Peace Corps Volunteer "Adventures in Catacamas, Honduras" writes: We are in the midst of a 50 hour curfew (nobody is supposed to leave their houses) which, according to the news, most people in Tegucigalpa seem to be obeying



"We are in the midst of a 50 hour curfew (nobody is supposed to leave their houses) which, according to the news, most people in Tegucigalpa seem to be obeying. Here, a lot of businesses and most schools are closed but people are still out and about. Needless to say, we are kind of bored. We were supposed to go to Tegucigalpa yesterday to talk to the married couples in training, but that got cancelled of course. This is the second time it has gotten cancelled due to political-related issues and it sucks. Hopefully things will get resolved soon but at least all is calm here in Catacamas."

Peace Corps Volunteer "Adventures in Catacamas, Honduras" writes: We are in the midst of a 50 hour curfew (nobody is supposed to leave their houses) which, according to the news, most people in Tegucigalpa seem to be obeying

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Testicles and the Return of Mel

Caption: Deposed president, Manuel Zelaya took refuge in the Brazilian embassy, outside of which hundreds of his supporters gathered, before they were dispersed by police and troops on September 22. Honduras protest at Braziian Embassy. Photo: vredeseilanden Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

So things have gotten a little crazy here in the past couple of days… Before we talk about that, we're going to talk about the things we have done in the past couple of weeks. Kevin finally finished his English class at the University. The majority of the kids even passed, although Shannon did have to take a test from a boy who was cheating and give him a zero. Kevin will not be teaching next semester but will be helping the new teacher out.

[Excerpt]

Things were just starting to get more normal around here. School had been sporadic for awhile as there was always some holiday, Dia del niño, dia del maestro, Independence Day…always some reason to miss class. Catacamas did not celebrate Independence Day which was kind of nice (very quiet without drums or fireworks) but very weird and sad at the same time since it is usually a big day filled with parades and activities, but they still cancelled classes for most of the week. This week classes were in session again and Shannon was happy to be working on Monday when Mel Zelaya, the ousted president, decided to come back and everything stopped. He is stationed inside the Brazilian embassy and troops are surrounding it and a van is supposedly parked out front playing the Honduran national anthem 24 hours a day. We are in the midst of a 50 hour curfew (nobody is supposed to leave their houses) which, according to the news, most people in Tegucigalpa seem to be obeying. Here, a lot of businesses and most schools are closed but people are still out and about. Needless to say, we are kind of bored. We were supposed to go to Tegucigalpa yesterday to talk to the married couples in training, but that got cancelled of course. This is the second time it has gotten cancelled due to political-related issues and it sucks. Hopefully things will get resolved soon but at least all is calm here in Catacamas.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: September, 2009; Peace Corps Honduras; Directory of Honduras RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Honduras RPCVs; Blogs - Honduras; Safety and Security of Volunteers

When this story was posted in September 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams

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Join Us Mr. President! "We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during his campaign. Returned Volunteers rally and and march to the White House to support a bold new Peace Corps for a new age. Latest: Senator Dodd introduces Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009 .

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Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director Senator Dodd's Senate Subcommittee held confirmation hearings for Aaron Williams to become the 18th Peace Corps Director. "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," said Dodd as he put Williams on the fast track to be confirmed by the full Senate before the August recess. Read our exclusive coverage of the hearings and our biography of Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams.

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July 11, 2009: House says Yes, Senate No Senate Funding for Peace Corps Falls Short of Goal 10 Jul House supports $450M Peace Corps Budget 17 Jun Senator Kit Bond says PC is Smart Power 29 Jun Parents Keep Dream Alive for Fallen Zambia PCV 3 Jul PCVs Safe in Honduras after Coup 28 Jun Jahanshah Javid recalls Peace Corps Volunteers in Iran 22 Jun Peace Corps to return to Sierra Leone in 2010 18 Jun Ryan Van Duzer rode bike from Honduras to Boulder 17 Jun Monica Mills Named a Top Grassroots Lobbyist 12 Jun Tiffany Nelson teaches - and learns in China 12 Jun Dr. Roger Brooks spent 35 years with Concord Schools 9 Jun Dr. Catherine Taylor Foster administered Polio vaccine in Nepal 8 Jun Bill Lorah Runs Pre-Collegiate Program in Colorado 7 Jun Brian Carroll writes: An African village adapts 7 Jun Rebekah Martin finds love is not enough 6 Jun Peter Bartholomew helps preserve Korean traditional culture 5 Jun Obama speaks to Islamic World at Cairo University 4 Jun Matt Hepp combines humanitarian and climbing objectives 4 Jun Juana Bordas named 2009 Unique Woman of Colorado 2 Jun Phil Hardberger left his mark on San Antonio 31 May Philip Nix retires as headmaster of Day School 31 May New: More Stories from June and July 2009

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Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

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