We haven’t been to the mall in months. I can’t remember the last movie we saw. Because Speedy will be out of town for five days for his company’s annual conference, when Sam suggested seeing “300” yesterday, I didn’t give Speedy the chance to say no even though the past two weeks had been very stressful for him. I figured he could do with some time away from his computer and work too. We went out to catch the last full show but it turned out we were too early. It so happened too that there was a mall-wide sale.
I didn’t start on the shopping spree; Speedy did. He bought a pair of Nike, saw me checking out a pair of Keds sneakers and offered to buy them for me. When he went to load the boxes of shoes in the car, the girls and I moved from one store to another and I bought a pair of Diadora shoes for PhP 990.00, slashed down from the original price of PhP 2,450.00. Sam also bought a pair of Adidas flip-flops, also for PhP 990.00.
Nine hundred and ninety pesos for a pair of flip-flops (a hyped up term for the lowly tsinelas, inspired by Japanese sandals, that most of us wear at home) made my eyebrows shoot up. But footwear is footwear. Although I won’t be caught dead wearing tsinelas outside the house, I can’t insist that Sam wear sneakers, my footwear of choice, if she feels more comfortable — and more her age — wearing flip-flops. If I consider PhP 990.00 to be a good price for my footwear, why shouldn’t I feel the same about her footwear of choice?
Happy with our footwear, we went to see “300“, went home and psyched ourselves to wake up early on Sunday for lunch at my mother-in-law’s. I can’t remember exactly why we decided to pass by Gateway Mall after lunch and before going home. I recall that we were supposed to buy something — rechargeable batteries for Alex, I think — and because my mother-in-law’s is in Cubao, Gateway was the nearest mall. Fortunately or unfortunately, there was a mall-wide sale too. There was this gorgeous pair of light blue Lacoste sneakers and… well, I don’t usually buy shoes in that price range but they were gorgeous and I couldn’t resist. I gave in.
Anyway, the kids were checking out shoes too and, as often happens, we split up. The girls went with me (Speedy can’t stand how we pore over shoes and bags) and Speedy did his own shopping. This strategy of splitting up is most useful when we don’t want to be bothered by Speedy’s bored comments and long looks. He saw a pair of Hush Puppies and he said he was going to buy some socks so he could try the shoes on properly. We parted happily, each looking forward to his shopping loot.
Now, get this. We weren’t supposed to stay too long in the mall. Speedy had some reports to finish for the conference and Sam had a project to do. On the way to the mall, Speedy reminded us all that we wouldn’t stay too long. When he saw the Hush Puppies, he happily sent us off to do our own shopping. No rush, no stress, no time limits, no nothing.
Thirty minutes later, he was calling and sending SMS and asking where we were because he was going to join us. When he caught with us at the Olympic Village, he wasn’t smiling. The Hush Puppies… they didn’t have his size. He asked if we were finished; I said we were not. He abruptly told me he was going to the supermarket and he would meet with us afterwards. Fifteen minutes later, he was done with the grocery. He was hanging around and his body language was unmistakable — he wanted to go home. And it wasn’t just body language. He was short-tempered, he was irritable, he was a different person from the one who said goodbye to us on his way to buying his Hush Puppies. He started complaining about how late it was and how tired he would be to do his report when we got home.
We wrapped up our shopping (Alex had an L.A. Gear bag and a pair of high-cut Converse Chuck Taylor shoes while Sam had a pair of Reef flip-flops by that time) and started walking to the parking lot. Speedy was walking in front of us and the girls and I were snickering behind him. We knew why he was foul-tempered but we said nothing to him. Well, not until we were halfway home and he has had a chance to pull himself together anyway.
We minced no words. He acted like a complete asshole, so, why should we go soft on him? We told him he was masungit just because he wasn’t able to buy what he wanted. And we all had to suffer for it as though it was our fault. He never denied it. After a few minutes of tirade, he smiled, admitting defeat and acknowledging his fault. He took the attack good naturedly. Well, for the moment at least. Who knows how he will be the next time we go shopping and he ends up with nothing again?
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Judy 03.19.07 at 2:16 am
Hey, I’m a shoe-aholic.. Would you mind taking photos of all those new shoes you just bought? Can you get Rainbow flip flops there in your mall. I’m seriously thinking of buying myself a pair this summer, but they cost $45.. yikes…
purplegirl 03.19.07 at 2:58 am
“Although I won’t be caught dead wearing tsinelas outside the house”
funny you should say that! whenever i’m in Manila, i wear flip-flops to the regular malls (like Mega or Sta Lucia or Robinson’s Metro East) to blend in as I don’t want to look like a tourist, or worse, a balikbayan. my lola would tell me in her sweetest sing-song voice, “neneng, alam mo, hindi pina-pa-pasok sa SM ang naka-chinelas” — which was her way of telling me that wearing chinelas (even brand-name ones) outside the house is disgusting. of course, this comes from a 70-year old woman who is never caught without red lipstick even inside the house. she invented the word vain, by the way. my younger brother also told me, “don’t ever, EVER wear something like that (pointing to my pambahay outfit) out of the house!!!” i told him i was not getting out of the car and was only going 5 minutes away. “but what if something happens like an accident and then you HAD to get out of the car, then what?” so, i still wear chinelas to blend in but i make it a point not to go out in my pambahay outfit!
Connie 03.19.07 at 8:28 am
Judy, actually, I DID take photos, but was too lazy last night to crop/resize them.
Purplegirl, it’s not so much for appearance’s sake that I won’t wear tsinelas outside the house. It’s a comfort and balance issue for me. Tsinelas is great for the house and the BEACH but walking for hours on tiles and concrete? Not for me. Noooo, not for me. I’d rather wear sneakers or slingbacks with a low shaped sole.
Sam 03.19.07 at 3:30 pm
I think its great that Speedy-O can accept the constructive criticism so kindly imparted by his women. He he he!
vic 03.19.07 at 4:41 pm
I do a lot of walking for exercise and for a walking shoes, a pair of double E New Balance can give you that support and comfort needed. But I still use a pair of custom orthotics inserts to take the pounding off the body, especially the spine.
Orthotics are available on prescriptions and are covered by extended health insurance for those with one.
As for speedy, I would be miserable too, if a shoe store don’t carry my shoe size and I’m going to make an issue out of it. But so far unless buying for clearance or final sale, sizes are available.
annamanila 03.19.07 at 10:04 pm
I guess people have diferent frustration and impatience thresholds. Your son’s is kinda low. I am like that too. And I suffer for it. So I have adopted coping strategies. Pocketbooks, cellfone, small notebook for scribbling drafts of articles, puzzles, talking to myself. Speedy — see, his name is apropos (haha) — should adopt his too.
d0d0ng 03.19.07 at 11:25 pm
Connie,
kindly tell Speedy, “di siya nag-iisa”…..
there is a retail conspiracy out there against men in general
even with all the sales going on, men are still scrambling for scraps….
….out of size
….few selections
….not on sale
….lack of design creativity if compared with women products
i think the common denominator is price, womens’ goods tend to be pricey than mens’ in general, so supply and variety are better from margin perspective…. you can tell right away the size in the store devoted to womens’ stuff
not only that, some women are snatching up some guys shirts while the poor guys cannot do same thing with women stuff…. not fair!
Connie 03.19.07 at 11:44 pm
Sam, as though he had a choice bwahahahaha
Vic, I think that was the problem — there was a mall-wide sale and everything was going fast.
annamanila, you mean my husband.
d0d0ng, conspiracy? hahahaha o baka naman men’s fashion is just plain boring hehehehe
kat 03.20.07 at 10:10 am
hahahah! my dad is exactly the same way! (so are my brothers when they don’t get what they want).
i love your shoe-shopping experience! that’s also why i love shopping with my mom!
(p.s. if you have the time, i’d like your opinion on something. please check out my latest blog post and give me your 2-cents! i’d greatly appreciate it).
roanne 03.20.07 at 1:18 pm
on the contrary, I would actually be caught dead wearing flipflops. i don’t know, but my system cannot allow me wearing anything but flipflops. I commute everyday, and commuting includes long, tedious walks to the MRT [station]. I find comfort in slippers. My feet can’t breathe donning “closed” shoes. My peds may end up ruthlessly bruised wearing stilletos while sauntering to and fro.
how i wish my office would perennially allow wearing flipflops. i can’t take changing the policy from laid-back to corporate. noooh.
Lisa 03.22.07 at 6:53 am
Poor Speedy! It’s one thing to have to live with three strong-willed shoe-aholic women but not to have Hush Puppies in his size — that’s a crime!
The stores selling imported shoes like Hush Puppies, Bass or Naturalizer are really “factory outlet stores.” They never carry one design in all sizes. I suspect they buy up as much of one design as possible in an outlet store abroad to sell in the Philippines.
Again, on ALL counts, poor Speedy! Hahaha
Connie 03.22.07 at 10:54 pm
Roanne, I was composing an response to your comment but I think I will write a separate entry instead.
Know what the fun part is, Lisa? Every time I want MY Hush Puppies, they always have my size hehehehe.
sexy mom 03.23.07 at 5:42 pm
when the havaiianas first came out, i was complaining–why the kids had to buy so expensive tsinelas, which used to be just bathroom fare. imagine, 6 kids in the house, if one has at least 2! as the weeks went by, i became curious, tried one myself, from then on, i was a havaiianas fan myself.
sonny veneracion 03.25.07 at 6:23 am
haynaku, connie, sa tagal na ninyong magasawa ni utol eh nagugulat kapa sa ugali nya? trademark ng mga veneracion ang pagiging “short-temperedâ„¢” actually, kaming mga lalaki lang, si chay at si ava ay even-keeled, mga santa compared to the boys. ewam ko ba kung bakit gano’n pero ang masasabi ko lang ay, we mellow in our old age. pero minsan-minsan eh sumusumpong pa rin ang pagka-tarantado ko.
about “300″, dito ay biggest grossing movie na kaagad. 1st weekend total gross-$75million! following weekend-$35million! di ko pa napapanood pero yung dalawang binatilyo namin ay nakapanood na. papanoorin ko na dito sa aking computer mayamaya(download version) but plan to watch in the big screen next week. ewan ko kung type ng mga dalaga nyo ang “ultra-violence” nitong movie na’to. i actually read the original comics that this movie is based on kaya alam kong maganda ito. o sige na at ilo-load ko na yung dvd. nakahanda na yung popcorn ko!
Connie 03.25.07 at 10:31 am
sexy mom, i didn’t know about all those branded flop-flops either until Sam introduced them to me. Didn’t know there were so many brands. I must admit that some designs are really cool. And some are better than others with softer rubber.
Sonny, ipapabasa ko sa kanya itong comment mo. Sabagay kung tutuusin, mas mellow naman si Speedy kesa kay Richie hehehe. And maybe you boys are like that because you take after your Dad. Ganyan din sya di ba? Pero at least takot sya sa Mommy. hahahah
Re “300″. Actually, Alex hated it. Sam was more ambivalent (it was her idea to watch it) — yuck daw yung love scenes. Speedy and I were the ones who really enjoyed it, just as much as we enjoyed “Sin City.”
carol 03.25.07 at 1:12 pm
Connie, when my husband started complaining about the Havaianas my daughter and I were amassing, I did the next best thing – I bought him one! Now he constantly wears them on short trips and errands. The next time we were in a store to check out new styles, he suggested we get a pair for our son, too. If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em, ‘ika nga. And that’s not a bad idea
Connie 03.25.07 at 4:50 pm
Carol, I like your style. I’m gonna try it hehehe. Pero with bags, wala solution ano? Men don’t go crazy over hand bags.
Luisa 03.26.07 at 6:39 pm
Men hate shopping.. they can’t stand it.. hehehe.. especially if they get to pay for it.. lol.. At first too I did not understand the haviana craze. I only have 3 and I think I’ll stick to that. But when it comes to ballet shoes.. oh my… I want them all.. in different colors and designs…
Adam 05.03.07 at 11:25 am
Would like you to see this Flip Flops
this is the best Flip Flops now
very competitive and the Price in Unbeatable
You dont have to spend 900 for this
have a look
http://www.bananapeel.net
Havaianas 09.14.07 at 9:19 am
Hands down the best flip flops are the havaianas. Stylish and comfortable. They will outlast any flip flop.