I thought I would get one more post in this week, mainly because I was able to capture some awesome photographs and a lot going on 🥵..
The week started with our Host Family Appreciation Event (Sunday 1st Dec). As part of the event, us Volunteers had a budget to cook some “American” Thanksgiving themed food. It was a challenge based on the cooking equipment available and produce available in Gleno. The Team did awesome and between us all we made Mashed Potatoes, Deviled Eggs (delish!), Apple Crisp and Brownies. I was with Shelby, Kelly and Jason and we made “Pigs In Blankets” (actually we found chicken hotdogs from a local western store and made the dough from scratch) served with a local style tomato sauce. The food was SO tasty! The Team did beyond awesome! 😁
The Family Appreciation event went really well! The Cornhole was super popular (I was happy for that) and we had music and the best food. I did an appreciation speech (in Tetun, a diskursu) with Mana Kenyon (she did super and carried me 😁, but I was happy to get through it and was complimented on my Tetun pronunciation 😏). Domingo received a framed photo of me and the family and a certificate for putting up with me 🤔. We also had some local Children who did some dancing. There was massive rain just before the start. I walked there in my sandals and waded through, effectively, a river (hence I am bare foot in the cornhole pic below 💦).
Labarik Pinta!!!🎨
As part of a CED project to mark “International Volunteers Day” (Thursday 5th Dec), we are creating signs with local kiosk owners to promote their business. As a start, we cut and painted 12 wooden signs. We started painting the signs on my host family porch and it was not long before the local children got involved and took over the project 😁. Some photos below which capture the mayhem! I’m really hoping none of them were wearing their “Sunday Best” as paint was everywhere 🤔.
Toss Serbisu 🌱
After painting, I went and helped my host Sisters turn the ground in the part of our garden we had not yet planted corn. Some of the strongest Women I have ever met 💪. I helped as best I could, but they did the lions share. I pulled the camera out and we got some fun photos. After we ate fruit and admired the garden.
Xefi Suku Lauala Joven Hanoring 👨🏫
Yesterday a group of us CED Volunteers (Ian, Kelly, Jocelyn, Andrew and I) went to the Lauala Xefi Suku building to teach some local youths about hard skills and soft skills as well as creating an “Elevator Pitch” for potentially speaking with an employer over a brief meeting. The participants were fantastic and we had a really productive lesson. I was lucky that my team mates spoke better Tetun than me, but I did what I could to support. I am super proud of the team and the participants. Some nice shots of the lesson below. We had to move to PLAN B and do the whole lesson outside due to some urgent activity in the Suku building. In the team photo you will see me standing next to the Lauala Xefi Suku Leader Tome De Deus. The Xefi Suku is the elected leader for the Suku area. The maximum age of the Xefi Suku, when elected, is 35 (so pretty young). Tome is much younger than that. It was great to speak with him and to get his warm welcome of our team.
A final shot of some youths I pass daily and have some banter with. Today I let them listen to my headphones with UK Dubstep blasting. They seemed to approve 😁. Maybe Timor-Leste is ready for a dubstep DJ set 🤔. Maybe one of my goals while I am here.
Stay safe!!!!
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