I am writing this from the Timor-Leste capital Dili. In a very nice hotel. Just had my first hot shower in 3 months🙂 (yes, it felt amazing). Our TL-13 group has now completed a full 3 months at our permanent sites and we are back in Dili for IST (In Service Training) for 1 week. It been awesome catching up with the rest of me cohort. They all look great! Apparently we are the only Timor-Leste Peace Corps cohort to not loose anybody up to this stage. We are a pretty strong group and I feel a really strong bond with them all. A photo below from a teambuilding activity we did today (I just so happen to be in the middle 😁).
This ALSO marks the point at which we can now freely travel around Timor-Leste (we were on lockdown at our permanent sites until this point). So trips to Dili are now possible as well as other places. I look forward to return to Dili to meet up with friends and have some downtime. I was also able to meet up with a couple of Brits and an Irish guy living here in Dili! Small world!
I managed to fit in getting a new tattoo. Its a Teki! Small lizards that live in my home in Fatuquero. I see them every day on my walls and they have become almost like pets to me. I found a really great Tattoo artist here named Grey and he did a super job. I will be back 😀. A photo of Grey and the tattoo below. Photo is from the VERY nice hotel in Dili 😉.
This last month has been super busy. I have 4 Kids Club English classes per week at different locations, 2 classes with my disabled group (FJDE) and 2 with my mushroom growing group (EAMO). I also put together a proposal to build a small computer training center at FJDE and helped various other youths with applications to study and work abroad. There is no shortage of “stuff” to do. I feel a bit overloaded at times, but its rewarding. Some choice photos from my 4 Kids Club classes below.
My host family continue to be great company. Kind and caring. I commented how I liked the look of the woolly hat which Mana Berta was wearing in the morning (it was a cool Iceland flag hat… I think left over from when the UN Peacekeepers were here which possibly included troops from Iceland). The next day it was washed and presented to me 😁. I was touched. Below is my new hat plus Mana Berta making “doci” (all cakes are called doci here, in this case she is making doughnuts) probably around 5:30am. We had electricity that morning so she was able to use the hot plate.
The TL-11 Peace Corps Volunteer cohort are in the process of leaving after finishing their service. I made good friends with some and it is really sad to see them leave. Below is a nice photo of volunteers Jade and Horacio, who left this weekend, at a family gathering to “see them off”. We will miss them. Good people 🙏.
Paul is another TL-11 volunteer who left 2 days ago. Paul was in Fatuquero for 2 years (so now its just me in Fatuquero). He will be missed. Shelby (my TL-13 volunteer mate from Gleno) and Paul came over to my home for a meal a couple of weekends ago, we then visited Maun Jacob at EAMO and then we went for a hike to the “fatin turismu” for a coffee. Some photos below. Super nice day. We will miss you Paul!
Some final pictures before I send this post and crash in bed. Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday here and the family went to Church Mass (I rode my bike to Railaco to meet TL-11 volunteer Ruby for a coffee… I perhaps need to go to Mass at my next opportunity..😐). I took a photo of my host sister Mana Cisca and another with my host niece and nephew Alin Cidalia and Alin Bosy as they were all dressed up for church. Nice photos 😀.
So, I also managed to buy some exercise “bands” in Dili! Super happy. They will help me workout 💪. Hope I can post again soon. Thanks for reading 🙏.Stay safe out there!!!!
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