The Connors had lunch with us. Eileen told how people laughed at the man who built the first wood-floor shack because they didn't expect to be there long. Well, there's more than 200 shacks now — some even built outside and shipped-in piece by piece. They are even organized into 'communities' with names like ShantyTown, Glamorville, and Hogan's Alley, and each has an elected mayor.

The Connors prefer being in Santo Tomas than outside. There's comradeship, safety, and a devil-may-care attitude there; on the outside they feel insecure, even a bit of fear. Eileen is positively homesick for the place after a week of freedom.