May 2009

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I celebrated the 10th anniversary of independence – or was it the 7th anniversary of the signing of the independence document? Hmm yes I think that second one is it – by having lunch with one lot of friends, and dinner with another lot. I will admit that I had three delicious cocktails at the dinner party and tooooootally regretted it the next day. Next time, drink the night *before* the public holiday.

I think my dog is pregnant.

(Yeah, the one called Britney. Figures.)

I wasn’t 100% sure, but since she has suddenly become super fat (from being super skinny), even sleepier and lazy than usual, and has suddenly developed an impressive set of boobs, I can only presume this is why. People in Australia usually desex their pets, so I’ve never actually seen a pregnant dog before.

I have no idea what we are going to do with her puppies...

Well, I was out and about once again this weekend. Saturday arvo was the main event. To kick off, I checked out a wine and cheese afternoon (note to self: wine and cheese afternoons are weird; wine and cheese only works after dark) at the Palm Spring estate bar, Jack’s Place. I know I’ve mentioned Palm Spring before, but to recap, it’s worthy of mention in that it’s this weird housing estate in the middle of Dili, built for malae. It looks like a Brisbane suburb (a flat one, anyway, without trees) and houses rent for a cool $7000 USD per month. Definitely not volunteer territory.

Anyway, after sampling some very nice New Zealand wine and absolutely magnificent cheese (which I could probably buy at the supermarket in Australia, but man, we’re deprived here ok), I tootled off around the corner to the new AusAID Counsellor’s place to meet about 50 other people for Hash.

What is Hash?

Hash is the Dili Puddle Jumpers Hash Club, or, a group of people who get together each week for a run and some social drinking. There are hash groups all around the world. (I note their website describes them as ‘a group of drinkers with a running problem’.) I’d heard mixed reports: some people love the group, some people found the Aussie boys’ drinking club culture a bit much.

Overall I had a good time; there was a ‘walk’ option for people like me who value their knees, and a few people I know from choir and work were there, so I chatted to them and got introduced to some other people.

I did find the ritualised and forced sculling of drinks a bit much, mainly because it went on for so long. I suppose it’s kind of funny to get new recruits (i.e. me) to scull a drink (luckily they are kind and don’t mind sculling of soft drink if you don’t do beer), and to mete out a scull as a ‘punishment’. However I do think the atmosphere would be nicer if it really was just standing around, chatting and having a social drink afterwards.

I’m not able to go every week, partly because we seem to have more work events on Saturdays at the moment and partly because I don’t have a car. I went this week purely because it was within taxi distance. I think every few weeks will be just enough to enjoy it when I do go.

Well, I felt very profound about hitting the 6 month mark. It seems like rather a milestone.

I guess I find it interesting that all of the biggest challenges I’ve had this year have been the everyday living ones. Constant noise. Lack of control over everyday things in the house. Lack of transport. Lack of information. Finding out who I can trust and who I can’t.

Anything that work has thrown at me, just doesn’t stress me that much, even when it’s unexpected and it’s something I haven’t done before. Or if it does stress me, I find a way to deal with it – I know this because I’m racking my branes trying to think of something that’s stressed me out, but I can’t, and that’s obviously because I’ve found a solution every time.

Anyway. Onward and upward. The two single best things about this year so far have been, firstly, discovering that Timor is a fantastic country, nothing like the picture that the international meeja paints; and, working in the best job I’ve ever had. These two things alone, apart from anything else like swimming in a warm ocean in May or the breathtaking scenery, do balance out the other shit that’s happened.