From time to time, you get big ships visiting here but few bigger than the hospital ship USNS Mercy. It is parked off Dili for 2 weeks providing specialist medical services. I believe it is concentrating on cleft palate operations on this its 3rd trip to Dili. Hard to believe there is more medical grunt on that ship than the whole country put together.
On Wednesday at lunchtime, a supply ship provided entertainment by airlifting supplies by chopper to the Mercy.
It is also noticable that there seem to be more oil exploration ships passing through. Maybe its just because I know what one looks like now.
Someone said to me recently, “there’s gotta be a market for dry cleaners here”. Funny how you only start noticing signs advertising laundry services – at the Sands Motel and the new Sealion Laundry next to the new “Pinoy Grill” restaurant. This may be a new incarnation of the Pinoy that existed in the old Fat Boys premises. Its on Comorro Road between the heliport and the OZ Embassy. And there is a new Vietnamese restaurant across the road.
Hello,
My name is Mohamed Helmi Deris and I’m from Malaysia. I’m 23 years-old. I love reading anything on East Timor and I wish I could go there one day. I really love your blog and this would be my first time posting a comment, though I actually discovered your blog last year.
Early last year, I bought the Lonely Planet book on East Timor, which was published in November 2006. It’s stated in that book that there’s a cinema in downtown Dili called Dom Paulo Cinema/Bioskop, located on Rua Travessa de Be-Fonte. It is off Rua Presidente Nicolau Lobato.
Does this cinema still operate? What were the movies that you had watched there? Any interesting information about the cinema? If it’s no longer a cinema, is there any cinema-like premises in Dili?
I really hope that, one day, you could write about how East Timorese teenagers, especially those from the well-to-do families, or the educated ones, spend their time in downtown Dili. Though I’ve never been there, I believe that there must be places or outlets, where these teenagers would love to hang out, despite the current situation there.
Thank you very much and may God bless you.
This cinema has not operated in my time here. That is, there is not an operating cinema in the entire country.
What do kids do when there is 50+% unemployment ? Not a lot. There are internet cafes around the place & surfing and gaming are popular for those who can afford it. I see more and more males running these days. At least you can do that at little expense. Unfortunately, the “gang” culture tends to attract too many young guys. Gangs range from relatively innocuous social clubs to the tough ones.
Play pool. Play football. Join a gang. Talk to friends. Collect water. Kiss their children. Pirated movies are cheap on the street.
That cinema hasn’t operated since 2001. Maybe it was open in Indonesian times.