i came back today from a 2-day medical mission in laguna. it was my first time to witness one, and the scenes are at the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking.
heartwarming because you have all these volunteers (over a hundred!) giving so much of themselves, their resources, their precious time and energy, for free.
heartbreaking because you have so much more people lining up -> early afternoon of the first day, the number at the registration area was already 632. and this was not a one-to-one number. one number could have as many as 8 registrants as they gave out only one number per party.
these registrants put up with long waits, just to avail themselves of free items and services. there were medicines, eyeglasses, medical checkup, minor surgery (!), circumcision, dental services, ophthalmology, x-ray, ECG, even reflexology. at some point there was even free chips, donuts, spring rolls and sweet corn.
the medical mission was organized by our townmates in the US, among them my aunt. she being a part of it, my mom, her sister-in-law (they're enviably close), became part of it as well. it was the organizers' second time to hold it and this early they're already talking about a third one in 2010.
on my own, i wasn't really going to join it. i am not really comfortable with anything that has to do with sickness and medicines and doctors, etc. i was in laguna when they first held it in 2006 yet i did not go.
this year, however, my mom asked me to take pictures. of course, i readily said ok. it is unusual for my mom to ask me to take pics. most of the time, she actually shoos me away horrified that i take pictures even at far from picture-perfect moments. she calls me paparazzi actually, ha-ha
anyway, i thought the medical mission was going to be on a saturday and sunday. well, past 5 pm of thursday, my mom texts me telling me i need not come early as there's going to be registration first anyway. i was like, huh, it's tomorrow already?! i earlier filed a friday leave at the office precisely because i did not want to wake up early. yikes! anyway, friday 6 am i drove off to laguna and got there close to 8 am. i rested a bit, took a shower (yup, i hopped in the car without taking a shower first : } hey, i wanted to avoid traffic!) then went to the medical mission site.
at the site, i clicked away, taking long shots, as i wanted to somehow respect the privacy of all those people lining up. i moved around, sat around, hang out at the registration area where my mom was stationed.
come breaktime, my mom brought me with her to the canteen. there were free meals for the volunteers and i was sort of feeling guilty that i was there as i never really thought of myself as a volunteer. i was there just to take pictures, at the request of my mom, or so i thought. i actually stuck out as everyone was in the official red medical mission shirt and there i was wearing my gray top. was i surprised to learn there that i actually have volunteer shirts (one for each day) and a volunteer ID as well. yikes! i did not know i was an official volunteer. it turns out my aunt had my name included in the roster. hmmm... explains why when i sent an e-mail to one of the organizers (about something not related to the medical mission), her reply included, "see you friday..." i just took it to mean my mom mentioned to her that i was going to be there.
anyway, after the first day of the mission, i got my shirts and washed the orange one supposed to be worn on the second day. come morning, the shirt was still wet! i ended up going to the medical mission site wearing my own top again, this time, however, with my volunteer ID. when one of the organizers saw me, i told her my official shirt didn't dry in time. she told me she has an extra shirt she could give me. ooops! i embarrassedly told her i don't wear stuff that hasn't been washed that's why i washed the brand new orange shirt the day before. her eyebrows arched up, but i know in my heart she didn't really take it against me. we just chuckled as i told her, "ang arte ko 'no?"
as the second day was winding up, the organizers told the volunteers to go to the reflexology area as the reflexologists were going to give us a free massage. i didn't want to go as
1. i don't really like strangers putting their hands all over me : }
2. i am thinking the reflexologists themselves were already tired from the long day and i did not want to add to their fatigue
3. i am ticklish
well, my mom was persuaded to go and she asked me to go along. ok, go i did and we both told the reflexologists we're just going to have a head massage. well, before i knew it, the reflexologist was massaging my neck then my arms. i said i just wanted a head massage but she said it's better if i get the whole package. she asked me to lie on my stomach and then she started massaging my back, my thighs, my legs, my feet even. all throughout i was twisting and laughing like crazy as i really am very ticklish. she was amused and kept on saying, "bai, kasasaya nitong minamasahe ko."
the tiring but meaningful day ended with so much laughter and amusement, at least in the reflexology room. outside, laughter was not as loud but there were smiles everywhere and inner joy that comes from knowing you've contributed somehow to making others feel better.
i think everyone's looking forward to 2010...
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