In the next day or two the stitches should be out and I will be looking more more normal again. I am hoping that the portion of eyebrow that I mushed will grow back I put hope in the message one of the Aussie guys who went out with us that faithful night said to me "No worries mate chic's love scar's"! I am lucky that I heal quickly as I did a few years ago when I sheared half my face off in a biking accident. The hematoma's I had on both eyes have dissapated and other than the scar no worse for the wear. My blue fish line will be a thing of the past!
That was last weeks news - let me talk about some of my other observations about working far away from home. First off I am as green as it gets in terms of foriegn gigs or being an expat. Everyone I have met, young and old alike are on there third, fouth or umteenth tour in a foriegn land. While I compliment myself for adapting to the lifestyle I still feel like the new kid on the block. I have come to realize that there is a clear separation in society of those people that do foriegn work and those that do not. Like enemies on the battlefield, crossing between these two world's is rare. The nots, which I was and to some degree still am, are those that for legitimate reasons or not choose not to extricate themselves from the comfortable little enclave that is western living; the comforts of home, your own bed, predictibility in day to day life. Whereas expats - dance to the beat of a different drummer. People that don't do foreign work envy those that do, while expats, don't envy what they left or at least so much that they would sacrifice their current lifestyle. Which as I explained earlier leaves me on the precipice of two different lifestyles. I'm here because I had no legitimate reason not to do it. Now that I'm here and have been for 3 months I am getting a glimpse into the lifestyle. Its not because all these people are escaping something at home, and its not even the extra salary and perks you get. It is the constant wonder and pontifications about the big, bad world out there and that these people want a piece of it. I have come to realize that if you accept one of these gigs for the money you won't last. While money is a good benchmark to the cost of giving up things, if money is the prevailing wisdom to say yes you will go crazy. While it can, looking from the outside, seem like a glamorous lifestyle, exotic ports of call, travel opportunities and the rest, you give up a lot more than the material things such as fine bed linens and big screen HD TV's - you give up your social network, your family, and the routine of life that most times seems so comfortable. Ironically we all complain about the routine of life when we are immersed in it, given choice to get away from it all most people say thanks, but no thanks. The other common thread is that very few of these foreign gigs are in places one typically thinks of being 'a place I want to go' like Paris, Lisbon, Tokyo Rio etc. but places in the developing world. I was almost one of those people; a million reasons to say no, and very few reasons to say yes to. Thankfully I realized that most of the reasons to say no were triffle, I was lucky not to lose my equanimity at the time of the big decision
My breakfast mate Lore-unce (phonetic again) I would guess to be my age and has just come from 6 years in Sri Lanka, and has done posts in Manila and Cambodia. Her education (including PhD in hydraulic dehydration) were all done outside her home of France. She has not lived there since grade school and when I asked her (as I do everyone I meet) where is home - she says Australia where she has bought a lot close to Brisbane and will be building there to retire in. She has 5 kids of various ethnicities which she co-parents (ie they live with biological parents but share the child rearing duties) and spends about $90,000/year for their education at the same school 'Mr six hundred years of inbreeding' went to in Austrailia (Prince Charles). That said she is not unique. Most of these people talk about experiences that everyone has probably experienced, the difference being for the expat community it happens in Croatia, India or some other far away place. There seems to be an equal balance of younger people (in the case of Timor a lot of real young people in the police force) and older either retired and double dipping (as is the case in 2 of our 5 team members) as well as, shall we say, 'more mature' adults in the 40's like myself - although given some of my exploits more mature is a dubious title.
In a similar vain I feel deprived and envious of alot of expats, especially the Europeans, in that most of them speak several languages. The EU ambassador I sometimes have breakfast with speaks about five languages, most speak two or three. Very few speak Tetum though - which gives me a small glimmer of hope. While there are exception to every rule I find that North Americans tend to be firmly unilingual. Even the Asians do a little better than the NA's in that most speak a little Chinese of either variety (Cantonese or Mandarin), Bahasa and one of the European dialects depending on who originally settled the area (like Portuguese here).
In terms of my own linguistic skills I'm doing Ok - I am starting to glean bits of Tetum conversations going on around me as you pick up certain words in what seems to me like high speed jumble. This is due in part to the Portuguese parts of Tetum that remain (Tetum is not the most intricate or robust language). Even though French was not a strong suit of mine in grade school the years of being exposed in a bilingual country allows me to pick up bits of French which has the same latin roots as Italian or Spanish which is similar to the Portuguese dialect. I do try everyday and entertain the local staff here who I engage opportunity to teach me a new word. Like when I need a copy of something - as I can now count to 10 in Tetum it is 'conta rua' or 2 copies or hira - how many? Yet some words we all know - like serveiza vs cerveisa (beer), cafe (coffee), and others. The good news is that we are enrolled in Tetum classes that begin in April, however as I will be on leave during most of the month my course starts May 11 (beginners) and the option thereafter for the intermediate and advanced. I'm looking forward to it, in part to be able to communicate more effectively and to avenge my poor efforts in French class in grade school.
A different language to convey exact the same thought
Is it the person or the message that makes you distraught?
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