Cost of living in Timor-Leste is expensive. The currency is US Dollars, but coins are Timorese – it’s a weird combination. A typical meal in a restaurant can range from USD$5-20, and that’s in the “expat” types of places. In typical Indonesian or Timorese-style restaurant that serves usually serves pre-made buffet-style food, the price drops … Continue reading Comforts cost
Author: Vincent
Houses at Risk from Flooding
This map was created to provide an overall analysis of the flood vulnerability of areas in Timor-Leste, as part of an assessment prior to the rainy season in the country. The map was developed to support the humanitarian response as well as to help develop contingency plans by the United Nations and emergency preparedness measures … Continue reading Houses at Risk from Flooding
After 5 minutes, can you trust your gut?
It’s a weird feeling… not the conjunctivitis I caught in late May, but you know the one; where within 5 minutes of meeting someone you either like them or not. There’s not too much of a problem if you like them because you can just continue talking to them, trading stories, exchanging ideas or cracking … Continue reading After 5 minutes, can you trust your gut?
Seasons are changing and there’s excitement in the air.
Winter is coming. The days are shortening and the nights are cool… There’s a strange feeling in the air where people seem more relaxed and will be enjoying the season. Maybe it’s because on May 20 the Timorese celebrated their independence day and everyone was in good spirits. Not much happens in Dili, and … Continue reading Seasons are changing and there’s excitement in the air.
Bumped By Beer
Had dinner last night with some UN people, and they talked about taking the UN helicopter to Oecusse, the lone enclave/district of Timor-Leste surrounded by Indonesia. The only way in and out is by a) driving 8 hours through Indonesia, b) taking a 12-hour broken down ferry, or c) taking a 45-minute helicopter ride along … Continue reading Bumped By Beer
Watch your step.
April 22 is Earth Day. From last month’s EarthHour to this month’s Earth Day, there seems to be a lot of events on the environment. I get HBO, and even they are advertising about Earth Day. From what I saw, they’re going to be showing the “11th Hour“, a 2007 movie about looking at the … Continue reading Watch your step.
Non Formal Education in Oecusse
In preparation for a planning meeting with one of the poorest districts in Timor-Leste, this compilation was created to highlight the education issues in the district. The statistics were drawn from a database the Ministry of Education was maintaining. One of the areas that the government wanted to look into was non-formal education since the … Continue reading Non Formal Education in Oecusse
A-T-A-U-R-O
An hour and a half by speed boat (or a 2+ hour ferry ride) north of Dili brings you to Atauro Island. The island can literally be seen from the shores of Dili, yet the island is miles away in terms of activities and development. If the hustle and bustle of Dili is like a … Continue reading A-T-A-U-R-O
Human Resources
Working with the Ministry of Education and UNIFEM in Timor-Leste, I developed a series of infographics to showcase the education statistics the government was collecting as part of a gender assessment. In this graphic, the idea was to highlight the difference between male and female staff in the Ministry to understand the gender balance in … Continue reading Human Resources
Student Enrollment
In March/April 2009, I was approached by UNIFEM and the Ministry of Education in Timor-Leste to help them visualize statistics for a gender assessment of the education system in the country. At the time there was a big project to collect and organize stats on education to help the government develop a strategic plan to … Continue reading Student Enrollment