Our last month was both very emotional and very full. We realised very clearly that goodbyes are very important for the Timorese and not something you can just do quickly at the airport. When the Timorese say goodbye, they forget the negative experiences (which they hopefully didn't have with us that often) and remember the good times they had together. Our series of farewells spanned our last three/four weeks in the country. It started on 8 April. We started our new package here - so we had another orientation day, perhaps you remember? - and also said goodbye to our former students and gave them their certificates. It was a bit stressful overall because Umbelina, the teacher I work with, had to travel to Suai, her hometown, because one of her cousins passed away unexpectedly. So she embarked on the 8-hour journey we made the previous week - on a motor bike! As a result, she wasn't there and so I had to prepare about half of the reports for my pupils in the morning, which wasn't easy at all. Luckily, I had watched the previous preparations and so at least I could just get on with my work while the others all helped with the orientation day. Umbelina was missed in several places: normally she always organises such days almost on her own and so everyone was a bit confused.
In the end, however, we were able to start handing out the certificates in the afternoon and finish the package well. After the ceremony, there was a small farewell party for us: our students had organised presents and we took lots of photos together so that we wouldn't forget each other. It came as a great surprise to us that the first farewell ceremony was starting three weeks before our actual departure. Especially as we were still teaching many of the students. Nevertheless, we were very happy, also because our Tais collection - these are the traditionally woven ‘scarves’ I have already written about; they are a sign of family belonging. They have been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021!
This was our first farewell round, which made it very clear to us that we really wouldn't be there much longer. So we started planning our farewells ourselves; arranging farewell meetings with our friends, buying souvenirs, thinking about farewell gifts, giving our things away or passing them on (for example, my wardrobe, the mosquito nets or individual items of clothing.
We worked on all of these things over the next few weeks, gradually preparing ourselves to fly home.
Sister Sonia, our boss, didn't do it quite so slowly: on Saturday 13 April, we travelled to Liquisa with our college. Liquisa is a district of its own and lies about an hour west of Dili. If you want to travel to West Timor, i.e. Indonesia, Liquisa is one of the last places before the border. We spent the day at a community pool, had a barbecue - not just chicken, but also aubergines (it's the session!!) - and went swimming. We prepared everything together, cut vegetables and set the table. Once again there was a buffet. During the meal we sat together with Sister Sonia and she asked us to give her feedback about the centre; we were to say what we didn't like, what we thought was good and what we would change. Basically, we really enjoyed working there and got on very well with our colleagues, so the conversation was mostly positive!
We also talked about our successors who are coming to Timor in September. Unfortunately, they cannot stay in the same accommodation where we lived. We lived there the whole time, but it was not an appropriate environment for volunteers and we decided - in consultation with MISEREOR - to exclude this accommodation for the next volunteers. When you have such an extreme experience abroad as we had, you really need to live in a home that doesn't cause you any additional stress. Sister Sonia was very understanding and asked us to look at a flat with her next week to see if it would be a possibility for the next volunteers. I am very pleased that we have found good accommodation for the next volunteers and that we can leave them in good conscience.
After our evaluation with Sister Sonia, we went swimming again, which is really nice and something you should be doing all the time in this heat.
Shortly before our return journey, we held a farewell round with everyone. We received lots of presents again (which we hadn't expected at all, as it was still almost two weeks until our departure) and took lots of photos. Our tais and coffee stock has multiplied again.
On the way back we were able to see the freight harbour for a while - I always wondered why there wasn't a big harbour in Dili, but it turns out it's in Liquisa. This is where all imported goods are accepted. The harbour has only really existed since 2022, before that there were several small harbours. For two years now, it has also been possible to receive really large goods - as always, you can find pictures below.
One day later, we were in for another big surprise. We went to an opera concert. Timor doesn't actually have an opera and, naive as I am, I thought that there would be no opera singers at all and that there would be no interest in them. I was wrong.
Inge, the Misereor employee we spent Easter with, told us about the concert because it was organised by a friend of hers. Lidia is an opera singer and will be going to Germany in May for three months to study singing in Karlsruhe. It was really impressive and beautiful: they sang classical pieces - a lot of Mozart - but also songs from films. I was really impressed by how well they performed!
have performed!
In the middle of the last week that we were here, we noticed something very irritating. We were travelling towards Timor Plaza in the Mikrolet because we wanted to get some last-minute farewell presents when we suddenly saw nothing but rubble instead of the little huts by the roadside. We were quite shocked because these were always very lively places; shops, barbershops, vegetable stalls or small houses. It was all in ruins now. We then asked a student who happened to be travelling with us what had happened and she explained to us that it was a government measure. Later, over lunch with Octavio, a Timorese who studied in Germany, he explained to us that the government is trying to remove the illegal ‘slums’ on the roadsides because they are destroying the cityscape. The space is now being used to widen the road. Of course, it is not particularly nice to build small huts and open a shop in empty spaces in the city, even though the area actually belongs to the city. But that's how the infrastructure worked here and the only market in Lecidere has now been destroyed. This means that both traders and buyers have to travel about 30 minutes through the city to sell or buy their products at a large market.
The government, as Octavio explained to us, is trying to improve the infrastructure, but is focussing solely on the roads and simply ignoring the other parts of the infrastructure.
Another government measure, of a slightly different nature, also started around this time: the Pope will - hopefully - come to Timor in September. He will be the second pope to visit Timor. Even today, everyone is still raving about Pope John Paul II, who was the first pope to visit Timor 35 years ago. There is a huge statue of him in the city. Perhaps you can imagine what it means that a pope is travelling again. A lot of government money is being channelled into this and various embellishment measures are being carried out. The cathedral is being repainted, the Square of Proclamation and Independence is being spruced up and the holy house that stands there is being repainted and given the face of Pope Francis. It is estimated that the project will cost around 12 million US dollars. For the Pope to be in Dili for three days. So you can just imagine HOW important it is that the Pope is coming. We learnt all this during our farewell meetings with Octavio - as you can see, our weeks were really full of farewells.
That same evening we went for a farewell dinner with the nuns with whom we had worked and whom we were allowed to accompany to many celebrations. It was very important for us, but also for Sister Sonia, that we had time to talk to everyone again. It's always super nice and funny with the nuns anyway.
Friday was our last day at work and we said goodbye to each of our classes, said goodbye to the little children and gave out our farewell gifts and brought pizza at a big lunch with the staff. That was the first moment when saying goodbye felt a bit more real and we were very sad because we had grown very fond of everyone. It was very surprising to me how many students were genuinely sad and how many felt it was important to say goodbye individually. Sometimes I forgot a bit in the crowd how important it was for each of them that we spent time with them. It was a very moving day and I was very glad that we really had plenty of time for everyone. In the evening, we had another meal with the host family and sat and chatted together. We ate the same cake as at Christmas and somehow it was very nice to do this tradition again.
It was very good that we were able to say our goodbyes in peace and that we had the weekend to pack and prepare for the flight on Monday.
Sister Sonia picked us up shortly before seven on Sunday morning because she wanted to go to the cathedral with us again. We then had a little breakfast together before Maria and I went to the second mass because we wanted to say a proper goodbye to the local community. So we went to the full round of masses again.
On Monday morning, we packed our last things and then went to the beach one last time to eat a coconut.
After saying a quick goodbye at the CMTC, we were then driven to the airport and said goodbye again. It was very sad.
It still feels very strange not to be in Timor any more and to have really finished our voluntary service. We're not quite home yet, we're currently on holiday in Bali for another two weeks, which is great because it gives us a bit more closure on Timor. On the one hand, I'm very happy, relieved and proud that we've brought it to an end and have remained positive despite all the difficulties and, all in all, had a really great and eventful time for which I'm very grateful. On the other hand, saying goodbye is always a bit sad and I will miss all our friends and acquaintances. And of course the whole country of Timor-Leste, which has crept into our hearts over the past 8 months. I'm really going to miss it!
Maybe I'll revisit this blog from Germany and give you another little update on my arrival.
Nevertheless, I would like to say thank you here. Thank you for accompanying me on my journey, sharing my excitement and always being curious about my stories. That meant a lot to me and motivated me to continue this blog and tell you more about Timor and my adventures. I am very happy that you had a window to Timor and were a part of my journey. Thank you so much!!!
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