July 2, 2006 – Pinay New Yorker

It’s summer in New York and while I’m 20 lbs too heavy to indulge in wearing camis, I think I can do cap sleeve tees. I came home with half a dozen, and Mom brought me another half dozen. I have 2 black ones, one which I intend to decorate with my own pop art. (Black is black, and like the infamous little black dress, you cannot have too many black shirts… just as you cannot have too many pairs of black pants if you work in an atmosphere where business casual or business attire is the norm.) While I cannot wear them to the office unless worn under a blazer or a more formal top, they come in handy during weekends like this.

I bought mine for 2 for P130 and 2 for P170 over at 168 Mall in Divisoria, translating into just over $1.00 each (!) Mom got some of hers from the tiangges in Greenhills. They’re easy to wash and readily survive our washing machines here. What’s more, it’s breathable cotton so they are perfect for the coming hot summer days.

Perfect to wear with a pair of HerBench light denim capris I bought in 2002. It can get real hot here in the summer days. There are constant heat wave warnings flashed throughout the day so you can imagine how hot “hot” can be. I always love this part of the year — after all, I came from some place where hot is the norm.

Mom was up until half past midnight so I’m just starting to put away all the goodies she brought me. I have to re-arrange my pantry because she brought me so many different types of corned beef, particularly Alan’s requested Purefoods Jalapeno Corned Beef (which, unfortunately, is available only in the smaller 150 grams). I have dozens of Knorr soups and Maggi food sauces, enough to last me the year — in addition to what I had already brought home a month ago.

But most of all, I’m relieved Mom is here. She almost gave me a heart attack when she told me the Immigration officer only gave her up to August 15, which meant we would have to file an extension pronto and which cost us $175 the last time I did it almost 2 years ago. When I checked her passport, I was so relieved she was given up to December 31, 2006. She’s 6 years into a 10-year multiple entry visa, and this is already her third trip to the US in the last 2 years alone. As I had written previously, we’re doing this last one-year stretch until I need her here again if and when I get to petition her.

She brought me a goodies from my siblings — the Lux Black shampoo I ordered, the plain shirt in different colors, at least 3 step ins, two shell bracelets, and drawings from my niece, Audrey. There’s so much pasalubong here that I feel like a kid let loose in a toy store. LOL I guess it’s all the adrenalin from having Mom back here that’s keeping me awake at 1:24AM this Saturday evening.