Thread: Employment Opportunities

Doh!

I just watched "The Last King of Scotland" (great movie btw) - make sure you don't get too involved They may not want to let you go!!















Only kidding - Hope you have a great time.

(P.S. 14 pages - that's nearly a book )

I think this post is going to rival 'I Can See Stars' except this one is a damned side more interesting and informative

We had an association with an orphanage at Gleno, mainly I suppose, because the man who ran it was an Australian. He was a journalist from Geelong, who had married a Timorese lady, who used to be a renowned and is respected for the role she played in the FALINTIL guerilla movement. Together they had built and were running this facility up in Gleno. Gleno is a pleasant, elevated and forested location; not as steamy as Dili. The kids are all healthy, well clothed, and supportive of each other. We used to visit, take something for the kids, and enjoy a meal there with them all.

Just one of those good things:















































but........in the washup....the orphanage at Gleno has the best in technology, as far as dishwashers go:



Everywhere you go in Timor, there are kids, streaming out to see something different, and to be entertained. The last census in 2004 gave them a population count of 1.2 million with a life expectancy of 67 but they had a demographic of nearly 50% of their population being under 18...a boom on the way. Let's hope the oil money can be put to good use in ensuring these kids get the education and vocational skill-sets to move their country forward.

And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast,
He was something like a racehorse undersized,
With a touch of Timor pony -- three parts thoroughbred at least --
And such as are by mountain horsemen prized.
He was hard and tough and wiry -- just the sort that won't say die --
There was courage in his quick impatient tread;
And he bore the badge of gameness in his bright and fiery eye,
And the proud and lofty carriage of his head.

and here is...the legendary Timor pony....

On the drive south from Bacau to Viqueque as you start climbing and winding around the hills, and you reach here:



keep your eye open for these:





venture inside, and you will find the hill to be honeycombed, like this:





and they are.................


Japanese ammunition bunkers. They have driven entrances back into the limestone hill, and then connected each drive. They were dug by forced labour and extended for about 300m around the hillside..maybe there were more. Well sited, they were still intact as the day they had been dug.

By account, I had been told Bacau was a significant Japanese base during the war, and it offered deeper water than Dili harbour, and no doubt they would have pioneered the present airfield located on the plateau to the west of Bacau. Further east along the coast there were concreted defensive positions...they certainly invested some time and effort into the place.

Somewhere, everyday, in East Timor, there are cockfights being conducted. We come across these on some backroads out from Los Palos, right out the eastern end of the island.

Cockfighting is carried on with great vim and vigour right across the island. They were big and popular in Dili every thursday night. Drving anywhere on the island, especially toward evening, if there was a crowd gathered, they were watching the cockfights.

The whole community gathers, as you can see from the photos, and there is a lot of shouting and toing and froing....good fun to watch the crowd.

It is evident, there is a fair bit of organisation and negotiation in who is fighting who, with bets changing hands away from the ring. The winning owner takes all, including the carcass of the loser...so there is a Winner Winner!!...and then...a chicken dinner..

Here is the usual rush of kids when you stop the car:



The roosters are all spaced out...in waiting...tied to the ground.



These are the backroom dealings where 'who is fighting who' is decided, and the $coin$ changes hands. Strictly men's business.



And....in the red corner!!!!



Touching gloves....



and then they are out of their corners....



sparring....



and its on!!!!



slugging it out....



hammer and tongs....



and then, there is only one winner!!!! This bloke was hilarious, he lifted his rooster and made a speech, which had the crowd laughing and cheering. Obviously someone of reknown.

BBC,

THanks again. This is an incredibly interesting thread.
Education is such a big thing, and sadly lacking in the place, as can be seen from this photo.


I mean who told the bugger that Wests were worth supporting?