Plan

Howdie.  has it really been two weeks since my last email.  Things are good.  Megan, a x-PCV, was just here for a visit but leaves today.  It was good to drum up some old PC memories.  She spent most here time out at her site so we didn't hang out that much but it was good to see her.  My work for Triangle has ended, well actually ends on Sunday.  The project has gone well and is being finished up at lightening speed.  Everything has been coming together nicely and should be working by the weeks end.  The systems will be handed over to the communities this week.  Although work for Triangle there has ended it won't for me.  I have officially decided to my Master's project about the water systems there and will be going back in a couple weeks to do a final survey of the systems.  This week I have been in Dili and will be for good.  I have finally moved to Dili.  Wow I can't believe it.  I have looking for work and just this morning agreed to start work for Plan.  Plan is an international NGO I think there website is www.plan-international.org .  I will be helping to do water and sanitation in the IDP(internal displaced people), otherwise known as refugees, camp in Metinaro just on the east side of Dili.  They believe there is about 7000 people there and they have almost no access to water and sanitation.  It will be exciting and a big experience for me.  I have a one month contract with them and then possibility for becoming staff in January.  I start on Monday.  Happy thanksgiving.  Miss you all.  lv jesse

--
Jesse Shapiro
jessepants@gmail.com
http://notashoealifestyle.blogspot.com
http://cee.mtu.edu/~jsshapir
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flipflop...not a shoe...a lifestyle.

T minus two weeks

Water at last.  On Wednesday Cairui one of the driest desolate and miserable places in Timor had flowing tap water.  People were ecstatic.  Us too for that matter.  It looks like all the hard work has paid off and the people will get the water they deserve.  Of course we have already started to have problems where people have tried to increase their water flow by messing with the taps resulting in broken pipes and facet heads.  One location people won't turn off the water facet.  People down the line get less and less water as it runs out creating lots of mad people.  Half are mad at us saying we didn't build it right.  Half are mad at each other and have already started fights.  Needless to say there will still continue to be problems the community will have to sort out but at least the system is working.

 

The last concrete pour is tomorrow completing the last of three water tanks and my main work will be finished.  I will continue to stay on until the end of the program which ends about thanksgiving.  This week Vincent is off taking his vacation days in Bali.  I am not sure it is the best timing in the middle of crunch time at the end but it is ok.  We still have quite a bit to do.  There are lots of tap stands still not done and only one of three solar systems is finished.  

 

This weekend some friends and I camped on the beach again.  This time near Manatutu on the way to dili.  This last week was a holiday for most in Timor.  At least the people in Dili.  Me, I had to work. 

 

The situation in Timor is still not good and seems to be in a perpetual holding pattern of lousiness.  No one sees the way out either.  The raining season should start any day now.  I am looking forward to it and not.  I can't wait for things to get lush and green again yet fear for what the rains will do to the situation here.  With rain in the IDP camps the sanitation problems might get worse leading to more disease and then problems.  Lets hope not.  Anyway things are moving alone.  lv jesse 

 
--
Jesse Shapiro
jessepants@gmail.com
http://notashoealifestyle.blogspot.com
http://cee.mtu.edu/~jsshapir
------------------------------------
flipflop...not a shoe...a lifestyle.

T minus two weeks

Water at last.  On Wednesday Cairui one of the driest desolate and miserable places in Timor had flowing tap water.  People were ecstatic.  Us too for that matter.  It looks like all the hard work has paid off and the people will get the water they deserve.  Of course we have already started to have problems where people have tried to increase their water flow by messing with the taps resulting in broken pipes and facet heads.  One location people won't turn off the water facet.  People down the line get less and less water as it runs out creating lots of mad people.  Half are mad at us saying we didn't build it right.  Half are mad at each other and have already started fights.  Needless to say there will still continue to be problems the community will have to sort out but at least the system is working.

 

The last concrete pour is tomorrow completing the last of three water tanks and my main work will be finished.  I will continue to stay on until the end of the program which ends about thanksgiving.  This week Vincent is off taking his vacation days in Bali.  I am not sure it is the best timing in the middle of crunch time at the end but it is ok.  We still have quite a bit to do.  There are lots of tap stands still not done and only one of three solar systems is finished.  

 

This weekend some friends and I camped on the beach again.  This time near Manatutu on the way to dili.  This last week was a holiday for most in Timor.  At least the people in Dili.  Me, I had to work. 

 

The situation in Timor is still not good and seems to be in a perpetual holding pattern of lousiness.  No one sees the way out either.  The raining season should start any day now.  I am looking forward to it and not.  I can't wait for things to get lush and green again yet fear for what the rains will do to the situation here.  With rain in the IDP camps the sanitation problems might get worse leading to more disease and then problems.  Lets hope not.  Anyway things are moving alone.  lv jesse 

 
--
Jesse Shapiro
jessepants@gmail.com
http://notashoealifestyle.blogspot.com
http://cee.mtu.edu/~jsshapir
------------------------------------
flipflop...not a shoe...a lifestyle.

Pouring the concrete for the walls of the third and last tank. Thank god this one is in the shade. I am done 100+ degree work locations.

The solar array for the first of three solar pumps.

installing pipe up to a tank. Laleia in the distance.

Shot of the round-the-world cyclist eating a crepe with our pig at our house in Laleia

Miles from nowhere

Miles from nowhere

I started reading a book I have wanted to read for years called Miles from nowhere last week.   It is about a couple who bikes around the world.  Three days later my boss meets a guy on a bike on the streets of Dili who is riding around the world.   My boss stopped after the site of the bike which he only recognized because he too has tried to ride around the world.  He has made it from france to East Timor.   The biker here was spanish and has been going about 4 or 5 months so far.  He is alone and has been in Australia, New Zealand, Papau New Guinea, and now East Timor.   He plans to be travelling for 2 years.  My boss offered him a place to stay with Vincent and I Laleia.  Sure enough the next day here appeared in laleia after biking from dili.  He left the next morning for Laga I think.  He is going to an full loop of Timor going all the way the Los Palos and back through the south road to Ramalou and then to Indonesia and west Timor.

 

Work

We are reaching the very last weeks of the water and sanitation program here.  The last tank is near completion and we have started the installation of the solar panels and pumps.   This week we should have the first one installed completely with water flowing in the town.  I will extend my contract once again until the end of November.   After that I will truly be done and will either go back to the US or find a new job.  I actually hope to do both.   I have some vacation days that I can use at the end of nov and if I find a new job here can then come back to start that in dec or jan.

 

Beach/Party

There was a large party in Cairui this weekend put on by the church.  It was a celebration for a new Amo or Padre or Priest.   It was by far the largest party I have been to with a couple thousand participants.  We heard a rumor in Dili that one or all of the malaes there made it on TV as well.   The only negative part of the party were the speeches and announcements by what must of been Portuguese missionaries.  Either way they represented the catholic church.   My reaction to their words includes anger and pity.  If nothing else their words are a formal declaration of war.   There goal to keep East Timorese poor and suffering and fight against development.  Actual comments by them included them pleading for East Timorese to have as many babies as possible to populate the country.   (East Timor currently has the highest birthrate in the world about 7.3 children/woman)  They said foreigners are rich and have material excess but have no spirt whereas the Timorese have nothing but are very rich in spirit.   When ever they announced anything they never mentioned the people as people but as baptised people.  It was interesting to see although it enraged me.  

 

In my group was me, vincent and his girlfriend, cedric and his fiance, and two friends from Dili.   We hit the party left after dancing and camped on the beach.  It was a good eclectic time with the foreigners, cultural experience, and the beach camping.   It ended with us enjoying some barbecued fish and coconut rice on the beach.  Not a bad way to end the weekend.

miss ya!

lv jesse 

--
Jesse Shapiro
jessepants@gmail.com
http://notashoealifestyle.blogspot.com
http://cee.mtu.edu/~jsshapir
------------------------------------
flipflop...not a shoe...a lifestyle.

Pouring the tank's roof. You can see the dry river in the back ground. It is sooooo hot and dry we pour concrete and cover it immediately.

the first water spewing out of well head