mel's back

Today was the first day back to school since the swine flu vacation of 2009. And what do you know?! School tomorrow is cancelled, as well. Great. If given the choice, I'd love to spread my days off out rather than have sooo many in a row. These little first graders need to do some learning.

Today was a significant day for Honduras. During school, we got word that Mel Zelaya had re-entered the country by sneaking into Tegucigalpa. We weren't sure if this was true; there were rumors that it was a rumor. There were some parents that came to pick up their kids from school reportedly due to concerns over busses having trouble passing through later in the day.

When we got home from school, we heard that Mel was indeed back. The Brazilian embassy let Mel in, and he's been there ever since. His whereabouts for the past few months have been very questionable, and no one has ever really seemed to know where he has been. Graffiti around the city shows support for or against Mel, and getting into any political discussion can be risky, as passionate supporters of both sides are everywhere. Within International School, we have been instructed to never talk politics, as many of our students are children of politicos, and their lives are very much influenced by who is--or isn't--in power.

Anyway, when we got home, we headed to the store in order to avoid being out around dark. After a bit of excitement on the way, we ended up back at a friend's house for the evening, where we are right now. We relocated due in part to a curfew that is in place until 6pm tomorrow. We are not allowed to leave, as if in a lockdown. The streets aren't safe due to Mel being downtown, as the police are all down there rather than throughout the city where they should be. Cars could be ticketed just for driving, and being out on the streets is dangerous. We don't have school tomorrow, and from what I've heard, school in the near future is not completely certain anyway, especially until something happens with Zelaya.

I have found that it is so hard to get an unbiased view of what is going on, as it is with any government. I realize as the elections get nearer, there could be more conflict within a couple of months until the new president is sworn in. Hopefully things do not stay this tense; I would love life to get a bit more normal. :)