Japaneseish

A small selection of the weird, wonderful & tasty that only the Japanese would invent.

 Mmm, Hot Soba with whitebait & seaweed! The book - "Reimagining Japan" by McKinsey, an excellent collection of essays from those who should know on what the future of Japan should be and what is needed to get there. 

 Cabbages that look like flowers or flowers that look like pretty cabbages?

 Soba noodle making in action

 Soba noodle appetite building!

 Some places remind me so much of that cult classic - "Ghost in the Shell".

 Earthquake while in Roppongi Hills Tower - Not - Just a zoom photo.

 Tokyo Tower from Roppongi Hills Tower

 Funghi Soba with Pork, beer and notes. How do they make it so tasty?!

Notice anything special here? 2WD bicycle!

Day 2 / 3 Tokyo Bike ride

Went back to Ofuna, fetched up the bike and set of for Kamakura. At teh outset, I intended to return the bike to Tokyo, then I realised - whats the rush? Japan has such a low crime rate, people leave their bicycles unlocked and all over the place - I could just head to another train station at the end of the day, park the bicycle and head home.

Oh yeah, why don't I just take the bike home on the train? Although Japan is a really bike friendly place did I mention your not allowed to take a bike on the train unless it is in a carrier or bag. Helps explain why there are so many foldable bicycles here.

 One of many temples in Kamakura

 The path to enlightenment?

 My temple!

Mt Fuji on the right

Was a wonderful day of cycling today, although the slightly hilly atmosphere killed the battery, which I had been conserving for a while. Plus, also worked out that the train tickets are costing me +$10 each way... Japan is a great place but oh so expensive! 

Day 1 / 3 Tokyo Bike ride

Headed out on Christmas day for a little bike ride on an electric assisted bicycle. Started a bit later than anticipated and whilst the target was Kamakura and the many temples in that area, I was so busy taking in the surrounds - the beautiful narrow streets, bicycle-ways, tiny 2 story houses that just seemed so Japanese for no reason I can describe, I never quite made it!

The fruit and vegetable markets, the huge factories, the triple layered motorways, the neatness in general. All of it very Japanese. On this beautiful Sunday it was eerie quiet as well, with many of the roads and sidewalks I went on deserted. Then you would go around a corner and the road would be flooded with people and I would have to walk the bicycle. It seems every popular road in Japan has at least 2 or 3 smaller roads directly behind it going in the same direction.

On the road

 A game of baseball on the river flats just before Kawasaki

The woman, the dog, a fag (if you look closely at her left hand!), moccasins, and the shopping.

 Many many streets like these in Tokyo

Top of the hill

 I never got to Kamaura on this day. Lack of direction was probably the reason! So parked the bike at Ofuna station bicycle parking station (cost me $10 for over-night bicycle parking!). Thinking I'll return to pick it up tomorrow, ride to Kamkura and then back to Tokyo.   

Tokyo - Zen, Sustainablity

Arrived Tokyo last night. Very peaceful yet vibrant place. How do the Japanese manage to be relaxed, energetic and quiet? For now I'll put it down to Zen. Here to meet with some of the rapidly growing PwC Japan Sustainability Services Team to talk about their recent success.

Tokyo Tower Park in Autumn Splendor

Did you know Zen is a form of buddhism that travelled to Japan and America from Nepal? Well that is according to Peter Maththiessen, famous explorer and author of such informative books as 'The Snow Leopard' which is a must read for those searching for work / life balance.

Did you also know that the "ka" used at the end of sentence in Japanese to denote a question is also used in Tetun, the national language of Timor-Leste, for the same purpose? Strange.

Japan has a unique role to play in International Development and Sustainability in general. It has large financial and technical capacity to assist developing companies and is the unenviable economic position of wanting to assist these undeveloped economies in order to support its own struggling system. There is hope that in the future the role Japan takes will have a strong sustainability focus, for the benefit of developing countries and Japan alike. I like what I see so far.

Autumn Garden at Tsurutaro Kataoka Tofu Restaurant

Great big read

I love reading
Stimulating the imagination or stimulating the mind
Theres nothing quite like
A good blog find.

http://blog.talkingphilosophy.com

Needs a decent Sunday afternoon to do it justice,  it is good for stimulating the mind, or trying to understand it, or to marvel at its complexities and nuances. It is a blog that does a much better and focused job of explaining philosophy and in particular the philosophy of the mind.

Recently, they even got onto Climate Change! Check it out.

The world is small (& round)

The world is small. When viewed in parts.

I'm in Bali again. Flight over gave a great view of the part of the world that is Atauro and Timor, Wetar and the Alor islands, and the rest of Nusa Tengara Timor - Flores, Komodo, Rincha, Sumabawa, Lombok and Bali. Got me a little nostalgic about the amazing kayaking trip I did with dad in 2002 through those islands and also made me realise how close all these islands are, including Timor. On a clear day you can see Alor from the beach in Dili. For sure you can see Alor from the hills south of Dili on the way to Ermera. Got me thinking that if I had my kayak I could kayak across to Atauro and even onto Alor or Wetar.

That got me thinking if I could do it, for sure the Timorese and Indonesians at one stage before they were Timorese and Indonesians had done it. Whats that Noam Chiomsky / Max Weinreich said about a dialect - it "is any variety of a language spoken by a specific community of people. ... with an army and a navy."

Then I had dinner on the beach in Bali and got talking to the mother of 2 little kids. Turns out she had grown up in Maroopna and had even gone to school in Cobram for a year or two when she was growing up. Now she lives in Bali (since Tuesday!).

The world is small. When viewed in parts. Can't we all just get along?

PS. The last US troops pulled out of Iraq yesterday...

A lil present for Charlotte

It started as a simple map but got a bit cluttered when I added all the trips!

East and West Map yet to come! East Map includes the Maliana Hot Springs trip with dad. The trips are not actually in chronological order, just drawing order!

Trip 1 - To Turiscai and back in the rain. Read the blog post here.

Trip 2 - To Hatu-Builico (oops, wrong name on map!) at night. Climbed Ramalau. Read the blog post here.

Trip 3 - Haha, Whoops! isn't there something about bad luck and 3's? Great attention to detail Damian.

Trip 4 - The Energy Needs Assessment with Renato on the back of the bike. Read the blog post here.

Trip 5 & 6 - Two seperate trips to Liqudoe, one when it was red/yellow & dry and once when it was green!

Trip 7 - This weekends planned trip to Hatu-Builico and beyond. Going to be remote! Post soon.

I got my helmet back!

I was riding home from a joy ride to Liqudoe with Paolo on the weekend when I spotted my very precious stolen helmet! I was very very annoyed when this helmet was stolen and this frustration and anger bubbled out of me when I spotted the helmet on the street. I promptly locked up the back wheel in front of the Presidents Palace and the crowd assembled for the Independence celebrations. Dropped a U-Turn and roared off after the Helmet. I raced passed a truck load of transit police, over the canal on Comorro Road and finally caught up with the culprit outside Tiger Fuels. It was definitely my helmet, albeit with a few new stickers.

I hemmed the other bike rider behind a taxi and some other bikes and screamed at him to pull over, waving my left arm to tell him to pull over. He tried to duck around the inside of the taxi then the outside but luckily a parked car and myself kept him on the straight and narrow. More yelling and hand waving and with me guiding him to the gutter he pulled over.

He was riding a 125cc Yamaha motorbike but by no means looked rich or tough. His pillion passenger was a bit bigger but I hardly noticed him, he was grinning. I was making a scene and he looked pretty shocked. Still yelling, somehow some rational thought got through to my sub-conscious and after telling him that he was wearing my helmet which had been stolen 3 months before, I asked him where he bought it. Of course, he had bought it from a friend and it had cost him $60. I explained it was my helmet, showed him the Australian Standard sticker and demanded it back. He rather feebly said that he had paid $60 for it. I had paid $50 for the best helmet I could find in Timor, and I told him he could have it in exchange for my helmet. Amazingly, he accepted, I got my helmet back!.

At this point I calmed down a lot. Then, I explained that his 'friend' also had my gloves and that I would be willing (not really) to pay $10 for the other glove (read the full story on why I have one glove and his friend has one glover in this blog post). I gave them my number but never expected to hear from them. 

The next day they called me and wanted to meet. It seemed like they had the other glove. We arranged a meet and I gathered a 'crew' for the show-down. Paolo and James were back-up and we headed to Timor Plaza for the meet. Unfortunately, they didn't have the gloved and just wanted another $10 because he had paid $60 for the helmet and I had only paid $50 for the one he ended up with. Fat chance.

When I re-tell this story I'm surprised at my own stupidity and the amygdala reaction to fight. I've never been in a fight in my life and I don't harbour much frustration or anger normally. I'm not sure why this is different, but I guess the blatant act of crime right under my nose might have been the reason. I guess in some situations, you can never know what you would do until it happens.

Moral of the story: don't buy stolen goods. if you don't buy it, they wont steal it.

Sustainable Energy Program Update

The Good Return Sustainable Energy Program in Timor-Leste has been progressing in leaps, bounds and land-slides and has been both extremely challenging and very enjoyable.  It is now at the stage where it will begin to transition to Moris Rasik so they can continue to run with the program in the New Year.

The Extended Good Return Team in Timor-Leste

(L - R: Hamish, James, Guy, Damian, Paolo, Edy)

One of my first tasks on the program was to get the Memorandum of Understanding between Good Return, Mercy Corp and Moris Rasik signed. Progress on this task leaped ahead, with the initial drafts being vetted by Will Barron the Mercy Corp Energy 4 All Program Manager and myself. Then the drafts entered the review processed and land-slided for a while since the Mercy Corp Country Director was on leave for 6 weeks. Not to worry, there was plenty of other work to do! Rest assured, the MoU is signed!

Next was the need to determine which districts in Timor-Leste would be most appropriate for MR to focus on in the early days before expansion nationally. MR senior management feedback on the factors to assess was obtained quickly and easily at the regional manger meeting. Leap. This then necessitated a lot of running around trying to find information to assess these factors. The info should have been easily available but wasn’t. Landslide. An example was the Timore Leste Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP). In the end even the Director General of the Secretaria de estado da politica energetica (Secretariat of state for energy policy) was calling me to try to get a copy of this report! Combined eventually with sunlight data from NASA, electricity coverage courtesy of UNDP and client data from Moris Rasik we nearly had all the information we needed.

Having identified the districts we thought would be good for business we needed to determine if the people in the districts we had selected wanted the products and could afford them. It took 3 weeks to get approval and arrange the trip with numerous Timor style reschedules. Landslide. Then ensured a week long motorbike journey into the districts of Ainaro and Manufahi, our top 2 rated districts. Bound. The trip revealed the reality – none of the 98 clients interviewed had access to grid electricity. Moris Rasik clients were spending on average $4 a week on candles and kerosene. The results of the energy needs assessment were over-whelming , clients wanted, needed and could afford the type of solar lighting products we wanted to give them. You can read all about this trip here and you can read the Energy Needs Assessment report here.

With the field set, all that remained was to develop a loan product specifically for the purchase of Solar products, a mechanism to ensure the clients would buy the solar product with the loan, create a distribution network and select some products, as per the business model below. Leap, Bound, Landslide, Repeat.

Working with the Operations Manager at Moris Rasik we sketched out the details of the loan product and started it on the path to approval. Not so bad. Then came the voucher system – on first go it was far to complicated and we started again, and then revised it again and again with Mercy Corp input. It looks beautiful now.  After a month of work these processes are sitting waiting for the right day to shine. They got their first glimpse of sunshine at the recently held Programma Ahi Baa Uma Information memo session in Maubesse.

The SRY101L, D-Light S250, Barefoot Firefly and Sundaya Ulitium

To get the ball rolling on the distribution network we met with a range of local businesses that focus on electronic products and carefully narrowed down the choice to 3. These 3 are our potential ‘Importadors’.

Product selection has proven to be a lot tougher.  We collected a range of Solar products form our 3 importadors and from internationally recognised sources such as Barefoot, D-light and Sundaya and consulted with Origin Energy to determine the best way of assessing the product for our purpose. Our partner Mercy Corp also sent a number of products away to be tested in detail as well as conducting some field testing. We decided to take the products on a road-show to see what clients thought of them, and you can read all about that in this blog post.

The Products charging

During this trip we also met with and interviewed clients and shop-keepers who are interested in becoming ‘District Distribuidors’. In Late Novemeber we will be returning to identify the ‘Ajente Sucos’ or Sales Agents for the areas as well. In the New Year, Moris Rasik and Mercy Corp will be bringing them all together to discuss how they will work together to supply and service solar lights in the regional areas of Timor Leste. 

Product Focus Sessions

Last week marked a turning point in the Good Return Sustainable Energy program in Timor-Leste. The transition of the project from Good Return hands to Moris Rasik management has begun, and it is an exciting time. 

 The PABU Team on the road!

This transition started during a week-long trip into the districts to conduct product focus sessions with Moris Rasik clients at centre meetings and to identify district based distributors that can bring the solar products from Dili into the Districts. The trip was conducted by the Moris Rasik Training and Product Development Research Officer, Carlos and myself,  Damian - the Good Return Sustainable Energy Program Manager (Timor-Leste). Thankfully this time we were travelling by 4WD rather than by my motorbike, like last time.

The trip had a gruelling schedule of 6am starts, with about 5 hours of travel per day on Timors notorious roads and as many hours of focus sessions and interviews with local shop owners. The response however was uplifting and over whelming – the solar home systems and solar lanterns we demonstrated were in high demand by clients and potential distributors alike! In addition, using the Moris Rasik network of over 12,000 clients nationally we were able to identify a number of existing clients and potential new clients who may be suitable distributors.

Meeting with a potential DD and his family in Maubesse

The trip took us through the steep and windy roads south of Dili into the district of Aileu, past the muddy road works and along mountain ridges to chilly Maubesse in the north corner of Ainaro district. Maubesse sits in a large cauldron surrounded by bald, grassy mountains and is one of the more beautiful spots to over-night in Timor. From Maubesse we crawled down steep switch-backs and headed south east into Manufahi district and eventually onto the rolling hills around Same.  Continuing from Same the next day we headed west in Hatu-Udo Sub-district for more centre meetings and focus sessions and then onto Ainaro. The following day was spent in Ainaro before we made the trek back up the mountains to Maubesse and back through Aileu to Dili.

 The windy mountain road from Ainaro to Maubesse. Kids walk a couple of hours a day to get to and from school

Along the way we stopped at the MR offices in Aileu, Maubesse, Same and Ainaro to provide training to staff on the responsibilities of the Sales Agents. We deviated from the main roads to visit centre meeting and conduct product focus sessions. In the town-ships we  visited with clients and well respected business people to identify potential distributors. These visits meant that multiple cups of Timor-Lestes national drink - coffee were enjoyed, gregarious and wide-eyed children were met.

The products on display to wide eyed kids

These kind of discussions in Timor tend to be quite lengthy. The Sustainable Energy Program / Programma Ahi Baa Uma (Light in the house) idea of building a sustainable business model and distribution network is a new concept by Western Standards and is not intrinsically understood in Timor. It is very interesting to watch the reaction of business people when they grasp the opportunity that this program presents to them – namely to manage and operate a network of sales agents selling solar powered lights on credit through the Moris Rasik network of clients.

The location of one of the product-focus sessions - 10 points for spotting the solar panel!

All in all the trip was very productive. By the end, Carlos was taking the lead with client interviews and product focus sessions and was extremely well versed in the mechanics of the program and the responsibilities of each of the actors. He is a natural networker and I’m sure he will do his best to ensure the transition of the program from the hands of Good Return to Moris Rasik goes as smoothly as it can in the unpredictable environment of Timor-Leste!

Timor

An met such an example of unpredictability on our return home . A giant tree that had fallen down across the only main road between Aileu and Dili. The emergency response team, the ‘Bombeiros’ as they are known were quickly on the scene but the single chain-saw they had couldn’t handle the multiple 1m think tree branch’s it was presented with. They were forced back to the ever-present, ever-ready, timeless machete with which to cut through this ancient tree.

MR training in Maubesse

The Programme Ahi Baa Uma ( PABU - Lit. Light for the house) Team, Training and Product Development Manager and Operations Manager journeyed out of Dili to Maubesse recently to providing training to all the staff from the Same, Maubesse, Ainaro and Aileu offices (known as the SAMALEU Region). 

The team left Dili and travelled the ~60km to Maubesse in about 3 hours. Arriving in mountainous and chilly Maubesse, in the Ainaro District at 9am the team assembled the staff and began to conduct the training on PABU, Client protection and Salary Loan changes.  Total staff travel time was about 30 hours for the approximate 30 staff in attendance, 10 from each district of Aileu, Manufahi and Ainaro. The commitment of staff to travel so far in adverse weather conditions and on Timorese roads on their scooters is testament to their desire to learn!

We were lucky that the Regional Manager had been able to secure emergency venue to conduct the training as the mother of the owner of the original training site had died the previous night and the previous site was now being used to house the extended family in preparations for her mothers burial.

The Training and Product Manager, Mr. Joao Magalhaes presented the new Client Protection policy based on the SMART Grameen methodology. This presentation gave the staff an over-view of how MR existing procedures meet the requirements of SMART and the additional procedures that need to be conducted to ensure compliance with SMART. The SMART Grameen methodology is designed to ensure MFI’s and MFI clients:

• Avoid over-indebtness
• Ensure pricing is transparent and responsible
• Collect loan repayments appropriately
• Behave ethically
• follow mechanisms for complaint resolution
• protect privacy

The Operations Manager, Mr. Nimrod De La Pena presented in Tetum (His 4^th Language!) updates on the Salary Loan program to staff and conducted exercises to ensure that the staff understood the implications of changes in the interest rate for salary loans and how balances will be affected by the changes.

After Lunch the PABU team consisting of the Program Manager, Mr. Damian Fuller and the Research Officer, Carlos Mendonca presented the PABU information Memorandum to staff. This Memorandum explains the details of the PABU including:

• Who is eligible for loans to purchase solar lighting products and who is eligible for loans to be Sales Agents or Distributors.
• What the responsibilities of the Sales Agent, the District Distributor and Importer are
• What the responsibilities of Moris Rasik staff are
• The loan application and distribution process for Consumers and Sales Agents.

A PDF version of the Information memo is attached here.

The team also conducted some role-play exercises for staff where they had to determine if their colleagues were eligible to receive loans under the program. Finally, the solar products were demonstrated to great effect in the gathering gloom of rain clouds. In fact, most of the solar products had to employed during the training to provide sufficient light for staff to read the materials, as electricity is unavailable in Maubesse during the day!

After a full day of training the team arrived home in Dili about 8pm.

Nomad - Iron Maiden

A friend dedicated this song to me and I'm quite pleased! Thanks Roni.

----------------------------------------
Nomad by Iron Maiden

Like a mirage riding on the desert sand
Like a vision floating with the desert wind
Know the secret of the ancient desert lands
You are the keeper of the mystery in your hands

Nomad, rider of the ancient east
Nomad, rider that men know the least
Nomad, where you come from no one knows
Nomad, where you go to no one tells

Undercover of the veil of your disguise
The men that fear you are the ones that you despise
No ones certain what your future will behold
You're a legend your own story will be told


Nomad, rider of the ancient east
Nomad, rider that men know the least
Nomad, where you come from no one knows
Nomad, where you go to no one tells

No one dares to even look or glance your way
Your reputation goes before you they all say
Like a spirit that can disappear at will
many claim of things but no ones seen you kill

Nomad, your the rider so mysterious
Nomad, your the spirit men fear in us
Nomad, your the rider of the desert sands
No man's ever understood your genius

Those who see you in horizon desert sun
Those who fear your reputation hide or run
You send before you a mystique that's all your own
Your silhouette is like a statue carved in stone


Nomad, your the rider so mysterious
Nomad, your the spirit men fear in us
Nomad, your the rider of the desert sands
No man's ever understood your genius

Legend has it you speak an ancient tounge
But no ones spoke to you and lived to tell the tale
Some say that you have killed a hundred men
Others say that you have died and lived again


Nomad, your the rider so mysterious
Nomad, your the spirit men fear in us
Nomad, your the rider of the desert sands
No man's ever understood your genius

Almost feel like a mechanic

First real service of the Bike for me on the weekend:

• Warning light inspection and check
• Throttle grip free-play inspection and adjustment
• Idle speed inspection and adjustment
• Coolant filter inspection and clean
• Coolant inspection and replacement
• Fuel hose, connection and tank inspection
• Air cleaner inspection and clean
• Brake fluid level inspection and replacement (Front & Back)
• Fuse box inspection
• Worn nut, seals and bolt replacement (~15 in total! One bloody bolt had to turned from an allen-key bolt into a flat head screwdriver bolt with a metal file only 10cm long)
• Bash plate 'straightening'

Still to go over the next 2 days of public holidays:

• Smashed/melted rear right indicator repair / replacement - No mum I didn't crash, girls just keep knocking it when they get on/off my bike! ;)
• Horn replacement
• Fuel filter inspection and clean
• Fuel line clean
• Radiator grill inspection and clean
• Clutch play inspection and adjustment

Still to go when I get someone organised to send me some brake pads from Australia (Any volunteers?):

• Front and rear brake pad replacement

Things to think about:

• When I removed the fuel tank, the manual said to disconnect 3 hoses. I could only find 2! Still baffled!
• Coolant was clean and radiator full but coolant filter was full of black flakes... Any ideas?
• Bike still feels like it is getting too hot even though no temperature warning light comes on.
• Bike occasionally cuts out with the clutch still fully in when I put it into first gear for the first time... this is the most concerning, hoping that the clutch inspection will give me some hints.

Big thanks to the Sydney S&CC team who got me a Leatherman multi-tool as a parting gift. Big thanks to Maria also for replacing it when it was lost on the way to Maliana with Dad. It has been very very useful.

The Leavers Curse

The Air is thick with the smell of steam, rotten and pure, salty and fresh

It is stirred by the breath of the sea,  a whisper on the back of my knee

Lightning brightens the sky in clusters, rhythmic and pulsing

Heavenly fans and clouds of thunder play acoustic rythyms on the leaves

It is tranquil

The Mind is thick with thoughts of feelings, ripe and firm, toxins and chemicals

It is stirred by actions of late, a curse across my conscience

Neurons sparkle and die in torrents , fizzing and bubbling

Whisps of guilt and threads of doubt play their string harmonies on my Soul

It is confused

The Gizzard is thick with the intuition of navigation, impulsive and divine,  twisty and straight

It is stirred by the threat of indecision, a result of duplicate feelings

Pathways open and close in staccato succession, crackling, bidding and biding

Intrinsic knowledge and learned stereotypes play their synthesiser trash on my Mind

It is ready

The Soul is thick with words of paranoia, hesitant and bipolar, critical and constructive

It is stirred by thoughts of duplicate feelings, due to actions of late

Arguments jump from words, flapping, fitting and flying or dying

Memory and conscience hum to the harmonies of guilt and doubt, playing with Me

It is advertised.

The Water is thick with tidings of the storm, hot and cool, wet and frothy

It is stirred by the pull of the moon, a tormentor of hormones and lonely dogs

Monsters be hiding here and there, quilling, gilling and sometimes grilling

Waves from near and far play their percussion concerto on the sand

It is time

The Air, the Mind, the Gizzard, the Soul, the Water

It is tranquil, it is confused, it is ready, it is advertised, it is time

It is me. 

Weekend

Rode to Hato-Builico Friday night, scary. 

Climbed Mt Ramalau on Saturday morning, beautiful. 

Nanna nap on Saturday and Sunday, refreshing. 

D&M on the beach late Saturday, humane. 

Baking Sunday morning, fail. 

Indonesian friend visiting on Sunday, challenging. 

Wine and Cheese Sunday night, enlightening. 

Just say Yes

Yes, yes, yesyesyes.
Its not that hard to improve the world
Just say 'Yes'.
Don't think too long
Or dilly dally your decision
When some-one asks,
Just say 'Yes'.

Place some trust in your friends
When they ask,
Just say 'Yes'.

Its not that hard to make a difference
Just say 'Yes'
Don't use sarcasm
or make a joke
When some-one asks,
Just say 'Yes'.

Boost your colleagues self esteem,
When they ask,
Just say 'Yes'.

Its really easy to get what you want
Just say 'Yes'
Don't be a doubter
Or a hater
When someone asks
Just say 'Yes'

Mike life easier for yourself
When you ask
Just say 'Yes'

Timor-Leste Values

This report contains probably the most useful information you could have if your working or planning to work in TL.

The report is a detailed assessment of the values of the Timorese people. Through a series of interviews and questionnaires they assess 1,200 people to determine what it is that will motivate them and which values will be aligned to and assist 'development'.

Unfortunately, I do not necessarily agree with the analysis, as 'development' is defined strictly in terms of western capitalistic and materialistic values. It seems ironic to me that they bothered to do the study only to identify what values would be problematic and may need to be circumvented, changed or kept under careful and watchful scrutiny in order to conduct successful 'development' of western values. Surely the analysis should have been centred on answering the question 'How do we develop Timor so that what the Timorese value is maximised?'

Regardless, the results are very useful and provide significant insight into why Timorese act or behave the way they do in some situations. Bearing in mind that this is a generalisation or stereotyping exercise based on a a nationally representative sample and supported by additional interviews with teachers, academics and senior social figures.

I strongly encourage all foreigners working in Timor to read this report and keep these Timorese values in mind when you think of 'development'.

Timor Leste Rememberance (Falintil) Day

Xanana Gusmao

Remembrance day in Timor on the 30th August was impressive. The public demonstrations of affection, tears, pride were all a good reminder that what they are remembering happened not long ago. Xanana received a huge hero's reception. I wonder about his dream to become a farmer when the resistance was over.

Closed mindedness

I think I've just completed some kind of strange cycle or spiral*.

I came to Bali in 2002 a pretty naive, innocent, innocuous boy amongst mostly people older than me. I didn't really comprehend everything that was happening. In fact, I don't think I had a clue. I couldn't read people, I couldn't tell what they were thinking, feeling or what they wanted. I was armed with a very basic set of assumptions about the world, which with hindsight, were great. I was the quintessential country bumpkin with deep sense of curiosity. I absorbed what I could identify, I was excited by it all, but ironically I think I thought it was all a bit immature but I also recognised that maybe I was a tad serious and that this was part of why I was here - to let go a little bit, to be a bit more fun.

Nine years later, I feel like I have completed a loop of the spiral. I learnt to really appreciate the moment during uni and to have fun. I physically realised during honours and in getting a job at PwC that your own expectations can be limiting. I nearly didn't. I learnt at work a bit about people, finally. Previously I thought if I treated people how I wanted to be treated that is what would happen. I thought 'Management' as a subject was a waste of time. Not always. Eventually I learnt a bit about girls, but it took a long time. They still astound me on a regular basis and my stupidity probably still astounds them sometimes. I learnt all through this a little about being more open minded, to love and express feelings, to thank my dad and take care of my mum. I met amazing people and I wanted to be like them.

Now, sitting in Bali again - trying to be like the amazing people I know, I feel like I might be losing touch with the open-mindedness and I may have forgotten that first lesson a little bit - How to have fun and appreciate the moment. I think this because I look around me and instead of seeing innocent, ignorant or naive (20 yo) boys who really know how to appreciate the moment, I see drunk obnoxious louts and girls who should have more sense than to like them. Most of them are Australian.


* Why does 'Spiral' have downward or negative connotations? A spiral could be upward or downward right? I actually meant an upward spiral - to what I'm not sure but the upwardness in my mind signifies progress. Even though I don't believe in teh virtues of heaven, hell or the corporate ladder, up is strangely still the way to go.

Whirlpool

The environment here is just damn strange
There are different currents going many different ways
At times I'm stuck in a whirlpool of human emotions, mine and others.

At once
Fighting strongly in the rough chop of intellectual challenge
Enjoying my work
And then
Tiring and drowning under waves of cultural misunderstanding
Despairing the work

Once again
Buoyed and lifted by an unexpected gust of inspiration
Applauding the development world
And then
Depressed and sucked under by carelessness and arrogance
Despising the development world

Once more
Whipped into ecstasy and elation whirling around and around
Meeting new people
And then
Spat into a backwater, still, quiet, deep, cold and devoid of anything remotely human.
All alone

Jaco

It was Timorese Falintil (rememberance) day on 30th August and they get 2 days off to celebrate. That was Tuesday and Wednesday so of course nobody was coming to work Monday. Mega long weekend - just what is needed to make the trek to Jaco Island, one of the few national parks in TL.

Titarala - Far East Timor Island

Due to work departure was delayed until Sunday afternoon, by which time the group had been whittled down to just 3 – Tanya, Marta and myself. The girls had hired a huge Toyota Land-Cruiser Troop Carrier, so I decided to give the Bike a break and ride with them on the bench seat. I took the tent and they put a mattress in the back of the truck. Tanya loved that truck.

We had dinner in Baucau and ran into Will from Mercy Corp. Timor is a small place. Dad had tipped me off he stayed with the Managin Director of Moris Rasik's nephew the night before. We met him and said hello then headed down the beach to camp. Nice spot but a bit creepy arriving in the dark and whilst tramping around the lagoon (albeit very small) stumbling across a half eaten crocodile warning sign. Swimming the next day was limited to the shallows.

Found this sign while collecting fire-wood in the dark

The Baucau camping spot at sunrise

 We got up early and headed to Jaco the next day. It is on the South Easten tip of Timor Island, about as far as you can go and a nasty decent from Tituala down to Tituala beach. We ran into dad coming the other way and a large group of school girls on the way to Tituala, and gave them all a lift. They hardly stopped screaming  in excitement the whole way.

Teke bulak ten barak

Tituala beach was nice but the guest houses were seriously under-stocked. That night was the high light of the trip though with a nice big fire on the beach, a small but friendly and understated global group, some local rice wine, cheap $3 bottle of whisky and the sound of the waves to lull us to sleep (and high tide to wake some of us up!)

Morning after

 The next day we were out at the island early and I was cooked by about 10am! Bloody Portuguese girls didn't put sunscreen on once and roasted themselves like very attractive chestnuts, at the end of the day they were still a very toasty caramel brown.The coral was good but I think I managed to pick up a sinus problem in an hour or so of snorkelling and was knocked for six for the rest of the day (and week).

Sea Urchin on Titarala beach

We headed back towards Com that night and arrived just before it got dark. From there the next day we went onto Baucau very early and then turned off to go to Ossu, over the spine and very close to the south coast, to check out a waterfall. We were pushing it and trying to cram a lot into the weekend, but Ossu was nice and we only (just) missed the closing time of the car hire on the return back to Dili

A market stop on the way back to Baucau

On top of the The Spine of Timor on the way to Ossu

It was an action packed trip, with lots of driving .but it was a great chance to gaze out the window at some of the spectacular scenery for a change.

Timorese Wedding!

No it wasn't mine! 

Went with Renato down to his friends Timorese wedding with Paolo. It was located abiout 30 min out of town in Tibar. Big calico tent of sorts was erected at the back of the families house with the dirt semi cleared and 'watered' to keep the dust from the dancing down.  I was surprised to note though that the dancing is 100% formal, all night. They love to dance, but it is latin/portuguese inspired dancing - I think the last time I danced like that was in high-school. And the dancing had rules set by the suco chief - no talking while dancing and no dancing outside the official area! 

It was a complicated social occassion with maybe 400 people in attendance, seats set like a grand-stand around the dance floor. It was pretty cool setup actually, but the rocks didn't make the dancing any easier - and some of those poor girls were in 2 inch heels that they weren't used to! 

I asked one girl for a dance, I don't think she realised how tall I was - she was lucky to reach my chest. Combined with the fact I was wearing my riding boots, and was only 1 of 2 foreigners there she nearly died of embarrassment before she went and sat back down before the song had even finished! After that none of the girls would dance with us! :O

Ainaro & Manufahi Field Trip

In late August I managed to head out with a translator for my first field trip - an Energy Needs Assessment.

Number of clients interviewed:	96	Languages spoken:	4
Number of Centre Meetings:	9	Distance Travelled:	~700km
Number of Districts:	2	Days on the road:	6
Number of Sucos:	5	Total Cost:	$305

Centre Meeting in Ainaro

The bike in Same

The assessment went ok. We we underwhelmed by the lack of energy access and the difficulty of explaining how solar lighting systems work and their benefits to people who have hardly seen electricity in operation. In hindisght, I really should have taken a few products along, I didn't because I was worried about tainting the markets perception of the products available.

Renato (my translator) and his aunt and cuzs in Same

It was so cold in the mountains in Maubesse we got the open fire going!

At the end of a very long, dusty and tiring week, the assessment was a sad success I guess - not one of the 96 clients interviewed had access to grid electricity. 10 had solar panels. On average 70% want solar power of some description.