1st December 2015
This marks our last month in Timor-Leste and the six months have flown by. The weather is getting hotter but we have had no rain yet. The kids are enjoying school and have had many playdates and birthday parties to attend. We seem to spend every weekend down at the beach, often running into many of the families from school - instant playdates! I’ think I have mentioned that I am a bit wary about swimming given the recent crocodile citing, not very far down the beach. There was a large crocodile getting fed chickens out the front of the US embassy not long ago.
I have been promising my daughter a ride on the big ‘banana float’ (basically a big yellow inflatable pulled along behind a jet ski) which frequents the beach every weekend and we finally went on - much to her delight. I think she was a tiny bit young as she (and I) was a bit frightened every time the jet ski sped up. The other kids were a bit older and urging the driver on while I kept yelling slow down.
We have kept on running every Sunday morning despite the heat. We return from Horta loop looking like beetroots and dripping in sweat. I do think it is one of the harder regular 10km tracks I have done. I have also kept up my walks to work every day although I need to take a change of clothes now given it is so hot. It is 2km one way, thankfully mostly along the ‘canal’ so I have at least half the walk away from the crazy Dili traffic. I find the walk equal parts ‘therapeutic’ and stressful. Its nice to say hello to everyone in the morning and recognise the familiar faces along the way. The school kids are also so divine; happy, smiling and cheeky. There is also almost always a soccer match underway in the canal in the afternoons which is very entering to watch. I have had a few stressful moments, mostly the time i was accosted by a group of teenagers with what looked like a dead baby crocodile - harmless but also not very pleasant. The traffic however is the most stressful part of the walk - particularly trying to cross the roads at the busy intersections. However, nothing quite as bad as that i experienced in Hyderabad.
The 'Banana Boat'
Soccer game en route to work
Our beautiful garden
Riding around our compound
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