Taur Matan Ruak goes to extraordinary lengths to hear the ordinary concerns of his people. In the village of Marobo, a gruelling seven-hour drive from Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, the arrival of president Taur Matan Ruak has all the hallmarks of a homecoming.

Villagers have gathered, eagerly awaiting his visit. When he arrives in the company of his wife, Isabel Ferreira, and their three children, the youngest of whom is asleep on her shoulder, they are formally greeted by the village elders and ushered into the excited crowd.

After a short pause for prayer, the president launches into his latest "community dialogue". The venue is a makeshift corrugated iron structure with a roof woven from palm leaves, and the president and his entourage are perched on precarious plastic chairs while members of the local community hunker on large rattan mats spread out across the floor.

Taking a crackly microphone in hand, villagers one by one air their concerns, which offer a good insight into the challenges faced throughout rural Timor-Leste. They include the lack of access to water, electricity, health care facilities, education, poor infrastructure, and the ever-contentious issue of veteran pensions. The president listens attentively throughout, jotting down notes.

Once everyone has had the opportunity to speak, Ruak takes to the floor. Showing no sign of weariness, he zealously addresses the community at length. Going point by point through every issue that has been raised, he cites clearly what is realistically possible and makes suggestions as to what they as a community can do to improve their lot.

He also promises to convey their concerns to prime minister Xanana Gusmao. The dialogue continues long into the evening, with villagers enveloped in blankets in an attempt to keep the cold mountain night at bay, while the president dons a denim jacket.

With proceedings at an end, he and his wife invite the entire village to join them for a meal of chicken and rice. The mood is distinctly familial and festive, with palm wine provided by the elders.

'Ageing rock star'

Taur Matan Ruak was sworn in as president of this small south east Asian country of 1.1 million people on May 20th last year, the same day Timor-Leste (alternatively East Timor) marked the 10th anniversary of its independence.

A trim, bespectacled statesman in his late 50s, Ruak bears little resemblance to the Economist magazine's portrayal of him as a guerrilla commander during the country's fight for independence: "Like an ageing rock star [with] frizzy hair in a long ponytail and [..] a camouflage jacket over faded jeans".

He appears to have refined his look during his nine years at the helm of the country's military, the Forcas de Defensa de Timor Leste.

Born Jose Maria Vasconcelos, the president is still universally known by his nom de guerre, Taur Matan Ruak, meaning "two sharp eyes".

Running as an independent in the 2012 presidential elections, he campaigned strongly on his credentials, not only as a former guerrilla commander, but also as a man of the people. "I do not have a university degree, my way of studying is by observing and listening to others," he says.

To underline his grassroots approach, since June of this year Ruak has embarked on a series of "suco visits" (or community visits) in some of the most isolated corners of the country. Such is the remoteness of these communities that to reach them, the president often has to travel long distances by foot across wildly inhospitable terrain.