President in a white jacket, Granny in a pink dress

Ten years ago, Timor-Leste became the world’s newest country. This weekend, they celebrated their first decade of freedom with pomp and ceremony, as well as entertainment from a Brazilian cowboy-hat-wearing duo and an Indonesian hypnotist.

This being the country of the public holiday, government employees received no less than a five-day long weekend, presumably to ensure celebrations were carried out with appropriate thoroughness.

Thunderbolt and T-Lo enroute to Taci Tolu

My own Independence Day celebrations involved hanging out at Taci Tolu listening to music and marvelling at the relentless energy of the mosh pit, who periodically climbed on stage and danced like it was nobody’s business. Then the ema bo’ots (VIPs) arrived and were greeted with lukewarm enthusiasm from the crowd, who preferred to cheer whenever someone in the crowd made it onto the big TV screens.

Finally, the two biggest ema bo’ots (VIPs) – president outgoing and president incoming – arrived, stylishly late. Then the evening moved onto flag raising, admiring of the military’s white socks and guessing what sartorial former president Jose Ramos-Horta was whispering to new president Taur Matan Ruak. My money is on ‘don’t worry, I’ll give you the number of my tailor’ (he was wearing an amazing white jacket and woven waistcoat). It also ended with a 2am walk on a darkened beach back to my bubble/car, traversing fallen barbed wire at the airport, prickly grass and a river.

As close as I got to the ema bo'ots

Not surprisingly, it turns out I am much more comfortable sitting in the dirt with the povu (people) laughing at the ema bo’ots than rubbing shoulders with them. On Sunday a whole bunch of us were invited to a reception for the Governor General (my guess is we were there to represent ‘fresh faced and idealistic young people’). But there is just no way to have a normal conversation with someone when their minder is hovering next to them, ready to whisk them off as soon as things get slightly awkward. While my conversation with Quentin was hardly memorable, I feel like we had an unspoken affinity as the only two blondes in the room wearing hot pink. Mine was a $4 dress from the markets, hers was an impeccable ensemble with matching lipstick.

There is no doubt the lady is impressive. She spoke graciously and even referred to herself as the ‘granny in a pink dress’ at one point. During his last speech as president the night before, Jose Ramos-Horta had joked about drawing out his speech indefinitely so he would still be president.

Real ema bo’ots = extraordinary people with a sense of humour.

The sun sets on Restoration of Independence Day