Tag: East Timor

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre.

The median age in Australia is 37. In Timor Leste it is 21. More than one third of the population are under the age of 14. Many of these children have been orphaned by disease and war.

Last week I got back from the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Here are some of my traveling companions.

In the evening I'm starting to feel like I have a monumental hangover. Which is a marked improvement over what I was feeling at the start of the day.

When the locals see us they generally stop and stare. The children wave or squeal or shout 'malae!' or 'malae mutin!'

In 2008 I went to East Timor with some volunteers from my high school to install an electrical system for a school in a village called Zumalai on the south coast. We brought over some tools and electrical equipment and I brought back a few words in Tetum and a cute little tropical parasite.