Tag Archives: interview

A tale of two grandmothers

I met two grandmothers at the Home for the Aged in December 2006. The first grandmother who was about 80 years old today used to live an affluent life. She owned and managed a garment business that helped her support her children’s needs until they settle down and raise their own families. When this granny could no longer function well she was forced to close down her business. No one will take care of her so she was sent to the Home for the Aged. At first, her children would visit her and provide her basic needs at the nursing home. She rarely saw her family now. She looks at their pictures when she feels lonely and recalls their happy moments together when she couldn’t sleep at night.

The other grandmother was blinded by old age. She was not lucky to have a child of her own, but someone took care of her and loved her as his own mother. I don’t quite remember why she was turn over to the institution by the young man. But the man still visits the old woman and brings her her favorite food. The granny is more than 90 when I met her. She had difficulty hearing. Grandma one and Grandma two don’t have their real families to comfort them, but they have each other and the nursing staff to take care of them. Many old persons like them are now staying in various nursing homes. I hope their loved ones will be able to remember to visit them even for this Christmas season.

Photohunt #4: Painted

Human canvass

It’s Saturday and its Photohunt day. I don’t have any picture in mind that would match this week’s theme (painted) except the snapshot of this man whose back is adorned with tattoo.

The tattoed man is actually an inmate at the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. The other man holding a pen-like object was his fellow inmate, who is a known tattoo artist at the same tightly-guarded area. The object is an improvised handmade tattooing tool covered with thick layers of thread.

This picture had been used to support the banner story published by People’s Tonight sometime in October 2004. The news feature focused on the susceptibility of inmates to blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, which is transmitted from having unprotected sex, sharing drug needles, and getting a tattoo or body piercing with dirty needles and tools.

Some authorities interviewed for the story would not admit the incidence rate of hepa B cases (if there are), but confirmed the existence of sharing of drug needles, unprotected sex with different (women) visitors, and unhygienic use of tattooing devices.

Do you find this post interesting? See other ‘painted’ entries here.