It appears this is the weekend for nativity scene building to start.  It is on in earnest.  But just try approaching the airport roundabout at night at the moment.  It is one huge Christmas tree light show and Comorro Road even has Christmas tree lights down the middle.

I just don’t recall this level of Christmas activity in my time here.  Similarly, Colmera shopping centre was buzzing on Saturday morning to a level I do not recall.  Admittedly mostly clothing vendors selling from the footpath but activity of a high level with lots of buyers.

The waters off Dili remain filled with commercial vessels.  Mostly vessels with rice which I am told will take several more weeks to process through the port.

Apart from being a bit behind in my random ramblings, I can’t help but notice the “backlog” of ships sitting in the waters off Dili.  There are 2 commercial vessels docked at the port, two being the port’s limit.  But there are 8 vessels anchored offshore.  Seven of these look like your typical commercial freight vessels and one looks like a dredger or something like that.

This backlog seems to have been here ever since the MV Doulos commandeered the port a couple of weeks back.  It just seems to be growing.  In “normal” times, one might see 1 or 2 vessels anchored offshore but they usually have moved on within 24 hours.  ???

There has another little flurry of road repairs lately, with the roads around the Palacio getting a new surface.  I am still swerving around imaginary potholes indelibly imprinted in my memory, even though they are not there anymore.  The road on the east side of the Palacio up past the Stadium has also received the treatment right up to Taibesse.  I almost miss that pothole nightmare at the stadium corner going into Audian.

It would be nice if they had a go at that section just outside Hotel Vila Verde.

For the past couple of weeks, there has been construction activity across from Lita supermarket.  Yes, these are to become permanent structures for fruit and veg sellers.  Am crossing fingers that they will not end up being shiny tin roofs.

And the construction across the road from the new EU embassy (on the eastern side of the Palacio) is landscape works funded by the EU.  Could define the likely future of landscape works from the Palacio to “Pig Bridge”.

The intention to convert all taxis to canary yellow is proceeding to the point where it is now more common to see yellow taxis than the more traditional alternative.  Given the deterioration of my bicycle in the local maritime environment, I will be interested to see how long the yellow taxis remain yellow.

The standard of UN Police driving yet again comes under the magnifying glass after a week or so of particularly shabby form in the accident department.  To be honest, it is becoming a joke.  It may just be bar talk, but tell me why UN Police are the most feared drivers in town.  Seems like many of them got their licences in a “super mi” packet (instant noodles – the local equivalent of the cornflakes packet).

Some may have noticed renovations to the “Tais Market” in Colmera.  New roofing and walls plus a sign.  There are a few of those banners strung across the road at a few places promoting the new improved market – courtesy of USAid.

The future Presidential palace building next to the heliport is moving along, as is the new Chinese Embassy building on the seafront.  Perhaps something of more interest is the new 1st floor deck being built at Casa Minha thus providing another venue with views across the road to the sea.

The Aribu Beach Resort (near OceanView Hotel) remains in permanent building mode – one wonders when it will end.

This is an interview by ABC’s News Hour with Atul Khare, the head of the UN here.  Dated 17 June 2008. Flashplayer required.

http://australianetwork.com/newshour/stories/m1598847.flv

Where would we be without the dedication of the UN ?

On Wednesday, students at the National University (just behind the Parliament Building) put on a rally demonstrating against the government providing new cars to all MPs.  They claim that in a time of increasing food prices, the poorer people in this country are having a struggle just to get enough food.  The government claim that MPs need cars to do their jobs.

From what I heard, it sounded very entertaining but appeared to have no effect on the government decision and security was never really an issue.

That night, I was woken several times by “yahooing” out in the street – motorcycles revving, car horns blowing, chanting.  Sounds travel a long way in the dead of a still Dili night and maybe my brain is sensitised to these sorts of sounds after 2006.  “Damn those students, I said … I need sleep”.  Gong !  It turned out it was a cheerful group doing some serious celebrating after a football game.

OOPS : Local papers report that following discussions between the government and the students, the students actually got the government to back off and reduce the number of new cars from the 65 planned to a much lower figure with none of them actually assigned to individual MPs.  Such success ought to get them employed as lobbyists for a whole range of issues.

You could hardly have missed the commotion today as Gastao Salsinha and 11 of his “rebel” mates were escorted into the “Palacio do Governo” (Parliament House and associated Ministries). It was not the time to be out on the road around midday when the howling vehicles streamed in, the sirens blew and the chopper escort flapped in.

An hour or so later, it appeared to be repeated as the “rebels” were escorted to the Memorial Hall for a de-briefing by the “Joint Command” – the name for the combined F-FDTL (Timorese military) and PNTL (Timorese police).

Hopefully, all states of emergency and curfews can now be lifted and the coffee season can get underway, particularly in the Gleno/Ermera area.

Hopefully, some of the roadblocks (ie near the President’s home and around the Memorial Hall area) will be lifted. While the road out to the Christ Rei statue to the east is in absolutely marvelous condition after its recent re-surfacing, some of the normally quiet roads around the Memorial Hall traffic deviations have copped a pounding.

The road upgrade from Pig Bridge to the Hera turn-off is magnificent compared to what it was 2 months ago. What was becoming a torture track for the cyclist is now a smooth bitumen race-track all the way. Now if the President could just acquire a few more residences around town and share out his occupancy between them, then maybe we can have a few more road improvements.

On another note, I made the mistake (again) of declaring wet season over, only to be savaged again last evening by a proverbial bucketing *. Back to the knitting.

* Bucketing – a quaint term for acquiring extreme wetness in a similar manner to having a bucket of water poured over one’s head. Also used to describe being the victim of a verbal assault as if a full bucket of insults were poured on one’s head. Take your pick.