East Timor animal encounters

‘Welcome to East Timor, here is your accommodation,’ was my greeting. ‘Everything else is self explanatory, Oh, by the way there are also mosquitoes, centipedes, and cockroaches in the bath, and an emptied out hand grenade as a candle holder for the power outages. So ok, we are talking quite small animals, nothing too majorly out of my league with my spray can in hand.
Then came the day when I was in the shower minding my own business and the RAT came in to say hello.. .yes, I did just write rat! In my bathroom, it ran in through the door (I have spaces under the doors), and, given that I have an en-suite, it had come through the living room and bedroom, and into the bathroom for me to actually see it. Yes, it was pretty much as the films show it — a little screaming and then a stern talking to myself — and then a stern talking to the rat! I think it got bored of the talking as it ran out again... I haven't seen it since for which I am glad! As I put on my Facebook.... mozzies ok, 'roaches not ok but deal-able, but a rat in the shower with you — what do you do about that? The answer that I got was to get it to wash my back for me!
Animals are a way of life in East Timor, the more you have, the more you are worth, being on a Microlet with your goat, chicken and pig is always good fun. Learn to speak Tetum and you will hear the same thing time and again just put it on the roof!
I have made the most amazing friends, I have had dinner with the president and dinner with friends who can’t even afford to send their children to school, I have driven around the water buffalo as it grazes on the street, chickens, goats, pigs and children who are all valued the same to a family, all playing together in little shacks and everyone has a smile for you!
The positivity of the people of the East Timor is eye opening and I can only hope I can be as positive as them while looking at my future.