Dance practices

Dance practices have started up again!  We started practicing a few weeks ago for the Fiesta Navideña (ASELSI's Christmas party).  This will be Heather's sixth year participating, and this time with a group of only girls.  How sweet!  We are also beginning to learn a couple of other dances to present in church.

Edge of ravine

Across the street from our house, there is a small sliver of land, about 20 feet wide, then a steep drop-off into a ravine.

A family is leveling the land to build on it!  We found out they were in debt to the bank, which took the house they had in another community.  They bought this piece of land at a low price with money the wife got from her husband who is living in the United States.  We're curious how they are going to build on this long, narrow strip; and we're praying for no landslides!

Another road closed!

In the neighborhood where we are currently renting, they just finished installing paving stones on the road past our house. 

Blocking off the road to ASELSI (to the left in the photo, just past the blockade of barbed wire and sand bags) caused all of ASELSI's traffic to park on the road right outside our house (which is to the right in the photo), often blocking us either in or out of our gate.  In fact, all of the neighbors with cars on our street had trouble coming and going, so the community leaders decided to close off our entire street with a chain and padlocks. 

Yes, padlocks plural!  Certain neighbors were given a key to either one OR the other of the padlocks.  Hmmm...  I actually argued with one neighbor that we should get rid of one of padlocks and only use one.  He responded with the community-life answer that is prevalent here:  "They gave me this key and you that key, so we have to use them.  We'll just lock both padlocks together so either key will open the chain."  My American brain couldn't accept that, so I borrowed BOTH keys and made copies for myself, just in case someone didn't lock them together correctly.

The money for the project came from the municipal government, but there wasn't enough for the whole section of road, so they left just a little bit!

Road closed!

Our community decided to pave a steep part of the road to our land with concrete.  Good idea!  But they closed off the entire road; so for more than a month, no vehicles can come or go.  Bummer!

So we suspended construction until the road is opened again.  We wondered why they didn't do half the road at a time!?!