February 24–Today I went to the neighbourhood mall to accompany my sister since she was getting her passport photos taken. This was her second time because she didn’t like the results from the first try.

While she was at the drugmart getting her photos done I headed to Walmart to grab some essentials: toilet paper, lint roller, sanitary pads, toothpaste and floss. They all totalled to about $30. INSANE.

We then went to Winners because they always have nice things for reasonable prices and while there I saw a neon green fanny pack that I fell in love with at first sight. My sister got it for me as a belated birthday gift. When I got home I tried it on and was giggling and jumping with joy. Much of my excitement stemmed from the memory of a neon green Secosana bag I had when I was 13. I really loved that bag and when I saw it at the SM department store, I would longingly look at it. At the time, I honestly didn’t believe I could get it because my mom didn’t buy us clothes or bags frequently. A big shopping spree was like a once-in-three years thing.

But one day, I just asked her if she could get me that bag and to my surprise, she said yes. I don’t even remember if I begged. I just remember I would often drop by the bag section of the department store every time I was at the mall. I wanted to make sure it was still there.

There’s only one photo of me that shows me wearing it. But I often wore it during the weekends when I didn’t need a huge backpack. When “brat” green became a trend I laughed so hard because I was totally brat since 2003. It was also one of my happiest years so I associate the colour with joy.

Anyway, my sister didn’t like the results of her passport photos this time either. Unfortunately, here in Canada you can only get these photos done in specific studios unlike the Philippines where you can get it done anywhere.

I lamented how my best “ID photo” was taken at a random photobooth in Tokyo. I could edit it, make my face slightly slimmer, put a little more colour on my cheeks. We laughed about our priorities. In the grander scheme of things, there were bigger fish to fry and yet our concerns were about how ugly our passport photos would come out. My brother-in-law couldn’t understand it because he said that the only other person who would see that photo was border control. So what. So brat.

The other day, while having dinner I told Dennis how upset I was because my umbrella got stolen at work. “You can just buy a cheap $5 one,” he said like it was no big deal. But it is.

That umbrella had cats on it and I bought it at the Umbrellatorium in Victoria Island while on a trip with my friends. We also had a fight with another friend before that trip. The umbrella was $30. I’ll need to go on a trip again for another one-of-a-kind umbrella. Brat.

 

Update: On February 26, I came back to work and found my umbrella neatly folded inside one of the lockers on the topmost row. BRAT!