Missed doing my blog for last week and am now approaching the end of my 5th week ..... Time is just speeding on by (despite Timor timing!) and there is definitely a lot to keep me busy!!! So what can I tell you about week 4? Well there was a remembrance day, an inauguration, a couple of invitations, a visit by a colleague from USYD and a Sat trip to a gorgeous wee island.
Main events, workwise........
On Tuesday I got invited by the Minister of Health to sit in on his weekly meeting of the Cabinet of Health Research and Development as they are forming a new Research Institute. The meeting was fascinating mainly because it chopped and changed between four different languages – Tetun, Portuguese, English and Indonesia – Surprisingly I somehow managed to understand most of what was going on, don’t ask me how! The Minister was kind enough to stop once in a while and explain the gist of the discussions and I was secretly chuffed with myself when his explanation matched what I had thought everyone was talking about!! He then gave me a lift home and it was only when I got out of the car did I realised we had a police escort all the way back – in some ways everyone is so laid back here you forget that sort of thing tends to happen with Ministers!!
Wednesday evening I caught up with two of our Timorese Fellows who we brought over to Sydney this year for three months – Joaquim (Director of Klibur Domin Rehabilitation Centre) and Lucio (one of only FIVE dentists in Timor Leste). It was fantastic to see them and chat about what they had been up to since getting back from Sydney.
Friday afternoon I went to the inauguration of the new training centre at the National Hospital (funded by USAID). We were not allowed in until all the formalities had finished so were all sat outside as Dr Odete (Director of the Hospital), the US Ambassador and the Vice Minister of Health gave speeches. Then some doctors and nurses sang the hospital song (and were also quite bizarrely joined by some Chinese Drs when they sang a Chinese song!!!!!). The ribbon was finally cut and we got to see the inside of the centre which looks great and will be really useful (speaking from purely selfish motives for the training we do!!). Once inside the centre I did think for one moment that there was going to be a real life emergency as the US soldier with the Ambassador almost fell over because the floors were so new, shiny and incredibly slippery!! At least some of the ER docs and nurses who were involved in our training were there and hopefully they would have been able to spring into action!!!
All work would be bad so what did I do that was non work or half work/half play this week?.........
Well Thursday 12th was a public holiday in remembrance of the Santa Cruz Massacre when a significant number of young Timorese were killed as they attended a funeral at the Santa Cruz cemetery. Michelle (my colleague from USYD) had arrived on Wednesday so the two of us caught up on Thursday to wander the streets so she could get her bearings. We avoided the main public service at the Cemetery and only went later in the day when most people had finished their memorials. I had seen Max Stahl’s video footage of the massacre the night before so going back to the Cemetery for a second time was even more meaningful.
On Saturday I tagged along with the President’s Office, (once again thanks to Mike!), as they went across to Atauro Island - for Atauro Island Day and to check out the locations for the big fishing competition coming up soon. We were going across on the public ferry so all headed to the terminal at the Wharf. While I was listening intently for my name to be called by one of the office staff to get my ticket to board I rather embarrassingly managed to snub the President who was standing nearby and who had said hello to me twice before someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me he was speaking to me! If you could have seen me blush you would have but luckily my dark skin manages to hide that mostly – instead I said a flustered “Bon dia” and retreated! 
The 2 hour ferry trip across was great. I bumped into heaps of familiar faces - some of the Aus Youth Volunteers, as well as Michelle from USYD and the team from Health Alliance International. Got to have a great chat with Susan and her team from HAI and find out what they do here in Timor – they are a fabulous bunch!! The Island is absolutely gorgeous and the water as we approached was this awesome blue. On the Island we were shuttled to this lovely restaurant near an eco lodge - both community run. The food was really tasty and I had to stop myself from going up for more.
As some of you will know – I can pretty much shop anywhere and yes I found a place to shop on the Island! As luck would have it, right opposite the restaurant was a women’s co-op that made gorgeous cloth handbags and Timorese dolls. I bought a FEW things but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) I hadn’t taken heaps of money across with me so had to retire from my shopping spree early!
We were driven back to the beach where a cultural show was put on by the “sucos” (villages) on the island. We then headed back on the ferry with the masses (minus the President) and did the 2 hour journey back. On the ferry over I had been invited to a dinner and party hosted by the Portuguese Ambassador at the Guarda Nacional Republicaria (I think that is the Portuguese compound – not sure though). however despite not really doing much all day I was pretty exhausted and decided to decline on the way back – yes sad I know – but a quiet night at home with a good DVD was needed – yes even more pathetic!!!
There you go.... that was week 4 in Timor Leste. I’ll get back to you with the low down on week 5 shortly.
Adeus!
d xx
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