Chase and Catch

It was in 2003, a Timor-born Australian was living at my uncle's house in my hometown. His name was Ikun. I called him "uncle" since I had known and was very close to him for over a year. Ikun came to my hometown as a tourist, but then he stayed longer for exploring more on the beautiful beaches and marine life in the area. During his stay with us, he decided to bring his fishing boat. It's worth like thousands of dollars; a high speed, luxury according to my thoughts at the time. That boat was to facilitate him to go with me and local fishermen for fishing and other recreational activities. He told me one morning, “hey... Profirio, I have to get my fishing boat here so that we can go fishing and go to another island.” I was so happy because I was about to ride my first high speed boat that I had never ridden before in my life as a boy who lived in the coastal area. That morning even though the tide was high, so much currents, and rain - windy weather; again, Ikun told me, Profirio “go find three fishermen to go with us to hunt lobsters.” The place we were going to for hunting lobsters was ten kilometers away from the town. "OK uncle" I answered.

Three fishermen were found. They were hungry to ride a modern fishing boat too because it would be their prime experience, so they were excited. Before going, we sat for our breakfast, joking about how many lobsters out there were just simply powerless and hopeless that we could catch. We were boasting like the lobsters’ mother and father would unconditionally let their children available for us to be adopted and housed into the human’s stomach. It’s not just that simple any way. To get the lobsters, we need to conquer tides, currents, and even rainy windy weather on that day. The weather was haunting us, but we did not care, and we did not change our minds about going.

The boat was loaded with four guys and one boy. We were heading to the eastern part of the town. After reaching the area, the three fishermen jumped down to the water. They started to hunt lobsters. Unlike being on the water surface, swimmers who go underwater usually do not know what is happening above them. Instead, divers could only hear the noise of the tides, and seeing fishes were bouncing on their house floor of rocky coral reef and saying a quick hello to everyone that is passing by their neighborhood.

Above the water surface, we both, Ikun and I were looking around and talking about the weather condition that we were in. Ikun said that we should go here and there. He sounded like driving boat on the huge water surface is like walking on his own house floor without fearing any shouts or complains from anybody else. It was different actually. Out of the blue, we suddenly saw bubbles of clouds everywhere coming together and shaped like a huge and giant pole or column of cloud that was erected from the sea body all the way up to the sky. I asked Ikun, “What is that uncle?”, “That is Tornado” he replied. While replying my question, Ikun's eye balls were not moving, and his body was freezing. Eventually, the object was heading towards us, and it ran like a horse.

Seeing that unwanted giant object coming towards us, I was about to cry. Ikun shouted, "We must gooooo..!." Since the tornado coming from the western part, Ikun drove the boat to the eastern part with full speed. The motor engine was gizzzzzzzz so fast and, we were like flying on the sea. I had mixed feelings: fear due to the tornado, and excitement due to the fast running boat which I demonstrated by screaming wahooooo in the front.

On our way of escaping, I suddenly saw another column of cloud, but smaller, coming from the eastern part. I shouted, “Uncle.....!!, there is another tornado over there.” He then returned the boat back heading to our original position. Now, we did not have any choice. Ikun turned the nose of the boat to onshore so that we could find caves or any place to hide in. But, when reaching the coast, we did not have any idea where and how to park the boat. The boat is too big to handle in such an urgent and panic situation. We just stood on the beach while holding the boat to make sure that it did not go away. If the Tornado had came closer, it would have swallowed us.

Fortunately, God was with us. The tornado scene faded slowly in our sight. It took only ten minutes to go away. We were so relieved after a gust of wind blew that pole of cloud away. It was a tense situation so we did not remember that our three other brothers were still in the sea, looking for lobsters. Ikun then hugged me and said, "let's go and find our brothers." We pushed the boat down to the deeper water and then restarted the engine and left.

We found our three brothers in the sea were safe, and we called them to stop fishing down there. They were shocked after we told them about the game that we just had played with the tornado, the game called "chase and catch." The tornado had never caught us in that game. We won the game after all. Those three fishermen imagined that they would have gone either to heaven or hell if the tornado had followed their footprint in the sea.

Despite having a terrible experience, we did have something to cheer for. A bunch of lobsters were given up by their parents for us. Then we brought it all back home. Together we did a small gathering to ponder what had happened to us. We were baking, boiling all the lobsters. They four (uncle and the three fishermen) ate the lobsters with wine and beers. While Ikun was sipping a bottle of beer, he spoke to us, "we could have died if God did not pull that giant away." We cheered and were grateful.

The End...

Hope it gives you an inspiration....

Enjoying Atlanta Jazz Festival

I was traveling by subway or train. In a station, I bumped with a group of people were distributing leaflets mentioning that there will be a jazz music festival at piedmont park, Atlanta. I was so excited due to its coincidence with the summer break. The time which I could manage my schedule to go there without worrying the priority of being a student. I took and looked at a leaflet, shortly I scanned the time of the show, bands and some other information in it. 

Saturday noon was a sunny day, a huge lawn field was filled with men and women were sitting, playing football, eating, chatting while listening to jazz music. Atlanta Jazz Music Festival was a big entertainment event that I came across since my arrival in the home of “Coca Cola.” Actually, Jazz music festival was held in various places in the downtown. However, the concert at the Piedmont Park was the most crowded. Piedmont Park has huge area with very nice atmosphere for relaxing and breathing for 'probably' unpolluted oxygen. This is a man made forest, and one can have a sit looking over the natural features such as lake, and other preserved natural creatures.

I went there with a very good friend, my senior Fulbrighter from neighboring country Indonesia. He has landed in Atlanta for some years before I came. Good news is that he could have been my guide at the time, “peace” since I am a new comer in this huge city. Yet, he is going to leave for Indonesia in a week, so I need to learn from him how to become a city explorer without any accompany. 

As we entered the Piedmont Park where the jazz music festival was held, the park’s entrance was full of long queue of food carriers such as cars, and coca cola trailer trucks . Those cars are there to make sure that food and beverage stocks are available whenever people need it. I figured out how an event is organized in this city (affluent country) in comparison to the world where I come from. Parking, food stalls are arranged very neatly, and the pedestrians adhered the rules. Something is worth of learning from this event.

We then decided to buy soft drinks with some chips in order to accompany our mouths as we were about to enjoy the jazz music.

I sat down on the lawn and looked over the field excitedly. I was watching the players on the stage playing instruments. Some songs are boring, but some are nice to my ears; that is the nature of jazz music anyway. Then we decided to walk around if songs are boring and back to the sit if there are some good songs. I like jazz music because it sounds very peaceful, freedom of expression of those who play it. Even though I like to listen to jazz music, I don’t really get how these instruments are played. It sounds very difficult to understand the cords and notes. Well, I don’t have a sufficient knowledge to talk more technically, so skip this.

To give an end, I truly enjoyed the event. Not only from the jazz itself but the atmosphere of people gathering and doing activities. On the other hand, I noticed one thing that Atlanta is a land locked city, instead, people are picnicking in the park. But still, the same enjoyment as on the beach. Similarly, installing tents, laying down on the lawn like what we see in the typical beach picnic.

Bad impression at CINEMA DILI (Timor Plaza)

A couple of days ago, I thought something you pay will have a good result, or at least you are satisfied partly with the service you pay for if not all. I don’t know what to say, but in Dili, there is a newly set up Cinema or so-called Bioskop (Cinema Dili) at Timor Plaza, the place where you pay to watch a movie. Movies are not pirated, so the price is not like what you find along the road in most of South East Asian cities, such as Jakarta, Bangkok and so on where piracy is too rampant, and beyond the capacity to control. You can  just take out $ 1.00 - $ 2.00 to get one piece of CD you like.

Differently, the cost to enter the studio to watch movie makes you expect some claims to be true, such as originality, quality of sound and video, seat comfort, and indoor air condition which must be cool. I was not lucky enough and a bit surprised when this newly superb entertainment facility in Dili just could not play the scheduled movie, though viewers have sat neatly in the show room already. Instead, we were requested to watch a movie which I did not like.

First impression of Cinema Dili which at Timor Plaza has shown me (as a customer) how the service they provide was lacking of preparation. The scheduled movie was not played due to technical issue. What was that technical issue?. I don’t know, but as long as I experienced in other cities (out of Timor Leste). I've never heard and experienced “buy the ticket – go to the show room or studio – sit neatly – while the servant comes in and say “sorry, we can’t play they movie you have paid”. What’s the hell! is that because you are new in DILI?.

Please be good in providing what you sell to costumers, in case of emergency such as fire, earth quake or something would be understood why the movie can’t be played, but not with the reason of CD has broken. No, no and no! it is not how professional works in something commercial. BENEFIT + QUALITY of service must be equally considered.

Cheers,

The Most Visited Place During the New Year's Holiday

As you all might know, Cristo Rei is the hot spot for natural atmosphere seekers in the holiday. People are flocking down to the beach in Dili city with their family, friends and so on.

Similarly, hundred of KMs away from the capital of Timor Leste, Com is the most visited place during New Year's holiday, particularly to those in the eastern part of Timor Leste.

Com was blessed with its natural wealth like white beaches, pure sea water for swimming, snorkeling and diving, and also man made infrastructure like tourism facilities (hotels, guest houses) as well as its land mark dubbed Com Port for loading and unloading some shipping activities. The free market has produced some kind of benefit to those in the area.

Lies in the southern coast, a village where the most tip of the national paved road from Dili to district of Lautem ends up, this village has been the most visited place for locals in the New Year's holiday and for foreigners mostly on the weekends.

Harnessing the beauty of the nature, people have created small businesses by opening room for rent or so-called guest house. More luxurious, an Australian investor has also interested by having more furnished hotel and more varied menus restaurant that compete with the local produced services and goods. Who attracts the most tourists is upon the services they provide. As I observe, locals are also able to provide the best services and dish you up the best and delicious foods that you can enjoy during your stay when you visit East Timor and pass on to Com – Village, Lautem.

The recent 2013 New Year euphoria, Com was the spot for locals where they enjoyed much of their time after getting an entertaining night in the New Year eve with their family members. As has been a culture for Timorese, New Year eve is the night which people have to awake at the whole night in order to leave all the past’s bad things with the old year and look ahead to do good things.  Although awaking whole night, people always in thousands came to Com by trucks, pick up cars, motor bikes, and busses to do picnic in the area. They celebrate the New Year with Joy and happiness due to the place is deserved to be enjoyed. 

Yet, this 2013 New Year holiday was observed by the locals in the area as less crowd year in the history since it has been starting up since Indonesian occupation time. It usually crowded in each year; however, since the visitors are less controlled in terms of behavioral, some have done riot individually, groups with groups that has caused fear among the visitors. Nevertheless, this is an accidental occurrence, which means that there will be no conflict in place. The locals believe that more and more visitors are expected in the years to come. 

I have made some documents here on this update. The photos were taken in the outer part of Com village, some miles from the heart town of Com village, and it seemed not really crowd as previous years. I do have a footage but due to the slow internet connection made me unable to upload it here. I will upload the video once the connection is faster, hopefully. 

Sound in the footage is full of unfamiliar noises. You hear people are speaking Fataluku language “ The Mother Tongue of Lospalos District (Timor Leste)”.