shopping for graduation gift

My son is graduating today from college. At long last, no more payment of tuition and miscellaneous fees.

I found a gift for him as early as December at a store in Shangri-la Mall. I brought Oyen there and she helped me pick a simple one sometime in February. I asked for permission to take pictures so we could show it to my husband. Edmund liked it. I texted the store and reserved it for 30 days. After 3 weeks, the store manager called to remind me of the item, I went back to the store and made a deposit.

I almost forgot that this saturday or today, is already Nyke’s graduation. I made two attempts to go back to the store to pick up the gift but sobrang traffic, hindi ako umaabot. Close na sila.

So last wednesday, I left the office early afternoon to make sure I get to the mall before the store closed.

They have fresh orchids on the tea table. I kept touching it, one petal fell-off.

After several months of looking, we have a gift all wrapped up in red.

I went to National Bookstore to buy a graduation card. There was none. That’s odd, it’s graduation season and yet, how come they don’t sell anymore graduation cards?

And they only have two racks devoted to greeting cards. Hindi na ba uso ngayon ang cards? Text na lang or email? Nung araw you’ll find rows and rows of greeting cards in bookstores. Mas gusto ko ganun, nahahawakan ko, tapos I get to choose the designs and dedications.

I bought 3 flowery gift wrappers. I always keep a few wrappers at home.

When I went to the cashier, I searched my bag for a P50 bill to pay for the 3 pieces of gift wrapper. But I only found a hundred peso bill. I was waiting for my sukli when the cashier said, “Mam, kulang, P27.50 pa.”
Me——— “Ha? bakit? magkano ba isa?”
Cashier—- “P42.50”.
Me——– “Ha? P42.50 isa? Ang mahal naman. Pambili na yun ng regalo”.
Nung panahon ko, I could buy a nice gift for my parents for P25.

I was tempted to go up to the housewares section in Rustan’s. I controlled myself or else, I would be coming home with dinner plates.

I wanted to eat lugaw in Via Mare at the entrance of Shangrila Mall, eh sarado.

I also went to Robinsons Galleria last night. There was a great number of people at the entrance due to the renewed higpit in security; a knee-jerk reaction from the Boston bombing.

I should get him a second gift para naman he has two boxes to open. Syempre dapat a little special kasi how many times naman would he graduate from college?

He asked for a Macbook pro for his birthday last January but I didn’t give him one kasi sobrang mahal tila P59,999. His laptop is still useable although 4 years old and second hand. He spent about P10,000 for its repair last year pero nagluluko na naman. I don’t want to spend another P10,000 to have it fixed. Gusto ko sagarin muna nya ang gamit para hindi bili ng bili. I forgot what I gave him for his bday instead. But since it’s his graduation, iba yun, maybe I should give him a Macbook pro.