family

Malling with my Nanay

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

Those who know me well know I gravitate towards anything with a discount.  And I got that from my mother.

I wanted to drag her all the way to Megamall, because of their humongous sale.  Even Forever21 is on sale.  Somehow, she developed this trauma being in Megamall so that idea is soon junked.  We went to the adjacent malls in Makati and went for a stroll.

While strolling, I saw the shoes I want to get for Dylan.  I wonder if he’ll like it.  I like it because it looks so clean and posh and sleek.  I don’t want to waste the money, so I better make sure he likes it before getting it.  Hahahaha.

Actually, it wasn’t supposed to be just a stroll.  We were supposed to look for gifts.  I found mine, but she didn’t.  Apparently, the gift she wanted was too expensive.  Then again, I reminded her, maybe everything in Makati is expensive.

So we just fitted pretty pretty hats.

I honestly think my mom loves the mall like a teenager does.  Sometimes, she would complain about walking too much, but last night, she was just thankful for having bought flats.  I think we spent two hours just looking at clothes and debating whether or not we get it.  But eventually, we decided to not buy anything.

Ended up eating at Chowking.

As seen above, my mother is a very serious texter.  Hahahaha.  And she does this thing where she mouths whatever it is that she’s texting, as if checking if it sounds right (when it shouldn’t be a bother, because they’re going to read it, not hear it).  So there.

And that was our date.  Weird huh?  At least we got to fit really pretty hats. :)

Hap Chan, TOSH and Shakey’s

/ iamsupercarla / 1 Comment

We’ve been trying very hard to be an interesting family again.  And by interesting, I mean rediscover the beauty of dining out.  It was quite fun, convincing my mother to dine out one evening.  To be honest, if there won’t be an event, I highly doubt we’d ever eat out.  That’s the price you pay for having parents that cook like chefs and are satisfied with the usual dishes.

So yeah, I elbowed them to get me my fix of dining out.  First stop was Hap Chan, about a couple of weeks ago. :)

They have pretty good house tea. We had about two refills of this.

Their shark's fin dumpling is soooo good.

Continue reading →

It was a shoe day!

/ iamsupercarla / 2 Comments

It is quite seldom that I get to go with my mom in the mall and actually love waiting on her.  Hahaha.  I believe as we grow older, we become more impatient, even with the people who have relentlessly been patient with us.  So yesterday, we had an early mall day in hopes of getting gifts for the NJ peeps.

I haven’t been there for so long!  I actually don’t remember the last time I’ve been to SM Southmall.  It’s currently undergoing renovations and the center kind of reminds me of 168 in Divisoria. :)  Hahahaha.  But the department store?  It’s slowly taking the shape and form of the one in Makati.  Henry Sy should be proud of his renovating team.  They’re doing a pretty good job.

They call this area the Food Street. New restos with fusion menus. I wonder when I can get to eat here.

I found Allan the Frog! Hahahaha. Awww dear, you know it comes from a really good place. :)

And this is the entrance of the new department store. Bright and shiny, yeah?

And the shoe extravaganza began.

Continue reading →

Does the reward-punishment thing really work?

/ iamsupercarla / 1 Comment

What I’ve always found interesting between me and Dylan is the fact that we seldom have the same opinion about something.  Some people actually view that as a bad thing, that  we don’t have much in common.  But it’s actually that difference that made us grow as better people, respecting each other in such a level that no one won’t be able to do.  At least not without years of practice. :)

One of the things we have constantly argued about (and I have come to agree with him on this one after some time) is the concept of reward-punishment.  This concept is often defined by psychologists as reinforcement.  You literally reward yourself (or others, usually kids) immediately after doing something good or accomplishing a task, in hopes of creating a pattern, making the accomplishments come quicker and sooner.  For a more detailed explanation on this concept (though I highly doubt that you’ll need one because my readers are not that dumb), just click here.

Well, my brother wasn’t able to graduate on time because of a thesis that he wasn’t able to pass.  So he had to take it up again this summer.  Thankfully, he finished it, passed it and now, is bugging my mother for his "reward" (which is an iPhone by the way).  

My side (at first):  I believe he deserves the reward.  He worked hard on his thesis, it was something that was very complicated, and I give him kudos for not giving up.  Albeit it took him 4 major revisions and 4 re-defense fora, it is a good thing that he was able to see through it all.

Then Dylan aired his:  Why are you going to reward someone for doing something he was really supposed to do?  He’s a child.  He’s privileged to receive education.  He’s obliged to finish that privilege the soonest possible time.  He didn’t.  So he tried again because he’s obliged.  Because he’s a student.  And a student stops being a student once he graduates.  And he did.  So why are you going to reward someone for accomplishing something he’s obliged to accomplish in the first place?

At first, I was quite upset.  He was saying that my brother didn’t deserve the phone.  But then, when you look at it from that point of view (as in not being related to my brother), he’s right.  People should only be rewarded for going the extra mile.  It’s like finishing a 10-year course in seven years.  Or even nine.  Rewards should come for doing something extraordinary when only the ordinary is expected.

But what do you think?


Me and my group mates after working on a credit application that wasn’t needed. Hahaha.

I’m going to stop hiding if you start showing yourself.

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

So the last couple of posts made me sound like someone who can’t do anything better that day.  I’ve decided to put an end to it (or a pause, if you may) and just be my ranting self.

I haven’t spoken to my mom for the past 36 hours.  It all started when she picked me up from QC.  She said I’ve been gaining weight.  When Thursday morning came, she said I should work out more.  Around lunchtime, she said I’m becoming "wider".  Then on our way to church, she said my clothes are inappropriate and slutty.  Talk about tough love eh?  Naturally, I stomped my way to the closet to change clothes.  There’s not much to say after that.  She just  stopped talking.

Don’t get me wrong; you can criticize me all you want and I welcome that.  But I guess that’s not always the case when it comes to your family.  Your family is the sole core group that is obliged to love and care for you, no matter what shape or size you’re in.  I felt a bit betrayed when I noticed that she hasn’t really said anything worth remembering since I got here.  I’m starting to regret my decision to spend the long vacation here.  

Honestly, I don’t feel like apologizing.  What am I supposed to apologize for?  For reacting the way I did?  I never questioned her maternal right over me; she has the right to reprimand me all she wants when I’m wrong.  I just wish she can be more empathic.  She can be overly critical and she can make it look like my fault.  I mean, come on.  Are you kidding me?  Hindi porke anak ako, ako na lang parati ang mali.  I have all the right in the world to react against anyone’s opinion, especially those that hurt my pride and ego.  

I’m sure, once I tell this to my friends, I’ll get a handful of advice.  Listen to her, she’s your mom.  You shouldn’t have said that.  Blah.  Blah.  Blah.  Where in the rule book did it say that moms are infallible?  I mean, fuck it, they know best, that’s for sure, but where in the grand scheme of things did it say that they can never make a mistake in raising their child?  I’m raised well; I thank God every day for that.  But sometimes, the things she says and the way she reacts to how I look and the things I say make me question whether I measure up to her idea of a daughter.

Dear Mom.  I am 24.  Freaking 24.  I get it.  You just want me to look better.  But your manner of saying it makes me feel ugly.  You make me feel ugly.  Seriously.  And you should be the last person that could make me feel like this.  Ironically, you’re the first.  I am not going to apologize for the way I dress.  It makes me feel pretty.  My clothes make me feel sexy and confident.  I don’t like the fact that you’re trying to change that, just so I can conform to a conservative set of rules made up 30 years ago.  This is now and I am born in the now.  I am not forcing you to live my years, so don’t force me to live yours.  Next time you tell me to cover up, be prepared to wear a plunging neckline.  If I’m changing for you, you should be as hell ready to change for me.

There.  End rant here.  I go now to my secret place where Alejandro and Rubi just keeps looking at each other and this song plays in the background.

*happy place*