Choir Camp at Maubara

What-I-did-this-weekend: Went to a craft fair in Maubara (they make peanut brittle in Timor! It was amazing! Kind of mushily crunchy, so I didn’t break my teeth, and not sickeningly sweet!) and stayed at a convent for choir camp weekend. The convent is some amazing real estate – fantastic views over trees down to the ocean and across to the Indonesian island Alor (thankyou for the name Tracey). I think my favourite part of the weekend was when we were all on the back porch after four hours’ hard singing, watching the sun set over the ocean, drinking*, eating and singing along to the accompaniment of choir members talented with instruments other than voice. I played a shell and cane shaker. I love percussion. Why have I never taken up percussion? Remind me to do that when I’m back in Australia.

Close second would be getting up early to see the sun rise over the beach, though.

I tried to take photos of the convent and the amazing views, but my photos don’t really capture it; it was another one of those things in Timor which is more of a site-specific artwork, best experienced in real life.

• The nuns were totally cool with this. Convents in Timor are often the best / only accommodation in an area, and so they’re used to catering for big groups. I guess this also includes turning a blind eye to any shenanigans guests get up to – within reason, anyway.