Elections

Last week Sunday was the long awaited election day. Leading up to this day, several weeks before, predictions among Dominicans were that Hipolito, also known as Papa, stood a very good chance of beating his oponent Danilo. Dominicans were talking excitedly just about everywhere you'd go. Signs were popping up even more than before, with power poles being simply too short to support all of them. Great banners were displayed over the highway and main roads. Special party trucks, and even rickety old trucks, the box loaded full with speakers would blast through the barrios belting out campaign slogans. Dominicans like it loud and exciting, but this time it was LOUD and EXCITING.

As the election day got closer, people really got caught up in it all; some of the vehicles dropping off students at school were completely wrapped with Danilo's or Hipolito's face and support slogans. It was quite a sight to behold. Even the little second graders would have these political discussions coming into class. We learned a lot about Dominican politics, and Mattais even started drawing his own campaign posters of Danilo, while Kaelie would walk around the school campus chanting Danilo! and asking others who they would vote for.

 Signs are everywhere!

In the midst of all the political hype,  our Canadian friends Jonathan and Jennifer Gelderman decided to have a quiet get-away in Puerto Plata. Since I had a few personal days left, which I could use up before the end of the school year, we decided to accept Jonathan and Jennifer's invitation to join them for the weekend with our kids. So much for their quiet kid-free get-away! They got to meet James of course, and we had a wonderful and relaxing weekend together.

 Jonathan and baby James

 Ready to go out for dinner

 Sherilyn and Jennifer

 Que lindo!

Election day! On Sunday morning, May 20, we somewhat nervously drove out of the gate of our apartment parking lot. The night before we had received an email from the US embassy, recommending all North Americans to stay home and that the police troops would be out full-force. Things seemed pretty calm around our neighborhood, however. Traffic got pretty jammed as we neared one of the voting stations along the way. People lined the sidewalks, talking excitedly, street vendors were running around with coconut drinks and empanadas, glad to make a few extra pesos that day, and police and army personnel were keeping a vigilant eye on all proceedings.

Close to church, one of the voting stations was right across the road from one of the campaign commando posts of Danilo, so the street was filled with people, iddling vehicles, and mopeds.

By Monday morning, the results had been counted, and hearsay was that Danilo had won. Numbers were not publicly announced yet since the Hipolito was crying foul play. By Tuesday it was evident, however, that Danilo had been elected for president, and Ganamos Contigo posters were showing up in places, acknowledging the people for their support.

We thank the Lord for a peaceful election time in and around Santiago, and we hope and pray that this country will enjoy a more stable and honest government as time goes on.

 Our little James loves being with Mattais and Kaelie. Especially in the morning, when he hears their voices at the breakfast table, he loves sitting next to them in his bouncy seat. Kaelie enjoys giving him water in a little bottle, since the weather is really hot the last few days. Mattais is a great babysitter, bouncing his little brother up and down a little, and even changing diapers when necessary. So wonderful to see them loving each other.