CHILDREN OF TIMOR LESTE

Always when I travel, the people are the most interesting part. This is not surprising because the culture, the history, the buildings, the way the landscape has been shaped (okay, it has been shaped by geologic forces) is a result of the people. If you want to understand why a place has been built up, exploited, or cared for the way it has, the people are the looking glass through which to peer. In Timor-Leste, the people are very much part of the landscape.

The people, especially in the rural areas are extremely friendly. This is especially true of the children. Everytime our car passes (and there are few that pass in the rural parts) children come running to the road yelling, “Bo Tarle,” a bastardization of the Portuguese “Boatardi” (Good Afternoon), though the children yell this no matter the hour. There seems to be no end to the children’s enthusiasm. Having so much joy greet us constantly, I can’t help but have a joyful heart as we pass through communities. The adults often join in on the greeting, but usually with less exuberance.