Employment Opportunities

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Originally Posted by BBC

Kids.....will never cease to amaze me..... with what they can do with a bit of imagination.

Check out the evident resourcefulness here. Look at the materials.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1457.jpg

Look at the steering wheel on this one.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1458.jpg


Now....just got to work on the suspensions.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1459.jpg


Always though, there is the resort to the simplest of toys....a tyre. Kids everywhere will be rolling their tyres, accurately steering them with a stick.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1460.jpg

Makes you think about the high tech choices in the world.

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ah when you have nothing you can make toys from scrap and your imagination runs riot, kids don't seem to think anymore it's all there for them, having been one of six we were happy for what we got and what we didn't we made it.
here is something my mate had made in S.A. for me when he travelled the african continent, i think this is the best present i have ever had it's a feat of engineering of re-utilising scrap.
it is made of an old mortein can excellent !
This is what land rover have in mind for the model taking over from Defender ! lol

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Originally Posted by lardy

that is a beautiful thing to recognise the endeavours of a fellow human being. a tribute that will fill his kids with pride that you recognised him, his efforts, his service.
It is a shame that people who serve and are lost are just part of the numbers game to those who behind closed doors decide the fate of others, In reality any tribute from a suit in whitehall, canberra or washington (for example) sounds hollow, they can never achieve what you and your boys have. good work.

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Cheers Mate,

The RAE also recently gained from the fact that Bob Bowtell's grandson enlisted into the Regular Army and, has just earlier this year, completed his Combat Engineer Initial Employment Training. He is out in a unit by now, and undoubtedly, he will in turn line up for a deployment to Afghanistan.

Just tonight, arrived back in Melbourne after the trip from hell. Two days of driving between Kenyasi to Takoradi then, Takoradi to Accra. The bloke who drove me into the airport left the departure from Takoradi too late and we ended up getting caught up in the dark as we approached Accra City and...you would not believe the traffic congestion after dark...no traffic lights working...it took us 2hrs, inch by inch to get too, and then across, a major intersection. 4hrs to go 20km. Not going to do that again.

Then a 6 hr flight from 2300h, landing in Johannesburg to wait for my connecting flight...11hrs. JBG-Syd landing at 1430h the next day, today in fact. Through Immigration, down to pick up my suitcase, waiting, waiting, no suitcase. Me, me laptop, and the clothes I was standing up in..eeeesh! Maybe the bag will find its way home but, having been through JBG, I can expect it will have been opened and rifled through...such is the reality of Africa....bastards.

Great to be home for a fortnight. Will take the SIIA of the blocks tomorrow and take it for a run.

I have been meaning to go back to Bowtells bridge for another crossing, if you can get a cheap day flight up to Sydney whilst your on leave.

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Originally Posted by BBC

Just tonight, arrived back in Melbourne after the trip from hell. Two days of driving between Kenyasi to Takoradi then, Takoradi to Accra. The bloke who drove me into the airport left the departure from Takoradi too late and we ended up getting caught up in the dark as we approached Accra City and...you would not believe the traffic congestion after dark...no traffic lights working...it took us 2hrs, inch by inch to get too, and then across, a major intersection. 4hrs to go 20km. Not going to do that again.

Then a 6 hr flight from 2300h, landing in Johannesburg to wait for my connecting flight...11hrs. JBG-Syd landing at 1430h the next day, today in fact. Through Immigration, down to pick up my suitcase, waiting, waiting, no suitcase. Me, me laptop, and the clothes I was standing up in..eeeesh! Maybe the bag will find its way home but, having been through JBG, I can expect it will have been opened and rifled through...such is the reality of Africa....bastards.

Great to be home for a fortnight. Will take the SIIA of the blocks tomorrow and take it for a run.

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Welcome back mate. A run in the S2 will put a smile on your face.:D

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Originally Posted by BBC

On the way into Dili from Metinaro one day, just before you start climbing over the range, and after the Hera Tech College, I ran into a host of cars and people. I stopped and luckily had my camera and I was able to watch the ceremonial guard for a flag raising ceremony...a little vignette of Timorese life:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1281.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1282.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1283.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1284.jpg

I reckon the Guard Commander was chosen because he had shoes:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1285.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1286.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1287.jpg

I was moving around to try and take photos without interfering with their ceremony...and then.....I saw this bloke...and I was surreptitiously using my camera to take shots without him knowing....and you thought you had a hard time finding boots to fit!!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1288.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1289.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1290.jpg

Much more to follow...

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Great thread BBC,
I was stationed in HERA as a OR and then OC of the police station there for the UN in 2000... we covered hera and metinaro and down further... we were allocated a "police station" at the hera port...it was a burnt out shell in a mosquito infested area...so we rented a house and compound owned by a militia sympathiser who wasnt game to come back out of dili...(theyd slaughter him if he did) the house was intact barring a few bullet holes, and furnished!! we set up a 5 year rent contract with him... later we had work projects sponsored by a jap charity, hand chopping the tall grass from the side of the main road...(gave a lot on money to the villagers via this and they worked hard and fast!) also halped refurnish school at hera and reroof the school just before the hera tech area (the area you showed was in the accomodation areas? did you have a bo peep at the tech buldings?? sere all burnt out, ransacked and shot up....the bastards destroyed every bit of infrastructure when they shot thru, sewer water, power everything, and destroyed all school records, criminal records, vehicle records/lic's, records of peoples qualifications, birth certificates land records etcetc...it gives no idea where to start.....)
The US navy SEABEES helped reroof that school...in exchange for a night on the slops which the army blokes stationed as caterers in dili supplied at heir own expense!! (good on ya blokes...and girl!)

We had a great time in E/T..... when we werent doing the recovery stuff, a few smaller mass grave exhumations, luckily for us in sandy areas (allows fluids to seep away and sort of mumifies whatever isnt 'deteriorating'..)

we marked & recorded a few m/graves that werent exhumed as at that time only graves where a suspect was located were exhumed...

all my photos are "old tech" film ones, but I eally do appreciate your stuff, the bloke in Hera with the bung toe isnt the only one... he used to climb trees to collect some type of fruit to sell (cannot recall what it was)...he used his toes a lot, I reckon both feet have same/similar deformity...there were about 4 I can recall in Hera and nearby itself... there was a bloke with a real bizarre foot deformity in 'goat village' (besahe...i think) his foot was 180 degs out of whack!!! but (except for a limp/hop type walk) he walked without favoring it and stood firmly on both feet...it freaks you out a bit!!!

as for the book....write it, do photos and small anecdotes just as you have here....because I would buy it in a heartbeat...and dont kid yourself what youve written here is good, clear and descriptive with the entertainment value too.... would make a good weekly/monthy column in a magazine too?!
you know starting with a tag line same each one...eg "So how was your week....?.."

Mate youre a modern day "boys own annual" story here...you and JohnE could write and have piccies enough for years of entertaining stories...

Be good, keep safe, keep sending!!

(PS great looking family shot mate, and fantastic shot with 2a!!- you are obviously proud and with good reason!)

cheers again..
digger

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Originally Posted by digger

Great thread BBC,
I was stationed in HERA as a OR and then OC of the police station there for the UN in 2000... we covered hera and metinaro and down further... we were allocated a "police station" at the hera port...it was a burnt out shell in a mosquito infested area...so we rented a house and compound owned by a militia sympathiser who wasnt game to come back out of dili...(theyd slaughter him if he did) the house was intact barring a few bullet holes, and furnished!! we set up a 5 year rent contract with him... later we had work projects sponsored by a jap charity, hand chopping the tall grass from the side of the main road...(gave a lot on money to the villagers via this and they worked hard and fast!) also halped refurnish school at hera and reroof the school just before the hera tech area (the area you showed was in the accomodation areas? did you have a bo peep at the tech buldings?? sere all burnt out, ransacked and shot up....the bastards destroyed every bit of infrastructure when they shot thru, sewer water, power everything, and destroyed all school records, criminal records, vehicle records/lic's, records of peoples qualifications, birth certificates land records etcetc...it gives no idea where to start.....)
The US navy SEABEES helped reroof that school...in exchange for a night on the slops which the army blokes stationed as caterers in dili supplied at heir own expense!! (good on ya blokes...and girl!)

We had a great time in E/T..... when we werent doing the recovery stuff, a few smaller mass grave exhumations, luckily for us in sandy areas (allows fluids to seep away and sort of mumifies whatever isnt 'deteriorating'..)

we marked & recorded a few m/graves that werent exhumed as at that time only graves where a suspect was located were exhumed...

all my photos are "old tech" film ones, but I eally do appreciate your stuff, the bloke in Hera with the bung toe isnt the only one... he used to climb trees to collect some type of fruit to sell (cannot recall what it was)...he used his toes a lot, I reckon both feet have same/similar deformity...there were about 4 I can recall in Hera and nearby itself... there was a bloke with a real bizarre foot deformity in 'goat village' (besahe...i think) his foot was 180 degs out of whack!!! but (except for a limp/hop type walk) he walked without favoring it and stood firmly on both feet...it freaks you out a bit!!!

as for the book....write it, do photos and small anecdotes just as you have here....because I would buy it in a heartbeat...and dont kid yourself what youve written here is good, clear and descriptive with the entertainment value too.... would make a good weekly/monthy column in a magazine too?!
you know starting with a tag line same each one...eg "So how was your week....?.."

Mate youre a modern day "boys own annual" story here...you and JohnE could write and have piccies enough for years of entertaining stories...

Be good, keep safe, keep sending!!

(PS great looking family shot mate, and fantastic shot with 2a!!- you are obviously proud and with good reason!)

cheers again..
digger

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Digger,

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I've been into the Hera Tech and seen the extent of the destruction commited on the place. The same was evident right across the island, starting with the Indons and finished off by the militia....the Indons rolled up all the copper cable providing power along the north coast road, all fittings, windows, doors, plumbing etc was all taken as they left.

East Timor was a money making venture by the Indon military and they definitely weren't going to leave any value in the place as they left.

Timor is a great place. Complex though, there are still a lot of dissatisfied people there and we will not have seen the last of the communal unrest. Especially with the way in which their population is increasing so much with an estimated 50% below the age of 18.

Maybe you could scan your photos. I'd love to see them. I think there is a need to canvass the ranks of people who have been to East Timor and get the human story of what happened there. It is something that the Australian War Memorial may do but, it will take time.

Cheers,

BBC

Just over the border in the bad lands, the bush line is the border. pictures were taken by some yank backpacker who walked in, must have been one of the luckiest guys.

Ghana is 20% Muslim and the remainder are devoutly Christian. Apostolic Christian, which is the deeply God fearing type you see on the US TV, full of 'Hail Mary's' 'Hallelujah's' and 'Amens'. My men at work have a 'Toolbox Meeting' to start every shift and that starts off with a prayer.

When I am in a place I like to take photos of a common 'theme' That runs through the place. The previous transport photos are a theme in the place.

English is the national language and is used and spoken by most people, along with their range of native languages from Twi, Fante, Dagaare, Wale, Dagbane, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, and Nzema.

These commercial signs might give you an idea of how christianity in Ghana has been commercialised. Along with some of the unintended humour that comes out of their use of English.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1209.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1210.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1211.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1212.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1213.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1214.jpg

and here is one of my favourite 'Chop' shops...(Chop being the local name for food).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1215.jpg

I havn't done this place yet....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1216.jpg

There is more than one 'Misty Pee' business around town besides this one, obviously a family name:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1217.jpg

Probably better to have a Misty Pee than to have a 'tickle' though...this sign was in the toilets at work. Had to get a photo.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1218.jpg

I was looking around to see if he'd really opened the door.....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1219.jpg


and yes....somethings come first.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1220.jpg

I wonder how many questions they had before they painted the sign on?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/08/1221.jpg

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