As you all settle down to your thursday afternoon thanksgiving feast know that I, being on the other side of the dateline, have already gorged myself, drifted into a food coma, had a full night's sleep, awoke and had leftovers. This was my second full thanksgiving of the year since my mom did up a beautiful pre-thanksgiving dinner last month when I was in the states. And if you now count leftovers this morning it is probably my fourth, and by lunchtime should be my fifth t-day feed of the year. Not too shabby.

Marshall Islands thanksgiving is much like one in the states. We gather all of our friends and family together and eat till we blackout, then drink until there is an argument and all go home to happy to sleep in the fetal position. Here though in the absence of family or a local thanksgiving celebration all the white people get together to celebrate. Basically we do this for any reason at all and thanksgiving is a damn good one. It is also another opportunity to indulge is promoting america's superiority at holidays to our non-american friends.

This year I volunteered to cook the turkey, not that I really know what I am doing but hey put it in the oven and wait right? I was first in the store after the cargo ship arrived and can guarantee I bought the largest bird on island, 23 lbs, so I was off to a good start. I picked up all the tools and ingredients and threw the bird in the oven yesterday at lunch. Unfortunately, (ya right) I was informed when returning to work that we had a company baseball game that afternoon and would have to leave work early, ah shucks. Still believing I would be home in time thought this is no problem for the bird. Well apparently the electrical company had other ideas since while we were out at baseball the power on the island went out. Fortunately this didn’t cause me too much stress, as I didn't even know until I was driving home after and a friend called worried about the turkey. I arrived home to find the power still off. Just when I thought it was the end, pop the power cracked back on. Well at this point there was nothing to loose and didn't know if it was ruined so just proceeded with the cooking now scheduled to be 2 hrs late.

Eventually it got up to temperature and was hopefully done. It looked good anyway and thought it will have to do. Now for the hard part. The flexible tin disk the turkey was in was too weak to pick up so was forced to remove the entire oven rack then take it out to my car for the drive over to the house were everyone was. Solo this was quite the task but managed to get it done although not without spilling turkey juice all over the oven, floor, carpet, table, stairs, car seat and floor. Driving down the road over speed bumps and cutting taxis didn’t help either. By the time I arrived I was exhausted and covered in sweet after gripping a 180 degree bird while driving a stick shift in the cab of pickup in the tropics. All ended well and maybe the best turkey I ever had but I am sure the exhaustion and novelty contributed in some way. All 19 people also seemed to enjoy it so was at least edible. Glad to see that I wasn’t sick this morning either which is a good sign. The stuffing I made with Mom’s recipe using sausage was a big success too. and the gravy from turkey drippings, at least what was left after spilling on the my kitchen or car was tasting too, I guess salt fixes everything. This morning is an induction ceremony at work for our new to us backhoe and sewer snake machine, welcoming them into the family of other rusty tools soon to be neglected and ruined. At least we got diabetes snacks: a cookie, soda, muffin, and cake.

Thursday was a Marshallese holiday, and what better way to spend the day than pouring concrete. Two friends building a church here offered me a local wage of $2/hr to help pour concrete for the day. I couldn't pass it up that kind of bling. Anyway I needed a change from my office job, get a tan and try and work off my fat belly. Not sure one day will do it but at least I got to work outside for a change.

I am back from my US tour (10 days of awesomeness + 4 days on the airplane or layovers just getting from place to place). I had a true departure from the Marshals on friday eve as I tried avoid friends forcing a few too many on me before getting on the plane. It didn't work as friend managed to get a couple beers and shots in me, so I stumbled to the gate. Was all fun and games until I woke up halfway through the flight to Hawaii with a terrible hangover and a old sock of a continental airlines omelet in front of me. I thought for sure I was going to have to bless the mile high barf bag for the first time but managed to hold it off. After the annoying transfer in Hawaii, avoid at all costs I managed to make it to Albuquerque where things got better fast. Phil and Liz took me over to my new house, first time I was actually in it since I bought it in June. Pizza and chatting about the latest tv shows and I was on my way to full dose of Americanness.

Hey all, hope everyone is well. I had a good weekend. Took a trip over to a nearby island with a small group of friends. We had more than a good time and more than a few drinks, not necessarily in that order. I slept outside on the beach which is the best, at least until it started raining. In the middle of the day went for a quick finishing trip where I excelled in not only loosing a big fish but loosing the lure and line, watching it snap off the rod as the fish ran. Fortunately it wasn't actually my fault because it had been setup incorrectly but I still felt bad. I did however redeem myself by scoring a monstrous tiny little mackerel. Basically a pan fryer, haha. Later of course after cooking it late, after everyone was already full it got left out and quickly scarfed down by the bravest dog. Anyway after returning to Majuro I moved house. Yes thats right, my beach bungalow was just not enough for me anymore. Well really it was too much. I was lonely in a 4 bedroom house 30min from town all by myself. So last week I found a nice small place just on the edge of town, 5 min from work and have now made the move. I have traded beach for convenience and old bungalow for sleek new appliances. I am happy with the move and now more comfortable in a clean and more sociable place.Looking forward to my trip home in two weeks. Will be home for a week, then going to wedding in Indiana and 3 days in DC before coming back. Will be a whirlwind tour.Hope all is well. lv jesseJesse Shapiro

jessepants@gmail.com

I am not a flower hater, but this past week we organized total flower annihilation. Now before you think I am the devil hear me out. The flowers happen to be on the airport runway which also happens to be the main rainwater catchment for the city water supply. Unfortunately for the population it hasn't been cleaned for at least 10 years! However, as fortunate as this is for the local bird and bee population it had to end. Fortunately for me it is a high visibility activity to start up regular cleaning, code for maintenance program. We even had a bobcat from public works to help with the domination of nature and destruction of every last flower. Wow was it a lot of stuff. In fact we only finished half and have to go back for more this week. We had all 55 employees out cleaning and then threw a bbq in the afternoon once the plane needed to land. Last week I spent in Ebeye, the second island I am working on. The place is hard to sum up but is next to a US military base and houses all their local employees. It is basically a slum and neglected by everyone. Most of the services run on a minimal level (in America this would mean unsafe, insufficient, and dangerous). Following up on my last trip there I again hung out a bit with the leadership. The wealth difference is outrageous. Picture a slum of makeshift housing, kids everywhere, and sweltering heat then see this picture. Yes, it is the newly arrived massage chair of the local leader.

lv ya, jesse

So I noticed a bad smell in my house last week. Once I noticed it and the hours passed by it seemed to get worse and worse. I searched high and low but couldn't locate where it was coming from, partly because it was so bad it was hard to smell without heaving, in order to find it. I figured it was a dead mouse or rat since I had recently seen one and put out traps and poison. The poison is supposed to make them thirsty, so they go outside, then kill them. I was really hoping there wasn't a dead rat in my roof or wall. Anyway the next day the power happened to go off and I was home when it came back on. Just as it did I walked into the kitchen and boom, like a wave the smell hit me. It was clear it was coming from the back of the refrigerator. The fan on the back, now on, was sending the smell out right at the entrance to the kitchen. So I took the back off and searched around with my flashlight but found nothing. I called the landlord and the next day she sent a guy over who couldn't find anything either. So two days later they all came over with another guy. This time they really got deep inside the back and low and behold found the rotting, maggot filed shell of a former crab. Now how the hell did a crab get in the back of the fridge?

This morning was the opening of parliament. Hirobo and I went to put in some face time and maybe get on tv. Didn't really work out but got to take some fancy pics. First picture is Hirobo on left and the President of Marshall Islands on the right. I am the white one. Next picture has the Minister of Public Works in center. Last picture was during a visit to one of the water treatment plants here last week. It was hard work so fortunately was surrounded by coconut trees and a hammock to take a load off. wooo....

All last week I took my first trip to Ebeye. Ebeye is in the Kwajalein atoll located in the western chain of atolls (I am living on Majuro in the eastern chain) and is about a 45min flight. You get there by a flying to Kwajalein and taking a boat across to Ebeye. Kwajalein is a US military base where they still test missiles and such. In fact there was a test while I was there. They blacked out the island after 8pm and tried to shoot down a missile fired from california. Apparently though something went wrong and it was headed for a popular area so they blew it up mid-flight. Don't worry though it only cost the US taxpayers 100-200 million dollars. While on Kwajalein we also were lucky and got to go to subway on the base. The only fast food for thousands of miles.Once on Ebeye I was introduced to the parliamentarians representing the island and the traditional king. I soon found out that my counterpart is well connected and knew them all personally. Great news for me and getting things done. We took a tour of the water and sanitation systems which I am sure I will be updating more on that over the year. Lets just say it ain't too good. See picture of the kids playing basketball on the road to the dump. Yes it is burning too in the background and also happens to be the only baseball field on the island.The next day the Iroij, traditional king, invited us on his yacht to an outer island, Elip for a ceremony where they handed over a boat. It was interesting and we definitely travelled in style. See the picture below of me and the king on the ferry boat to the island with the boat to be handed over in the background. It was small, only 100 or so people on the whole island. They didn't have a dock so we had so get off the big boat to this fiery boat then jump in the water and walk ashore. Once we were all on land we were welcomed into the village by the whole community by singing and shaking hands. We had to shake everyone single persons hand including the kids as we entered off the beach. Then we were given a lei and a fresh coconut, not a bad way to visit a place. Next was speeches and big meal. Check out what I had to try and eat with my own personal community member fly swatter. Was a bit strange eating a whole meal with 100 people watching and a women waving a banana leave over my food the whole time but at least it was not for me but for the king. After that we walked out to a lake on the island which was a bit strange for it small size then headed back. On the way back we saw whales and dolphins. The Marshallese told me this was a sign that something big and important was about to happen. I told them that maybe the water and sanitation system would start working. They all laughed hysterically.

went out to eneko island last weekend with for the night with another advisor and my supervisor from Australian who was here visiting. It is a small island, or as my friend Nick says, ilet since it is still part of the Majuro Atoll with maybe only two families on it. Small, i kayaked from one end to the other in about 10 minutes.. Anyway it was great weather with rains on and off. Caught a double rainbow just after snorkeling

Anyone want a drink? This is a shot of one of the Majuro water reservoirs. Yumm.Work is going well, had a visit from my boss and AusAid this week and looking at upcoming projects here. I am a bit more settled in my house now, had the delivery of my a couch last week and now have a great place to sit. Also had some fans and screen doors installed so am starting to feel more relaxed at home, no internet yet though. Although, I did see my first rat, he ate all my cucumber and tomato seedlings, Ahh. Will be going out to a small island this weekend and be back just in time to download and watch the end of Le Tour about a day after it actually happens. Go Cadel! Then will be off on tues again, flying over to the second island I will be working on, Ebeye. We get to go through a US airforce base which is there and apparently there is a subway and good shopping, like a little mini amerika. My counterpart says I will have a traditional welcome out there which is cool. He knows the senators and I am sure means a big party with lots of food. Anyway will let you know how it goes.

Due to popular demand here are some slightly better shots of my new home for the next year. This is the back porch onto the beach, the sunrise this morning, and me. Things are well here, has been quite rainy. Had our first miny crisis at work today when one of the drinking water pumps failed. It was installed 10 yrs ago and never had any maintenance done, not even a change of oil. Woops. Off to it...

The week I arrived here in Majuro there happened to be a holiday, fisherman's day. Its supposedly the only place in the world to honor fishermen with their own holiday. The big event of the weekend was the annual Billfish tournament and I managed to get myself onto a boat on sat and sunday. It was awesome to be on a boat with true locals who really knew what they were doing. We brought in marlin, yellowfin tuna, barracuda, and others. Check out this fish we caught on day two. It was the smallest one.

Went for a sunday morning ride down to the end of the island, only about 30 miles rt with two new friends, possibly the only other bike enthusiasts on the island. Saw an unussal sight. Anyone ever seen a boat built out of a wheel barrow and 4in rigged insulation. Paddle made of palm tree branch.

The end of my first full week has been great and I on the high end of optimism. I am sure I will soon learn really what is going on here and get jaded and pessimistic, but for now it is all smiles. Besides the first week flying by there has been tons great initiatives happening here that I will get to be a part of. I have been fortunate to walk in here with multiple wheels already turning with the development of the sector and improvement of the water supply and sanitation systems. There is a policy process that has already begun and at least two donor funded projects that are expecting my input to finalize. My counterparts at the Water and Sewer Company also have some good energy. Like me they are also somewhat new and young and believe we can really do something here. It is the weekend, so see ya!Here is a picture of one my counterparts Wani in our office.

The view from my new place on to beach and ocean. Well really it is the lagoon on the interior of the atoll. See google earth to see what I mean. Sorry for the picture quality as it was taken from my phone. Will send better copy once I get my bags unpacked.Life is tough.

lv jesse

Hey all, so I am back, online that is, and decided to get this blog going again. Of course this means that I am in fact gone back overseas. So...

Here I am in the Marshall Islands. enjoy and keep in touch.

Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro. Not a great shot but proof I was there. The guy in the front is selling grilled cheese. A rio must.

From the left Joao, Catherine, Beck, and Me at a hilltop castle in Lisbon. If you can believe it this was on the way from Brazil to Mozambique. Due to a missed connection, the fault of the airline, we were rerouted through Portugal and had about 10hrs to tool around. Oh yeah it was O degrees and we were packed for the beach. If you look closely we are all wearing 4 or 5 shirts.

Which one is the real Superman?

Hyena with a leg in its mouth in Kruger national reserve, South Africa.

Me with a alligator on the amazon.

got back to rio this morning after three days at the parallel universe music festival. The festival was amazing! It was on the beach, imagine paradise beach, with three stages and maybe 30,000 people. There were no hotels and everyone was in tents on the beach. Tired of the music just go to the beach or get a acai, a wonderful smoothy like drink made of fresh fruit, then back to the music. New years eve was quite exciting including lazer show and fireworks and I even danced until dawn.

There is a weird trend here at the beach to wear a utility type belt with all your valuables instead of say a backpack. I guess it is less likely to get stolen. I got to say it looks quite funny with a brazilian bikini although it does mean there are hundreds of tomb raider look-a-likes on the beach. Not bad.

I have the next five days here in rio checking out the sites, enjoying more beach, and meeting up with friends. It has been tough to find a hotel because everything is sold out with the new year so we just got a nice apartment for the week near the beach in the famous ipanema. hope you all had a nice new years. i will upload pics soon i promise. Check ya later

jesse

just found out my bf phil is engaged to my other bf liz. congrats

i am in sao paulo airport in brazil on the way to salvador where we will rent a car to drive to the Univeral Parallel music festival for the next three days invluding New Years. i am looking forward to four days in a bathing suit eating friend food, drinking brazilian beer, and dancing all night. Got to try it once right? There we will meet back up with my brasilian friend we left behind in rio.

Three of us just left manaus where we spent three nights in the amazon basin at a river lodge, one night in the jungle. It was a great time, even got hold a aligator, catch piranas, and build my own shelter in the jungle. We ate a lot of fish and even had caparinhas, my new favorite drink, for xmas dinner, i just about forgot about xmas all together but the group reminded us. I have some great pictures but will have to wait for the cable which is in my checked luggage, probably from rio when we get back there next week.

I hope everyone had a nice xmas. sorry i didnt get anyone a present but i just know i am thinking of you all. happy new years and give a kiss to someone you love. Me, i will be looking for a beasutiful brazilian babe.

jesse

hey all,

Well it has been almost 9 months since my last post. Lots has happened and i will try and sum it up quickly. I have been back and forth to the US twice, once to finish my master´s and once for my friend, /thad´s wedding. Both were successful. My brother also met someone and got married in june/july. I am single again. I have finally changed jobs and know now for sure that I will be in /east /timor another 2 years. Starting in Jan I will be Sanitation advisor to the Ministry of Health. Since I am in between things I am writting you from Manaus, Brazil on the amazon. I have come with some friends to Brazil for the holidays. I will drop the details later but will be going to Mozambique in Jan for a week as well before returning to ET to start my shall I say career. Last week I had malaria and typhoid if you can believe it. It was actually quick and only new I had it after I was better and got a blood test. Only one day fever, amazing. Tomorrow we are heading up the amazon for a four day jungle trip. I am told I will build my own shelter in the jungle and will be grabbing small gators with my hands the first day? Anyway things are good. Merry x-mas and happy new year. hope everyone is well. love, jesse

Just after take off the pilot rings in to let us know that the fasten seat belt sign is off and we are free to roam about the cabin. He also added that the weather in Houghton is breezy with a fresh dusting of snow. "What the @$#! Isn't it supposed to be spring?"This was my reaction yesterday as I was flying back to MI after almost 3 years abroad. I knew it would be colder than the tropics but was hoping for somewhat spring weather. Unfortunately my flipflops were not the best choice for footwear that day. Once inside the terminal I scrambled for my shoes and every piece of clothing I could find. It is winter here. The cannal is forzen and there is more than a dusting of snow. There is still skiing! That was the wonderful end to my three day trip from Timor back to school in Michigan. It started off a bit better with about 24hrs in Bali filled with good food and massages. Then about 8hrs in Narita, Japan on layover. I made it out to some temples and sushi. Pictures will follow.

I am now back on campus and working to get an office, my computer online, and start the work on my master's report. Last night I had a warm welcome, as it happened it was the night of the Peace Corps monthly social. Just off the plane I was in a pub with pizza and beer and meeting new student and old friends. I hope to run into a couple more old friends today that I have heard are around. My jet lag is still pretty heavy so think I will head back for a nap here in a bit. talk to ya again soon with some pictures. paz

Dili is still extremely calm, which is due mostly to “State of Siege” in which there have been virtually no security incidents in a couple weeks. So, other than the 10pm curfew it has been back to normal life in Timor for us expats. I have been putting my new bike to use or at least getting out two times a week. It has been a big advantage on the flats but seems to be a disadvantage on the mountains as it has the wrong gear ratios for the steeps. Last two weeks have been chalked full of birthdays so we have been partying within the best of our ability under the curfew. This weekend got a bit routy after a four or five hour stint of karaoke. The next day was International Women’s day. I did my best to honor women by letting my girlfriend pick movies while I made lunch. Unfortunately this resulted in watching two Mandy Moore movies back to back. Ouch, the sacrifices men have to make. I did fall asleep during one. I have a busy schedule this month. This weekend I am going to Maubissie with some friends and we will ride our bikes back. It will be the first true test for my bike in the mountains. We may have a group of 10 which will be exciting. Then next week my girlfriend’s parents are coming to Timor for a visit and we are going to travel to Jaco island for the Easter weekend. I will get to help show them around and visit my host family a bit. The proceeding Monday I am flying back to the US. Although this time not for a visit home but to Michigan to try and finish my master’s report. After that it will be directly back to Timor and back to work.

Things are still calm in Dili. They have extended the curfew to 10 days which sucks. No one on the streets "after 8pm or you must be a rebel!"

Information that has come out so far seems to point out that the attack on the Pres and PM a botched kidnapping. It seems to also be the most likely scenario especially acknowledging other recent events such as the president meeting him only days early with no security and the actions of some of the petitioners dialogging with the government separately.

On a different note, here are some photos that I promised in a previous post.

1. Me (after a bike ride) and the new baby Jesse.

2. Me after a fight with a bee.

Unfortunately the government internet system is down with little hope that it will be fixed quickly. I have been using other options but they provide fairly undependable service. I am still ok for email every couple days but internet content in photos is virtually impossible. Enjoy. Yeah curfew!

Just to let you that I am ok and things are really calm here. Things are safe and I am back at work today. You may have seen on the news that Alfredo tried to kill the President and the Prime Minister yesterday. The President was shot and is now in Australia in stable but serious condition. Yesterday was a bit crazy pumped with adrenaline. I had some friends who were closely involved and even got a play by play of the gun battle. We are under a state of siege and have a curfew. Everything is quite calm in the streets but we are waiting it out to see if there is some reaction to Alfredo’s death. I will keep in touch. Hope all is well at home. lv

5/2/08 When I went home in December I decided it best that I return my work vehicle, which is rented, as I would be gone over a month. Now that I have returned the vehicle is no longer available to rent. My work was able to get another vehicle but of a quite different style. I am now driving a Honda civic automatic which is quite low to the ground with a rumble muffler, tinted windows, AC, and a CD player. Everyone asks about my car now and I just reply “this is how I roll.”

4/2/08 I am so disappointed I haven’t blogged in almost five months but I am determined to get back on track. I could say I was busy or sick or something but really I just got lazy. Now I am back and instead of writing one long post with everything that has gone on in the last five months I will just continue to blog and hopefully the past will present itself.

Yesterday I went for a bike ride which resulted in the following picture. Less than one hundred feet from my destination was swarm of bees which I happened to ride through. Like bullets they bounced off my helmet and face. One lucky one got logged between my helmet and sunglasses. Only seconds later fending for its life as I swatted and shook it went for the kill. Fortunately I am over two hundred pounds and it probably weighs 2 oz so I survived but only nearly with these wounds.

The destination was Metinaro where my roommate Sarah was placed during Peace Corps. One of the families she is close with just had a new baby and guess what they named it…Jesse. Yep and not randomly either. Sarah had actually suggested it. Sarah now calls it my namesake so I thought it important I go for a visit. The baby looks great and seemed to take a bit of a likening to me. The Timorese think it is hilarious and we spent the afternoon trying to decide how to distinguish between us. Either big Jesse and little Jesse. Or white Jesse and black Jesse. At this point either one gets a laugh. This now accounts for at least the fifth Jesse in Timor that I know of. Me, other peace corps Jesse, jess my girlfriend (see told you the past was coming), jesse my friend Catherine’s sister, and the new baby. Watch out we are taking over and your neighborhood is next.

.

Last weekend was a 5km race in Dili put on by Timor Telecom, the communications monopoly here. It was a lot of fun and had a good turn out which inlcuded predominately Timorese. If you can believe it my huge posterior actually joined in all the fun too. Here is a picture of me running into the finish. I still don't believe I finished the race in the 4pm heat with my steady regiment of beer drinking and pasta consumption but somehow I managed to stay in the middle of the pack. Also running was my roommate Sarah, shown in the next photo, and another friend Nelson. Sarah did quite well, infact she came in second for the women. The top five finishers for men and women received prizes. Sarah won something which they kept calling a "wifi," we can only assume it was some kind of stero thingy. As the good humanitarian though after trying to give it the next girl in line ended up giving it to the sixth place girl. We waited all the way unitl last night and the race was finally on TV. We all huddled around the home owners TV and caught the amazing 90sec broadcast. Surprisingly or not we all made it on. Nelson and I were only flashes as we ran across the screen or where in the back ground you could see my hair but Sarah got the hard time. They aired her 20second section of the prize ceremony. Funny she was the only one to later give it away. Para benz.

Here is a picture of the Ministry Natrual Resources, Minerals, and Energy (MRNMEP) basketball team. I am the one in the center. No way! Amazingly we have made it into the finals which will be played later this month. So far we have lost only one game, which was by only one point and against the team we will now have to play again in the Final. We are but humble water or electricity workers whereas their team has three of the East Timor national squad.

Timorese are quite small and the uniform doesn't quite fit so well as you can tell. I had to use another pair of shorts. Unfortunelately our team receives a technical foul every game for this. Normally I would feel bad as I am the only foreigner in the entire tournament but I don't. One reason is I am not much better than most the players anyway. Also I do actually work in the Ministry and should be able to play, which is more than I can say for other teams which have clearly recruited outside their sections.

Anyway wish us luck in the Final and if you happen to be in Timor on October 18th, 3:25pm at the UNAMET(?) courts in Comoro give us a cheer.

Back in Timor again after a relaxing and cleansing week in Bali. I have included just one photo from my second to last night when I went to see a traditional dance. It is the same one in the opening scene in Baraka the movie. You know with all the "click-click-click-ing" It was beautiful although a bit more catering to tourist then the one in the movie.

This weekend we were up for another trip especially since it was my roommate, Sarah's, Birthday. Sarah had always wanted to goto Jago island at the eastern tip of East Timor and this was a big reason to finally do it. 9 of us took the 7 hr car ride out. My car stopped in Baucau for Friday night to break up the long trip and I were able to spend a short bit of time with my family who were all well. It was interesting to hear their stories about the troubles in Baucau from last month when multiple buildings were burned down or damaged. All the buidings were in a rocks throw of their house which was quite scary. Even the preschool was burned out leaving the oldest child in the family, who is only 5, with no more school. Now he is back to being a trouble maker around the house. The UNpolice investigating the violence in Baucau in Viqueque from last month now say that the perpatrators were as much as 70% children under the age of 15. Can you imagine your 15 yr old burning down a government building or a school. I guess Timor needs some help with their parenting skills!

Jago and the new Eco lodge a local NGO is building there was beautiful as usual although it had hardly made any progress since I was there in Feburary. There has been major work done thoughout Los Palos though, especially to the roads which the project is improving for the eventual tourism. This trip we were able to visit some cave paintings near Jago which I never had time for before. It was only a short hike from the road and was well worth it. Although the actual paintings were mostly weathered and non-existent the location is amazing. The caves are not so much caves as overhangs on the bottom of huge cliffs. The spot is about 1km above the beach and overlooks Jago island. Awesome spot. I couldn't help but think it was the best rock climbing spot in the world although doubtful many have rock climbed there for sport. The location was actually quite developed with a path constructed during Indonesian occupation leading through the woods to the caves. It even had picnic tables in two spots. Some of the rocks on the ways were very smooth as if thousands of people had been to visit. No doubt it was a popular tourist attraction twenty years ago. They must of only recently cleared the path through the jungle as they are really fixing the area up for tourism. It was a great trip and even included the mandatory fish and coconut rice lunch on the beach the last day. mmm....

I am in Ubud, Bali. I know I am lucky. This time just came for a week for my three month R&R. Not happy with the prospect of another vacation alone so I decided to make it worth while and booked myself into a health resort. I am now 4 days into a 7 day fast. Strictly speaking it is not a true fast as they give me supplements three times a day and fresh juice if i want it. I have also been doing yoga and meditation everyday, I have at least one massage, and colonics. So far it has been easy and I have just been real tired. Yesterday I took a mid day nap from 1pm to 7pm. Life is ruff. I think I am finally starting to detox now. My tongue has changed color and I have a light headache. The cravings for food are becoming stronger. What I would do for a pizza. I am done on friday and will go to Seminyak for another three days. I will be meeting up with some friends there. Hopefully will be doing some shopping and a day or two of surfing. Getty up! lv jesse

After a week delay a team was finally able to hop on a UN heli and fly out to Uatolari and Uatocarbau in the Viqueque district to due a rapid assessment after some unrest. Earlier this month multiple communities in these areas were burned down and pillaged by a large mob. Here is a photo just as we were re-boarding the helicopter after the assessment. It landed in the village soccer field.

Although the reality of the violence was not what had been suspected it was still quite bad. One village had almost every building burned to the ground including the school. Most of the other villages had only selected burned houses including this one pictured which happens to be right in front of the local police station in the rear.

Back in Dili things are good. Next week I am going to Bali for a 7 day fast and some relaxation. Will send an update from there. paz. jesse

Timor makes Wikipedia front page news.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Jesse Shapiro ----------------- IDP Technical Support & Service Advisor to Direccao Nacional Aguas e Sanemento (DNAS) Timor Leste  Oxfam Australia ----------------- jesses@oxfam.org.au (+670) 732-6275

Today Xanana was sworn in as Prime Minister and the new government announced. It was almost a clean sweep as the AMP alliance cleaned out most of the Fretilin government even the Minister of Health who was loved by all. Xanana has promised a lot, like most politicians, let’s just hope he can live up to some of it. Hey, I am an optimist. Quite a bit is going to change in the government besides just the changing of people as the structure has been changed. New ministries have been created even one for fisheries. Huh? People laughed as they heard announcements of certain ministries new ministers cause they believe they were inappropriate people or like the Ministry of Planning and Finance… who’s office was burned to the ground only yesterday by demonstrations alleging this illegal formation of the government. I don’t know what the constitution says but it does seem weird that Fretilin, with 30% of the vote and the winner of the election, has not been included in its formation. Oh well. The department of water and sanitation will also be moved back under the Secretary of State along with Electricity and a new department called Urbanization. This looks real good for water and sanitation as the secretary of state has some technical background which will help to make good decisions. Only hours after being announced he even came by for a visit. That has got to be a great sign right? Laters jesse

Not usually found in Timor are extreme sports but this past weekend we went wake boarding here in Dili. It was a blast. I think I might of found something similar to skiing and snowboarding which I still fantasize about since I haven’t even seen snow in almost three years. It was actually my second time and I was able to stand up and do some basic turns. The rough sea made it a bit tough and has given me the killer ache in the legs. One of our friends was quite good and could even jump the wake and do flips. Here is a picture of him upside down just in front of the Dili landmark Jesus statue, the second largest in the world. Guess if he landed it or not? Then one of me surfing the wake.

Yesterday was the moment East Timor has been waiting for, for over a year, when the new government is formed and partially announced starting with the prime minister. Surprise, Surprise… it is Xanana, who was previously president. Now the president and the prime minister have switched positions. Although we have waited for this moment to move forward with development again the political problems are not over. Fretilin the party that won the most seats in parliament do not support the new government and will start causing problems here in Dili. This morning there are already some illegal road blocks and stone throwing which is normal except not usually in the morning. NGOs are restricting movement of their employees so we are staying put to see how the situation develops. It is likely there will be little work for a couple days.

jesse

This weekend decided again for another physical adventure. 7 of us including one Timorese whom had never ridden a bike more than a mile were off to Maibissi for the night. The plan was to ride the 65km through the mountains back to Dili on Sunday. Being extremely intelligent about things I decide to drink a whole bottle of wine the night we stayed in maibissi during a intense game of Taboo, men vs women, which was dominated by men*. *This was following the logical and moral score keeping of rob (picture 2), on the boys team, in which we removed the points posted Sarah, on the girls team, who is the game owner and therefore has home field advantage. In some cases it was even relevant to count her scores as negatives. I must state the boys had additional difficulties as all members were from different continents whereas the girl’s team was all Americans. The next day we climbed aboard our amazing cheap Indonesian made Wal-Mart quality performance machines and set out on the road. Although the 65km is mostly a decent, which was the main motivation for the trip, there were some tough hills. The longest about 15km and quite steep. On one particular decent as I approached the group on the side of the road who were taking a break I thought of pulling a skid to scare them. I will later say I was trying a trick, but really who knows cause I have forgotten to be honest. I thought it was no biggie as I have done it close to 1 billion times as a kid on the dirt roads in Canoncito. Of course what I forgot was I had just tightened my brakes for the long decent and had switched right with left because I was having trouble with the back. So what happens when you slam on your front break at 20 km/hr.? I would love to say a flawless endow 360 or a seesaw flip but instead I went over the handle bars head first into the ground. 10 Timorese who were standing right there and would normally laugh at any painful occurrence were dead silent. I think they thought I died. Even I lay there a moment to make sure I had all my pieces. Yes I did. In fact, I ended up with only minor scratches and cuts. The one time use helmet I thought was a necessary purchase only the morning before was cracked and had probably saved me. We climbed back on a finished the remainder of the ride and pulled into Dili about 2:30 a half hour before the cutoff for free sticky date putting from Castaways, a local treat promised to us by Rob if we arrived before 3. Took us just under 7 hrs. It was a sweet victory.

So two weekends ago a group of us managed to finally get out of town with the objective of climbing Matebian mountain, the second tallest in Timor, which is quite difficult or at least more so than the tallest, Ramelou. We took a night in Baucau where I got to visit with my host family again before heading to the base on Saturday morning. From there 8 of us headed for the top. We were unsure where we would actually make it in order to camp but wanted to get as close to the top as possible. Exhausted, in the dark and wet from rain we made it to a spot with some traditional sacred houses that had been abandoned about 2 hrs under the summit. This was our lodging. By then we had also managed to drag along a posy of about 8 children which kept requesting to be our guides. The 7 foreigners and 1 Timorese in our party had food, clothing, tents, water, shoes, and jackets whereas the children had nothing. I was sure they would die during the night of the cold or maybe hunger but that was not the case. In fact, if the cold and uncomfortable conditions didn’t keep us awake it was definitely the children’s singing which lasted until about 5 am at which point someone actually flipped out and yelled at them. The sun broke that morning revealing a absolutely amazing view into Baucau district below (first pic). Arriving the night before in the rain, darkness, and clouds did not prepare us for what we say that morning. Matebian is quite steep and can only imagine it is similar to what mountaineers see when they ice climb steep mountains. Unfortunately the night was not kind to us all and most had trouble getting up unless to throw up or take a long trip to the bushes. After trying to motivate the crew it was to be only two of us who would go on for the summit. Even I was feeling a bit queasy having to use those same bushes myself twice already by 7am. We left camp with one more motivated member and had a total of seven including the guide and three children with only t-shirts and no shoes. After one more trip to the bushes we made the summit in only hr and a half. Fog covered the accent but suddenly opened up a 180 view when we hit the top (second pic). The decent was hard on the legs and felt like stacks of jello by the time we hit the cars. We travelled all the way back to Dili for a Kalan bo’ot arrival of 9pm. All I got to say is the hurt of the next two days was severe.

During the first presidential election this year my Baucau host family had been in a motorcycle accident just after voting. It wasn’t good especially with the five of them on the one bike. Only my host mom and the 1.5yr old who she was holding fell of the back of the bike and were hurt. The baby bumped it’s head and my host mom cut her face quite bad. It is amazing to me for one that five people can fit on a bike and secondly that given the risk with three children under 5 they drive that dam fast and with no helmets. Anyway it is normal here. I think Timorese are either really good drivers (NOT) or just extremely lucky, if not people would be dying daily. On Saturday I spent the day in the Natar (rice patty) with my host dad watching as they divided up the rice harvest. It was fun to see their traditional method for how it is done. There was a bit of chanting which we had trouble translating into Tetun from their local language but I got the idea. They kept asking God for thanks and making sure that the soil and water is healthy for the next year’s harvest. We then killed a goat and ate it with rice right in the natar. They took palm leaves and quickly wove bowls and spoons for all of us. At sun down we climbed back in the car and headed home where I was of course forced to eat again, not that I am complaining.

The election is over, but are the problems in Timor? For now the answer is no. It seems we have stumbled upon a weak part of the constitution and it is now under debate. Fretilin won the election although only has around 30% of the vote. All the other winning parties decided to immediately form a coalition contacting the remaining 70%. Now they are debating over whether Fretilin can just form a minority government or that the coalition which does not contain the election winner can form the government. The debate is over two words in the constitution alliance and coalition. Fretilin says they are not the same and the rest say they are. Of course the debate is on the Portuguese words in which the constitution is written and which many Timorese poorly understand and don’t know well enough to speak. Getty up. Jesse

Last week I had a meeting in an IDP Camp with the site coordinator. When I arrived there was a crowd surrounding a person lying on the ground. The site coordinator was already there and was quite worried as he was having trouble getting questions answered. There was a woman was unconscious on the ground. She was breathing and had a pulse but was totally out. A man held her and claimed to be her husband. He said this has happened multiple times before and it was due to black magic. Previous times he has brought her to a spiritual healer which helps her regain consciousness. We sort of debated for a minute what to do. They said they had already called the ambulance and there was no answer. I agreed to do what the husband wanted which was give them a ride to the spiritual healer. I did and upon arrival realized the healer was a some type of martial arts master. Anyway there were many police around so we just dropped them off and went back to work. I still don’t know what the right thing to do was. Morally I did what I thought was right, follow the wishes of the husband. Although according to INGOs and such I probably should of only called the ambulance. Then late in the afternoon I got pick up some 1400 plastic jerry cans and deliver then to the airport to catch a helicopter ride to Suai, a southern part of Timor which has recently had a large flood. All the bridges have been knocked out so helicopter is the only way in. Some Oxfam staff got to go along on the ride to do an assessment. Unfortunately I didn’t get to go but maybe next time. This weekend was the parliamentary election which went off well. There were very few problems reported even less than the previous two elections this year. I heard of some people voting multiple times, some police restricting media access, and patients in clinics not being able to vote although prisoners were allowed. We should get the initial results of the election early this week with official results at the end of the week which hopefully won’t result in any violence outbreaks. So far it Fretilin in the lead followed by CNRT as expected. Jesse Shapiro ----------------- IDP Technical Support & Service Advisor to Direccao Nacional Aguas e Sanemento (DNAS) Timor Leste Oxfam Australia ----------------- jesses@oxfam.org.au (+670) 732-6275

I’m back. Sarah and I moved into a new house. It is a bit smaller than our last place which is a good thing. Our new place is perfect for the two of us with no wasted space. We had some significant upgrades in lifestyle as well. We have a hot water shower now which I is nicer than I originally thought. We also share the building with a Timorese family that owns the rental so we have our own Timorese security detail. The location is also great and I have only a 2 minute commute to work each day. The election is coming up and is only a couple days away now on the 30th. It is still highly contested with a couple possible outcomes. Security has been ok although there seems to be an increase in violence in some parts of the country causing some new IDP camps to form. One in Dili although the people came from out of town and one in Ermera district. Life in Dili is calm and fairly normal. Work is good and I am settling into my new position. It interesting to be involved directly with the processes that affect so many. The vulnerabilities and complications of the government are not simple. For now I am trying to patient and learn as much as possible. Jesse Shapiro ----------------- IDP Technical Support & Service Advisor to Direccao Nacional Aguas e Sanemento (DNAS) Timor Leste Oxfam Australia ----------------- jesses@oxfam.org.au (+670) 732-6275

On Tuesday I went out to my car to find it had a flat tire. Whether the work of a trouble maker or just all the multiple sharp objects I encounter everyday this was a common occurrence. Before I could do anything I had two Timorese there asking, really almost begging to give me a hand. As I had just showered and was clean I took them up on their offer. When I tried to help they just shooed me away. They made quick work of the change although as usual they had a bit of trouble getting the jack in the right place to get the car high enough. They had to run off and get some random hunk of metal which added to the jacks height. I tried to tell them they were putting the jack in the wrong place but they didn’t listen. They finished and I was off. I offered thanks and to buy them cigarettes but they were already satisfied and had their own. Jesse Shapiro ----------------- IDP Technical Support & Service Advisor to Direccao Nacional Aguas e Sanemento (DNAS) Timor Leste Oxfam Australia ----------------- jesses@oxfam.org.au (+670) 732-6275

Monday morning I packed my bags had lunch with some friends and made it to the Albuquerque airport for my return to Timor. When I tried to check-in I was informed my ticket had been cancelled that morning at 4am. Well, I was at Albuquerque airport, I had no cell phone, all my friends were at work, what was one to do? Who was responsible? I grabbed my bags and huffed it about 200m across the street to the nearest hotel with Internet (ABQ airport has no Internet). From there I found out that my ticket had been cancelled due to some confusion over payment. I was stuck in ABQ. I called a friend and got back to my brother's house where I got on the Internet and purchased new ticket. Unfortunately I was only able to get on the wait list for the flight from LAX to Hong Kong. When I got to LAX the next day the decision proved itself. The flight was overbooked so I lost another day and was stuck in LA. Because of the the flight timing I didn't do much but hang in the hotel and use the hot tub over and over. Not too bad actually. Wednesday I finally got on a flight for Asia. With another night in Bali I screeched into Timor on Saturday morning in just under 6 days. Woo. Back at last.