It’s been awhile since my nieta quit her day job, concentrating only on her art for a living. Without juggling between her passion and her day job, she had more free time to go on dates with her abuela. Not that her art didn’t demand much of her time. It does. But her breaks from painting hours are her happy discovery hours with Mamu. Started off on Tuesdays, then it became Thursdates with the grandma, until it evolved into “Dates With Mu“. Mu is how they call me. Short for Mamu and endearment for Grandma.
Cafe and Pub Crawl is our thing. Since they graduated into this phase called young adulthood, happy hours have taken in a whole new dimension. And just like me, my young adults enjoy discovering new places. Cafes, pubs or wine bars. Dining spots with the whole, broad spectrum of cheap eats and fine/gourmet dining. I constantly remind them it’s a skill, if not a talent. And there is guaranteed pleasure in the research, discovery and actual experience. The bonus is the euphoria post-experience and the happy memories. Win Win, por supuesto. A whole day to research, another day to experience and another day to reminisce & savor the pleasure. That’s half of the week, without forsaking weekends which are allocated for the entire family.
Birthdays are special occasions and celebrated several times. 🎂 At least in my family. Food is our love language if one cares for an explanation 😘. And with two celebrants a few weeks apart, you can say we kept ourselves busy. And yes, fancy. I love how the young adults have mastered the art of researching on new and fancy joints. The dining options are very meticulously searched on, to include some trivia on the place, the chef and the food. You bet the last piece of information is the price. You get your adrenaline pumping, grow giddy with the excitement, and then the budget. Such is the price of pleasure. And that’s how I term it. Some people may have the “budget” for all the luxuries, but the capacity for joy is a gift. Fancy dining or cheap eats, our pleasure barometer does not discriminate. But there is obviously an element of bonus pleasure in having to dress up, being politely served and being seated amidst elegant ambience.
Lest I forget, the “discussions” after the gastronomic adventures are another thing. Judging by how they come up with their IG and TikTok posts, I can tell they take their dining experiences seriously. I have also since created a separate account to chronicle my dining adventures, much like a food diary. That’s upon their suggestion too, even observing that my social life straddles between my travels and dining and museum pleasures. Well, I remind them that isn’t bad. And they might as well throw in my trips to the theater.
lifeisacelebration 