5/2/08
When I went home in December I decided it best that I return my work vehicle, which is rented, as I would be gone over a month. Now that I have returned the vehicle is no longer available to rent. My work was able to get another vehicle but of a quite different style. I am now driving a Honda civic automatic which is quite low to the ground with a rumble muffler, tinted windows, AC, and a CD player. Everyone asks about my car now and I just reply “this is how I roll.”
4/2/08
I am so disappointed I haven’t blogged in almost five months but I am determined to get back on track. I could say I was busy or sick or something but really I just got lazy. Now I am back and instead of writing one long post with everything that has gone on in the last five months I will just continue to blog and hopefully the past will present itself.
Yesterday I went for a bike ride which resulted in the following picture. Less than one hundred feet from my destination was swarm of bees which I happened to ride through. Like bullets they bounced off my helmet and face. One lucky one got logged between my helmet and sunglasses. Only seconds later fending for its life as I swatted and shook it went for the kill. Fortunately I am over two hundred pounds and it probably weighs 2 oz so I survived but only nearly with these wounds.
The destination was Metinaro where my roommate Sarah was placed during Peace Corps. One of the families she is close with just had a new baby and guess what they named it…Jesse. Yep and not randomly either. Sarah had actually suggested it. Sarah now calls it my namesake so I thought it important I go for a visit. The baby looks great and seemed to take a bit of a likening to me. The Timorese think it is hilarious and we spent the afternoon trying to decide how to distinguish between us. Either big Jesse and little Jesse. Or white Jesse and black Jesse. At this point either one gets a laugh. This now accounts for at least the fifth Jesse in Timor that I know of. Me, other peace corps Jesse, jess my girlfriend (see told you the past was coming), jesse my friend Catherine’s sister, and the new baby. Watch out we are taking over and your neighborhood is next.
as a 5km race in Dili put on by Timor Telecom, the communications monopoly here. It was a lot of fun and had a good turn out which inlcuded predominately Timorese. If you can believe it my huge posterior actually joined in all the fun too. Here is a picture of me running into the finish. I still don't believe I finished the race in the 4pm heat with my steady regiment of beer drinking and pasta consumption but somehow I managed to stay in the middle of the pack. Also running was my roommate Sarah, shown in the next photo, and another friend Nelson. Sarah did quite well, infact she came in second for the women. The top five finishers for men and women received pr
izes. Sarah won something which they kept calling a "wifi," we can only assume it was some kind of stero thingy. As the good humanitarian though after trying to give it the next girl in line ended up giving it to the sixth place girl. We waited all the way unitl last night and the race was finally on TV. We all huddled around the home owners TV and caught the amazing 90sec broadcast. Surprisingly or not we all made it on. Nelson and I were only flashes as we ran across the screen or where in the back ground you could see my hair but Sarah got the hard time. They aired her 20second section of the prize ceremony. Funny she was the only one to later give it away. Para benz. 
Here is a picture of the Ministry Natrual Resources, Minerals, and Energy (MRNMEP) basketball team. I am the one in the center. No way! Amazingly we have made it into the finals which will be played later this month. So far we have lost only one game, which was by only one point and against the team we will now have to play again in the Final. We are but humble water or electricity workers whereas their team has three of the East Timor national squad.
ce. It is the same one in the opening scene in Baraka the movie. You know with all the "click-click-click-ing" It was beautiful although a bit more catering to tourist then the one in the movie.
maged. All the buidings were in a rocks throw of their house which was quite scary. Even the preschool was burned out leaving the oldest child in the family, who is only 5, with no more school. Now he is back to being a trouble maker around the house. The UNpolice investigating the violence in Baucau in Viqueque from last month now say that the perpatrators were as much as 70% children under the age of 15. Can you imagine your 15 yr old burning down a government building or a school. I guess Timor needs some help with their parenting skills!
before. It was only a short hike from the road and was well worth it. Although the actual paintings were mostly weathered and non-existent the location is amazing. The caves are not so much caves as overhangs on the bottom of huge cliffs. The spot is about 1km above the beach and overlooks Jago island. Awesome spot. I couldn't help but think it was the best rock climbing spot in the world although doubtful many have rock climbed there for sport. The location was actually quite developed with a path constructed during Indonesian occupation leading through the woods to the caves. It even had picnic tables in two spots. Some of the rocks on the ways were very smooth as if thousands of people had been to visit. No doubt it was a popular tourist attraction twenty years ago. They must of only recently cleared the path through the jungle as they are really fixing the area up for tourism. It was a great trip and even included the mandatory fish and coconut rice lunch on the beach the last day. mmm....
ay a team was finally able to hop on a UN heli and fly out to Uatolari and Uatocarbau in the Viqueque district to due a rapid assessment after some unrest. Earlier this month multiple communities in these areas were burned down and pillaged by a large mob. Here is a photo just as we were re-boarding the helicopter after the assessment. It landed in the village soccer field.
ly selected burned houses including this one pictured which happens to be right in front of the local police station in the rear.Timor makes Wikipedia front page news.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Jesse Shapiro
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IDP Technical Support & Service Advisor to
Direccao Nacional Aguas e Sanemento (DNAS) Timor Leste
Oxfam Australia
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(+670) 732-6275
Today Xanana was sworn in as Prime Minister and the new government announced. It was almost a clean sweep as the AMP alliance cleaned out most of the Fretilin government even the Minister of Health who was loved by all. Xanana has promised a lot, like most politicians, let’s just hope he can live up to some of it. Hey, I am an optimist. Quite a bit is going to change in the government besides just the changing of people as the structure has been changed. New ministries have been created even one for fisheries. Huh? People laughed as they heard announcements of certain ministries new ministers cause they believe they were inappropriate people or like the Ministry of Planning and Finance… who’s office was burned to the ground only yesterday by demonstrations alleging this illegal formation of the government. I don’t know what the constitution says but it does seem weird that Fretilin, with 30% of the vote and the winner of the election, has not been included in its formation. Oh well.
The department of water and sanitation will also be moved back under the Secretary of State along with Electricity and a new department called Urbanization. This looks real good for water and sanitation as the secretary of state has some technical background which will help to make good decisions. Only hours after being announced he even came by for a visit. That has got to be a great sign right? Laters
jesse
ly found in Timor are extreme sports but this past weekend we went wake boarding here in Dili. It was a blast. I think I might of found something similar to skiing and snowboarding which I still fantasize about since I haven’t even seen snow in almost three years. It was actually my second time and I was able to stand up and do some basic turns. The rough sea made it a bit tough and has given me the killer ache in the legs. One of our friends was quite good and could even jump the wake and do flips. Here is a picture of him upside down just in front of the Dili landmark Jesus statue, the second largest in the world. Guess if he landed it or not? T
hen one of me surfing the wake.
