So this week has been pretty easy going. I've been planning classes and preparing to write a grant for CDB, but for the most part life has been pretty slow. I will say however I am extremely excited to go to Dili in a couple of weeks because I plan on picking up a Guitar which will be very fun to learn. I've been wanting to learn guitar for a while, so I decided since I have a lot of downtime here that I'd pick one up. Beyond that I'm planning on picking up the kindle one of the PC staff is picking up in Australia (thanks again if you're reading this!). I also heard from a couple people that they liked to see the quotes from last week, so I'll add a couple more here for you all to check out.
I was goaded by the pro-independence fighters. One man said to me, ''Autonomy has lost... You must give us your home and land because our homes have been burned by your friends." I answered, "My house and land aren't political, people are political. If you want a house find an empty government building, I won't give up my home." I was attacked by the man's son and friends who broke into my house. They tried to get me out: "Leave quietly. If you don't we'll strip you naked and throw you in the fire." I reported the incident to Interfet... ...but after they left, my house was taken apart, all my plates and glasses were smashed and my furniture, cupboards and wardrobes, were taken. For whom I don't know. I let it happen because these are the consequences of struggle.
These are some extremely powerful stories and are humbling when I think about the ease to which I can live my own life in this time of relative peace. I just hope that these stories can help others gain a better understanding of the struggle the people of Timor have gone through. Because although these are historical accounts, the effect the war had on the people of Timor is real and something that will have a ripple effect for generations to come.After attacking Manuel Carrascalao's house on 25th April 1999, the militia accused my son of keeping weapons and arrested him. We were taken to the Caicoli Village Office. I watched them beat my son and others from RT 1 Caicoli till they were a bloody mess. Some were stabbed. Some were in so much pain they cried to die. I was so upset I screamed at them to kill them rather than continuing the torture. We were both released that afternoon but others were not. Around May 1999 the TNI found an apelo (a Falantil donor's card) in a friend's home. They asked who had given her the card and she said I had. The TNI took me to the Babinsa in Caicoli village. They mocked me by saying that a woman is of no use in politics, can never become a leader and could only ever be a servant in the forest for Falintil. In other words my only use was as a Falantil concubine.
To bring it back to a lighter topic I was able to find the garlic bread in the pictures below a few weeks ago, and that was a wonderful surprise to find here in the land of rice and cassava leaves. I also found this Disney garlic which I think was a wonderful move by the Disney cooperation 😂. These small things keep me feeling chipper when the stress of working in another country weighs on me. I've also found an arcade out here in Baucau which was a cool thing to find, so I can only hope to find time to visit it soon. I haven't been to a legitimate arcade for years even living in the States!
Well this has been a good stress reliever today, I look forward to writing up the next blog post. Before I sign off though I want to bring attention to the last photo I posted and tell a short story. A week ago I was walking back home from work as usual thinking about if I wanted to pick-up some apple's at the Loja down the street or not. It then hit me that I had never looked up on this path home for the last 3 months I've been here. So upon looking up I discovered a sight that was as eye opening as it was breath taking. I saw Foho Matebian (or the Mountain of the Spirits of the Long dead) it was named this because of the Timorese that were killed there during the resistance fighting. I will link to a blog I found from a Timorese describing the stories he heard as a child (http://karaudikur.blogspot.com/2017/07/foho-matebian-my-favorite-stories.html). So as I do always I'll talk to you later and leave you all with this.
Grit is that 'extra something' that separates the most successful people from the rest. It's the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.
~Travis Bradberry
Much Love,
~BW
