Monday, October 31, 2011

Falintil

While walking through the streets of Dili, I came upon an elderly man in a military style uniform. Through broken conversation with a bunch of curious bystanders, I had it explained to me that his name was Jaime Goncalves and who, 1986, picked up arms and fought as a guerilla soldier against the Indonesians. The Indonesian military suspected Jaime of being a militant, and cut off his trigger finger. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Reactive Arthritis

Not that I generally like to share information like this, but I had gastro when I arrived back from Timor. It was at most an annoyance, in the sense that I had to plan my day around toilets. However, what came next, I did not foresee. After a few days of strange, painful, and sometimes humiliating symptoms, I realised that I could not walk. We decided that it was best to head to the hospital. 5 days later, I was finally discharged with a diagnosis of reactive arthritis. Basically, it is an inflammation of the knees which makes it painful to walk. Fortunately, it is not permanent, and within a month or two, it should be completely out of my body.
Yeah, I did the whole hospital gown thing. 

I spent a lot of time playing with my phone and looking at my feet. Hospitals are largely boring.

My mum is the worrying type. She brought in bags and bags of clothes, and most importantly, my camera and laptop. 

View from my first room. In the foreground, the wards of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women's Hospital. The field is University High, and the background is Parkville South. 

Over two days, skilled rheumatologists removed approximately 300 ml of fluid out of my inflamed knees.

I could see the air ambulance land from my room. 

View from my room. 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Besik Tasi (Near the Sea)

A fishing boat at night. 
A million birds started diving into the water at sunset. The fishermen wasted no time in setting out to the area. 




Emma at Willy

Had to get to the beach to clear my head. Hung out with my good friend Emma. 


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Kids Fishing in Tibar

These are some shots from a drive Ash and I took to a beach just out of Dili about a month back. The kids were fishing with a big net. It was low tide, so they were just walking out. I think the largest fish they caught may have only been a few centimetres long.






Saturday, October 8, 2011

Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights Vs March For Babies


Yesterday marked the third anniversary of Victoria's laws allowing a woman to have an abortion. To mark this anniversary, approximately 1500 Pro-Life campaigners marched from the Fitzroy Gardens, to the fertility control (or abortion) clinic, through city, and finally, to the steps of parliament to campaign against these laws. To prevent these protestors from taking the steps of Parliament (and therefore the moral high-ground), approximately 150 Pro-Choice campaigners arranged their own march and protest. Their march's met at approximately 3pm. Police formed a barrier and kept the crowd under control. 

Pro-Life campaigners hand out signs. 




Police caution a Pro-Life campaigner during a confrontation between the two opposing groups. 



Pro-Life and Pro-Choice campaigners confront each other at the step's of Parliament. 


Cindy Collins of Louisiana Abortion Recovery Alliance speaks to the Pro Life protestors at the steps of Parliament, Melbourne.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Tour De Timor Pt II

I am sorry if you have come to this blog hoping for images of cyclists, but I am not (and will never claim to be) a sports photographer. Here are some random pics which I took while on the road (in one form or another). 


Sunrise at Laclubar.
I stopped at this bridge to take photos of cyclists riding by. These young girls saw me and asked me to take their photo. They smiled, posed, and then went back to swimming. It's really hard to take natural photos of kids in Timor.
Com Beach. Didn't stop heaps of people from swimming without any dramas.
Young boys playing on the rockpools in Beacu.


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Taibesi Markets PT1

I went for a stroll through the main markets in Dili. Here are some pics.

I caught a microlet up there. I caught it the wrong way, in the sense that you would catch a train to the end of the line and then back into the city, when you were just trying to get to the city to start with. It meant I got a nice tour of Dili with my cool, friendly driver.
These guys asked me to take photos of them. There wasn't a whole lot of business so they sat out back and had some cigarettes.



Shop owners playing cards.


Some ladies sorting for the freshest produce.