Maia's hair band

This is a pic of the hair band that we found holding up Maia's top knot on May 5, 2004, during our train ride from Shymkent to Almaty. The director of the orphanage had let us take her out to be examined by an American doctor.

The hair band is a cross section of a bicycle inner tube. I think a razor blade had been used to make it. The compression stretched out the bottom side of the inner tube as it was cut so that the bottom side ended up a little fatter than the top side.

It's extremely strong and durable.

I like to think that she is like that. Strong and resilient.

John, March 24, 2006