Living in Timor-Leste is certainly an experience. Moving from a developed to a least developed country has taken some adjustment, but it has been incredible and rewarding. In this post I thought I’d share what is harder about day to day life in Timor-Leste compared with New Zealand, and what is easier!

Harder – Utilities
I experienced power cuts at home for up to five hours most weeks in my first couple of months in Dili, and as the water pump requires a power, you also lose running water. The internet in Timor-Leste is one of the slowest in the world, and reception can be patchy outside of Dili. The cost of both is about double what you’d pay in New Zealand (which isn’t a cheap country!).

Easier – Public Transport
The microlets in Dili may be cramped and noisy but they’re about ten times more frequent and a tenth of the price of buses or trains in New Zealand. It may not entirely safe but hanging off the side of one is quite exhilarating!

Harder – Exercise
The climate is punishing, which makes doing anything energetic outside of the start or the end of the day near impossible for a malae (foreigner). There are dogs, traffic and broken pavements which make running or cycling difficult but not impossible. I figure though that the heat and humidity just makes the exercise more effective for the time spent, though you have to be careful not to get heat stroke.

Easier – Fresh fruit
Exotic fruit are grown locally and generally ripe when you buy them, though with the climate they need to be eaten within a few days. Food here is completely seasonal. If it is out of season you literally cannot buy it. Fresh fruit is super cheap and delicious, with a whole range of bananas that you can’t get in the developed world.

Harder – Administration
Almost nothing can be online. You need to go to the bank or government department (wearing a shirt with a collar and trousers for men) to wait while various pieces of paperwork are moved around. Very little goes right the first time, even with the help of locals who know the process. It has been tough even with the support of the brilliant team at Volunteer Service Abroad (who I’m volunteering through). Without help I don’t know how any malae can successfully navigate the bureaucracy.

Easier – Snorkelling
One of the highlights of most of my weekends is going snorkeling around Dili. In half an hour by public transport I can be swimming in warm waters (27C!) above varied coral formations home to beautiful fish.

Harder – Staying well
While malaria thankfully isn’t a risk, dengue, chunkyunga, stomach bugs, and most recently rabies are! Every time I go out I put insect repellent on, and before eating any vegetables we wash them in vinegar to kill any bugs. I still spent a fortnight in bed ill within my first month in Dili. Hopefully there won’t be a repeat…

Easier – Networking
Having moved from the UK (population 68 millon) I thought New Zealand (population 5 millon) was small, but Timor-Leste has a population of 1.3m. It is very easy to meet new people, mainly malae, but also locals, and to get time with them.

Harder – Household Chores
Like most people in Timor-Leste I don’t have a washing machine, drinkable tap water, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, ironing board, or running hot water. Which I’ve adjusted to more easily than perhaps I expected, but everything still takes longer and requires more effort to do.

Easier – Have an adventure
Doing almost anything in Timor-Leste is an adventure. Things often don’t go as planned, or involve far more challenges than in other places. Approached with patience and the right attitude this can be great fun, if not it can be very frustrating!

Harder – Preserving your hearing
Timorese, particularly anyone who owns a form of transport, love to play pumping music at deafening volumes at any hour of the day. I don’t go anywhere without ear plugs, and they’re only just effective against the volumes involved. If I could change one thing to improve the quality of my life here it would be for them to turn the volume down just a little!