Father's Day

Father's Day started early for me, the mother. I went to the market early to get first dibs at the special boneless bangus. After having breakfast cooked, I had everything set up in the covered space in the front yard just to make things different and special.

By this time, the day's celebrant is up and appropriately appreciative. Halfway into the meal, the daughter remembers our "secret" and gives him her gift (which I bought) but which bears a card she made herself (at my prodding).

Daddy is feeling good about himself by this time and wants to take us out. He plans lunch around my daughter (of course, of course) so we set out for Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City to be near the Ark Avilon Zoo.

We decide to try out Il Pirata, an Italian restaurant whose facade resembles a pirate's ship. Daughter, however, is not impressed. So to make everybody happy, the mother walks under the heat of the noonday sun to the seat of fine dining and gourmet cuisine (McDonald's) for one Happy meal.

By this time, Daddy has over-ordered (once again) and we work at the meal like a pair of deck hands never to see land again. For this, he gets a Father's Day gift - a figurine of a pirate. Mother, of course, just gets fat.

We walk off the meal by going around the nearby mall, which is fine except that it's newly-opened so there really isn't much to see yet. But several restored cars are on display (it is Father's Day after all) so Daddy is happy. He doesn't mind being out in the sun as he peeks into the interior of the cars. In his mind, he settles for the blue mini cooper.

We finally go off to Avilon Zoo, a big building shaped like Noah's Ark. It's relatively clean although there's the usual smell of pee and poo (which I don't think you can avoid at a zoo). I had dreaded direct sunlight so I was glad everything was inside a structure. Best of all, the facility wasn't that huge so we didn't tire ourselves out trying to see everything. In fact, it didn't take much effort to see everything.

Daughter exhibits amazement over the tiger and lion and asks for her picture to be taken with some animals. She waits impatiently when Mother observes the mating between a male and female peafowl. She doesn't understand why Daddy and Mommy laugh at all the maya birds feeding on food that's set aside for the tortoise.

She points to an inflatable horse, but Mommy refuses her request. The horse, which looks like it has been on display since they started building the ark, is covered with dust and they don't have any in stock.

Besides, it's not her day. It's Father's Day.