tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81411930599240187102024-03-14T19:43:04.966+09:00Diak Ka Lae? A Dummy's Guide to Timor-Leste.Some social, political, cultural, linguistic and random notes on Timor-Leste.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-49667287210638421212009-03-23T14:30:00.003+09:002009-03-23T14:44:24.365+09:00funu-na'inida...<br />rua...<br />kilat musan rua borus nia hirus-matan.<br />nia monu...<br />nia hamriik fali, ho nia kilat.<br />nia tiru...<br />pa pa pa pa...<br /><br />tolu...<br />haat...<br />kilat musan rua belit tan iha nia isin.<br />nia monu...<br /><br />kurtina mean monu hosi lalehan,<br />taka nia oin...<div>Silénsiu...</div><div>dame, hakmatek, iha ai-laran</div><div>Iha Matebian ho Ramelau</div><div>nia klaran</div><div><br />nia isin monu ba rai,<br />latan iha nebá, iha nia rain<br />nia hakilar “Vitória!”<br /><br />funu hotu ona...<br />nia mate ho solok<br />tan nia hatene<br />nia mate ba nia rain<br />atu sai livre<br /><br />no ita mos sai livre...<br /></div>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-62227000512111530872008-03-21T17:11:00.003+09:002011-05-30T11:47:45.560+09:00Tetum spell checker for MS Word (MACOSX)Some readers e-mailed me to include instructions for installation in a <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MACOS MS Word</span></span>. Here it is:<br />Download the wordlist <a href="http://diak-ka-lae.googlegroups.com/web/tetum_proof_dic.txt?gda=xerl-UQAAAD_etqxufhu08g5mqSUVlPyBAK7GLmK0F_IhsjuPZl4rWG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTr67SK3p2mY7bi5hTUHOe7Ley2_-oiOJ4zLNAGCw24Bg"><span style="font-size: 180%;"><strong>here</strong></span></a> (press <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">ctrl</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">click</span>) and save it to a folder and remember it. Then open MS Word and follow the instructions below:<br /><ol><li style="font-weight: bold;">Word</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Preferences</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Spelling and Grammar</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">Dictionaries...</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add...</span> Locate the file, select it and click <span style="font-weight: bold;">Open</span>. Make sure there is a tick next to it and click <span style="font-weight: bold;">OK</span>.</li><li>Click <span style="font-weight: bold;">OK</span> again and you are set.<br /></li></ol><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;">Download the wordlist</span> <a href="http://diak-ka-lae.googlegroups.com/web/tetum_proof_dic.txt?gda=xerl-UQAAAD_etqxufhu08g5mqSUVlPyBAK7GLmK0F_IhsjuPZl4rWG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTr67SK3p2mY7bi5hTUHOe7Ley2_-oiOJ4zLNAGCw24Bg"><span style="font-size: 180%;"><strong>here</strong></span></a><br /><br />If you have any more questions, please let me know.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-50985242844134527212008-03-18T16:30:00.004+09:002011-05-30T11:49:32.096+09:00Tetum spell checker for MS WordHere is a Tetum spell checker for MS Word which I built and used on my PC (it's a Mac). It's no rocket science or computer hackery. It's just a simple wordlist saved as a text (<strong>.txt</strong>) file. I have been using this dictionary on my computer for a number of years and I have added new words to it in the process. At the moment there are over 7300 entries in this list. The dictionary has been very helpful for me when I write in Tetum. It particularly enables me to write Tetum with consistency (spelling).<br />The Tetum used in this spell checker is the official and standard Tetum as developed by Timor-Leste's <strong>Instituto Nacional de Linguisticas</strong> or the INL (National Institute of Linguistics) based at UNTL. You can find these words inside any good INL published Tetum dictionaries.<br />I hope you also find this spell checker useful in your Tetum writing. Here is how you can set it up for use with your PC.<br />This instruction is to be used only for PCs, not Macs. If you have any querry, please e-mail me on <strong>diakkalae(a)gmail.com</strong>, or just leave your comment on the blog.<br />First you need to download the wordlist. Right click <a href="http://diak-ka-lae.googlegroups.com/web/tetum_proof_dic.txt?gda=xerl-UQAAAD_etqxufhu08g5mqSUVlPyBAK7GLmK0F_IhsjuPZl4rWG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTr67SK3p2mY7bi5hTUHOe7Ley2_-oiOJ4zLNAGCw24Bg"><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>here</strong></span></a> and click <strong>Save Target As...</strong> Save this file into a folder and remember it. I usually save it to the same folder as MS Word’s <strong>CUSTOM.DIC</strong> (a MS Word file which registers your own vocabularies – don’t ask me about this). The path to this folder is C:\Documents and Settings\<strong>[YOUR USERNAME]</strong>\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof. <strong>[YOUR USERNAME]</strong> is the same as the <strong>username</strong> you use to login to your PC.<br />Note that the file <strong>tetum_proof_dic.txt</strong> is just a wordlist. You can open it with MS Word or Text Editor and you will find that there are over 7300 Tetum entries in it.<br />Save the file - <strong>tetum_proof_dic.txt</strong> - to a folder. Remember where this folder is. Open MS Word, open up a new document and follow the instructions below:<br /><ol><li>Select <strong>Tool</strong>, then <strong>Options</strong> – a window called <strong>Options</strong> will pop up</li><li>Select <strong>Spelling & Grammar</strong> tab – click <strong>Custom Dictionaries... </strong>A window called <strong>Custom Dictionaries</strong> will pop up (note that there is a file in it called <strong>CUSTOM.DIC (default). </strong>Don't mind this file).</li><li>Click <strong>Add... </strong>and another window will pop up called <strong>Add Custom Dictionary</strong></li><li>Now go and locate the folder where you kept the file <strong>tetum_proof_dic.txt</strong>. If you can't find it in that folder (in the same window), go to the bottom of the <strong>Add Custom Dictionary</strong> window, in the field called <strong>Files of Type</strong>, click on it and select <strong>All Files</strong>.</li><li>Select the <strong>tetum_proof_dic.txt</strong> file and click <strong>OK</strong>.</li><li>Make sure there is a tick next to <strong>tetum_proof_dic.txt</strong>.</li><li>Click <strong>OK</strong>, and <strong>OK</strong> again on the <strong>Options</strong> window.</li><li>And you are set.</li></ol><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;"><strong>Download the wordlist here </strong></span><a href="http://diak-ka-lae.googlegroups.com/web/tetum_proof_dic.txt?gda=xerl-UQAAAD_etqxufhu08g5mqSUVlPyBAK7GLmK0F_IhsjuPZl4rWG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTr67SK3p2mY7bi5hTUHOe7Ley2_-oiOJ4zLNAGCw24Bg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;"><strong>here</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;"><strong>.</strong></span></p><p>Contact me if you have any problems.</p>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-53055222130633373092007-09-10T17:00:00.000+09:002007-09-10T17:38:56.420+09:00Rally against the removal of trees in Dili's main streets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8keY-_ZSAWMIiGITIlusibIMo1aucjDnJk7qPq6oKEeJ-yxB_NIZ7JP00cZA5qwketwh8g9kKJvHj93gRMDTP94yNGn_lU5mG1DgxkzwlTWzTIwfCnRr0nfPyJSrbMUUsVk2YfiQApeU/s1600-h/DSC00208.JPG"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrW2fCWqASCjbvt9lxSeZL08_Jjh54dooh2DuodJSn4BENESqo4DxSAn6sWBJS63dmbMlZie2KbA9Rn-VKyDz-Tt_IQvJMuGlc-3ALeP8hDMQf07ClqW13iglYaU5LLR0h3IXwHi0T_aA/s1600-h/DSC00211.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108488448358531714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrW2fCWqASCjbvt9lxSeZL08_Jjh54dooh2DuodJSn4BENESqo4DxSAn6sWBJS63dmbMlZie2KbA9Rn-VKyDz-Tt_IQvJMuGlc-3ALeP8hDMQf07ClqW13iglYaU5LLR0h3IXwHi0T_aA/s200/DSC00211.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>“KETA OHO TAN AMI”<br />HATUTAN AI-HORIS SIRA NIA LIAN</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ohin loron ita hare prosesu desenvolvimentu iha Timor-Leste hahu hatudu “laiha respeitu tan ba natureza”. Governo nebe halo kontratu ho kompania sira nebe halo dalan ka rehabilita dalan sira iha Dili laran halo sira nia servisu nebe hamosu problema meio-ambiente. Sira tesi mohu ai-horis bot barak iha dalan ninin hodi halo trotoar nebe laiha konseitu tuir natureza nasaun tropika nian. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></div></div></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><br />Ai-horis barak iha Dili laran balun tinan hat nulu resin ona, no representa Cidadi Dili nia historia nebe uluk iha Tempo Portuguesa sai nudar Cidadi nebe mak mos no matak iha rejiaun Asia.<br /><br />Ohin loron, ita luta maka’as atu hadia no konserva fali ita nia natureza. Nasaun ki’ik hanesan Timor-Leste sei fragil liu ba degradasaun natureza. Nune, mak asaun husi Kompania nebe kaer projecto “rehabilita dalan” hodi tesi ai-hun bot barak iha dalan ninin hatudu katak Governo ho kompania sira laiha kapasidadi no kreatividadi atu utiliza ita ema nia rasio nebe iha hodi maneja ita nia natureeza.<br /><br />Kultura violento iha Timor-Leste ne’e as tebes. Tesi ai-hun bot hirak iha dalan ninin ne’e, sei hametin deit kultura violento ida ne’e. Laos deit oho ka hakanek ema mak mak sai nudar asaun violento, maibe wainhira tesi ai-hun ida, ita hahu dadauk asaun violent ona. Violensia ba ekologiku, iha impaktu masivu mos ba meio-ambiente nebe bele mos hamate ema moris ka fo impaktu naruk ba ema nia saude. Ida ne’e mak tenki tau iha konsiensia moral nudar emar iha kakutak ka neon, katak tesi ai ne’e mos nudar violensia ba ita nia maluk, tamba ai-horis hirak ne’e mak hamaluk “maubere” oan lao rai sira nebe loron manas fila husi eskola ka buka sira nia moris iha Dili laran. Wainhira tesi mohu sira hotu mak sira nia maluk hirak lao rai ne’e sei terus liu tamba manas, tamba rai rahun husi kareta luxu sira nebe utiliza dalan hirak ne’e. Ami horon dadauk konspirasaun bot entre kompania sira ho governantes sira nebe halo terus dadauk povu ki’ik sira, husi manas, rai-rahun ho meio-ambinte nebe la saudavel hodi desenvolvimentu no kampo trabalho nia naran.<br /><br />Politika sira halo promesa eleitoral oi-oin kona ba meio-ambiente, maibe hatudu dadauk “laiha pratika nebe respeita ita nia natureza (meio-ambiente)”.<br /><br />Ai-horis nebe fo b ita ema ‘is moris nian” (oksigenio), ita tesi mohu dadauk ona tamba deit atu “hadia trotoar ho kor katak tuir bandeira”. Karik, ita haluha ai-hun hirak ne’e mak sai nudar pulmaun ba Cidadi ida ne’e. Nune, mak ita la fo importansia ba ai-horis hirak ne’e.<br /><br />Ami husi grupu ida ne’e protesta ho maka’as ba kompania no ba entidade governantes nebe mak halo kontratu ne’e. Atu para kedas ona oho ai-horis hirak ne’e. Dala ida tan, tenki para ona oho ai-horis hirak ne’e. Ami sei hasae ami nia asaun wainhira halerik ne’e imi la rona.<br /><br />Viva natureza<br />Viva Maubere Lao Rai Nebe presija ai-horis hirak ne’e<br /><br /><strong>Husi Grupu Iterese ba Ntureza (Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan):<br />Haburas Foundation, Asosiasi HAK, ETADEP, HASATIL ho membros tomak, Sanggar Weturu, PERMATIL. No Kontakto:3310103, 7232851</strong></span></div>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-7031738901562091232007-09-05T14:08:00.000+09:002007-09-05T14:26:31.366+09:00Rare Timor birds for sale in Dili - part 2These lorikeets are going for US$5.00 each outside Erli Restaurant, next to Cafe Terrace.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_t4Ulewo16m5yQ1N6iAVLW2B-8cQBtKwU37DuPaRzsjoY_g_HE4F-lLMJIZNNvlyI-m034DjmgporY40RSERsGlw2IH6Oh0yfPhC-OvebLzGoYeMchtdbcTFo1WOet2JWKQoZVL7eOaE/s1600-h/DSC00204.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106586387731759730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_t4Ulewo16m5yQ1N6iAVLW2B-8cQBtKwU37DuPaRzsjoY_g_HE4F-lLMJIZNNvlyI-m034DjmgporY40RSERsGlw2IH6Oh0yfPhC-OvebLzGoYeMchtdbcTFo1WOet2JWKQoZVL7eOaE/s200/DSC00204.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-46833955332958778432007-09-04T13:58:00.000+09:002007-09-04T15:28:41.688+09:00Rare Timor birds for sale in DiliLast few years I saw a government poster (or was it UNTAET’s?) identifying some (if not all) of the rare birds in Timor-Leste. The poster also warned people against trapping these birds, buying or selling them. It was said to be a criminal offence if any of these birds were in someone’s possession instead of out there in the wild. I don’t blame the government for doing so. For starters, there is only one place for wild animals in this world, in the wild; and this also includes monkeys which some restaurants in Dili and Com are displaying inside makeshift cages for their customers’ amusement. I don’t find it funny. Since then trades in wild birds in and around Dili specially disappeared. No longer did you see men parading all over Dili with exotic species of birds like eagles (or hawks) or lorikeets, selling them for as little as a few dollar.<br /><br />Today I walked out of Café Terrace in down town Dili and there they were again. There were a couple of men who brought with them a number of birds for sale. Among these birds were wild pigeons (the ones with white head), a kakoak and a baby eagle (or hawk). Look at their pictures below?<br /><br />I wanted to buy these birds and then set them free but on careful consideration I decided not to. If I bought these birds of them, I would have only encouraged them and others to trap more wild birds and sell them. And if I released them, I wouldn’t have a clue where to do it and if they would survive at all after spending sometime trapped in a cage. They are probably too traumatised to be able to find their way alone and survive. Besides, the eagle chook just wouldn’t survive anywhere.<br /><br />As far as I know, the government has not made any change to the laws covering the protection of these wild birds. But how can you stop the people from trapping these birds? I hope you don’t buy them, so encourage them to go and get more.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV1H0FGolPxfzPR7B9O1C0I8epb4BptoSb_dmWDmUfjNa8NrFx7HDjYCx3UKgSK5hjbANhKgSLdwSMq-cnO7QA_AMIeu6Co4HA8rp93wu_PYOaGHS5XwH_6mySf1AnQEoH-O2IQRmhyE/s1600-h/DSC00202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106211802159039074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV1H0FGolPxfzPR7B9O1C0I8epb4BptoSb_dmWDmUfjNa8NrFx7HDjYCx3UKgSK5hjbANhKgSLdwSMq-cnO7QA_AMIeu6Co4HA8rp93wu_PYOaGHS5XwH_6mySf1AnQEoH-O2IQRmhyE/s200/DSC00202.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Kakoak</em>, a strange looking bird but is very elusive. Indonesians bought hundreds of them and exported them to Java before 1999.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicKi2nZQXG4l0TQfIbW1HyYLwavWDVpE3gvoXl10ZrAMG1d23xQTL7J8RvYXSGuc2BBTjay17Fdl4AUJ9HJhBZLI58_SkoMsqod_vsHPoxIQantz_rJGEJmhN-WGW7HgCtFq_hFvSYqk/s1600-h/DSC00201.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106210822906495570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicKi2nZQXG4l0TQfIbW1HyYLwavWDVpE3gvoXl10ZrAMG1d23xQTL7J8RvYXSGuc2BBTjay17Fdl4AUJ9HJhBZLI58_SkoMsqod_vsHPoxIQantz_rJGEJmhN-WGW7HgCtFq_hFvSYqk/s200/DSC00201.JPG" border="0" /></a> This eagle (or hawk) chook is going for US$10.00. Its Tetum name is <em>makikit.</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pyT688v_UZkIwKcn8Za-x01aK8uhf-okmKoIB5BzsLn1yMDK_Q_l9aDznmbOivmLZjSfTZ3wqnyTJGISHpncaXbW04SrqftQWz44JI2wUwQHtc40odaGjekFdX-LECIUhyphenhyphenVO90X0YIY/s1600-h/DSC00200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106210131416760898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pyT688v_UZkIwKcn8Za-x01aK8uhf-okmKoIB5BzsLn1yMDK_Q_l9aDznmbOivmLZjSfTZ3wqnyTJGISHpncaXbW04SrqftQWz44JI2wUwQHtc40odaGjekFdX-LECIUhyphenhyphenVO90X0YIY/s200/DSC00200.JPG" border="0" /></a>Wild pigeos.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /></div></div>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-1627490260997064592007-08-27T10:16:00.000+09:002007-08-27T10:32:35.848+09:00A view of Cristo Rei at dusk<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4G3DawF0F47KrHXsDAsYpzRyioo57_yUR6qq3cdBY5HmVmLucW3x0ZkeEO6nLpe0XK66gU_23csuddSol05p9uNu3szYSOPrNZ0l_rEUPw77rlMuIv-5wAeNb0aAH2J0f3J0yJ93Xwo/s1600-h/cristorei1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103184176632873522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4G3DawF0F47KrHXsDAsYpzRyioo57_yUR6qq3cdBY5HmVmLucW3x0ZkeEO6nLpe0XK66gU_23csuddSol05p9uNu3szYSOPrNZ0l_rEUPw77rlMuIv-5wAeNb0aAH2J0f3J0yJ93Xwo/s320/cristorei1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-17643621249208270302007-06-25T16:51:00.000+09:002007-07-12T15:49:02.183+09:00Some cultural notes, humors and myths from Timor-Leste<em>Dear readers,</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The following is just a personal interest which I thought I put up to share it with you. I would also love to hear your views on them or perhaps if you have any other cultural notes, humors and myths from Timor-Leste that you would like to share. If you do, please share it (or them) and I will add it (or them) to this list and put it up.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Cheers,</em><br /><br />--<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Cultural notes, Humors and Myths of Timor-Leste<br /></span></strong><br />Humor: People who cannot control their mouths when they speak are said to have a mouth like the chicken’s anus. The story is that a chicken’s anus is constantly moving through the muscles that control it. However a man who talks too much is also said to have the lips of a woman. Apparently women talk too much in Timor.<br /><br />Myth: I don’t know if this should be classified as a myth or a fact but it always works for me. Cool breezes can be created by whistling. This is specially helpful in Timor’s often barmy and icky climate.<br /><br />Myth: You should not whistle during the night as it you would be inviting bad spirits.<br /><br />Cultural note: Ladies should always accept a dance when invited by gentlemen at parties. If a lady refuses the invitation from a man, she should also refuse the invitation from the next man. If she refuses the invitation from the first man but accepts the invitation from the second man, it will be seen as disrespect to the first man. This often leads to brawls.<br /><br />Myth: When stepping out from your home or any other house and you sneeze, it’s a sign of bad omen. You should consider staying for another few minutes before leaving.<br /><br />Myth: When you are walking somewhere to do something and you trip on your left foot, it means bad luck. If you are leaving your house or any house, you should considering changing your pans. Tripping on your right foot is OK.<br /><br />Myth: When a leaf falls near you and the leaf lands on its back, it’s a sigh of good luck.<br /><br />Myth: You should not point at rainbows because your index finger or your hand will be deformed to a shape like that of the rainbow.<br /><br />Cultural note: Never address anyone older than you, anyone with a respectful position with “you” whether in English, Portuguese or in Tetum.<br /><br />Myth: The island of Timor is shaped like a crocodile because it was created following the death of a crocodile. How did the people know that the island is shaped like a crocodile? The tail being at Lospalos and the head at Kupang. The story of the crocodile is like this: A young man finds a sick crocodile and helps it to recover. To thank the young man or boy, the crocodile takes him to travel around the world. Their travel takes them to many places and many years until one day the crocodile grows to be very old and hungry. They were in the middle of the ocean and lost. The crocodile is tempted to eat the boy but realises instead that it was the boy who saved him from certain death in the past. As both of them grow weaker and no help is in sight, the crocodile decides that he should sacrifice himself to save the boy. So the crocodile dies and his body is transformed into an island. The boy is saved and inherits the island, the island of the crocodile, becoming the first inhabitant and the first Timorese.<br /><br />Myth: Crocodiles are considered as sacred in Timor-Leste because they are said to be the ancestors of the Timorese. See the Crocodile story above. In some parts of Timor where crocodiles are found, it is said that if you are not an honest person, you can be identified by a crocodile and attacked or killed.<br /><br />Cultural note: The traditional Lautem house is taken universally in Timor-Leste, east or west, as a cultural icon representing every East Timorese from every corner. Models of the house are made into gold pendants, engravings, paintings, etc. It is also used widely by every East Timorese to represent their culture.<br /><br />Myth: You should not wear bright red during storms because you would be a lightning target.<br /><br />Myth: In the southern seas, or the Tasi Mane (lit. male sea), you should not wear bright red as you would attract giant and destructive waves like a tsunami.<br /><br />Cultural note: The Sea to the north of Timor is called Tasi Feto (female sea) and to the south is called the Tasi Mane (male sea). Tasi Mane is considered as rough and Tasi Feto as tamed.<br /><br />Myth: The term Caladi comes from the Portuguese word for calado, or the quiet one. Originally Caladi is used to refer to the Mambae speakers of the central regions near the Ramelau cordillera whom are believed to be docile and cooperative. In contrast to Caladi is the word Firaku which is believed to come from the Portuguese expression vira o cú or to turn one’s backside. The Firaku, mostly referring to the Makasa’e speakers of Baucau and Viqueque, are said to be stubborn and uncooperative. The Firaku would turn his back “backside” on anyone who disagrees with. In today’s lingo, Firaku is associated with the “easterners” and Caladi with the “westerners.” A further reduction of Firaku is the word Irak (Iraq) to connote the “easterners”, in particular the Makasa’e speakers with terrorism and terrorists.<br /><br />There is however a more rational explanation for the origin of the two terms. The word Firaku comes from the Makasa’e term fi raku, which means my friend or my brother. It’s exactly the same as what you would say in English, “hey buddy”. Whenever Makasa’e speakers meet they say “fi raku”. I am not sure if this term is still current. The word Caladi on the other hand is said to come from the Malay word for tubers (yams and other edible roots), keladi. The regions around the Mambae area produce tubers aplenty. Malay speaking traders must have been dealing with the Mambae speakers more often when it comes to trade in tubers. The word for sweet potato in Tetum, fehuk, is also used to refer to someone as being stupid.<br /><br />Myth: When sitting on a table, do not sit at the corner especially if you are unmarried. For the yet to be married, sitting at the corner will lead to a marriage to a buan or witches. So sitting in a corner is generally avoided. Round tables are not as complicated.<br /><br />Cultural note: Never give anything to another person or receive anything using your left hand. It is considered as disrespectful.<br /><br />Myth: Some fruit bearing trees will carry a curse in what the locals call horok. The tree owner would hang an object (egg shells, black cloths, pieces of hair, tree barks, etc.) on the tree and put a spell on it. Whoever eats from the tree without the owner’s permission (to remove the spell) will get sick.<br /><br />Myth: There is a belief in a magic spell that would make one invisible to the ordinary people. This spell is called matahelik and is used mostly by thieves.<br /><br />Myth: In Lautem region, the snake is revered. According to the local myth, in the distant past some of their relatives transformed themselves into snake.<br /><br />Myth: Cats are regarded as sacred. If you kill a cat, you will be damned for up to seven generations.<br /><br />Myth: During wakes and funerals, cats are locked up or kept away from the dead body as far possible. If the cat jumps over the dead body, the dead body will awaken and be commanded by bad spirits.<br /><br />Cultural note: Dog meat has become a delicacy in Timor-Leste. However this culture was introduced by the Indonesians from Sulawesi in the late 80s, when the first dog meat restaurant was opened in Colmera suburb.<br /><br />Cultural note: See an article by Elizabeth Traube, “Unpaid Wages: Local Narratives and the Imagination of the Nation” (The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology Vol. 8, No. 1, March 2007, pp. 9-25). Abstract: This paper explores how official nationalist discourse is appropriated and reworked in local constructions. It draws on ethnographic fieldwork in the district of Aileu, East Timor, conducted before the Indonesian invasion and after the 1999 referendum. Bridging these two periods is a Mambai narrative tradition about a Christ-like figure named Tat Felis, who comes to Aileu with the first missionaries and is persecuted by local chiefs. In different ways, the paper argues, Mambai have entwined the story of the suffering inflicted on him by their ancestral chiefs with the suffering endured by the people in the nationalist struggle. Such narrativised ordeals evoke a cultural code of reciprocity in which whoever suffers to bring something forth must be repaid. In referencing their own enduring obligations to Tat Felis, people implicitly or explicitly remind nationalist leaders that the nation was purchased with their blood.<br /><br />Cultural note: Beware of Timorese humor. They are really boring!!!<br /><br />Cultural note: Any vice is a bad vice and in Tetum language, most of the vices are constructed from their root-word (a noun or a verb) by adding the suffix –teen. Teen is a morpheme of tee, a word denoting all kinds of waste, human, animal or objects. So a smoker becomes tabaku-teen, a thief becomes a na’ok-teen, a drunkard becomes a lanu-teen and a stupid person becomes beik-teen. If you are labeled with any word that ends in –teen, it is not a compliment.<br /><br />Myth: In English there is a saying that goes, “If you find a penny, pick it up. All day long gives you good luck.” In Timor-Leste if you find a penny, you better not touch it and leave it where it is. According to local customs, if you have an incurable disease you can get rid of it by passing it on to other people. So you do this by rubbing a penny on the disease, or all over your body, plus a little bit of hamulak (a Timor prayer) and throw it away; hopefully someone will find it and keep it. And when they do, they won’t only pick up the penny but also the disease with them. Thus you will be cured.<br /><br />Myth: The number three is regarded as a bad number. Taking pictures of three people, giving three things to someone, things that come in pairs of three, etc., are generally avoided.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-44494344024286049792007-02-22T15:57:00.000+09:002007-02-22T16:20:28.841+09:00How to de-sex a dog in DiliI was at my aunt's house in the south of Dili when I notticed one of her neighbour's dogs had a badly swollen testicle. As I looked closer I notticed that the end of the dog's scrotum was tied up tightly with a rubber band. As it turned out, this dog has been enduring this treatment for nearly two days, and this is how to de-sex a dog, at least in this part of Dili. A couple of days later, the dog's scrotum popped and his testicles fell off, literally. I wouldn't recommend this kind of operation for any dog or animal anywhere in the world. It's best to leave this kind of operations for the vets. As for the dogs and other animals in Dili: vets needed.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-91162657899783505302007-02-22T15:43:00.000+09:002007-02-22T15:44:17.079+09:00Malaes and traffic lights in Dili....Yes. The Dili traffic lights are not the best new addition to the already chaotic traffic. But worse still are the malaes who disrespect road rules by not stopping when it's red, when there is a STOP sign, failing to give way, driving on the wrong side of the road, driving against traffic direction, driving while drinking alcohol, driving in excess of the allowable speed limit and parking their 4x4s wherever they please. If the malaes respected the road traffic rules as they would in their own countries, maybe the local motorists can get a little inspiration and make Dili traffic a bit better and safer.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-49335465151826679942007-02-14T14:42:00.001+09:002007-02-14T14:42:17.232+09:00Timor-Leste or?...In early 1999 when the political development in Timor-Leste was <br>gearing up towards the referendum, a friend and I were working <br>together to design a pamphlet calling for a rally in support of the <br>East Timorese independence movement. A disagreement suddenly came <br>upon us two on how the name Timor-Leste should be written in English. <br>I said East-Timor and he disagreed. He said East Timor, without the <br>dash in between the two words. I argued, the East Timorese resistance <br>movement has adopted the official name for what used to be Portuguese <br>Timor and it is Timor-Leste, with the dash in the middle of the two <br>words. Therefore and English translation should also carry the dash. <br>He countered my argument saying that there is no such thing in <br>English as writing a name composed of any two words with a dash to <br>connect them. I thought his argument was a bit unconvincing, <br>nevertheless I caved in. He was much older than me and he was <br>completing his PhD in some political science at some prestigious <br>university in Melbourne. I said "OK. You are right. I trust you." But <br>deep inside me I held out to my conviction. I just couldn't find the <br>right argument to defend my choice. Years later this episode came <br>back to me. "Heck. It is my country and I have the sole right to name <br>my own country and you should respect the name I give to my country <br>and the way I want my country to be called wether it be caled in <br>English, in French, in German or in Chinse" I thought lately. This is <br>what I should have said to him years ago when we sat down together to <br>design that pamphlet. I know. This is a very trivial debate and a <br>complete waste of time. It was just a pamphlet to get people to come <br>to a rally in support of the East Timorese independence movement, <br>which is more important than whether a name should carry a dash or <br>not. As for the rally, it turned out be very successful. It was part <br>of smaller rallies which culminated in the massive one that took <br>place following the referendum.<p>In the recent weeks the same discussion came up again. I wrote <br>something on this blog on how this country formerly know as <br>Portuguese Timor should be called. I said it must be called Timor- <br>Leste, its official name, whether one is speaking in English, French <br>or German. But some readers responded in disagreement by pointing to <br>examples from various other countries. A favourite of mine to choose <br>from the examples they provided are the names for countries like <br>Poland, which in Polish it is actually called Polska, in Portuguese <br>is is actually caled Polonia, in English, it is Poland, etc. Germany <br>is actually another very good example. In German it is actually <br>called Deutschland, in English, Germany and in Portuguese Alemanha. I <br>wonder if the Chinese have their own name or if they use the English <br>name? Or just use Deutschland like the Germans? I freely admit that <br>these examples are quite convincing. Why should everyone use Timor- <br>Leste? They can just call it whatever they want to call it depending <br>on the language that they speak. Timor-Leste in Timor-Leste, East <br>Timor in English, Timor Est(?) in French, etc.<p>But why? What is so hard about saying Timor-Leste? Is it a question <br>not being able to work one's tongue around this short collection of <br>vowels and consonants? Or is it aesthetics? That English or French <br>must be so pure that any non-English name must be Anglicised? Don't <br>we have the right to have the names of our countries written in the <br>way that we want it to be written? José has not become Joseph, etc. <br>João has not become John, Jean or Hans. Maria has not become Mary or <br>Marie. Why not Timor-Leste?Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-31473788551960767222007-02-11T20:49:00.001+09:002007-02-11T16:52:41.813+09:00Lorosae V LoromonuDuring the crisis last year which nearly paralysed Timor-Leste, a couple of Tetum words became a prominent feature in many people's attempt to explain the root causes of that crisis. They are lorosae and loromonu, literally sunrise and sunset, meaning east and west respectively. Somehow Timor-Leste, already a half-island occupying the easter half of Timor with the rest forming part of Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara, became a country with two main ethnic rivals, the Easterners and the Westerners. Although as an East Timorese I have always been aware of this "division" and have often referred to those coming from the eastern half of Timor-Leste as an easterner and the other half as westerners, it never crossed my mind this dichotomy would one day translate into such a depth dividing the East Timorese into two ethnicities which is only as relevant as speaking about a Sydneysider and a Melbournian.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>For me the use of the words lorosae/loromonu is no different to saying, Shinzo Abe and Manmohan Singh are Asians and Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo are Africans. The use of these tags has no connection with anyone's cultural or ethnic inherence. Actually if you lived in Dili, this lorosae/loromonu tags don't even apply to you, an interesting point which will help me explain how these words came to be used the way they are. It is arguable in my opinion that the Dili residents, to a large extent the Dili elites, are responsible for introducing the new meaning and use of the terms lorosae and loromonu.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>But how did the East Timorese begin to employ these tags to label each other the way they do? I think the answer lays in the way Timor-Leste is shaped geographically. It is a long half island with Dili situated right at the centre. As we all know, Dili as the capital of Portuguese Timor was the centre of colonial and religious administration, trade, education, etc. People from all over Portuguese Timor would have flocked to Dili regularly to deal with each other as it was also the most central location in that half island. Although I would not attempt to guess what someone from Lospalos would call his brethren from Baucau to Maliana, I would suspect that to Dili residents it would not have been too difficult to refer to the outsiders in a most simplistic way. Those coming from east of Dili are lorosae or Easterners and those from west of Dil are loromonu, Westerners. To the east of Dili are the areas of Manatuto until Lospalos, to the west, the rest. So the east/west division took shape and became an essential part of Tetum vocabulary and of its use.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I don't know if there is any recognisable trait in the East Timorese population that would make it possible to describe someone as a typical lorosae or loromonu. Although if you speak to an East Timorese they would say that someone from Lospalos is typically tall, fair skinned, etc. In my experience this is nothing more than a popular myth. If you put two East Timorese together there is no way of knowing who is from where. In fact you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between any two population from different islands in the Lesser Sunda. An East Timorese look no different from a West Timorese or a Florinese or a Wetarese. To add this is the fact that the East Timorese population has also taken on the genes imported from Portugal, Africa, India, China and Indonesia and lately Australians.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Linguistically, it is more relevant and will go on to contradict this supposed ethnic divide. The languages spoken in Timor-Leste is divided into two main language families, the Austronesian and the Papuan. The Papuan family includes the languages of Fataluco, Makasa'e, Makalero and Bunak of Lospalos, Baucau/Viqueque regions, Iliomar (a sub-district of Lospalos) and Bobonaro respectively. The rest of the languages belong to the Austronesian family. To the east of Dili you have Austronesian language speakers coexisting with the Papuan speakers side by side. In Baucau and Viqueque districts, there is a large population of Austronesian speakers (the Kawaimina languages and Tetum). In fact the main language in Viqueque is Tetum Terik of which Tetum Dili is derived from. To the west of Dili you have the Bunak speakers, a Papuan language enclave surrounded by Austronesian speakers.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>So if there were to be any division at all like an ethnic division, the existing linguistic differences in Timor-Leste would present a more tangible point for which anyone can turn it into a rallying point. Maybe something like the Papuan speakers against the Austronesian speakers? But in Timor-Leste you just don't find any sign of any division of this kind. Bobonaro is a district made up of Kemak and Bunak speakers while Ermera is composed of Mambae and Kemak. Yet the Kemak speakers would say that they are either from Ermera or Bobonaro. The same goes for the Makasa'e speakers of Viqueque and Baucau. Therefore when we take a closer look into how the simple lorosae/loromonu tags could have caused such a deep crisis which threatened to plunge the country into an irreversible cycle of violence, it can only leave us with a conclusion that indeed this crisis has nothing to do with ethnicity. The cause is something else.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">One other thing worth noting is also the fact that lorosae/loromony is not the only contrasting tags in circulation in Timor-Leste. If you speak to the Dili residents, in particular those who have always lived there until 1999, they would talk about the influx of <I>ema foho</I> into Dili. Dili residents regard themselves as <I>ema Dili</I> in contrast to <I>ema foho</I>, meaning those who come from the mountains. <I>Ema foho</I> connotes the traits supposedly associated with these mountain people such as being uncivilised, illiterate, backward, etc. Today's Dili residents admit privately that after 1999 events, as these <I>ema foho</I> settled in Dili, this town has degenerated. Many even suggest that the only solution would be to send them all back to their villages in <I>foho</I> (mountain, rural area). And of course another notorius one is the firaku/kaladi pair. But for this I will need to write a different entry altogether and hopefully soon.</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">In general almost every district or every linguistic region has their own tags which stereotype them. The Maubisse are known as fehukropa, the Tetum name for potato. Maybe this is due to the amount of potato grown in this place. But being called a potato is not a compliment however. Potatoes age grown by peasants who are perceived as illiterates, backward and uncivilised, so that to be associated with a potato is to be associated with these qualities. The Atsabe people are referred to as lipadois or smelly sarong. I don't know why. The Bobonaro people are called kudaulun or horse thieves. The Makasae people are known as masters, the Bahasa abbreviation for mahasiswa terminal meaning bus station university students. It is said that the Makasa'e youths tend to mill around at the bust terminals which also doubles as their "school." The Makassa'e people are also called muturabu. It is a Makasa'e word that describes anyone with violent tendency. Interestingly there is no such tag reserved for Dili residents.</SPAN></DIV>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-11183437912569618642007-02-10T14:39:00.001+09:002007-02-10T14:36:35.821+09:00**thimolesht??<DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">For those of you (usually Anglophones) who keep saying "thimolesht" or "tximolesht," if you cannot work your tongue around the correct pronunciation, then try this:</SPAN><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span"></SPAN><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">Ti<SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>as in <B>tea</B></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">mor<SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>as in <B>Mor</B>gan</SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">Les<SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>as in <B>less</B></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span">te<SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>as in <B>te</B>rrible</SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span"><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span"><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>And yes, I know that the Lusophones sort of swallow some of their vowels and have their own pronunciations so that when they say Timor-Leste, it actually sounds "timórlesht." But, unless if you are a Lusophone, it kind of doesn't sound good. So try to say it the way the East Timorese say it, that's my opinion.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Still, there are also some people who write Timor-Leste in a most peculiar way like Timor-L'Est or even Timor le Este. I don't know how or where they got his from. The correct way is of course Timor-Leste, with the dash in between and everything. The rest is just not on.</DIV></SPAN></DIV></SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR>Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-33082054268070297872007-02-10T14:36:00.001+09:002007-02-10T14:30:25.509+09:00...teen is not a complimentIn Tetum, any word than ends with "teen" (read it as in number 10), <br>in most circumstances denotes a vice. On its own, "teen" means <br>excrement, leftovers or waste. Any adjective that ends with "teen" is <br>not a compliment.<p>baruk (to be lazy): barukteen - lazy person<p>naok (to steal): naokteen - thief<p>karak (selfish): karakteen - greedy<p>beik (dumb): beikteen - stupid<p>tolok (to swear): tolokteen - someone whose every second word is an <br>expletive<p>kaan (to want): kaanteen - greedy, glutton<p>tabaku (tobacco, cigarette): tabakuteen - smoker<p>tua (wine): tuateen - alcoholic<p>lanu (to be drunk): lanuteen - drunkard<p>nakar (to be naughty): nakarteen - naughty<p>hirus (to be upset): hirusteen - someone who is always upset<p>tanis (to cry): tanisteen - crybaby<p>dukur (sleepy): dukurteen - sleepyheadAlex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-1254774694401838332007-02-10T14:30:00.001+09:002007-02-10T14:29:27.175+09:00Timor-Leste or East Timor or Timor Lorosa'e or Timor Timur or ...Timor-Leste = The official name of the country. Remember Burma? Now <br>it is called Myanmar. Portuguese Timor was replaced with Timor-Leste <br>after the country was unilaterally proclaimed independente by <br>Fretilin. In 2002, the Constituent Assembly restored Timor-Leste to <br>be the official name of the country. This is the name of the country <br>whether if you want to write in French, English or German.<p> East Timor = The unofficial English name.<p> Timor Lorosa'e = The unofficial East Timorese (Tetum) name.<p> Timor Timur = The official name of Timor-Leste when it was still <br>Indonesia's 27th province.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-10348274663522980332007-02-10T14:29:00.001+09:002007-02-10T14:18:59.047+09:00Ferik?A friend of mine asked me what it meant when her East Timorese <br>adopted family referred to her as "ferik" (old woman). And here is <br>my response.<p>NOTE: here "they" means the East Timorese.<p>Situation 1:<p>* You fit the category of a "ferik" if you look like and old woman, <br>meaning you have grey hair.<p>* You have grandchildren and you have told them that you do.<p>* You are a "ferik" even by your own definition.<p>They would class you as "ferik." Sometimes they also say "nia ferik <br>ona" meaning she is old.<p>Situation 2:<p>If you have a good relationship with them, they may refer to you as <br>"avó" (or "abó") and sometimes call you "avó Jeanette," say. If so, <br>bring the children lollies next time you see them.<p>If your relationship with them is so-so, then the adults would refer <br>to you as ferik and maybe their children would call you "avó" out of <br>respect. But if you are in bad terms with them, they would refer to <br>you as ferik, specially in heated arguments.<p>Sometimes you will not know that there are problems with your host <br>family because the Timorese tend to avoid direct confrontations. A <br>sign for this is that they refer to you as ferik behind your back but <br>as avó or mana in front of you. If they do it in passing, or near <br>your ears, then they are trying to make it obvious.<p>Situation 3:<p>You don't fit the above category and you look young. You may even <br>have children in their late teens or older. Usually they call you <br>"tia" (auntie) or mana.<p>You are in good terms with them and they accept you as a good friend <br>or even part of the family -- a sign of this is that they take you <br>along to visit their families, to their weddings, and other family <br>occasions -- if they call you ferik, then they are just having a <br>relaxed time with you.<p>If you are not in good terms with them and they call you "ferik," <br>then they are being rude to you, whether they are saying it in front <br>of you or behind you. If they said it in a way that you can hear but <br>not to you, then they are trying to make it obvious that they have <br>issues against you.<p>Timor is a patriarchal society so the usage of ferik and katuas also <br>differ. For men, if you are with a friend who is obviously older than <br>you, it is ok to refer to the older man as a katuas, in fact it is a <br>sign of respect. For women, calling your older peer ferik is <br>insulting, unless if it is established that the person referred to is <br>indeed a ferik, in age and in having grown up grandchildren. Still, <br>it is not polite. Avó or avó-feto is acceptable. When I was much <br>younger, I was not allowed to refer to anyone as "ferik" or I'll get <br>in trouble.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141193059924018710.post-3594365557476145522007-02-10T13:10:00.000+09:002007-02-10T13:08:03.789+09:00Obrigadu or Obrigada?In Tetum, the word "thank you" has a feminine and a masculine form. <br>The word is borrowed from Portuguese "obrigado." Men say "obrigadu" <br>and women "obrigada. But be warned. While it is OK for a woman to say <br>"obrigadu," it is NOT OK for a man to say "obrigada." Never! Or you <br>can do so at your risk of being ridiculed.Alex Tilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05095196646187590417noreply@blogger.com0