Dili Airport - Revisited

I recently posted an item about Dili airport which some of you agreed with but which one person in particular, ‘Disappointed’, obviously did not. I have copied their comment below. I don’t normally reply to the comments, I just let people say what they want, but leaving aside the inherent racism in remarks like ‘Whinging Pom’ and ‘pasty faced tourists and Malais’ I have decided that I cannot leave this comment without replying.

Anonymous said...
Got that off your chest eh? This wouldn't be a case of the whinging Pom would
it?
Here we are in a nation that’s struggling to achieve the fundamental aspects
of social welfare ie. Access to healthcare, food, basic govt utilities, a
recognisable justice system, security etc. not to mention the estimated 1
fifth of the Timorese population malnourished and without food security and
here you are, bitching about trolleys and air conditioning at the airport!?
Maybe the IDP's in the camps, like Metinaro, that need to walk long distances
daily to collect and carry firewood and water should have a trolley or two as
well! Wouldn’t that be nice.
Did you consider offering to help the poor old bastard who was unloading all
that luggage by himself!?
As for the water, here’s an idea, the next time you’re lucky enough to be
FLYING somewhere, why don't you buy some water from one of the 3000 struggling
little kiosks around town and TAKE it to the airport.
No, maybe I’m being silly. Keeping pasty faced tourists and malais happy is so
much more of a priority right now!
Step back and have a look at what you're saying.
As for scrapping the VISA fee, please...
Disappointed
26 June 2007 13:05

Dear Disappointed
I go to Metinaro at least 6 times a week, and the IDP’s there have all got trolleys, for collecting their wood and whatever else they want to do. Maybe they could start a little business building them and renting them out to the passengers at the airport?
Yes, I did consider helping the ‘poor old bastard’ who was unloading all the luggage himself. But, as you are no doubt aware, as a passenger and not a recognized official I am not allowed airside once I’ve come through immigration. I thought everyone knew that. Silly me.
As to be lucky enough to be FLYING, it’s a long way to walk to Beijing to promote East Timor’s undoubted tourist attractions.
As for the water, I said it was not possible to buy a bottle. What about arriving passengers who have not yet had the delight of buying from the friendly wayside vendors?
Just for your information, we buy EVERYTHING we can from Timorese people, including beer, fags, fruit, veggies and yes, even water.
And yes keeping ‘pasty faced tourists and Malais’ happy is important to me. I am not an NGO. I work in the tourist industry. My business keeps more than 50 Timorese above the poverty line. If we can get tourists here then more real money will flow into the Timorese economy that will actually go to the Timorese and not into some UN/NGO consultant’s pocket as a fat fee.
And the visa fee is keeping people away. Believe me I know, I have asked many ‘pasty faced tourists’ about this.
Now you step back and take a look at what you are saying. As I said, I am not an NGO. I run a business here and have done for the past seven years. I pay all my taxes here, legally. I buy Timorese produce when it’s available, I have taught Timorese to SCUBA dive for no money. I believe that after the oil and gas our coral reef is our most valuable asset, both financially and ecologically. The more ‘pasty faced tourists’ I can get here to witness this for themselves then the more money is going to go to Timorese.
And the only person in this World allowed to be disappointed with me is my Mum, and I’m pretty sure you’re not her. That’s a pretty high sanctimonious horse you are sitting on. Be careful you don’t fall off.

FOS.......