Mother and daughter go to the mall
It's not just another day at the mall.
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It was the last Friday of my mom’s visit. In just four days, she’d fly back to China after spending a month with us in California. As her departure grew closer, I found myself wanting to savor every moment with her—not just the kind of time spent while I worked from home, but real, focused time together. So, I decided to take the day off and do one of our favorite things: a trip to the mall.
Here is what we did and what we ate.
We drive 25 minutes to the mall and find a parking spot right away. Our first stop is Ramen Nagi, my favorite ramen place in the Bay Area. I’ve never seen it without a long, windy line, but today, the line is shorter than usual—how lucky!
We order the Black King (squid ink), Red King (spicy), and chicken karaage. While we wait, my mom fiddles with the sesame seed grinder on the table, clearly fascinated by it. We chat for a bit, and soon the food arrives. My mom takes a sip of the broth. Her eyes widen, and she smiles with delight—a look I know well, reserved for moments when food truly amazes her.
'“How was it?” I ask.
“It’s incredible”. She says.
She wants to take the last piece of chicken karaage home to my husband, so she forbids me to touch the last piece of the chicken. Sometimes I think she is nicer to my husband than me. We pack up the leftover broth in a to-go container and the last piece of chicken in a smaller one.
We walk back to the parking lot to put down our to-go boxes before returning to the mall. My mom doesn’t like carrying food while shopping.
We head to Banana Republic to shop for dress shirts for my husband's work wardrobe. In just one week, all three of his shirts had given out in the same way—splits in the elbow area from frequent wear. We agree on a white one with dark blue verticle stripes and a navy-plaid one, but we argue over a light blue one. I think it’s classic and simple, she thinks it’s too plain and would make him look older. What you wear should only make you look younger, not older. If you can still wear it in ten years, don’t buy it now. That is my mother’s philosophy on fashion. We leave with the two that we both like, even though he still needs a third.
We walk by many shops and my mom keeps asking if I want to buy any new clothes. She thinks I don’t treat myself to enough of them. She tells me how, when she was younger, there were always outfits she deeply wanted to own. Now that she’s older, the desire for new clothes has faded. “Buy the clothes you really want while you’re young,” she says. “Don’t be too frugal with yourself—you might regret it when you’re my age.”
“I want boba,” I suddenly announce. After finishing a big bowl of ramen, the carb overload is finally hitting me and I need tea to wash it off. I order Jasmine Milk Tea with 25% sugar and regular ice. It’s Friday at 1:30 PM, and I’m the only customer. Three minutes later, my drink is ready. I take a sip—it’s too creamy. I hand the straw to my mom and ask her to try it. She takes a slurp and says, “It’s okay.”
I take her to Uncle Tetsu, a Japanese cheesecake chain known for its light, creamy cheesecakes. I order the original flavor and ask for utensils. She insists we should wait and enjoy it at home with my husband later tonight. I insist she tries it now, and she finally gives in. The moment the cheesecake melts in her mouth, she smiles like a child filled with pure joy.
We go to Lululemon. My mom keeps finding sports bras and leggings from the sale rack for me to try on. I oblige. Finally, I find a navy longline sports bra that I like and hand it to her, along with a pair of running shorts on sale for her to try on. “I’ve got enough running shorts”, she says. She buys the sports bra for me and looks satisfied.
We decide it’s time to leave the mall and head to Costco. On the way to the parking garage, my mom gets distracted by layers of thin chocolate bars mixed with nuts, neatly stacked by the shop window. She pulls me into the shop, and we spot a staff member holding a tray of free samples. I glance up at the sign: Läderach. We each take a piece from the tray and pop it into our mouths. The milk chocolate and hazelnuts hit my taste buds immediately. Instantly, we exchange surprised looks. “It’s so good,” we both say in unison. “Let’s buy one,” my sweet-toothed mom insists. So, I do.
As we head out of the store, my mom leans in and whispers, “Should we grab another free sample on the way out?”
“Let’s not,” I reply.
I wonder what people think when they see us: just a mother and a daughter wrapping up a typical day at the mall. But what they don’t know is that we’re thousands of miles apart most of the time, and days like this happen only once or twice a year.
I don’t take a single moment of it for granted.
For those who celebrate Thanksgiving this week, Happy Thanksgiving! I feel very lucky to have the space to share my tiny thoughts for another year. For anyone who has taken the time to read, comment on, and share my writing - thank you. Your support means so much to me.
This reminds me of the work from one of my favorite writers, Raymond Carver. Seemingly mundane details but such a wonderful, special read! Love it!
Treasure every moment with your mom! Those moments are never enough! 💕❤️