Ex-pats on Mats

On Monday, while out to lunch with Telibert and Karlito, I ran into Lilach - the other Princeton Fellow working in Dili. It was nice to see her and the timing could not have been better: I had been wearing the same clothes since the 31st and she lent me a few things. My bags are due to come in this afternoon, weight-limits permitting.

Lilach is friendly and high-energy, so I was not surprised when she told me that she led weekly fitness (pilates) classes. I went last night and it was great, in part because she played Shakira and I had really been missing music, and in part because I got to flail around and curse my abs. The class also brought out more white and ex-pat women than I had seen all week. The Irish ambassador was even there. (On the street I see a fair number of non-local men, usually soldiers/international police and UN/NGO folks.) It is nice to know that this community exists. Now all I need to do is find the birders.