Happy holidays for some

Tropical Cyclone Laurence hit Northern Australia this past week which also meant a bit of rain in Timor-Leste. Too bad it wasn’t raining to put out this fire… but then again people usually use this part of the street to burn trash… it’s not an uncommon sight… there isn’t really a systematic  way to get … Continue reading Happy holidays for some

Anymore 'afters' and there won't be a 'now'

The last month has been a whirlwind of craziness… first I was in Canada for about 3 weeks in January after finishing my job in Timor-Leste. It was a welcome break with all the snow that fell – I haven’t seen a “real” winter in about 3 years. But even 3 weeks went by quickly … Continue reading Anymore 'afters' and there won't be a 'now'

Thanks, but I’ll stick to eating chicken

This photo explains it all in Dili, or Timor-Leste for that matter – infrastructure in need of work, flashy UN trucks, sun and sand, and rising mountains in the distance. Outside of these Dili gates, the population decreases dramatically and things start to get calmer, almost tranquil if you don’t have to think about what … Continue reading Thanks, but I’ll stick to eating chicken

What's up Portugal??!

Did you know that over 90% of the people in Timor-Leste are Catholic? I guess after 400 years of Portuguese colonization, people pickup a few things. Religion, culture and language have definitely been affected by this 400-year rule. Even the local language of Tetun/Tetum has bits and pieces of Portuguese injected into it. According to … Continue reading What's up Portugal??!

Learning more about Timor

About one week into my stay in Dili and I’ve found out some things: It’s very hot and dry People are generally friendly Food is surprisingly good and varied (i.e. Indonesian, Thai, Turkish, Chinese, Western) You need a car to go just about anywhere You don’t want to be walking on the streets between 10am … Continue reading Learning more about Timor

Timor Leste, East Timor, Timor Lorosae

The flight was long. To be exact, it was 20 hours of flying, twice changing planes, and an overnight stay in Singapore. There were benefits… like enjoying a nice meal in front of a flat screen TV in business class. Approximately two days after taking off from Vancouver, I arrived in Dili, the capital of … Continue reading Timor Leste, East Timor, Timor Lorosae