Ligaya & Learning
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Jovert
In the late '80s and early '90s, Mama took some courses at Manila Women's Vocational School.
She completed a seminar on baking and many others (see her certificates below). It was at those seminars that she learned how to make her specialty, maja blanca, as well as pichi pichi, cheese cupcake, cathedral window gelatin, and "Suzy Wong." Suzy Wong are deep fried bread rolls topped off with sesame seeds. Inside, there are strips of ham (or spam) and cheese. Mama would bring them whenever we would go on road trips.
In grade 5, I had a project about the Philippines. Mama made maja blanca, and I posted the recipe on my display board. I didn't attend the presentation in the evening; in the morning, I noticed that someone had ripped off the recipe from my display board. My classmate's Filipina mom must have really enjoyed Mama's maja blanca.
Jayson
Mama signed me up for drawing classes at Greenhills.
She also signed me up for computer classes at SM. The computer shop was called Compucenter. From what I remember, I was too young to learn the computer lessons, but I got accepted anyway. My favorite part was the instructor who would always let me play games for free. The stuff they taught us was too difficult for me, but I kept attending anyway—good learning experience.
I also remember: I took the class with Dexter, the son of Doris, Mama's good friend and Jovert's godmother. He only ever wanted to play games.
Delia took the picture on the left (I was getting ready for computer class).
Rosie
I remember Jen took piano lessons; she took them with Susan at the Yamaha store at SM.
Jayson
Right, Jen even had a recital downstairs at the SM stage. That's where they shot the game show Kuwarta O Kahon every Sunday.
Jovert
Mama never pressured me to do well in school or get "straight As." All she would ever say is "try your best." When I did poorly in math class, she would tell me math is hard and she wasn't good at it either when she was a kid.
I remember at the beginning of each school year, she would take us shopping for back-to-school stuff. Later on, once I was in high school, she would get Jen to go with me, but Mama would always foot the bill.
When I started at UBC, Mama bought me the messenger bag pictured on the right.
Even while I was in university, Mama kept giving me money to buy school supplies. She even continued to give me a monthly allowance and money for haircuts up until the month before I started my first real job at 24.
Jayson
If I think about it, part of Mama's personality is leaning on pessimistic or maybe disappointed realist. She was very protective of us when we were kids. Very generous and giving. She wanted to make sure we all got the good school supplies like bags, pens, pencil case, lunch box. She would often say: she wanted to give us everything that she didn't have when she was a kid. I didn't want much stuff; Mama just really enjoyed buying things for us.
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