The Brad & Angelina Thread, With Updated Pics & Articles
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I have friends who years ago adopted a child from Russia. In addition to a very large adoption fee, they were given a list of things to donate to the orphanage that they had to bring or ship from the US. As the adoption got closer the list kept getting longer and they had no choice but to give these things if they wanted the adoption to go through. Some countries have no laws to determine what is "fair" so the agencies and orphanages get as much as they can for each child. And right or not, bribery or whatever nicer word you want to call it is a fact of doing business in many countries. One can only hope that in some way things are better for all the children who don't get adopted.
Good luck to your friends!
Angelina Jolie's First Moments with Her New Son
The formal introduction of Pax Thien Jolie to his new mother didn't exactly go smoothly: The 3-year-old Vietnamese boy started crying when Angelina Jolie knelt down to speak to him at Thursday morning's welcoming ceremony at Tam Binh Orphanage in Ho Chi Minh, according to the orphanage director, Mr. Nguyen Van Trung.
Jolie wasn't phased. "She told me she understands that it's normal for all young children to be scared," Trung recalled Thursday. Jolie took the boy aside in a separate room from the ceremony for the boy to recover his composure. "Later he was okay, very cheerful and happy," Trung said. "He even played with his new brother Maddox."
The star completed adoption procedures in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday morning after picking her new son up from the orphanage the same one that she and Brad Pitt visited during a trip to the former Saigon last November. This time, Jolie came without Pitt: She adopted the boy as a single parent because Vietnam's adoption regulations don't allow unmarried couples to co-adopt. But Jolie didn't come alone to the orphanage: she brought along son Maddox to meet his new brother.
The boy's main caretaker at the orphanage, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh Tuyen, said there was a reason that Pax usually known as an exceptionally cheerful child was caught off guard Thursday: He wasn't actually told by the staff that he was being adopted that day.
"We did not say anything to him, afraid we might put pressure on him and more frightened," Tuyen said. "We just told him that we are taking him out. You are going to play outside play with a mother and father."
Still, the orphanage staff prepared him as best they could: They packed a small box with two sets of clothes for him to take, and his favorite toys, especially a small plastic piano. They also taught him a few phrases of English: "How are you?" and "What's your name?"
Tuyen said she'll miss the boy but adds that any day a child is adopted is a special day at the orphanage. "We are glad that he's adopted. He's very clever and I hope he has a good life," Tuyen said. "We just hope he will return to visit us one day."
The formal introduction of Pax Thien Jolie to his new mother didn't exactly go smoothly: The 3-year-old Vietnamese boy started crying when Angelina Jolie knelt down to speak to him at Thursday morning's welcoming ceremony at Tam Binh Orphanage in Ho Chi Minh, according to the orphanage director, Mr. Nguyen Van Trung.
Jolie wasn't phased. "She told me she understands that it's normal for all young children to be scared," Trung recalled Thursday. Jolie took the boy aside in a separate room from the ceremony for the boy to recover his composure. "Later he was okay, very cheerful and happy," Trung said. "He even played with his new brother Maddox."
The star completed adoption procedures in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday morning after picking her new son up from the orphanage the same one that she and Brad Pitt visited during a trip to the former Saigon last November. This time, Jolie came without Pitt: She adopted the boy as a single parent because Vietnam's adoption regulations don't allow unmarried couples to co-adopt. But Jolie didn't come alone to the orphanage: she brought along son Maddox to meet his new brother.
The boy's main caretaker at the orphanage, Ms. Bui Thi Thanh Tuyen, said there was a reason that Pax usually known as an exceptionally cheerful child was caught off guard Thursday: He wasn't actually told by the staff that he was being adopted that day.
"We did not say anything to him, afraid we might put pressure on him and more frightened," Tuyen said. "We just told him that we are taking him out. You are going to play outside play with a mother and father."
Still, the orphanage staff prepared him as best they could: They packed a small box with two sets of clothes for him to take, and his favorite toys, especially a small plastic piano. They also taught him a few phrases of English: "How are you?" and "What's your name?"
Tuyen said she'll miss the boy but adds that any day a child is adopted is a special day at the orphanage. "We are glad that he's adopted. He's very clever and I hope he has a good life," Tuyen said. "We just hope he will return to visit us one day."
To be fair, it does happen in the U.S. too when people do a non-blind adoption (where the couple adopts from a pregnant woman). Many states do not have regulations as to what an adopting couple can or cannot give to the mother of the future child. This is where you can get really sticky situations where a mother will pull out of one adoption and go with a couple that is willing to buy her a car "to get to her doctors' appointments" and the like.
The flip side, unfortunately, are states that like New Jersey where the requirements are very strict. So strict in fact, that a couple cannot even buy a mother vitamins for her baby because they aren't on the list of what's acceptable in an adoption agreement.
It's not a perfect system. There are so many flaws that it makes my head spin. It's best to just try & think of all the positive-a child is getting a loving family & opportunities he or she didn't have two days ago, a couple is getting a new addition to their family.
I see nothing wrong with making a "donation" in order to save a child from a life of poverty without a family.
In my opinion what's more important is what happens to these children when they ARE NOT adopted....that to me outweighs any argument about who has had to wait for a child and who got one sooner.
In my opinion what's more important is what happens to these children when they ARE NOT adopted....that to me outweighs any argument about who has had to wait for a child and who got one sooner.
Angelina Jolie: I'll Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
Angelina Jolie has apologized for exposing her new son, Pax Thien Jolie, to the media frenzy that greeted them in Vietnam and has vowed to focus on her growing family and be a stay-at-home mom.
"I will stay at home to help Pax adjust to his new life," Jolie told Friday's Ho Chi Ming City Law newspaper, according to a translation on the Associated Press. "I have four children and caring for them is the most important thing for me at the moment. I am very proud and happy to be their mother."
Jolie and her new son went through an emotional introduction at Thursday's formal welcoming ceremony, during which the 3-year-old Vietnamese boy started crying when his new mom knelt down to talk to him.
As for all the attention brought to her new son, Jolie tells the newspaper: "Photographs and press coverage will make him upset. I'm very worried about that. I would like to say I'm sorry for bringing this into Pax's life."
Since arriving in Vietnam on Wednesday, Jolie, 31, and her son, Maddox, 5, have been followed by a horde of photographers and reporters.
But in answering those who have questioned the adoption, Jolie says, "Everyone would agree that children need to have a family. I have the ability to help children fulfill that desire. Why should I say no?"
Pax, whose given name before he was adopted was Pham Quang, is the fourth child for the actress and her partner, Brad Pitt. Their brood includes Maddox, who was adopted from Cambodia, Zahara, 2, who was adopted from Ethiopia, and 10-month-old Shiloh, who was born to the couple last year.
Angelina Jolie has apologized for exposing her new son, Pax Thien Jolie, to the media frenzy that greeted them in Vietnam and has vowed to focus on her growing family and be a stay-at-home mom.
"I will stay at home to help Pax adjust to his new life," Jolie told Friday's Ho Chi Ming City Law newspaper, according to a translation on the Associated Press. "I have four children and caring for them is the most important thing for me at the moment. I am very proud and happy to be their mother."
Jolie and her new son went through an emotional introduction at Thursday's formal welcoming ceremony, during which the 3-year-old Vietnamese boy started crying when his new mom knelt down to talk to him.
As for all the attention brought to her new son, Jolie tells the newspaper: "Photographs and press coverage will make him upset. I'm very worried about that. I would like to say I'm sorry for bringing this into Pax's life."
Since arriving in Vietnam on Wednesday, Jolie, 31, and her son, Maddox, 5, have been followed by a horde of photographers and reporters.
But in answering those who have questioned the adoption, Jolie says, "Everyone would agree that children need to have a family. I have the ability to help children fulfill that desire. Why should I say no?"
Pax, whose given name before he was adopted was Pham Quang, is the fourth child for the actress and her partner, Brad Pitt. Their brood includes Maddox, who was adopted from Cambodia, Zahara, 2, who was adopted from Ethiopia, and 10-month-old Shiloh, who was born to the couple last year.
Angelina is amazing. I think what she is doing is so self-less. I am WOW'ed by her. She could just be another starlet running around Hollywood --doing nothing except showing off fashion and bags and living off of her looks.
Again...Amazing...Brad definitely made the right choice as he is also amazing to take up with such a wonderful human being!
Again...Amazing...Brad definitely made the right choice as he is also amazing to take up with such a wonderful human being!
i think that is quite a recent pic of her ... no offense Angie but you look seriously ill/overtired/not eating and whatnot ...look at that huge vein on her forehead literally sticking out ...she didnt use to look like that
I think that's just a bad photo of her. I've seen photos of her recently and she looks the same. Also, I've seen that vein before on her forehead...nothing new... but yeah, if she does look tired..she's a mother....LOL.
Heck, we really don't get enough sleep.....I have 2. She has 4 now...so I really don't know how she manages!
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