TIMOR LESTE
Saturday, January 9, 2010 | 2:48 pm
The evening before the night at Villa Verde, Village Green, one of the districts of Dili, Timor Leste, Jose Godinho (34), a young executive Dili native, enjoyed a plate of Thai cuisine. He served Namtama Cleo (23), origin of Udon Thani Thai girl, who swiftly set up food and beverages.
Taxi Japanese sedans built-up ex Singapore roam the streets. From inside the car sounding songs in Indonesian language. White and occasional passing police car driven by a UN logo white man with the flag of Australia or Portugal tersemat on the right shoulder. Not too rarely seen dark-skinned African people passing by.
Not far from Villa Verde at Palm Beach, Kampung Alor, Dili Beach Hotel, Matet Parrot (25), a girl home Cebu Philippines, fun send a short message service (an SMS) to friends of Australians in place to teach in a school international.
Indistinct in the distance, a resonance sound azan from Masjid An Nur in Kampung Alor, where community residents and descendants of the Bugis of Indonesia has been living.
Ansar Abdullah (53), male origin Bone, South Sulawesi, greeted compatriot whom he met some relatives near the Masjid An Nur.
Not far from there there is backpacker accommodation and new hotels with a Portuguese name, such as Minha Casa (My House) to a spa in Bali and Thailand are scattered in the corners of the city. Do not miss it, entrepreneur managed a few bars from China participate enliven the city with a dense atmosphere of the village but the international flavor.
Japanese restaurant serving fresh sushi, pizza shop run by white people, Myanmar's distinctive restaurants, Indian restaurants, restaurants in Sri Lanka, Vietnam restaurant, shop until meatballs, martabak and Javanese dishes can easily be found throughout the city of Dili.
The atmosphere of the early evening in Dili in December 2009 provides a how international situation in Timor Leste. UN, foreign aid agencies, foreign companies such as Petronas of Malaysia, Australia and China joined the company moves the economy of East Timor with a population of 1.1 million inhabitants.
Chief Editor of the weekly Tempo Semanal José A Belo, said that since the independence of Timor Leste in 1999, many foreigners come join their fate in this country.
"This year people from China may be able to reach 1000 persons. Most work on major projects. Furthermore, people of Indonesia in second place. Other Asian nations like the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and India is easy to find. Many white people from Portugal, Australia, England and the United States, "said Belo, who was once a guerrilla with Fretilin.
In addition, there are also people from the former Portuguese colonies like Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other countries. Indeed, night workers, such as karaoke, girl guides from China, also easily found in the city of Dili.
Hard work
Dili is currently visited by bees like honey from different directions. However, life is not easy in Timor Leste. The hard work is the key to survive in the newly independent country and use U.S. dollars as an official means of payment.
Ditto Soares (23), a taxi driver, claiming the life of the home in Dili was still promising to work hard. "If ordinary circumstances, be able to net 20 dollars per day. If diligent, could be 40 dollars to 50 dollars per day, "said ditto.
As a comparison, the cheapest gasoline prices are 90 centavos or about Rp 9,000 per liter. -Taxi fares generally do not use the cooling-for short distances in Dili on average pegged one U.S. dollar.
Timor-Leste traders selling food at roadside peg the price of 50 centavos (USD 5000) to contain setusuk satay chicken thighs or breasts. Sate sausage skin and appreciated 25 centavos.
Medium-size bottle of mineral water they sell 25 centavos, while at the hotel that housed many white people to live valued one U.S. dollar or four times the price in Jakarta!
Matet said many Filipinos speculate to East Timor to get a better income. "If workers like hotel receptionist can get 750 dollars per month. However, if foreign contractors working on could reach 6000 dollars per month. That is just at the staff level, not including management, "said Matet who refused to give picture of his income as an international school teacher.
The atmosphere is relatively safe and no extortion to make strangers feel at home working and speculate there. Mrs Thres, female from Surabaya Tionghoa who opened a restaurant in Dili, claimed to have more than five years of opening a business in that country and he felt at home. "Fair can play the money," he said on the sidelines Thres busy serving customers from Indonesia and local residents.
Although attracted many people to come to their fate, poverty remains a scourge in Timor Leste. For the needs of even basic commodities, the country still relies on supplies from Indonesia. First Secretary Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (Embassy) Dili met Josef Victor Sambuaga said, from the trade value amounted to 75 million U.S. dollars between Indonesia and Timor Leste in 2008, Indonesia recorded exports amounting to 72 million U.S. dollars. "Imports from East Timor we are only about three million U.S. dollars," said Sambuaga.
Nevertheless, future prospects, at least not for the world and agencies of foreign companies operating in East Timor, the opportunities for Indonesian citizens with formal expertise is still very open. Vamos amigos (Let a friend), survived their fate in the international village called Dili!
Iwan Santosa / Lucky Pransiska from Dili, Timor Leste
