Dear Lucille,I saw a show on TV yesterday that reminded me of my own situation. It featured two mothers and two daughters who were no longer enrolled in school, because they hated to attend. One was a black and the other a white. In the end, it turned out that the black girl was often locked in an empty room for hours at a time for days at a time, when she attended school. This girl seemed extremely pleasant during the interview and she had found a job working in a restaurant, which looked like a good situation. The students of the school where the white girl attended behaved rather furtively when the TV cameras were there. Students frowned in the lens and pulled hoods over their heads. Again, this girl seemed to be in a very negative environment, where she was made the scapegoat of the classroom. The black mother was very articulate and could describe the situation, so that others could follow it. She didn't want her daughter to stay in that kind environment, even though they both had dreamt of the daughter getting a diploma. Likewise, after the white girl was enrolled in another school, her grades shot right up. Both girls were notable, because they refused to communicate about their true situations. Their stories had to be uncovered by third parties. Now, I still haven't reached Shayne and Santa Claus day is a day away and I don't know if I will talk to her before then. Every occasion passes without remark. Because staying in touch is so hard here. I had been looking all over the Internet for a way I could stay in touch with Shayne. I looked at everything from Walkie Talkies to pagers to laptops to satellite telephones....and I discovered that the satellite telephones were virtually impossible to get. They cost from 3,000 to 5,000 dollars and they are mostly out of stock. Actually, it is a political, international type of problem. The West apparently lost the fight for control of this type of technology and so people in the West are losing their capabilities of communicating by reliable telephone. And today on the news, they announced that Blackberry (satellite telephone company but also B-e-r-r-y) was going to end the telephone service to people it had been supplying the service to. One man said he had grown dependent on the telephone and hated to have to give it up. But there is a patent battle going on and the West has apparently lost. So my point is, it is a trajedy to have to live like we have to live here and no word or news will ever be printed or televised about it. I know, it is not Shayne who is preventing the telephone communication. She had expressed interest in having her table again and various items of furniture she needs for her new house. But every message I leave is never responded to and everytime I call I get Voice. I will continue this letter, concerning other topics, next time. Have a good day.