More cars, trucks and construction
A memorial for the policemen and women killed in the 2006 crisis in the Caicoli area.
More shops and restaurants. Here's a 'rare' book & stationery shop.
I would describe the current situation in East Timor as safe & volatile. By safe, I am saying that it is perfectly safe to walk in broad daylight without fear of rama ambon(deadly arrow-like darts), gunfire and gangs throwing stones at you. There are now streetlights in some areas at night and gang fights & crime are low. By volatile, I am saying that any violence might happen at any time depending on what fuses the situation. For example, a 'peaceful' political demonstration.
Most IDP(Refugee) camps have disappeared and the only ones left are those in the Catholic churches. The notorious ones like the one outside of Hotel Timor and another beside the airport have disappeared. These camps were a source of trouble during the unstable times but since their removal, there have been less trouble.
With more UN personnel stationed in Timor, the construction and property sector have become busier and so has the roads. There are certainly more vehicles on the road than last year and sometimes there were even traffic jams. The expats have also given a boost to the F&B industry with more restaurants springing up in the city and at the beach area. This provided more job opportunities but unfortunately, many are not Timorese owned.
Taxis are also charging slightly higher prices than before. I make sure I negotiate my fare now before I sat in if I have any doubts about how much to pay. This is especially so if it's late at night(by late, I meant 8pm++ where there are very few taxis). I paid US$3 for a night taxi ride when last year you would expect to pay only US$2. As for food, local fare is still cheap. US$1 would get you a plate of rice with a portion of chicken, vegetables and soup.
The education system is still as confusing for the students as ever. Teachers were made to attend intensive portuguese course so that they can teach in the language as many were not fluent in it. Students find portuguese difficult to learn and were not very keen in learning it. The teachers who themselves are poorly equipped with the language are not helping the situation either. While the government continues to push for a portuguese curriculum and learning environment, the Catholic schools got fed-up and uses their own Tetun school books for grade 1 to 6. It of course proof to be more effective and enjoyable for the students as most of them speak Tetun at home and uses it as their everyday language. The language medium to use for education is still a sticky situation which has not been resolved.
As my friend, Nelson da Silva, a 3rd-year engineering student studying in the national university told me - "Brother, I feel so confused. If the lecturer graduated in Australia, he will teach in English. If the lecturer graduated in Indonesia, he will teach in Bahasa Indonesia. If he graduated in Portugal, he will teach in Portuguese. I am very confused." You get what I'm trying to say now? So later on, I asked him to show me his thesis and it was written in Bahasa Indonesia. I certainly hope his lecturer is a graduate from Indonesia!
Aside from all this, I would say East Timor has certainly made some progress in the 2006 crisis aftermath. There may be still the problem of high unemployment and disgruntled youth, but I think many NGOs are realising this and are trying their best to help in these areas. Life has gotten back to normal for the average Timorese - without the kind of violence seen during the turbulent 2006 and early 2007.
So do pay East TImor a visit should you decided to do so. There are many opportunities to help as well as business opportunities. And if you're a mountain climbing lover or a diving fanatic, East Timor will be a dreamland for you. My recommendation? Go and see it for yourself. You'll love it there.
