I don't know how often the Foreign & Commonwealth Office updates its travel advice sections, but perhaps Timor-Leste's should be looked at. I wonder how many people are put off visiting Timor-Leste because of the FCO warning. I also wonder how many publications are reluctant to print travel stories from Timor-Leste. We advise against all but essential travel to East …
May 30, 2009
Fumbled flag has Timorese worried
The people of Timor-Leste celebrated seven years of independence last Wednesday with a day of parades, music and festivities in Dili, the capital city Only a few bloggers marked the occasion. Sandra Martz wrote on her blog, “On May 20, 2002, following 25 years of violent domination by the Indonesian military which was aided and abetted by the US under …
May 24, 2009
On eating dog
I knew it would happen eventually. The number of times Timorese people have asked me if I’ve ever eaten dog, I knew the day would come when I’d actually be offered the meat. And so it happened in Ermera. I’d travelled out to the district at night and been told that food had been prepared for dinner. We’d been in …
Days gone by
I found a flyer in my bag today. Five years ago on Thursday May 20, 2004, me and a group of friends organized a drum n bass party in Sheffield called *Sneak. It was held from 10 pm until 2 am at Orchis nightclub. I don’t know what the club is called now, but I know it isn’t Orchis. There …
Quote of the day, possibly of the year
President Jose Ramos-Horta speaking about press freedom: "The media often make mistakes in their reports, that is true, but how many more mistakes, more serious, has government made? When government makes mistakes, we can lose millions of dollars, and yet no one holds us responsible."