Category: General

Thoughts, books, travels and personal ideas.

Wedding in Santorini

Just finishing up on our trip to Greece to attend my cousin’s wedding in Santorini…. I think I’ve had enough souvlaki, gyros, and greek salad for a life-time. The trip has had it’s ups and downs – the nauseous boat cruise, the historic Greek ruins, and the olive oil. But the highlight was definitely seeing … Continue reading Wedding in Santorini

Addiction to technology vs. common sense

One thing about Timor is that there isn’t that sense of technology addiction that has been plaguing the rest of the world… from Blackberry’s, iPhones, to other gadgets that seen to distract people from reality, there isn’t much of that in Timor. Of course, there are the technophiles who just loved to keep up-to-date on … Continue reading Addiction to technology vs. common sense

Cast away the computer – a relief at least for a little while

We’re sooo dependent on electronic communications today, it’s a little scary. Have you ever tried not emailing or surfing the internet for more than one day? How does it feel? Not only are we dependent on computers and internet for our daily life (i.e. searching or buying stuff, reading the news, connecting with people via … Continue reading Cast away the computer – a relief at least for a little while

Comforts cost

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

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.