hello all. i trust the weekend was splendid, passing the time with fathers or males in general. my weekend was good. i went to the beach and relaxed and enjoyed a lazy few days. there must be a storm off the coast because on sunday there were 12foot waves. no one was getting in the water, but i was able to watch from restaurant.

the teacher´s strike is still going on. my sis informs me that the link i provided is now dead. here is another one from the bbc: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5082778.stm as you might guess, the foreign press have a different take on the strike than the local mexi press does. in my opinion, the story is not as good when the bbc tells it. however, unless you read spanish, you will not get the other versions. such is life, right? one more reason we should all learn at least one foreign language, so we can read the news in other parts of the world without a filter.

as of this morning, the teachers are now blocking the major roads in and out of the state capital. this is not new, they have been blocking roads for over a week, but now they have simply removed the barriers so that cars can pass through the toll booths without having to pay. not sure how depriving the govt of funds is going to help them gain an increase in pay, but perhaps this move will garner more attention.

the teachers are also blocking local businesses in the town center. from people i know up there, they say the downtown is a ghost town. stores are barred and gated, no one is walking around, nothing. keep in mind that oaxaca is a huge tourist attraction. thousands of foreigners pass through every week. thus, for nearly one month, the city has lost all its business. i would say the loss in revenue is easily into the millions of dollars at this point. the residents of the capital city are furious at the teachers.

the snte, the teachers union, is the largest and most powerful union in mexico. according to many mexicans, especially oaxaqueños, they are incredibly corrupt and in no way are a positive example. this is unfortunate. as part of the highest paid group of teachers in the state, i am effectively ¨the man¨ in this case. we are also not part of their union. so it goes.

just wanted to update you a bit on the goings on down here. can you imagine richmond, va being blocked for one month? over 1 million children have been out of school for over a month now. parents are freaking out. also, no one will be able to pass into the next grade level because they have missed over a month of school. if they make up this time, then there will be no summer vacation. this is a dangerous game the teachers´ union is playing. the worst part is that the kids are getting screwed. of course, they do not see it that way, but many others do.

if you have any q´s about all this, let me know. i have read varying reports from both sides, but i am personally leaning away from the teacher´s side right now. there is a lot of corruption within the union and it seems like a superficial overview of this issue does not in any way show the truth behind what is actually going on.

on the bright side, i have a job in another state at a private school that starts august 2nd. thus, nothing about this will negatively impact me or my job. if anything, private schools will receive more students come fall as parents become more and more wary of public education. so it goes.