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My first telephone conversation

On Thursday, my Timorese phone rang for the first time ever.

Here's what I think was said, in Tetun.
- Hello?
Good morning.
- Good morning.
Good morning! I am from Bobonaro Municipality.
- Ah. My name is Lois. What is your name please?
My name is M* (name changed for reasons that will soon be evident). You contacted me. (L: a possible ? not . from the intonation)
- (L spends agonising seconds thinking of what the word contact might have meant and why did he use this word contact and not telephone?) Er. 
(falls back onto conversational drills) My name is Lois and I come from Singapore.
Oh when did you come?
- I came on Tuesday last, er, ago Tuesday... 
Ah last Tuesday you came to Timor
- Yes. So I am still in quarantine
Ah... where are you are in quarantine?
- I am in quarantine in Hotel ____. I came to work with an NGO?
Oh which NGO?
- Maluk Timor. But I haven't yet, er...... , work... (Raj, grinning, helpfully supplies Begun) I haven't yet begun work.
(Minor confusion on the other side of the phone, with a voice indistinctly scolding M in the background)
- Mr M, can I help you? 
Yes. You can help me!!
- Ah... how can I help you?
(More scolding sounds.)
I will call you back later, Madam!
- Great! Goodbye! (Goodbye said in English, due to panic)

Fifteen minutes later, phone rings again.

I'll spare you the rambling details, but the gist of it was- it appears he is calling from the telecom service, and he thinks that I called the telecom ?customer service line. I might have done, accidentally, when calling the hotline to retrieve my cash balance. 

- Mr M, maybe I called wrongly.
Maybe! But it is good to talk. Your Tetun is good eh!
- Oh, no, it is bad.
Shall I call you again? (continuous form used, indicating "continue without stopping")
- Er... (L panics again as had not studied this part of the language handbook. Reverts to English) Maybe? (realises that Maybe sounds like maibee which means But. Falls back on familiar Tetun phrases) Mr M, I am going now. Goodbye! Thank you!
Haha, goodbye, thank you eh!

I saved M's name and seriously considered calling him back for daily Tetun practice. 

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