There were 17 of them aged 0-2 years old in the "infants and toddlers' room". Two babies share one crib for there were only a few cribs available. Some were asleep, the others were awake and crying, announcing that it was time to feed them; and a few were comfortably playing on the rubber-matted floor... unmindful of the constant flow of visitors. This is their moment to receive more gifts, toys, candies, clothes, medicines, and whatever is included in their wish list, because they are given special attention in this particular time of the year- the Christmas season.
When we visited today an orphanage in Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet; my son, who is 14 years old and who practically understood what he was witnessing whispered to me, "sobrang stressful naman dito" (it's very stressful here). And as we went near a crib, a toddler got up and clung to his jacket... with sorrowful looking eyes, and snot-smeared face, the child was begging to be cuddled. Maybe touched by the child's pityful state, my son carried him... perhaps to provide comfort however short-lived.
The orphanage is being maintained by the government's social welfare agency. All 34 orphans were classified into two, the infants and toddlers ( 0-2 y/o), and the school age group (3-10 y/o). Though this is already our second time to visit, today is more special because we brought along my husband's 4 y/o half-brother, Mark and my husband's sister's 9 y/o daughter, Lois. We gave used clothings and shoes, toys and books. The kids interacted and played with the orphans, and we toured the establishment and learned how these unfortunate children were being sustained.
I purposely made the exposure to my children for them to learn the virtue of sharing, to imbibe appreciation of blessings and to make them aware of their social responsibilities. At their young age, it is best to teach them virtues that will shape them to become good Christians and good citizens when they've grown...virtues that they may pass on to their future children so that the coming generation may have a better world to live in.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
pretty freaky!
When I was reading last night to doze me off, I chanced upon a Newsweek bit about eyelash transplants. It caught my curiosity...and as I read along, I found myself astounded and amused.
Eyelash transplant is a form of cosmetic surgery, "pioneered a decade ago by hair restoration-surgeons to help burn and accident victims who have lost their eyelashes"(Newsweek-Dec. 4, 2006). However, it earned distinction when vanity didn't let this new technology pass unworthy and unrecognized, as a new trend for beauty! As almost every woman you see in the mall has her face or some parts of her body cosmetically engineered, even healthy women now seek eyelash transplant for cosmetic purposes.
Ok, so the procedure goes like this: surgeons scrape a small patch of hair from the back of the scalp. The hair follicles are taken individually then implanted on the top lid using a curved needle. The procedure is painless (thanks to local anesthetics), and the patient is awake throughout the procedure. Quite easy huh? Here's the tough part, "there's puffy lids and temporary scarring as side effects" (ullk!)...and a regular maintenance! Yeah! These new eyelashes should be trimmed on a regular basis as they continue to grow as fast as the hair on your head! Yikes! Freaky, right?
Oh, I couldn't stop laughing while imagining a woman with her transplanted eyelashes untrimmed. When it grows very long, she would need some mini clips to hold her longlashes. ( extra extra lightweight so that her lids won't be pulled down 'coz she won't be able to see with her lids closed, he he he!) And, she only has to see a beauty stylist who had undergone an intensive training to trim lashes to perfection... layered and tapered for a natural look!
If you ever consider having eyelash transplant because you don't feel contented with the natural ones you have, do think twice. Aside from your usual hair treatment that comprises a hair cut, body-armpit-bikini-leg waxing in your regular visit to the salon, you must have to include eyelash trimming ( which you may need to set aside extra time). It may cost you a whole day of salon stay and an added expense for the upkeep. Do you still want to be beautiful? The surgery costs $3000 per lid.
Eyelash transplant is a form of cosmetic surgery, "pioneered a decade ago by hair restoration-surgeons to help burn and accident victims who have lost their eyelashes"(Newsweek-Dec. 4, 2006). However, it earned distinction when vanity didn't let this new technology pass unworthy and unrecognized, as a new trend for beauty! As almost every woman you see in the mall has her face or some parts of her body cosmetically engineered, even healthy women now seek eyelash transplant for cosmetic purposes.
Ok, so the procedure goes like this: surgeons scrape a small patch of hair from the back of the scalp. The hair follicles are taken individually then implanted on the top lid using a curved needle. The procedure is painless (thanks to local anesthetics), and the patient is awake throughout the procedure. Quite easy huh? Here's the tough part, "there's puffy lids and temporary scarring as side effects" (ullk!)...and a regular maintenance! Yeah! These new eyelashes should be trimmed on a regular basis as they continue to grow as fast as the hair on your head! Yikes! Freaky, right?
Oh, I couldn't stop laughing while imagining a woman with her transplanted eyelashes untrimmed. When it grows very long, she would need some mini clips to hold her longlashes. ( extra extra lightweight so that her lids won't be pulled down 'coz she won't be able to see with her lids closed, he he he!) And, she only has to see a beauty stylist who had undergone an intensive training to trim lashes to perfection... layered and tapered for a natural look!
If you ever consider having eyelash transplant because you don't feel contented with the natural ones you have, do think twice. Aside from your usual hair treatment that comprises a hair cut, body-armpit-bikini-leg waxing in your regular visit to the salon, you must have to include eyelash trimming ( which you may need to set aside extra time). It may cost you a whole day of salon stay and an added expense for the upkeep. Do you still want to be beautiful? The surgery costs $3000 per lid.
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