The Weekenders

Who knew that simply spending hours in the living room and imitating Michael Jackson’s moves gave more quality time than we ever had at a mall? This weekend has made me realize the true meaning of family bonding. We spent nothing (except for some cheap snacks), especially because the car’s battery died, so we had no choice but to stay home and watch DVDs. It was just the four of us plus our yaya, who made things a lot easier for us because she could independently do the kitchen work for my wife who is very deficient in that area.

Going to the mall gives everyone a lot of stress—especially for me, the breadwinner, because it is expected that I pay for everything—oh, and I have to remember to load the bags and the stroller for the baby too. For the mother, who has to get the kids and the househelp ready, keeping in mind the day’s itinerary among the things to bring for the baby, amid yelling for the eldest not to dawdle in dressing up. When we get to the mall, it gets a bit tense with the constant stream of noisy people and the things we have to remember to visit and buy—plus the actual sense of loss when we impulsively purchase something we don’t really need, but still get that gnawing feeling of envy and hunger at the whole world of tempting consumer goods beckoning for us to come and have a closer look. This stress eventually builds up into irritation and arguments that could escalate into bigger fights that consequently destroys everybody’s day…

I’m glad we didn’t go out last weekend.