Mom! Yes this is my mom. I can't ever explain what kind of a mom she is, but she is definitely cool. She isn't a typical born in the 40's kinda mom, but she is the Japorms kind. She can put on her raggedy clothes and go to the dangerous parts of Divisoria, and can carry herself so well, wearing couture gown for a wedding in San Antonio church at the Forbes. Why am I on the subject of mom? Coz I just got the lyrics to Carrie Underwoods song, "Don't forget to remember me". And I admit, it brought me to tears. Although we didn't have a chevy, and I didn't go to an out-of-town college, I left home to live in Finland. And it wasn't easy. I have had my share of "I-hate-moms", but I am very close to my mom. I can tell her anything about everything. And I miss calling her everyday, just to ask about the very little things. How to cook this and that, where to put this and that, and when to do this and that. My mom and I will go to the very heart of the city just to shop. I miss going to Baclaran church with her, and after the mass, she will haggle with the tinderas of onions, suman, mangoes, etc. I miss going to Quiapo with her, and go around the very crowded streets to find lots of cheap stuff you don't get to see everyday. I miss going to China town with her and buying tungkoy and ginseng and tikoy during Chinese new year. And of course, when we went to Hongkong, we went straight to the haggling capital of HK. And man was she good!
Its because of these trips with mom, that I can never get lost in Binondo or Recto. I know where to find the cheap books, well, at least I don't buy the pirated CDs.
But more so, my moms wisdom is distinct. Passed onto her by my great grandparents who raised her. She learned to cook, wash clothes, and iron clothes with the charcoal type at age 7. Her candies are guava and duhat, her swimming pool is the clear river that runs beside our maternal house in Pampanga. Her clothes are hand me downs. Her school bus is the trunk of a banana tree to get her across the river. And yet she remained humble and contented. She finnished college even after she had kids. And that is determination personified.
I think that my relationship with mom will make a stable foundation as to what kind of relationship I will have with Ria. I sure wish if its not the same, it will be better.
I may not be the coolest mom, or good at haggling, but I will try my best to pass on the wisdom to Ria.
