My 12 days of Christmas

12 stations of the cross we struggled past up to the Jesus statue on Christmas Eve

11 seconds (average length of time between homemade firecrackers being let off on Christmas Eve)

10 ingredients in our homemade sangria for Orphans Christmas lunch

9 people to clear a landslide on the cliffside road from Baucau to Dili (with 44 more people watching on encouragingly)

8 somewhat sunburned legs courtesy of three days spent in Baucau

7 Bangladeshi UN soldiers walking around Baucau beach toting guns and camera phones

6 hours spent (approximately) at the piscina (Portuguese for amazing pool refilled every day with fresh spring water) in Baucau

5 neighbours to escort us to open air mass at Balide, Dili

4 girls in their Sunday best for Christmas Eve mass with the neighbours

3 nativity scenes (on average) on every street in Dili

2 skype calls home on Christmas Day

1 partner in crime

Belinda, soon-to-be-professional diver, currently visiting from Australia