My nephew Chris...
This is a really long one...but important to me.
My nephew Chris is a 20 year old Brisbane boy. For the past couple of months he's been teaching English in East Timor with Brother Bill Tynan from the Christian Brothers.
Chris is a great guy and I loved this email...coming from Dili at a very tense time, following the violent riots. I love the thought of Chris (and ALL our young people) making a difference in the world (and I'm dying to see one of those gorgeous little Timorese kids say "crikey!")... So here he is, my nephew Chris Hutchinson....
Happy to say I'm alive and well, with things starting to look up as the riots have stopped (for today anyway).
Had a bit of trouble getting into Dili on Friday as we descended from the hills with two large lots of smoke rising from different parts in the capital and the four boys in the car with me all wanting to turn around and head back into the mountains. Seeing them so afraid made the whole situation seem so much more real, but Bill gave me the all-clear on the radio and I made my way home no problems on the deserted streets throughout Dili, seeing plenty of groups of Timorese huddled together.
It's all really quite sad, much like the situation in the Solomons, as many of them will regret much of their action when they see the effect it has on their lives. But at present there seems to be no impartial body to solve the situation, so things will probably be tense for a little while yet.
Will try to keep you informed. But if anything happens to me, will someone make sure my body doesn't go all the way to Kuwait. (probably shouldn't joke about that stuff, ey?)
As for everything else...
Things are pretty 'hairy' in the mountains as well, but I've managed two haircuts from the kids in Railako Kraik. Have also started to grow a disgusting beard...primarily the result of my laziness.
Having the greatest time at school in Seloi. Have been conducting my lessons mostly in Tetum, so am becoming more and more confident with the language and the students. The kids reckon I behave just like a Timorese, and they're laughing a lot in my classes (WITH me most of the time), so it's great to get some feedback from the students and feel good about what I'm doing.
Have got them reading a few basic small stories out loud, which I think is quite an achievement as I see them slowly becoming more confident talking English.
Have also started teaching the teachers at the school on two afternoons a week, and am having just as much fun doing that. Have been having long conversations with them in Tetum, and they're helping me out heaps!
The roads are forever causing troubles, so Bill and I have spent many days with groups of men from the village fixing the road coming into Railako Kraik, slowly turning it from a rugged mountain track into a highway, which will also be good for coffee trucks wanting to get up there in the upcoming coffee season. While the men first laughed at my attempts to use a shovel and hoe, I've enjoyed being part of the group of men that represent such a strongly bonded community. The men work so hard and so well together, and show such pride in what they do.
When it's not raining there's always a game of soccer going on as the sun sets over the best view of the mountains. Sometimes I think I'm living in a dream, it's so beautiful.
One afternoon last week I took part in what I could only relate to an Edmund Rice Camp, with all the kids, young and old getting together to play so many different games as a community. All the big kids helped the little kids, and there was so much involvement, encouragement and friendship, you could almost die from an overdose of such genuine love.
Have taken the kids for a few trips down to the river, and have managed to fit 31 kids (the record so far) into the Rodeo Ute. Whilst there'd be plenty of child protection issues in Australia, with the smallest of kids running around in the nud, they revel in the opportunity to have a good wash.
They all know who Paul Kelly is, so we turn him up loud in the car for every trip, when they're not singing their own songs, of course. Twice a week we also show them a movie, and some of the latest crazes have been Harry Potter, Zorro and The Crocodile Hunter. Most of them wouldn't understand a word of it, but I often run into the little kids around the village saying "Crikey!" or "I am Zorro!" with the sword action and all.
Have been to one Timorese festa so far, a birthday party of two friends Lorenza and Fernanda. The party went all night, finishing at 7am the next morning as the sun rose. While I couldn't stay awake past 4am (school later that day), they hadn't stopped dancing since the music started at 6pm. So much fun!
Anzac Day was celebrated in Aussie spirit with an early morning ceremony put on by the Australian and NZ Embassies nearby. Were given a shotgun brekkie of bacon & eggs, sausages, and some coffee mixed with none other than some Bundie Rum.
Life with Bill has been a laugh, with hours of 500 hands being played each night and an ongoing NRL tipping contest that I'm winning.
The three other CER members are all in their 60's also, so have spent most of my spare time in Dili with two other Aussie volunteers, Michael & Cheree from Sydney who are both much closer to my age. Have learnt loads about cooking from the two ladies Wendy & Gael, so should be competing with Jamie Oliver by the time I have to go home.
Can't yet match their early waking hours, as I'm spending too many late hours of each night lying outside with friends just looking up at the stars and paying out the Portugese in Tetum.Hope everyone's well! Always great to hear from home, and am missing you all so much. But am having so much fun and am so happy. I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be right now.Please pray for the troubles in East Timor. It's terrible to see all the smiling faces become so afraid so quickly. Things here need to be resolved soon.
Stay safe and keep smiling. Find joy in the simple things!
Lots of love,CHRIS
My nephew Chris is a 20 year old Brisbane boy. For the past couple of months he's been teaching English in East Timor with Brother Bill Tynan from the Christian Brothers.
Chris is a great guy and I loved this email...coming from Dili at a very tense time, following the violent riots. I love the thought of Chris (and ALL our young people) making a difference in the world (and I'm dying to see one of those gorgeous little Timorese kids say "crikey!")... So here he is, my nephew Chris Hutchinson....
Happy to say I'm alive and well, with things starting to look up as the riots have stopped (for today anyway).
Had a bit of trouble getting into Dili on Friday as we descended from the hills with two large lots of smoke rising from different parts in the capital and the four boys in the car with me all wanting to turn around and head back into the mountains. Seeing them so afraid made the whole situation seem so much more real, but Bill gave me the all-clear on the radio and I made my way home no problems on the deserted streets throughout Dili, seeing plenty of groups of Timorese huddled together.
It's all really quite sad, much like the situation in the Solomons, as many of them will regret much of their action when they see the effect it has on their lives. But at present there seems to be no impartial body to solve the situation, so things will probably be tense for a little while yet.
Will try to keep you informed. But if anything happens to me, will someone make sure my body doesn't go all the way to Kuwait. (probably shouldn't joke about that stuff, ey?)
As for everything else...
Things are pretty 'hairy' in the mountains as well, but I've managed two haircuts from the kids in Railako Kraik. Have also started to grow a disgusting beard...primarily the result of my laziness.
Having the greatest time at school in Seloi. Have been conducting my lessons mostly in Tetum, so am becoming more and more confident with the language and the students. The kids reckon I behave just like a Timorese, and they're laughing a lot in my classes (WITH me most of the time), so it's great to get some feedback from the students and feel good about what I'm doing.
Have got them reading a few basic small stories out loud, which I think is quite an achievement as I see them slowly becoming more confident talking English.
Have also started teaching the teachers at the school on two afternoons a week, and am having just as much fun doing that. Have been having long conversations with them in Tetum, and they're helping me out heaps!
The roads are forever causing troubles, so Bill and I have spent many days with groups of men from the village fixing the road coming into Railako Kraik, slowly turning it from a rugged mountain track into a highway, which will also be good for coffee trucks wanting to get up there in the upcoming coffee season. While the men first laughed at my attempts to use a shovel and hoe, I've enjoyed being part of the group of men that represent such a strongly bonded community. The men work so hard and so well together, and show such pride in what they do.
When it's not raining there's always a game of soccer going on as the sun sets over the best view of the mountains. Sometimes I think I'm living in a dream, it's so beautiful.
One afternoon last week I took part in what I could only relate to an Edmund Rice Camp, with all the kids, young and old getting together to play so many different games as a community. All the big kids helped the little kids, and there was so much involvement, encouragement and friendship, you could almost die from an overdose of such genuine love.
Have taken the kids for a few trips down to the river, and have managed to fit 31 kids (the record so far) into the Rodeo Ute. Whilst there'd be plenty of child protection issues in Australia, with the smallest of kids running around in the nud, they revel in the opportunity to have a good wash.
They all know who Paul Kelly is, so we turn him up loud in the car for every trip, when they're not singing their own songs, of course. Twice a week we also show them a movie, and some of the latest crazes have been Harry Potter, Zorro and The Crocodile Hunter. Most of them wouldn't understand a word of it, but I often run into the little kids around the village saying "Crikey!" or "I am Zorro!" with the sword action and all.
Have been to one Timorese festa so far, a birthday party of two friends Lorenza and Fernanda. The party went all night, finishing at 7am the next morning as the sun rose. While I couldn't stay awake past 4am (school later that day), they hadn't stopped dancing since the music started at 6pm. So much fun!
Anzac Day was celebrated in Aussie spirit with an early morning ceremony put on by the Australian and NZ Embassies nearby. Were given a shotgun brekkie of bacon & eggs, sausages, and some coffee mixed with none other than some Bundie Rum.
Life with Bill has been a laugh, with hours of 500 hands being played each night and an ongoing NRL tipping contest that I'm winning.
The three other CER members are all in their 60's also, so have spent most of my spare time in Dili with two other Aussie volunteers, Michael & Cheree from Sydney who are both much closer to my age. Have learnt loads about cooking from the two ladies Wendy & Gael, so should be competing with Jamie Oliver by the time I have to go home.
Can't yet match their early waking hours, as I'm spending too many late hours of each night lying outside with friends just looking up at the stars and paying out the Portugese in Tetum.Hope everyone's well! Always great to hear from home, and am missing you all so much. But am having so much fun and am so happy. I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be right now.Please pray for the troubles in East Timor. It's terrible to see all the smiling faces become so afraid so quickly. Things here need to be resolved soon.
Stay safe and keep smiling. Find joy in the simple things!
Lots of love,CHRIS
1 Comments:
Hi caroline,
I loved this story about a great brisbane guy, doing alot of good in East Timor.
He sounds very much like my son, Chris ZAMMIT!
I guess he's half Hutchinson, which I'm proud of!
love to all the family. We will all have to catch up soon!!!
love
Jan
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