The evening at Motion was fun yet surreal.  Crew was the live band.  A group of Timorese young guys playing some of my favorite songs (U2, Nirvana, Chili Peppers, Cat Stevens, Bob Marley etc.) but having no idea what they’re singing.  It was a blast.  I got to enjoy the music and not be in charge of anything.  Didn’t have to line up the door, tweek the EQ (although I really wanted to), take care of obnoxious drunks, make drinks or clean up when it was all done.   Aaaaah.

But, Colleen and Hector were tied up all night having to deal with a lot of that stuff.  Hector wants to put a couple of older Timorese women at the door to turn away some of the trouble makers, “You’re drunk, go home to your wife and children now.”  As is they hire security and the neighborhoods on both sides of the club offer a security guy each who know the young men from their neighborhood who might cause trouble.  I missed out on the scuffles in the other room, where the Latin dance music was happening but I caught the remnants of it at the end.  Reminded me of some of the stuff back home like the time I pulled a guy off of this kid who was getting his face dragged against the curb outside The Oats.  Ah, drunkenness and testosterone; a fine mix all over the globe.

We had to swerve around a grouping of candles in the road on the way home.  Someone had died in a motorbike accident.  The candles are what they do to release the person’s soul form this place.  They also go to where the person hung out a lot and burn candles.  There’s a two year mourning period for anyone who dies ending in a Kori Mitan (sp), a celebration bringing all of that persons friends together for remembrance and closure.

Hector’s friend Maria’s Kori Mitan is starting this week, the two year period ends August 31 the same day as the Red Rooster’s 12^th Birthday (Hector thought that coincidence was kind of cool).  We went to Marita’s home to do an interview with the lady who was the instigator of the Gardener’s of Eden seed project and they were in full preparation for the celebration.  The people were dressed in black (we even saw many people dressed in black in the market) and they were putting up lots of bamboo poles and tarp for sunshade and fencing off areas they didn’t want people in.  It was like getting ready for a big music festival.  Over 1000 people will show up in this little area to party all night.

Apparently the interview went well according to Hector.  I don’t know because he didn’t interpret.  He thought it flowed better without it and we could do the interpreting later.  We stayed for coffee and what Marita called Timorese Wine; it was Tua Sabu (that distilled fermented Palm stuff) with a few raisins in it that gave it sweetness and color.  Tasted great.

Next we went back up the bumpy, windy road to a Spice Farm that is a good example of Permaculture.  Many types of plants grow in the same area working together allowing the farmers multiple sources of food and items to sell.  They also use several sustainable farming techniques.  We saw cinnamon trees, pineapples, pepper trees (as in “salt and”), coriander, coffee, my new favorite: selak and many other things.

When we dropped off Marita we said our official goodbyes (She’ll see us off at the airport).  She told us how thankful she was that we came and saw what they were doing and hoped we would tell people back home the real story, how hard it really is in Timor Leste.  She said they get a lot of tourists here but most don’t care about the “little people.”  She reminded us that many people only get one meal a day and less when things get hard.  There is no hope for getting out of poverty for many and the concept of education isn’t reachable by most.  She hopes we will remember them and return someday.  This passionate sendoff from a beautiful woman of such humility, dignity and strength funneled many memories and feelings of my time here into one moment.  I was emotionally overwhelmed for awhile.

There’s no way we can forget them and I hope to God we can return.

Today we went to a meeting with the director of Permatil: an NGO with a mission to assist farmers to set up sustainable operations (permaculture) on their farms.  Hector’s vision with the seed project is similar except he sees the ancient form of agriculture already here as highly sustainable and feels that they only need to return to that way.  Some of the farms still have the systems in place but they have just fallen into disrepair during the Indonesian occupation.  He feels for a much smaller amount of money and energy young Timorese can be trained to restore their ancient ways and be supplemented with a few new ideas.  Those people can then go out and instruct others in more effective and sustainable agriculture.  That’s one reason why it it’s called “The Gardener’s of Eden Seed Project.”   They already have what it takes in their land and in their history to have a successful agricultural system.  They only need to be aware of what they have and put it into motion.

Speaking of motion… before I finish writing this we’ll be going to the club that Hector and Colleen manage called “Motion.”  Tonight is a big night, Thursday, with a live band, about 200 people will show up.

Remember a few days ago when I wrote that I love the sound of this neighborhood?  I’m sitting on the porch now and I still hear the sound of community; babies crying, kids playing, people visiting and dogs barking but joined into the symphony now is a group of men singing.  It sounds like an anthem, or a folk song.  Beautiful.

After Permatil we went to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture for another meeting.  They were called to another meeting and apologized saying they would call later if they could meet with us.  Colleen thought they were blowing us off Hector thought not.

But it was ok because it gave us time for to a great experience.  We visited the tai weavers who made the gifts for us that we received at the airport.  Remember, “Dan Clebers?”  Hector said it was his fault.  His lower case “g” looked like an “s.”  As we pulled into the neighborhood it made Hector and Coleen’s hood look like the upscale section of town.  This was a city neighborhood but reminded me of areas of my uncle’s farm but with little structures that people lived in.  We pulled up by one of the structures and were warmly welcomed by tai weaving women.  They showed us the girls working on several projects as well as many completed tais.  The charming woman described her life; her mother died, her step mom wouldn’t teach her tai weaving which meant she wouldn’t have a chance to get married (part of the process) so she taught herself.  Picked her own cotton like material, and  learned to spin and weave by watching and practicing on her own.  We bought a bunch of great stuff at “wholesale” prices and they gave each of us a gift.  The woman said, “Remember us when you go to sleep and God will bring us back together someday to work together hand in hand.”

I heard some music and noticed some young guys with a guitar.  I brought my camera over in hopes to get some music for the films soundtrack.  It’s been tricky finding soundtrack music.  All of the CDs in the stores are basically pop music.  I was hoping for something more traditional or folk, kind of more tied to the land.  I asked (in gesture) if I could film them. They were stoked. 

After the songs they struggled to speak a little bit of English.  We talked about our families, our music and we wrote each other’s birth dates in the dirt.  When it was time to leave I gave the each a dollar as a token  for the use of their music on the film. One of them said, “I will never forget you.”  Out of a habit formed with guys their age back home I reached out with knuckles.  Apparently that’s a thing here to because they came back with knuckles without a flinch.  I’ve fallen in love with these people.

Hector says there are two dangers in Timor Leste.  The first is falling in love with the people and the land and wanting to stay forever.  The second is getting hit by a UN Police truck.