| east timor.
timor timur. timor leste. and finally in its own language, timor lorosae which means timor where the sun rises, or east and thus east timor. bundia, good day as they say in east timor. my trip turned into a dilly-dally of sorts as the violence between a group of sacked soldiers and the tiny army spilled over to the streets with gangs aligned to the rival factions clashing in dili. the net result was looting, buildings and other property torched and sectarian violence between the lorosae - people from where the sun rises, and loromonu - people from where the sun sets, or west. funny, always thought they were just timorese. during the course of work, am still here actually as i write this, found out the icons of this slice of paradise is not in the architecture - most have been razed to the ground anyway, but the people with their indefatigable spirit to soldier on in face of adversity. after 450 years of portuguese colonisation, add 24 years of indonesian rule and you get a mish-mash of sorts but still something uniquely timorese. for despite everything they have experienced, they can still flash a smile and it is as warm as the sunbeams that filter through the swaying palm trees of timor. so here is to the people of timor, especially the bombeiros de dili - the firemen, who were a tower of strength when there was none. adeus. goodbye. |
security signboard in radio television timor leste main gates Buy Print |
the first of many torchings in dili Buy Print |
residents dumping their property as they flee from violence Buy Print |
a pig runs across a street where soldiers patrol Buy Print |
refugees seeking shelter near airport Buy Print |
the dili cathedral with a plume of black smoke billowing behind it Buy Print |
a stained glass fresco in dili cathedral Buy Print |
a solitary man stands in a row of empty pews in dili cathedral Buy Print |
some kids cycling past a row of armoured personnel carriers Buy Print |
one lone timorese dresses as a japanese samurai with others at a dili suburb Buy Print |
'boutbloodytime' painted on an australian armoured personnel carrier patrolling Dili suburb Buy Print |
the palacio do governo - government headquarters Buy Print |
