Percieved Empowerment between Gal and Boy

I was shopping with a married couple on Saturday.. The conversation below was transpired during a short 10 mins trip to the nearby supermarket.

Act 1:
Gal: Boy, go go get some snacks that you'ld like.
Boy: Like what?
Gal: Anything, just choose anything you want. =)

Boy happily picks some selection of tidbits. When boy is almost done, gal turned to him and apparently bewildered by the selection and started commenting about this and that. At the end, boy returns all his selection to the shelf and muttered "I thought you said I could get anything I want..."

Act 2
Boy: How about these? I thought you like this?
Gal: No no, go get something you want. Get something sweet for yourself.
Boy: Like what?
Gal: Anything anything, just choose anything you want. =)

Boy looks at a big bottle of dried prunes. Probably thinking that it is a good healthy choice.
Holding a big bottle, he asked with a brim on his face "How about this?" Gal immediately shoot back "Cannot la, you just recovered from your stomach upset." Gal's attention immediately diverted to the raisins on the upper shelf. "This is better" she said. He wanted the big packet, she preferred the small packets. They ended up with the pack of small packets.

Act 3
Gal: Boy, go go get something savoury for yourself.
Boy: Like what?
Gal: Anything anything, just choose anything you want. =)

As usual, boy happily picks some stuff while the gal will somehow wonder to some other aisles to look around. When boy is almost done, gal came back to him and once again, in her most gentle manner, would begin to comment and comment and comment and comment (i'm amazed by how much she can talk her way through) such that in the end, boy would willingly return everything in his hands to the shelf.

Finally, gal chuck her own selection of tidbits into boy's hands.
And boy mutters "As long as you like it".

****

Boy whispered to me that he wanted to write a paper on Perceived Empowerment. Little did I realise that Act4 will continue on Monday night when I was with the couple again.

Act 4:
Gal : What do you want for dinner?
Boy: Let's have Roti Prata =)
Gal : Ah? Your stomach just recovered la... ok which Roti Prata? NUS? Clementi?

After a few mins while driving in the car..
Gal: What shall we have for dinner? I don't think I'll eat Prata.
Gal: What shall we have for dinner? I don't think you should eat Prata.
Gal: What shall we have for dinner? You just recovered from an upset stomach.
Boy: How about Jap?

After another few mins while driving in the car..
Gal : What shall we have for dinner? Japanese, Sushi ah?
Gal : What shall we have for dinner? Sushi, raw food ah?
Gal : What shall we have for dinner? Raw food, Your stomach just recovered leh..
Boy: I'm fine with anything..

After another few mins while driving in the car..
Gal : What shall we have for dinner? What do you think ah?
Gal : What shall we have for dinner? Do you like some porridge?
Gal: How about some porridge?
Boy: Ok..

Upon reaching the porridge place.
Gal: Ok, boy, you choose 2 dishes. Pet, you choose 2 dishes. I'll choose 1 dish.
I "worked" together with gal to choose the 3 dishes. This time round, without asking gal's opinion, boy immediately told the hawker the 2 dishes that he wanted. Obviously the 2 dishes that boy had chosen was to the dismay of gal. But this time round, boy got his way. "You said i could choose 2 dishes right?" boy told gal with a innocent smirk on his face.

"Perceived empowerment" boy whispered to me.


I really wonder...is this some sort of game that is played between the sexes? =p oh, by the way, just a reminder that the couple here is already married. =p