The FRIENDSHOPPE GIRLS Official Website!

There’s always this certain stage in a girl’s life were BOYS are simply not part of it. A certain stage wherein you all hang-out with your girl friends with a big sign that says BOYS ARE OFF LIMITS! As for me, it was the FRIENDSHOPPE GIRLS that got me through that stage. The age wherein you’re not yet a teenager but you definitely can’t wait to become one. I was 12 by that time and I could remember being at school with Helen, Sheila, Lore, Diane, Kristine and my best friend, May Ann. We openly hated boys and I guess we believed that those boys were afraid of us (to say the least). We dominated the entire school and teachers couldn’t do anything to stop us because we were one of their best students inside and outside the classroom (or so we believe it was that way). Not necessarily a teacher’s pet, but then we can’t be their enemies either because we were on top of each and every school program. Helen was class president and each of us had our own co-curricular organizations to handle and boss around with. I’d say, in Liceo de Cagayan (grade school) batch 1997 was indeed about the FRIENDSHOPPE GIRLS. 

Looking back at those time, it was all just a simple kind of friendship. The Friendshoppe Girls were the school’s version of the Spice Girls and SHIGJAPPEXD were the Backstreet Boys. I’m pretty sure a lot of people would disagree with me or would maybe say that its so “badoy” or “old-school.” But 15 years ago, Spice Girls and Backstreet were the hottest! You have to admit that one! I guess its just part of child development to form idolatry and even imitate popular artists.

Anyway, the FRIENDSHOPPE GIRLS has finally decided to tie some loose ends of the knot and finally come into terms that we were more than just a girl group at our time. We managed to survive 15 years of being close friends and thus, we decided to come up with a website. As a commemoration of all those wonderful years that we’ve spent together. I’m proud to say that the Friendshoppe Girls made it through thick and thin.

New Moon - Twilight Saga — Trailer

NEW MOON! What can I say? Everybody seems to be talking about this movie. The trailer itself was fantastic! Taylor-Lautner as Jacob (the wolf) looks good enough to eat with his new haircut on the movie! Of course being a wolf would also mean showing some skin and muscles, and girls, take my word, HE really has something to show! But of course, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is like the icing on the cake with his brooding-I’m-in-love-with-you kind of look. He’s so delightful (and I mean, yummy!) as well. The trailer somehow gives you a certain kind of thrill, without really revealing the whole story itself, which is quiet effective because it triggers people’s curiosity and imagination, by the time the movie comes-out, everyone is about ready to jump into the nearest movie house!

I guess the only thing that I’m not so thrilled about NEW MOON is the part where Dakkota Fanning plays as the villian JANE. I’m a huge Dakkota Fanning Fan and, I feel like the role that was given to her does not bring justice to her success in the film industry. I’d have preferred Dakkota as Bella. 

But all-in-all, I’d still say, NEW MOON is probably the most awaited movie for this year!

STOP! by Spice Girls!

I’m not gonna be traitor to my generation, so I’m not gonna deny that I did love the SPICE GIRLS during my high school years. Loved their songs more than Britney’s! Anyway, what you can see on the video is one of their performances during one of the Victoria’s Secret 2007 fashion shows. The song is entitled “STOP.”

I personally believe that the song gives encouragement to women; to take control of the relationship or take control over their men. Not to a point wherein they’d be selfish  and domineering but rather just making sure that the guy won’t be able to dominate over a girl’s heart and just leave her with nothing after he’s had his way. It’s also a song that tells the men that what women really want is true love and not just passion or lust. Any woman can say “No, thank you!” if she feels like she’s no longer getting the respect that she deserves from her man! Why should she hang around, when the guy couldn’t actually make her happy anymore? Even though the line between keeping one’s heart and dominating over the relationship is too thin, there’s still a very big difference when a woman is just showing him that she does love him, and when she’s already jeopardizing her self-esteem because she’s been wallowing over her man. 

The Spice Girls did show the ’90s what a woman can actually be, given the right attitude!  

Biyahe Tayo - I’m Proud to be a Filipino!

Featuring various 21 Top Filipino Artists!

Five Exciting Recording Days!

ONE Song!

About ONE GREAT COUNTRY!

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OK! I don’t want to be a spoil sport regarding the Kathrina Halili sex scandal, but guys, can’t we please try to air something which we can be proud of when we say, “I’m a Filipino!”? We certainly don’t want tourists and foreigners to remember the Philippines as a country full of sex scandal videos, awful politics and bad governance, don’t we? I don’t want to sound patriotic but I’m pretty sure there’s more to the Philippines than what we can see on the news. There’s so much more that a Filipino can be proud of!

Take this song for example! BIYAHE TAYO! Now there’s a happy song regarding the beauty of our country! YES, it is a patriotic song but somehow its not a song of oppression or war just like “Lupang Sinilangan” by the ASIN  or Freddie Aguilar’s “Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas”. Sure! EDSA revolution was great history, but we’ve already surpassed those times, so why not try to somehow awaken one’s patriotism in ways that we really do become proud of this 7,107 islands!

“Biyahe Tayo” is a song that features great tourist attractions, excellent native delicacies and amazing Filipino talents! The song was sang and produced by 21 artists (legendary in their own times) namely, Lea Salonga, Sharon Cuneta, Freddie Aguilar, Rey Valera, Rico Puno, Joey Ayala, Apo Hiking Society, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Jolina Magdangal, April Boy Regino, Jessa Zaragoza, Paolo Santos, Nina and Rico Blanco of Rivermaya for the vocals. Then we have John Lesaca, Joey Ayala and Jong Cuenco for the instrumentals.

So, below is the lyrics of the song with corresponding artists on each line. You may also watch full video and try to sing along with our truly talented kababayans. I’m sure you will also feel light headed, relaxed and free from everything. When I heard this song, it made we want to pack my bags and just simply jump on a boat so that I could see all those beautiful places they were talking (singing) about!

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BIYAHE TAYO!

Tara na, biyahe tayo (APO Hiking Society)
Mula Basco hanggang Jolo (APO Hiking Society)
Nang makilala ng husto (APO Hiking Society)
Ang ating kapwa-Pilipino. (APO Hiking Society)

Halika, biyahe tayo, (APO Hiking Society)
Nang ating makita (APO Hiking Society)
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas (APO Hiking Society)
Ang galing ng Pilipino. (APO Hiking Society)

Nakisaya ka na ba (Rico Blanco of Rivermaya)
Sa Pahiyas at Masskara  (Rico Blanco of Rivermaya)
Moriones at Ati-Atihan  (Rico Blanco and Rico Blanco of Rivermaya)
Sinulog at Kadayawan?  (Rico Blanco and Rico Blanco of Rivermaya)

(Back-up Vocals by Nina)

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Amidst all the bad controversies either in Showbusiness or in Politics, this song is what keeps my head held up high when I say,

“I’m proud to be a Filipino!” 

Homesick! I miss Cagayan de Oro!

They say that you don’t really see the beauty of something not unless you’re looking at it from a distance or not unless you’ve already lost that something. Somehow, I can relate to that now. Since I came here in Cebu, I’ve been to malls, churches, beaches and different cities and towns but nothing, and I mean NOTHING can really bring that feeling of ease and familiarity that I always get back home, in Cagayan de Oro City.

For one thing, pineapples here are so small and damn expensive! It made me laugh when I actually saw it. I could just remember all those rotten and humongous ones that we have back in Puerto! What a waste! You can barely see fruit stands here and if ever you did, you’d be scared of the prices. Bananas goes by P 50.00 per kilo whereas we can just have it at P 5.00 per “tapok” (which normally contains about 5-7 pieces per bunch). Fuji apples that they’d sell for P 12.00 in CDO would cost at about 30 to 50 pesos here in Cebu. There are so many kinds of fruits that we can easily find in Cogon or in DV Soria which we can’t find here in Cebu at all! Marang, star-apple, rambotan, mangos, cantaloupes, lansones, chico, hey, I could go on and on here. Oh, and I’d hate to admit it but I even miss the funny smell and sight of durian (lol). Fruits are simply expensive here and its of poor quality as well!

Pirated DVD’s here are not really DVD copies; I guess it’s what we’d call as cinema copies back home. It’s like P 75.00 each (for a single movie), which reminds me of the 3-for-P 100.00 set that we can get across McDonalds in DV Soria! Not that I’m promoting piracy of course! I’m just comparing prices, lol.

I’ve also looked everywhere for kwek-kwek here. Grrrrrrr! I couldn’t find any at all! I so miss eating kwek-kwek, siomai and bopis! You know, those foods that we’d normally buy and simply eat it standing by the sidewalk near the XU campus? I even miss the buy-one-take-one burgers which would seem so “sumo” at the time when I was still there in CDO, which also goes with Persimmon’s baked siopao by the way, a very common snacks for all of us Kagay-anons. Also the barbecues here aren’t the same with what we’d call “alacart” during night cafe or what our very own Butcher’s Best and Barbebue Station can offer. But, among all others, the food that I missed the most that I can’t find here in Cebu is the shawarma of ORO SHAWARMA! Makes me want to scream when I had foolishly bought shawarma from a “whatever” store here! It’s just not the same! They placed shredded carrots on it! Could you imagine?! Tsk tsk tsk. I almost asked them if they’d come to Cagayan de Oro with me so that I can show them what the real shawara is like!

Also, being in Ayala or the Parkmall isn’t just the same a lazing around the four wings of Limketkai Mall. Trying the beaches in Lilo-an or in Macatan, does not bring about memories of high school and college team building days at ROAN and MARVELLA. Walking around Colon is not as exciting as threading on the entire length of DV Soria from Xavier University Main Campus to the Amply Theater. Being in Mango Avenue isn’t the same as singing and dancing to your heart’s content at Loretos or any KTV bars back home. Even the notorious Carbon only made me miss Cogon Market even more.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the places here in Cebu are great in its own way, yet somehow, I believe that there’s nothing that could compare to the familiarity and peacefulness of our very own CDO. I believe there’s only one place in the entire universe that I can call home, and that’s CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY.

to the one who broke my heart

Dear Mu,

I may not fully understand your reasons and your actions why you broke my heart and ruined my life. Everything you say right now, would mean nothing to me but stupid and lame excuses coming from somebody who doesn’t want me anymore. I am not trying to ask for another chance this time. I’m done begging and I’m done crying (almost). You wanted to enjoy YOUR LIFE with YOUR FRIENDS and you said you realized you’re not ready for a commitment to a girlfriend. (Ladies, please beware — he’s sooo sweet — you might actually think its true!) You decided to end the relationship without even telling me that we have a problem. You just went cold and you treated me as if I wasn’t there at all even though I sacrificed sleeping during the day just so I could be with you.  But when you left, I didn’t have MY FRIENDS to turn to because I lost them when I was so busy devoting my life to you.

I may not understand why you were so sweet and  caring before, then all of a sudden — you changed! Coming from you, it seems like its all my fault… Selosa ko and gaka sakal kasa akoa. I think that’s not TRUE… because I’ve never really changed my ways with you… My text messages for “good morning, i love you, plese take care always…” or “naka uli naka?” are just messages which would assure me that you’re safe and that you’re ok. In a way, I feel like I’m already with you if you tell me what you were doing. But you resented the care and love that I offered. You resented everything about me. I know that. I saw it in your eyes. You were also ashamed to introduce me as your girlfriend to your friends and most specially to your family. You would actually ask me to go out from the cafe and stay somewhere else just because your family is coming… But I still turned a blind eye and deaft ear towards everything. I knew you never loved me. I accepted that fact because I was happy enough that you were letting me love you and care for you. I was even happy just watching you play those stupid computer games.

My mom trusted you and my family accepted you. Even though I couldn’t spend time with my own family anymore, they understood without really asking questions. They trusted you not to break my heart or leave me with nothing for myself at all.

I knew this would actually be a one way street. But I was praying and hoping that some day you will learn to love me as well. I guess God’s answer to my prayer is NO… I may not be the right girl for you… but I am the only girl who’s willing to love you unconditionally. Without any promises of the future, I was happy just being with you. All I was asking for is that there should be “no other girls.” I guess this is part of the reason WHY you left me… I know you still want to explore with the opposite sex. I was never enough for you. Thinking that you might have someone else is like torture. Its killing me slowly and painfully.

Yes, I still miss you… I still love you… and I will leave this city (even though I love Cagayan de Oro so much) just so I can give you the freedom that you’re asking from me. I PROMISE YOU, and I always keep my promises, when and after I leave the city, you won’t hear from me ever  again and you can pretend I’ve never existed in your life at all. I don’t know if I’d be able to start a new life or pick up the pieces of my shattered heart, but I know you don’t care at all about this. So I’ll just have to be strong enough to survive on my own. I just know that I have to leave because I don’t have a reason to stay… I MADE YOU MY LIFE… and you took everything away when you said goodbye.

I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for. I will always love you… for the rest of my life.

Goodbye,

van

A sad Cinderella Story

  pobre manko - datu siya…my cinderella story didn’t come up with a happy ending… i guess this is what you call REALITY!

So just like another unhappy Cinderella story. I’m left alone sweeping the shreds and pieces of my life and my heart… 

Ponder on some quotes

WELCOME TO CONCENTRIX!

WE PASSED TECH TRAINING!!!

Below are photos of team OZARK during our technical training under Synnex Concentrix. I just want to say, “I’m so thankful for having you guys as my teammates!” Training wouldn’t have been twice as much fun if it weren’t for you people! And of course Sir Marvin, Sir Cloyd and Ma’am Bel who made as feel sooooo welcome.

Kudos to SIR MARVIN and Team OZARK !

Text-Based Dota [Web Dota]

For all those DOTA LOVERS out there, here’s an alternative way of enjoying your beloved game while sitting on your office chair and dreaming about winning another match with your playing buddies.  It’s text-based dota!!! Just something you can actually alt+tab in the office computer… Hahahahah.. Visit the website and register now!

http://webdota.net/