malae bulak

It’s not even 12 hours since I stepped on the plane from Bali – and I feel like I’ve lived a weeks worth in that time. I can say this: everyone I’ve met here is damn awesome, and that’s saying something coming from me. But more to the point, the past hours have been jam-packed with sensory over-load. I’ve been, “Up to Jesus,� or to the world’s second largest Christ statue (I believe it’s called Rae Christo), and it is one of the most awe-inspiring views I have seen in a long while. It was a lovely end to a crazy day. I’ve met tons of people who all seem, well, awe-inspiring too, but for the life of me I can remember only a few names, mainly my bosses, and am going to have to be the village idiot for the next couple weeks asking people to tell me who they are again because my memory is apparently seriously lacking. I’ve eaten grilled chicken on a beach with the soft wind blowing over the darkened horizon of a lovely seascape, with scrawny cats meowing at my feet and fur-patched dogs with huge eyes wandering around staring at my feast.

Speaking of dogs, I have also seen one of the strangest sights – and if you should fall into the category of polite company I would stop reading here. Sitting on the back porch of the office, drinking a nice cup of tea – I noticed that two dogs, were, shall we say, ‘stuck’ together, and by ‘stuck’ I will self-censor and avoid the graphic description of just what parts were stuck together and leave that to your imagination. Trying to have a normal conversation with those two hopping around in the background was comical to say the least.

I am now typing in my room on borrowed time. I plugged in my power surge protector only to find it’s the one device I own not compatible to 220V, and that dear device, which I have carried with me for over four years of brutal college life, is now fried like an egg on the Dili pavement. So I’m writing in a hotel room, a borrowed room, on borrowed battery time, graced with the presence of my friend, nicknamed “Freaky Gecko,� or Mr. FG who, after running all over my walls on my entrance, has hidden in a corner and (if amphibinaly possible) is more scared about my presence in the room than I am.

Welcome to Dili indeed. My borrowed time is up, and I’m going to jet-lagged sleep – and perhaps tomorrow will bring more strange stories but until then – goodnight.