I’ve been on quite a few roadtrips in my life, but this past month in Timor-Leste I embarked on the ultimate roadtripping adventure, complete with dusty dirt roads, winding seaside cliffs, steep rocky mountains, new friends picked up along the way, overnights in obscure places, a five-song Bob Marley playlist, and many, many unexpected road blocks. The route was designed with one mission in mind: to meet ten Kiva borrowers and verify that their information was accurate on the Kiva website (and to chat and hear about how the loan has helped their business!). The task sounded easy enough. Since... Continue Reading >>
Stories tagged with Tuba Rai Metin
Apr 4, 2013
Indonesia, Timor-Leste
Usually when I've been in places that I declare to be "artificial" I am thinking of a Disney theme, or a place like Cabo San Lucas or Cancun - southern California or Florida transported to Mexico - a place which bears little resemblance to what it would be like if it weren't for the tourist dollars it was created to attract. Of course, Las Vegas is the archetype for turning a desert into a sweet water oasis, of sorts.
Dili, the capital of...
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Mar 3, 2013
Timor-Leste
An Unstable Foundation
In western mythology the phoenix, rising from its own ashes, represents cyclical extinction and regeneration; death and re-birth. Human stories lack the mythical qualities of the tales they inspire.
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Feb 2, 2013
Timor-Leste
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I arrived in Timor-Leste about a week ago to begin a Kiva Fellowship, and you might be wondering where the heck that is. So I'll try to fill you in on some background while I ease into the place.
I like maps. Here's one of the world: