Sat., Oct. 27, Lunch at Ocean View Hotel/Restaurant

I hope you can tell how remote this restaurant is.  A teacher friend lives here at the hotel.  It took me an hour to walk.  I was the only one walking at 12:30 in the heat and humidity.  But well worth the experience!  I sat in the far corner.

I really didn't want to leave!



Yummy prawns!

Delicious mango with ice cream!

This and below are photos from my walk to the restaurant.

They really wanted their pictures taken!

You can drive over these mountains to get to the beaches on the otherside.  I'm told it's a beautiful drive, but dicey in areas!

QSI Newsletter about me joining their team!http://dili.qsischool.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Issue-8.pdf

Please read the blog for Oct., 2012

While walking on the beach with Mistina, QSI teacher, I took this photo of the Jesus statue.

Paradise.  Dinner with Mistina at a Thai restaurant right on the sand.

We were entertained by horses.

When I walk to school, I pass this mosque and several times have heard the prayer call at 5am!

I walk to school on this street and enjoy watching the vendors get ready for the day.

The view along "Hwy 1" near my hotel.

Maria, my aide performing in a Greek play during a 3-day workshop.

America has come to East Timor.  Timor Plaza is a new (6 mos.), small indoor mall.  They do have a small bookstore that I need to investigate!

View of the street scene from my hotel's restaurant.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Ditto!

 

Welcome to my new adventure in East Timor or as they say Timor-Leste.  I left Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1am on a flight from LAX on Eva Airlines (would highly recommend them) to Taipei (14hours), to Bali (5hours) with an overnight stay there and finally arriving Monday, Oct. 15 in the capital city of Dili.  I’m staying at the Dili Beach Hotel on what I like to call Hwy 1 until my apartment is ready around Nov. 1.  It’s also on “Hwy 1” next to the US Embassy (it’s nice to have friends in high places). 

I work for Quality Schools International teaching six and seven year olds.  I have eighteen students: American, British, Australian, Korean, African, and Timorese.  I also have a full-time aide, Maria, from the Philippines.  The teachers and staff are wonderful, already including me in various activities.  Last night I tried my hand or feet at Tango lessons with some nice Portuguese guys.  Apparently, this is a very close and tight expat community.

There are plenty of taxis around (driving British style), but you need to negotiate with them before driving off (I found out the hard way), but right now I’m walking to school which takes about fifteen minutes and actually very pleasant.  Of course, I’m not dealing with snow/ice and -40 degree weather, but it is hot and humid which can be draining.  But those nice breezes do pop up.    

When I first arrived, I was taken by the friendly attitude of the Timorese people, always greeting you with a smile.  They speak a combination of Portuguese and their own language.

Dili is the capital with 200,000 people.  And East Timor has about a million.  The illiteracy rate is 67% and children are only required to attend school until second grade.  This is a third world country that is changing.  East Timor became independent from Indonesia in 2002.  They are definitely in the birthing process.  The UN has been a presence for a while, but is scheduled to pull out in Dec.  There are different opinions as to what that will entail.  However, it’s certainly interesting living in a place with UN vehicles everywhere.

I’m new to this blogging and will try and keep it up with more text and photos.  Please join and make comments.  You can also contact me through my email: dianeheight@gmail.com or Skype: bodhi14

Phone number here: 670 (country code) 78002895

To call me you need to dial 011-670-78002895, not sure it will work, but I was able to call my nephew.

 

As always,

Diane

 

 

Chasing My Dream

Diane Height

Chasing My Dream

In less than a week I will be returning to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to teach 1st grade at an international school.
Ulaanbaatar is 6100 miles from my home in Southern California and just as far culturally. A land-locked third world/developing country situated between Russia and China. It is, however, a country that is changing.
This will be my second year.
About two years ago I separated from my husband of only a few years. A good decision, but I was left with the scary thought of what do I do about money. Both of us retired the year before, me from teaching, with dreams of travel and growing old together.
The divorce will be final in a few weeks.
Needless to say, I didn’t know what to do. But I’m a survivor.
I met with a dear friend who helped me redo my resume and during the meeting he asked me, ‘what have you always wanted to do.’
I sat there for a few minutes with a thought swirling around afraid to say it, but finally tentatively I said, ‘live and work in another country.’
Seven months later I was off to Mongolia to teach English to Mongolian children leaving friends and family which included my 2½ year old grandson behind.
I was excited and scared and still am.
But then I discovered at the age of 64 that I could make a difference for myself finding dreams that I thought long gone. I sometimes chuckle because many of my friends think I’m the bravest person they know.
I’m always asked what is the worst and what is the best about being in Mongolia.
Well, since I’m a gal from Southern California I can say the weather was the hardest. For three months it was -30degrees (that’s 30 below) and snow was on the ground for six months. Instead of looking at the blue Pacific Ocean and green trees, I was staring at brown trees and white snow that got progressively dirtier.
The best were several things: knowing that I was accomplishing a major feat in my life, getting to know the Mongolian people/culture and having more time to smell the roses even if there weren’t any roses for six months.

Article appeared in All Things Girl Online Magazine