! So once or twice a week, we hear the young people present their own programmes on issues they think affect them. Cool? ;-) so ya, that's what my section does.

Right now, my main duty is to focus on getting an advocacy booklet out for UNICEF Timor Leste so that we can convince donors to support the country, not just UNICEF per se.

Remember, if anyone asks what UNICEF does, we do a lot, but we don't always do the groundwork i.e. like what Raleigh and other smaller NGOs do. Instead, we work with the governments to establish sustainable systems and build their capacity.

Why?

So that even after we have left, governments can stand on their own feet and manage. Also, personally I think that if we can convince governments eg. that children's rights are important and get them committed, it's already one big battle won.

My only experience in developmental work was in Raleigh where i dealt in youth development via building/construction projects. We used to have frustrations about bigger NGOs and governments , so it's interesting to be on the other side of the fence to see what the big boys are doing. So far, i am seeing a bunch of very dedicated people who really want to make things work --- for the long term.

Mind Your Language - Faux Pas of the week

the canine has nothing to do with my faux pas of the week. it's just that it's not too appropriate to photograph the 'star' of my blog.

here's what i learnt over the last few days - it is not recommended to learn two languages in tandem no matter how 'smart' you think you are. I have been busy learning Tetum and Bahasa Indonesia here in Timor Leste. So last week, when i was in Baucau attending the Assumption of Mary feast day, i decided to put my new found language skills to work.

I was in a friend's home and wanted some tea. Instead of asking my friend, i ventured into the kitchen and said to a girl, "Teh, iha?"

She did a double-take and then said, "Iha," which means "Have" in Tetum. I was glad she understood me and I got my drink. It was not until many days later when I recounted this to a colleague that I realised what a faux pas i had committed.

Indra told me, "No wonder the girl did a double-take. You know what 'Teh' means in Tetum?" I shook my head, puzzled because teh is tea is teh worldwide isn't it? Indra smiled and said, "It means 'not so good things'." I asked, "what not so good things?" The sweet guy paused and smiled and hesitated. I decided to flip open my Tetum dictionary and scanned for the word 'teh'.

Omigosh! I had asked the girl if she had 'shit' for me! How hilarious! Indra and I couldn't stop laughing. It's a good thing I had not learnt to say "Hau hakarak hemu teh" which is "I want to drink shit" !

So there, please take my advice and mind your language! Have a great week ahead! And keep me in your prayers that I don't commit any blunders like this anymore! By the way, thanks for the comments and emails. ANd the sad thing is: the battle with the roaches is still raging on. I really need to use those recommendations you have sent to me.

Ok, till the next update, adios amigas y amigos!

'Reach for the stars' - this is the theme of UNICEF's education campaign here in Timor Leste. In Tetun - it's "Hakarak Kaer Ba Fitun" to encourage the kiddies to reach for their stars through education. Last Monday, UNICEF and the Education Ministry launched a cute, catchy tune with adorable kids shouting out their ambitions and singing "i'm old enough for school when i'm 6 years old'... kinda like the opposite of the Toys R US ad - remember the "i don't wanna grow up, i'm a ToYs R US kid..." song? The "Stars" song is to get children aware that once they're 6, they should attend school for 6 days a week, for at least 6 years. Neat huh?

School's something we all think we're supposed to have, in fact, many of us found reasons to skip school when we were younger - the 'fevers', the 'sore throats', the 'stomachaches', etc. Did/ do / will we realise how many children don't get the chance to step into school in their lifetime?

Hawaii of the east?

ice cold blue
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

It's the end of another week here in Timor-Leste - an incredibly busy one as work begins to pile up.

Thankfully i was able to steal some time last Sunday for a short hike to the Cristo Rei where an immense Jesus statue overlooks the Banda Sea.

This was the wonderful view that greeted me when i reached the top. The coastal cliffs just reminded me so much of Hawaii. It's nice to have see this great expanse of land - somewhere it relaxes me a lot. On the beach, people were swimming, sailing and just lazing there. Right now, it's still mostly 'malae' (prono: ma-lai) or foreigners like us but hopefully in a few more years, we'll see more Timorese being able to take time out to do so too.

Till my next update, enjoy the view!

Oh and thanks for all the ideas on roach eradication but so far pandan leaves are doing their magic. Of course it helped that the gaps in my toilet have been sealed with epoxy.

:-)

Happy National Day!

i love singapore!
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

Ok, here's a special entry in honour of our nation's birthday tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY singapore! Incidentally, I met this guy with the 'I LOVE SINGAPORE' tee shirt at the beach yesterday. It's weird to see someone wearing something so patriotic in another country and no- he is not Singaporean! Make your own guesses how he landed this tee. Oh by the way, the Timorese like bananas and one of the types that are sold are called Singaporean bananans. Haha, they're the fat ones. I wonder why they call them that...

Speaking of nation building, it's really an exciting time to be here in TL. You see a new young nation struggling to get up on its feet and I wonder if that's how we were 40 years ago? It thrills me to see this whole 'work in progress' because the future is hard to tell. It's really how much everyone's going to give that will make a difference, ya?

The Timorese fought hard for independence but boy oh boy, getting their own flag and anthem is really just the first step of the struggle. and yes, it's hard. Very hard. Who says it's easy paying your own bills? Cooking your own food, sweeping your own floor, catching your own bugs. All those not staying with parents anymore should know what i'm talking about. I guess independence is like that. Ok, i know i simplify but really...

I'm really glad to be here now, witnessing this moment when a young nation and its people take their own future in their hands. Who knows how things will turn out? :-)

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY SINGAPORE!!!!

orchard roach

orchard roach
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

two baby roaches found dead under my dining table when i returned home. I'm sorry i don't have the pix of that one that snuggled up to me in bed. You must understand that i was more concerned with killing it, then taking a snap of it

Chemical Dili

Bon dia from Timor Lorosae! It is Friday and that means just a few hours more before the weekend!

Yeah! So everyone’s been asking “How’s Timor?” The quick answer is “Great!” There are no shopping malls to tempt my empty pockets, no rush hour even at 5pm, no cinemas with ever-rising ticket prices. Instead I have been finding solace walking down the aisles of the few supermarkets here: comparing prices of olive oil, brown rice, mixed grain bread, potatoes. You have to peer closely to see where the products are made because the Baygon made in Australia, for example, costs 3 times more than the one from Indonesia. Of course, my pocket dictated my decision although the OZ version looked nicer, more ergonomic and would probably mean my hands would tire less when using it to spray down ‘orrible insects.

Speaking of extermination, I have been poisoning myself a fair bit these few days. But wait, before I go on, I really want to say that this is the ONLY bugbear (pun pun pun!) I have about Timor - - I love the rest of it so far.

I was sleeping on Wednesday night when suddenly I felt some feeler-like things on my left arm. Instinctively I swept it away and then turned on the light to see what it was. *GASP* I saw a disgusting ROACH writhing in the corner and it dawned upon me that I had just shared my covers with a cockroach. Blimey! It was 3am but I was wide awake. I took some tissue, grabbed the nasty fella, flushed it down the loo and started scrubbing my arm with soap. I didn’t really feel like crawling back into bed after that so I slept on my tatami instead.

The next morning, I told my Vietnamese landlady about the roach visit and she told me, “Oh how lucky of you! In Vietnam, we say you will have good luck if cockroach touches you!” Ugh…. Ok, where’s my windfall? I’m still waiting.

Anyways, I found more cockroaches when I came home in the evening and saw another one crawling out from my basin. So I’ve been fogging my room quite mercilessly the past two days. My mom says I should combat them with pandan leaves so I need to find those before I commit chemical suicide.

Alright, that’s all for now. It’s already way too long an update. Till next week, and I promise to write about something else than cockroaches (and those mosquitos!) Like the beaches for example!

that's me Ms SEE!

that's me Ms SEE!
Originally uploaded by tumbleweeed.

I'm going to Timor! WATCH this spppace for updates!