Love Is - East Timor 28th June 2007

Love is bringing two 2ltr bottles of fresh water and heating them in the sun while your boyfriend goes diving. Then standing on the back of the car and pouring the water over his head, so that he washes the salt from his hair. I thought this was so sweet, it reminded me of those ‘Love Is’ cartoons you used to get in the Daily Mail.

Back in February this year there was spate of rice raids around town. Well to prevent a reoccurrence, rice is now transported with a police escort; one car at the front, then three rice trucks, then another police car. The rice trucks themselves are so overloaded, they look extremely precarious. On the way to lunch I commented that the police car at the back was only there to pick up stray bags if they fall off. On the way back from lunch, that’s exactly what happened! The UN Policeman was hauling the stray bags into the back of his truck causing an enormous traffic jam.

At the start of the crisis last year, one vigilant Timorese labourer was digging a trench outside the centre for the new water pipes. He was even doing this when the shots started! However, the trench was then abandoned until September when the new pipes were finally put in. It’s now June and one of the pipes up the road has sprung a leak, causing a swamp and water flooding into the road. But the Timorese being an inventive lot have turned the water source into an impromptu car wash for taxis, as the water is pretty clean. That would just never happen back home.

Everyone has different memories and experiences of the last year. For the new batch of New Zealand cops staying in the Esplanada, the situation is a picnic compared to what their predecessors faced. However, they are still getting to grips with what the conflict is all about. They had to break up a 300 strong stone fight. Was it politically motivated? Was it an East/West thing? Was it a gang fight? No it was the result of a Karaoke competition!

I dived with one of the cops last week on Pertamina jetty, only to surface and be faced with a gun wielding FDTL officer and his cronies. Apparently, diving on the jetty is a security risk as I may be a terrorist like the Bali bombers. I explained that I was diving with a policeman and showed him photos of fish on my camera, but it didn’t cut it. Luckily the Minister for fisheries popped in the dive centre the next day, so hopefully we will soon get our nearest dive site back.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally visited the cemetery at Santa Cruz. This was the place that on the 12th of November 1991, the Indonesian military opened fire on a peaceful demonstration killing over 200 Timorese. The Indonesian government admitted killing 19, then upped it to 51, but every report I’ve read, states around 200 were killed. There is no memorial there, but the place is so packed with graves it’s hard to walk around. Many of the graves are tiny as infant deaths here are high. The graves are all shapes and sizes, many of them tombs, colourfully adorned with pictures, statues and flowers.

You would think that after all this tiny country endured under the Indonesian occupation and how hard that they fought for independence, that the nation could live in harmony, united by their history. Unfortunately this is not the case. I saw some of the footage of the massacre of the 11 unarmed policemen last May. It was horrific. Being here at the time, I remember the day, but didn’t see the footage that went out to the world. The photos I saw wouldn’t have been broadcast either because they were too gory. There is only so much blood that the public can endure on national television. For months after there were stones blocking the road like an unofficial memorial, a no-go zone. Now there is an official memorial with 11 headstones of those that were killed and a large inscription honouring them for dying serving their country.

A few nights ago there was a shooting incident where the FDTL fired warning shots in the air to break up a crowd. Normally warning shots would be one or two, but this was around 30 shots. What the FDTL haven’t grasped is the law of gravity, what goes up must come down and unfortunately they came down a bit too close to the Australian troops who returned fire. Luckily I haven’t heard of any fatalities from this incident.

It’s now a few days until the election and the atmosphere around town is becoming tense, you can feel it. Political rallies are taking place and there are UNPol everywhere. The GNR have screamed past with sirens blaring several times today, and we have seen several lorry loads of Fretilin supporters driving into town as it’s their rally today. One lorry just went past and got stoned by our local boys. Two minutes later, all the Kiwi cops from the Esplanada were out on the street in flak jackets, but not before my two Norwegian neighbours dressed only in bath towels. That made me laugh more than anything.

'Used to be.....' - East Timor 6th May 2007

All is quiet at the moment, however there has been shooting near Viqueque and a hand grenade went off in Fatuhada. I hope it’s a one off incident and they are not upping the ante. Until now the weapons of choice have been stones and ambon arrows. That’s probably why there is such a low death toll. Don’t get me wrong, any death in a conflict is a needless waste of life, but considering how long the unrest has been going on here; the death toll is very low in comparison to other countries in similar circumstances.

The whole place seems so different from a year ago; a sense of normality is starting to come back, although the IDP camps seem to be a permanent fixture. The huge camp at Metinaro Barracks now seems to be a living, breathing town, complete with shops, restaurants and according to rumour, two brothels.

A year ago Xanana had just declared a ‘State of Emergency’ and I saw my first Ozzy foot patrols. It was a state of emergency, people were running in droves to the hills or IDP camps as their houses were being burned down, the supermarkets had been closed for nearly a week and food and petrol were scarce. Now, the Ozzy foot patrols are still around but you don’t blink an eye at the sight of camouflage. New restaurants, bars and businesses are popping up everywhere around town, it’s hard to keep up.

Ryan from the Lonely Planet has been in town to get an update for the new East Timor guide. He came across a very popular saying in Dili, which is ‘You know where such and such used to be?’ No I’m afraid I don’t! Whereas in the UK you are given directions by the pubs, here directions are given on the basis of where things used to be! Very helpful!

One of Ryan’s frustrations is that he has to put the proper official names of roads and places on the maps, not the names they are known by. For example the road that we live on is officially named ‘Avenue de Portugal’, but it’s known by the locals as Pantai Kelapa (Coconut Beach) or the Beach Road.

Other common names include:-

Banana Road – The only dual carriageway in Dili that funnily enough is lined with banana trees.

Pig Bridge – A small bridge that has always got pigs feeding under it.

Rubbish Ridge – An unofficial dumping ground up the hill, which was recently cleared by a bulldozer pushing all the rubbish over the edge of the ridge. Very eco friendly!

Jesus’ Backside – The beach behind the Jesus statue

Muscle Beach - The beach in front of the Caz Bar where the GNR work out

Cock Rock – This was named by a recent visitor and needs no explanation!

Ryan had his work cut out for him visiting all the new hotels and restaurants. Unfortunately the first day he arrived we had a freak downpour and I arrived back from a dive to find a power cut, Nelson stuffing towels into crevices and Ann and Wayne running round the house lifting any electrical wires and appliances off of the floor. By the time Ryan arrived, the electricity was back but the veranda was soaked through with soggy cushions and a very muddy floor. Two days later he was laid up in bed with Timor Tummy after eating at one of the old favourite haunts, what a great impression he must have!

Another interesting couple turned up at our door, Liliana and Emile are from Switzerland and have been travelling for 22 years in the same Toyota Truck. East Timor was country number 156, but they got themselves into the Guiness Book of Records at country number 114! Their truck is amazing, bright turquoise with every country they have visited, (in order), painted down the side. Lilliana showed me the inside; they have everything in there from a stove, to a pull out sink to a spice rack. A real mobile home, amazing!

I recently paid a visit to Ross's new place. It ‘Used to be’ the Monkey Bar, but when the crisis hit, he got the contract to do the Ozzy troops laundry. With the money he made from that he has opened a fantastic furniture shop with beautiful, stylish pieces imported from Indonesia, that’s one thing that is sorely lacking here. Before Ross arrived, I spotted a trampoline in his garden and couldn’t resist a bounce. It was great fun; I haven’t done that in years.

Taxis are still not running after dark, so some of Ross's staff gave Robbie and I a lift to One More Bar where a great Timorese band were playing. As I climbed in the front of the minivan, I heard a squeal like a pig, it turned out I had stepped on a chicken which was in the dark foot well of the van. That’s another first for me; well you don’t expect a chicken to be there do you?

Ann was invited to the Birthday party of the owner of Hotel California, a new hotel and bar that has opened on the beach. The view over the bay watching the sunset is fantastic. The bar itself is decorated with shells and stones and very stylishly done, although personally I would rather see shells on the beach. The food was great and the same band as I saw a couple of nights before were playing. They opened with ‘Hotel California’ which of course was very appropriate, then played a mixture of Portuguese and English songs. It doesn’t matter whether the song is slow or fast, the Timorese all dance to in the same way, arm around the waist, the other hand holding their partners hand and held away from their body in a kind of waltzing shuffle. When Ann got up and strutted her stuff to a fast number, I watched a table of Timorese girls giggling shyly and imitating her moves. I wonder what they would make of a rave?

On the way to a dive at K41, we pulled in by the side of the road to join the rest of the village watch a Blackhawk helicopter take off. It had landed on their football pitch. They are amazing things to watch, but so noisy! It reminded me of the Vietnam movies. I was teaching an American UN volunteer at the time, so to make car conversation we started comparing English English against American English. It went something along the lines of......

‘So this is the hood?’......’No, it’s the bonnet’
‘So this is the Windshield?’......’No, it’s the Windscreen’
‘So this is the Trunk?’.......’No, it’s the boot’
‘So this is the Sidewalk?’.......’No, it’s the pavement’
Etc, etc.

Then he asked me why we spelt theatre and centre wrong. Bloody Americans, you’d think they invented the English language! However, despite the language differences he was a great student and our dive at Ricks Rapture was excellent. The clarity of the water that morning was exceptional and you could see for 20 to 25 meters.

Another great dive this week was at Dili Rock where we spent a full five minutes watching Fred the turtle, literally 3 meters away from us, until he got bored and buggered off. I also saw my second frog fish in East Timor this week, a little lemon one. I think Andy thought that Jurgen and I had got Nitrogen Narcosis at 12 meters, coz we were doing a silly little underwater scuba dance after we had seen it.