Tebe tebe is the traditional dance of East Timor, bringing together young and old in a lively circle.
On the Sacred Heart of Jesus holiday in 2023, there was a big celebration in Maliana. After lunch—a shared meal with everyone present—I was taught tebe tebe.
The universe willed that I be gifted in dance, and after 10 minutes, I had tebe tebe in my entire body, with the same naturalness as a local. On this day, by chance, I wore the dress seen in the video: red, with a very Timorese pattern, which I bought several years ago. In short, at a certain point, the only thing distinguishing me from a Timorese was my skin color, and the people at the party spoke to me in Tetum, assuming I had lived in Timor long enough to know the language!
This is one of the essential qualities in those who do international volunteering: the ability to be a chameleon.
WE are the strangers, WE are the ones who must adapt to the people who welcome us, WE must necessarily respect the local culture, setting aside judgments and prejudices. I feel that I impacted the lives of all those I had the privilege to meet in Memo because in Timor, I was Timorese.
Aware that being a chameleon is not a skill everyone possesses, all GiraCatavento volunteers with the desire to go on a mission will undergo a psychological “assessment” process.
Why? First, we want to ensure adaptability in our volunteers, thus minimizing cultural shock for our volunteers and ensuring a positive and enriching volunteering experience.
