Child Things Are Gonna Be Easier

Holy Infant Orphanage designing thank you cards on Photoshop. I spent about 2 minutes smiling at the children from the other side of the cot. I came close to one, he stood up on his cot and walked over to me, put his arms up because he wanted me to carry him. Aww.. I'm sorry baby, I cant.. you need to be sleeping right now. He gave up after a while. I just pat his hair and I looked at his eyes. He looked sad. Aww. I've only seen four kids for 2 minutes and I'm sad.

The orphanage holds children from newborns to 6 year olds. Today, Tita Dudith recieved a call from a lady who gave birth to twins. They were 2 weeks old and she wants to donate her kids because she couldnt look after them.

The one year olds sleep in cots without matress, just straight on the wooden planks. If they are lucky enough to have a diaper, they wear that all day so when you play with them they smell like pee or poo. If they dont have diapers, they poo or pee on themselves, they pee/poo straight onto the floor, through the cots and the volunteers will mop the floor. They wont clean the baby or the even the cot. They're clothes are dirty but no one will change them because there is no clothes to change into. Sheila asked the worker, 'are you going to let this child sleep with dirty clothes?' the worker said she had no more clothes. But Sheila said there were dry and clean clothes outside. Sheila asked Tita Dudith if she could bring bubbles so the children to play, but Tita said no with no explanation. Sheila is doubting the treatment of these children.

They eat rice for their meals. If they have it, they will eat it with soup. They feed four kids from the same plate with the same spoon, so if one gets sick they all get sick.

For the two days we volunteered I have been in the office designing something on the computer while Sheila is the one playing with the kids and feeding them. I hope that tmrw I will see more of the conditions they live in.

Our means of transport are only confined to taxi or personal driver because my Tito Manual and mum are protective and paranoid. But after the orphanage today, me and sheila had to fend for ourselves.

Tito Manual: You know you have to walk back streets before you get transport on the main street? Being two young sexy ladies, you may be attacked by animals

I made sure to cross the street when I saw a stray dog. Don't look them in the eye. Don't look them in the eye. They can smell your fear. We didnt walk but rode on a seat enclosure attached to a bicycle attached to a cyclist. I liked that form of transport. I can feel all the weather but there is a little bit of shelter to shade me from the sun. You are so close to the ground. We ran over a dead rat. Hehe. Then we caught two jeepneys. I love catching jeepney. To the locals its normal but to me its amazing!

Why I find catching jeepney's exciting:

• the hop on/hop off tendency
• the frequency of the jeepney
• the decorations and themes of the jeepney
• having no seat belts
• no glass windows, being able to stick your body parts out of the jeepney although this is not advised as you will loose the respective body part
• due to the lack of closure, this is up close and personal perspective of driving in the philippines. its like a thrill ride, you really feel you are going to crash and die but then you don't

We got our teeth cleaned for $15 by a professional/qualified dentist. Take THAT Dr. Wardlaw! After that we went to eat to fill up the gaps she cleaned. ehhe.