21.12.08
Life at the edge
I wouldn’t be the only one to be breaking out of town to check out life out of TL at this time of year. Apart from a couple of very touristy/rest trips to Darwin I haven’t re-acquainted myself with life in OZ for over 2 years. So I am doing a south-east OZ tour of old stamping grounds and mates. (The things you have to do to reduce the OZ wine lake !)
If you thought that arriving in Dili was a bit of a shock, the reality is that going the other way is every bit as shocking. I certainly was not prepared for the 1st grog shop visit where there were more beers on offer than wines. What happened ? It seems like very man and his dog is brewing beer. Not that this is bad, but get a grip guys, beer has never been so expensive. Hint – start brewing in Dili boys. Dili Draught … Becora Bitter … Maubisse Mild … Same Stout … Palacio Pilsener … are you with me ?
And OZ tomatoes … perfectly red, round and tasting like cardboard. I miss the gnarled but tasty Dili tomatoes already.
And everybody tells me I need to consume. You know, buy stuff I don’t really need. Replace those shorts I have worn for ages in Dili. And that mobile phone is just so OLD. And those t-shirts look oh so naff. Get a grip – I am not going to buy a new car for the good of the country. Besides – every man and his dog in Dili seems to be buying blue jeans in Colmera.
I went to a local suburban club with some old mates and was amazed at the apparent dagginess of the premises until the beers kicked in and the band transformed from ho-hum to rock legends. It could have been related to the fact that the local hairdressers association were having their Christmas party and hit the dance floor. I was more than prepared for a trim right there and then.
And the internet speed – WOW. See you next year (1000 Gigabytes later.)
Nayana said,
27 January, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Hi,
First, I wanted to thank you for putting so much candid info on your blog…. I am thinking about taking up a job for a while in TL, and your blog provided by far the most texture to life there as an expat. Not a whole lot on the web….
In the absence of other really good sources of info….I would appreciate some advice: What is your view on bringing family there? Do most expats bring their families? or do most of them venture out alone? I have 3 kids….6, 2, and a newborn….and one of the things that makes me most nervous is whether it would be a disaster if I decide to bring them along.
Any words of wisdom?
Nayana
Squatter said,
27 January, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I went through the same before I went and found nothing. And it really annoyed me going through the “if only I had known, I would have brought the … and not brought the …”.
Most expats do not bring families. Those that do seem to do fine. There are 2 international schools that will cater for your children quite adequately (if you can afford it). The disaster you speak of is more likely to be a medical one. With good health, I do not see a problem. But with bad health, be prepared to leave the country to attend to things. In general, Dili is not a good place for people with chronic health conditions.
A lot will depend on your employer and how much they will do for you. If next to nothing, it might be a good idea to have an establishment period before the arrival of the whole herd. I’m afraid I can not guess your level of “sense of adventure” so the rest is up to you.
Nayana said,
29 January, 2009 at 1:06 am
Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it!
My kids don’t have any chronic illnesses that I can think of, so far anyway–but the newborn (not born yet actually!) could be tricky…cuz we simply don’t know what his/her sensitivities will be. Travelling to Australia to get help if the kids get really sick does not sound encouraging. I guess I will play it by ear on the family front. I am definitely thinking of coming in myself and checking out the scene first hand, before moving the fam. My “sense of adventure” is probably above average–although with family to think about, my profile changes a bit.
Have a couple more questions, if you don’t mind:
What is realistic to expect for rental costs–assuming I live alone in some kind of serviced apartment or something for a couple of months….or if the fam comes, in a furnished 3BR or so house in a safe neighborhood? I simply dont have much sense of the market. Do the expats tend to cluster in a few communities/areas? They do in many countries I have visited or worked in.
Do you have a sense of how big the expat community is there? My guess is that the UN has a pretty big presence, followed by the usual accompaniment of INGOs.
On the security front….the travel warnings look really daunting…but they are usually overkill, I find. Do you tend to worry about security and personal safety on a day-to-day basis and does that really cramp your life? Are expats really targetted that severely as stated in the advisories? Do things really flare up out of control all over the place? Or is it reasonably easy to avoid getting caught up by sticking to safe neighborhoods, etc.? The latter is what I have encountered in countries like the philippines, Sri Lanka, etc.
Thanks very much!
N.
Glenn said,
7 April, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Squatter- are you still around?
Squatter said,
7 April, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Yes, but not in Dili. I was expecting to be back in Dili in February but for reasons which I suspect are related to the global economic circumstances, my contract went from “contract is in the mail” to “sorry about that”. People in Dili wanted me but the overseas movers and shakers had a different idea.
I just figured it was best to keep quiet until things resolved themselves. No point in blogging away if I am not in Dili. So don’t expect me to post until the situation changes.
I am still very much interested in what is going on but I like to see for myself.