The only things I have really managed to take snaps of so far here in Timor have been the beaches. They are so impossibly blue on a bright day, with clear water. Dili stretches along the coast, taking in lush vistas of the ocean framed by grooved mountain ranges, which are sometimes dusted with wet season mists hinting at impending downpours.
There are many restaurants, pubs and cafes along the waters edge, as well as some small stands grilling seafood. Down at Areia Branca you can sit and eat or drink right on the sand, taking a swim while you wait for scrambled eggs or a burger.
Timor is a challenging place to live in many regards, most definitely, but I’m living closer to the beach than I ever have in Australia — I even have to drive along the coast in a bright yellow taxi every morning to get to work, half sleepy on the sea breeze while my ears are assaulted with the questionable music choices of the taxi drivers and long-exhausted air fresheners swing about my head.
It’s easy to see burnt out buildings, crappy infrastructure, potholes, poverty and problems… but thankfully it’s also easy to look out into that deep blue expanse for a quick dose of micro-meditation.
This is the view from the balcony of the flat I am sharing in Dili. Not too shabby right? The balcony points away from the main part of the city and the beach, towards the mountains that frame Dili.
The apartment has some problems, especially the water pump being turned off a lot, meaning you can strip to have a shower and then find there’s no water. That is a bit annoying! Also, out lounge room is connected to the lounge room of the flat downstairs by a locked staircase… so we can hear everything they say and smell everything they cook (and vice versa for them).
The staircase up to the apartment is also interesting… the steps are different sizes!
But I never really expected to find perfection here, and the balcony makes up for the quirks.
On my first morning in Timor Leste, I got up early, full of enthusiasm for my first Tetum language classes. However, when I got out of my shipping container room and down to the shower block at the hotel where we are staying, I discovered the water wasn’t working. We had a few blackouts the night before because of a big storm (it is the wet season), so unperturbed, I decided to see if there was another shower block elsewhere with running water.
I climbed up a staircase beside the pool, but having no luck on the bathroom search, I turned back… only to be tripped by a wobbly board on the staircase sending me plunging face-and-boob-first down the stairs.
It was OK… I only got a few bruises, scratches all over my foot and one of my calves, a bleeding knee, two gashes in my ankle, and a dose of humiliation in front of one of the cleaning ladies. I didn’t expect to have to pull out the medical kit in the first 12 hours here… but that’s why you should always be prepared!
But since the fall, everything has been pretty good! Maybe I needed to literally come crashing to the ground to humble me right from the start of my experience here. I’m just taking language classes at the moment and doing errands/administrative things and meeting some people around town before starting my position, but things seem to be coming together. I can see that while living here will be a challenge, there is also a significant amount of stuff to occupy me socially, recreationally and professionally.
There is also a surprising number of fusion restaurants! More on that in another post down the track I’m sure….
