Define the BEST. Define FOREVER.

Let this be the longest friend file that I will ever make.

High School became the pivotal point of my life. I held my belief that I am the captain of my own ship, that no one can navigate the steering wheel for me. Same belief was applied to choosing my friends. I would not sugarcoat just to make my friends appear like they're the friends our parents would want us to have, because they're a little more and a little less than that. I have to admit, a lot of people have told me that I could do better in choosing whom I want to share my time with. And all the time, I would just tell them, I think I have already chosen the best. Yes, they don't push me to study harder nor do they tell me to do my homeworks but at least they don't ask me to stop from doing an assignment if I want to. When it comes to grades, we let each other be. Do as you please, I say. Our bond was rooted from our same love for risky adventures. The type that can send us straight to the principal's or the discipline chair's office if ever caught. How often did we find ourselves looking for these adventures, you may ask? Every single day of our 4 years in school.

The most prominent figure that pop in my mind when High School is being talked about is TRIBO. (Click here if you want to see the quick run down of my High School life.) Our first few months in 1st year has clearly defined who we are and who we want to be with. You see way back in 1st year, in a class of around 37, there were only 2 groups: one which is composed of 12 girls and the other which was, let's just say, against the first. We were young and so we were impulsive. All we ever thought of was how we could have fun, regardless if it was at someone else's expense. We didn't care if our adviser hated us, even after she divided the class into three as Angel, Middle and Devil and sent majority of us into the Devil side. We didn't care even if teachers started noticing our group, reprimanding us to their hearts' content. We didn't even care if the higher batches see us outside the classrooms, when the rest of our classmates were inside. Plainly told, we did not care.

 

In 2nd year, we were separated into 3 different sections. And by then, EJ Velasquez has left and transferred to another school. Though she was sorely missed, the mischief wasn't deterred. The principal, Sr. Marissa, had memorized not just our faces but also our names. We were, as she put it, frequent customers of her office. We decided to continue doing some of the things that we have done before, only to a more devious story: gallivanting around the campus instead of hearing mass during the Marian Vigil and 'buying' books from the annual book fair. These have been proclaimed as traditions. It was also in 2nd year when we put our make-teachers-mad antics to a higher level. We called it 'cutting of TV wire' ;)

 

Pretty sure, Jerone was planning to do something to Kushali again. Hmm

3rd year was EPIC! Though Charlene Dacara had to transfer to another school and another member left, the atrocity and the mischievousness doubled. It was, I'm sure, the best year ever.

While Jer, Riva, Vary and Gel distract these people in charge of the bookfair, others do what they have to do ;)

Then came 4th year. Compared to 3rd year, we were already tame this year.

In some days, we would be absent altogether.

Ms. Froilan - our discipline chairman and also the only teacher who loved us so much! She's my favorite too

College is proving to be a challenge. Not because we don't have the time to meet with each other anymore but because we can't seem to resist the call of cutting classes just to be with each other. Habits die hard. And so are the cool kids ;) these are the latest pictures of TRIBO:

 I never claimed to have 'good' friends. But I can say I got myself a bunch of crazy but sweet friends who are always ready to leave anything behind at my beck and call. (I know you'll be seeing this. I love you, guys!) :)

Friend Files: The Good Influence

"A friend is someone who will always be with you through thick and thin."

When I talk, she listens. When I whine, she understands. When I'm sad, she makes me happy. When I smile, she instantly knows why. When I shout in frustration, she makes sure everyone can 'hear' my anger. When there's a homework, she reminds me to do them. When I do something wrong, she covers up for me. When I'm late, she signs the attendance paper for me. When I failed to do what I have to do, she does something to remedy it. When someone badmouths me, she sticks up for me. When I start a fight with someone else, she fights with me. When I'm losing all reasons to go to school, she tells me things that can get me back on track. When I'm becoming impatient, she becomes too kind, so kind that I would rather laugh at what's wasting my time than continue wishing for that something to evaporate. When I'm losing faith in myself, she reminds me of things that can make me thankful for (no false humility intended). But when she tells me to shut up, I shut up.

Everything she does results to something that would benefit me. With her, I feel like I have to do the right thing. That I have to be able to distinguish what is just from what I think is just. That I have to be the better version of myself. And oddly enough, she made me realize I love doing the right things. That there really is an appropriate time for everything :)

She is Kristina Chan.

Friend Files: Sisterhood

Oftentimes, you would meet someone or sometwo whom you could easily bond with. Just a mere look on them, you'll easily say that you guys share a lot of things in common. Say, you have the same taste in clothes, or same ill feelings towards another person, or same negative comments on the things that are happening around, or the same insecurities that no matter what, you will never reveal to someone outside your group of three. It takes one to know one, they say. For me, those someone or sometwo are in the persons of Hannah and Lina. Perhaps we've started becoming friends because of negative reasons. But the friendship remained and got stronger because of positive ones. Every now and then though, we have these special cases of love-hate relationship. Can't live with them, can't live without them. We're normal persons, yknow! :))

Whenever I need food for my thoughts, I meet up with them. And when we're together, we end up always in a heated debate, someone uses her loudest voice, someone opposes the other person's arguments, and someone confirms what the other has just said. But seldom do we play the same role again. From apocalypse, to possibilities outside our galaxy; from ukay finds, to the most expensive clothing or jewelry; from what we think is our strongest trait, to our most hidden insecurities; from the politics, to religion; from the ways in getting higher grades, to the ways that could probably lead to our failure; from our past, to our future - everything under the sun, and beyond, we talk about. And when we discuss things, we consider all possibilities. More often than not, when everything has been said and done, we find ourselves amazed at how informative and well-thought our opinions turned up to be.

I intentionally blurred this last photo. The more decent ones will be uploaded on saturday :)

No one, absolutely no one, has the right to make them cry. Only I have that special right :> I enjoy exercising this right, just so you know.