Well, it´s been a while since our last entry... sorry about the interval. We´ve been keeping ourselves pretty busy. With Spanish classes 3 hours a day and the remainder of the day in the Kids Centre, we´ve been seeing lots and finding out HEAPS about some very interesting politics happening as I type.
We´ve now finished volunteering... we´ve hopefully got things going for a new library at the kids centre (books are on shelves, and the database of books is in development... time for a new volunteer). Karen learnt heaps in the kitchen, and also taught English to the little ones 3 days a week, Phil took some rather chaotic computer classes in the afternoon. We´ve been a bit apalled by the lack of literacy... if they can read or write, then none of them can tell the time by looking at a watch/clock. But we hope we´ve made some small difference.In Oaxaca, there has been a teachers strike in progress since May - we mentioned this in a previous entry, they´ve striked (struck) every year for at least a week for the last 5-10 years. Well, the teachers are the main power base of a group called APPO who are not only helping the teachers gain more salary amongst other demands, but are also a group bent on removing from power Ulises, the governor of Oaxaca State. This has been a bloody strike... numerous killed.
Well, in the last two weekends, a teacher each weekend was killed, and just yesterday the teachers have now voted in the majority to return to work. Too late for the students, the majority of primary and secondary students will be repeating the entire year because they´ve lost too much time. With the teachers leaving the equation, APPO is making one big hit TODAY, attempting to bring the city to a standstill in the hopes of making it´s presence felt and having an effect on Ulises.
As of 2 hours ago, roadblocks went up EVERYWHERE on every 3rd city block, around the outskirts of the city and in smaller towns surrounding Oaxaca city. There is no traffic in or out of the city, and in the space of 20 minutes all traffic ceased and the city went deathly quiet....very eerie. We just bought tickets to Puerto Escondido on the Mexican Pacific coast... but have had to change them to tomorrow morning, in the hope that the barricades have lifted. We have no idea how long this´ll last. Photo soon, Promise.
One other topic of hot debate here at the moment, is the Mexico/US Fence, which is being built right now... people are outraged, and damn it, I´m with Mexico. US govt, led by the head idiot himself, are fucking up everything they touch. (Yes, it´s strong language, but I´m bloody pissed off!)
Last weekend we headed out to a place called Hierve El Agua, also to another couple of smaller ruins known as Yagul and Dainzú. We rented a VW Beetle, which I had great fun driving, good to be behind the wheel again! Photo soon, promise.
We´ve been spending quite a bit of time with Bryan and Jennifer, a great couple from Santa Barbara, California... Bryan is Chief Radio Engineer at KCSB (91.9) FM in Santa Barbara, Jennifer is doing PostGrad research for her PhD in social movements, and so is interested in the events in Oaxaca at the moment. Photo soon, promise.
1 comment:
Wow, interesting stuff. It's funny how teachers in the third world are quite a powerful group (or at least, quite a targetted group, especially in Nepal), whereas in the west they're looked down on. Can you imagine Box Hill Primary teachers setting up roadblocks? (That's more the demain of Dandenong Secondary students.)
Post a Comment