Monday, June 29, 2009

Time for what is important

I really do not have time to be blogging tonight, but tonight is not a normal night. This week is not a normal week, and so goes the time. What is normal? Ah, I won't be touching that. I can say that it is not normal for me to turn everything off in my office and look out the window and see no movement and hear silence. For the second night, there is a general curfew from 9:00PM to 6:00AM. The quiet is good...but just not normal. No jake brakes, revving small displacement four cylinders, bad muffler motorcycles even the dogs appear to be abiding by the restrictions, which is quite impressive. I may not have the time, but I am making the time...for blogging, for accounting (end of the month tomorrow, I will probably be up until 1 doing that) for the group and the wonderful work they have been doing, and even a little time tonight for my kids if you can believe that. I even got to talk to Valerie...although strictly business, no time for simple chit-chat. At least we got to see each other. It could always have been worse, right?

Today there were small isolated demonstrations. This time with a little violence...rock throwing mostly, with some reprisals by the police/military. There were some injuries, but no deaths, I believe most of the injuries were rock related. When will learn to outlaw rocks? Rocks do not hit people, people hit people.

Anyway, our free day with the group for the most part went off without a hitch, everything normal (Christ statue, lunch at Pizza House.) However, the mall we visited to watch a movie is within a few blocks of the presidential palace. Apparently the protestors there wanted to get around a little more, and they ended up a little close to the mall. Well, you can imagine the panic that ensued...panic that was an over-reaction, but that took time for all that to time to light. In the mean time...this might take a paragraph or two...the members of the group that were not watching the movie in the food court freaked a little, and rightfully so, to see everyone take off running. They came and got me in the movie...first time that has ever happened that they shut off the movie (and gave us our money back) and we then located the rest of the group (three girls "captive" by a protective staff at one of the stores) and went to see Suyapa and then back to the house. There was even a woman standing outside the movie theater telling the group that there were planes dropping bombs all around. She told them this as she stood calmly listening to something on her phone...on the third and top story of the building. She was...totally mistaken, as most of the rumors that were swirling in and around this time were. Oscar even heard one that some grocery store was selling milk at 1/2 price because there would not be milk for the next few days. I liked that one...as if a run on milk would cause them to actually lower their prices. Go figure.

Did I mention that during this time that everyone was panicking inside the mall, Oscar and Miguel, who did not want to see the movie, instead thought it would be interesting to go see what the protestors were doing. They were having a high ol' time (Oscar found that those he talked to were not so interested in having Mel back as their reason, but for protesting how the current president came to power...interesting) and Oscar was even trying to get Miguel in trouble with the other protestors, when suddenly they saw a tear gas canister go over their head. They walked back to the trucks, everything was fine. The shop owners probably were not going to open back up, and by that time though, we had already decided it would be prudent to just hit the highway.

Speaking of the highway, we found a little spot where there were several military tanks parked on the way back to the house (near the airport, not sure the reason.) I honked the horn at them and gave them a little wave...they that saw us looked very calm/relaxed and gave us a thumbs up back. A nice little reassuring sign at least to me.

I think I commented enough on the political situation yesterday and my particular take on it, but I did see more articles and one commentator in the US today that seemed to hit the nail on the head. If you are still seeing pictures of the very, very few that are protesting and the military/police confronting them, do not drink the kool-aid in believing this is as wide spread as some might have you believe.

In particular I add this little clip. I do not know this commentator in any way, but he is very insightful in this little clip when it comes to President Obama's stance on Honduras as expressed today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxUGYOBrcTw

2 comments:

Boothbloggers said...

Trevor, i posted on your wall on facebook, before I read your blog. good to hear you guys are safe and doing well. But man, the stuff i saw on tv this a.m. looked anything but that! i will continue to keep you guys in my prayers!
love,
kristy

Unknown said...

Bombs dropping! Multiplaza in panic! Sigh.. . I want to see Star Trek before it leaves Tegu.