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.

Adios to my OLD SELF!

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!

A Single Step Forward

Just when everything seems to go wrong in your life, you can’t help but wonder, where are all those carefree and uncaring days? The times when my biggest problem was just when I forgot to make my trigo assignment or left my lab gown at home. Yes, indeed when I’ve lost everything that matters to me (after our break-up), it took me three months to regain my strength and gather my thoughts. I had to watch movies from the ’90s just so I’d be able to recall what it was like to be happy BEFORE I met HIM. I had to dug out some grade school and high school and college memories and even listen to Sunday music on radio just so I can bring back the happy-smiling-carefree Vanina that I know of. In a desperate effort to move on, I focused on my childhood and teenage years where I didn’t have any concerns regarding my messy love life! I think it worked! I just woke up one afternoon (since I sleep at day time now) not feeling the same kind of pain that I used to have. I’m not saying that I have fully recovered from the break-up, but I guess the good thing about it, is that I’m not crying anymore. Crazy as I am, I even tested my own strength; I listened to those break-up songs again that used to really make me cry, and even dared to look at his picture. The pain is still there, but it somehow became a memory and no longer a reality. A not so distant memory hanging around my head. I guess if I really wanted to successfully move-on, I just have to let go of the memory. I have to be honest, I’m not a superhero, so I still can’t say tahtI have forgiven him or that I’m whole again. All I can really share for those who stood by my side, is that I think, I have successfully taken a single step forward. Guys and gals, pray for me that I won’t take two steps backwards! Lol… and thank you so much for being there for me when I need you most. You already know who you are, I don’t have to name names. I’m just grateful for all the support and never ending bitch-slap that you gave.

<for those who doesn’t know the history… please look for the entry “A Sad Cinderella Story”>

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.

Karma — In its Most Brutal Form!

Have you ever experienced a scenario where in you’re to choose between two people (guys), or boyfriends to be straight forward? Then you pick the second one (or the latter one) just because you thought that you wouldn’t be looking for ANOTHER boyfriend if everything was indeed perfect with the CURRENT or the first boyfriend… and then, a year after, you found out that the person you picked was actually not the RIGHT one…

I know I might be talking in riddles and since I’ve been known as a very open and straight-forward person, I’ll give out the whole story according to my end.

About, uhmm let’s say, almost two years ago, I was experiencinga delimma wherein I had to choose between my boyfriend and a new guy that I’ve met at work (and had eventually slept with – to cut the story short). The delimma ended up with me deciding to leave my boyfriend (for almost 4 years) just so I can be with this new guy… The new guy did became my 3^rd boyfriend and our relationship lasted for a one year and nine months.

Anyways, back to the the second boyfriend first (the one that I left). When we actually confronted each other (since we were on a long distance relationship, it took some time before we got to talk to each other in personal – and time enough for me to actually make-up my mind regarding the relationship) Jojo acutally cried in front of me and begged me to choose him because if I did, he would marry me even if something did happened between me and the other guy.  But since I’ve already made up my mind, I said “NO” and bid him goodbye for the last time: changed my numbers and totally lost contact with Jojo even until now.

About two months ago, Rowell (the guy that I picked) broke up with me because “he fell out of love…” as he says. Now, I feel like what its like to experience KARMA in its most brutal form. LOL for me. 

It’s Been Two Months

It’s been two months already since my boyfriend broke-up with me. A lot of things have happened. I’ve transfered here in Cebu for a change of environment… no familiar places and no familiar faces… at first, my efforts of trying to move-on seems to be working faster than I thought. But there are times, specially when I see him texting or chatting  with Sam (our common friend whose here with me in Cebu right now), I can still feel the pain which as always — leads to tension headache and even vomitting due to nervous breakdown and depression. I tried to fight self pity and the feeling of having my spirits pulled down. Most of the time, I’d say I’ve been successfulb. But sometimes, I just couldn’t help it and I end up crying and fretting over the failed relationship. I can’t really say that I have successfully moved-on, but I really am trying… I know there’s no hope between us at all. All I’m praying for is that I’d be able to forget him and his stupid cellphone number so that I’d stop texting him every time I feel depressed or even at times when I’d missed him so much… I don’t want to begged him anymore because there’s no use. HE DOESN’T WANT ME, and I have to accept that fact… Whatever his reasons may be, it still boils down to that particular statement “HE DOESN’T WANT ME ANYMORE!” Somehow, THIS is my reality and I have to face it.

I don’t want revenge or any hopes of a love-lost-love-found kind of story. I just want to be able to say that I AM OVER HIM… But I just don’t know if that time will ever come. I’m becoming more and more impatient with myself because I really just want to get over the guy but then every time I think I’ve been successful enough, ONE SINGLE memory of what we had before would actually ruin my resolved and I’m back to begging and crying again.  I don’t want to hear his name or be reminded of him in any way what-so-ever. I just want to FORGET him and FORGET THE PAIN. I just want to be numbed every time I’m reminded of him, but so far, this never really happened. At times, when my friend would talk about him, I still feel like there are a thousand knives running into the very core of my heart, cutting so deep that it just might not stop bleeding at all…

Sometime, I wonder, would this feeling ever end? Or am I going to end up with a bitter sweet memories for the rest of my life? It’s been two months but I still can’t say that I am OVER him, and I’ve done virtually everything that’s morally possible so that I could move-on. I guess the only thing I haven’t really done is get into another stupid relationship which I know would just be another disastrous chapter of my life. I guess I’m just really curious if there’s indeed a step-by-step solution (just like in calculus or algebra) that would actually give me an assurance that if I follow every single step, by the end of it, I’d be able to say I REALLY AM OVER HIM.

i’m now letting you go…

http://shanonjade.i.ph/blogs/shanonjade/2008/07/22/believe-me-when-i-say-the-celine-dion-version/

BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY — THE CELINE DION VERSION!

July 22, 2008

It’s Hard To Say Goodbye  (Play)

Celine Dion - Paul Anka
There’s something in your eyes that’s far too revealing
Why must it be like this a love without feelin’
Something’s wrong with you I know
I see it in your eyes
Believe me when I say
It’s gonna be okay

I told you from the start I won’t be demanding
I won’t be demanding
If you have a change of heart I’ll be understanding
I’ll be understanding
When love becomes a broken heart and dreams begin to die
Believe me when I say
We’ll work it out some way

I’ll never try to hold you back
I wouldn’t try controlling you
If it’s what you want
It’s what I want
I want what’s best for you
And if there’s something else that you’re looking for
I’ll be the first to help you try
Believe me when I say
It’s hard to say goodbye

We’ve lost that loving touch we used to feel so much
I try to hide the truth that’s in my eyes
The love without feeling
But when I feel we’re not in love, I know I’m losing you
Believe me when I say
We’ll work it out some way

I’ll never try to hold you back
I wouldn’t try controlling you
If it’s what you want
It’s what I want
I want what’s best for you
And if there’s something else that you’re looking for
I’ll be the first to help you try
Believe me when I say
It’s hard to say goodbye

Don’t say goodbye

If it’s what you want
it’s what I want
I want what’s best for you

I’ll never try to hold you back
I wouldn’t try controlling you
If it’s what you want
It’s what I want
I want what’s best for you
And if there’s something else that you’re looking for
I’ll be the first to help you try
Believe me when I say
It’s hard to say goodbye

I’ll never try to hold you back
I wouldn’t try controlling you
If it’s what you want
It’s what I want
I want what’s best for you
And if there’s something else that you’re looking for
I’ll be the first to help you try

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When I first heard the song over the Internet, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to replay it over 10 times consecutively! I didn’t care what the others would think… I just went gaga over the sadness of the song. 

Reflection: I’m in a relationship right now… which, I’d say, this is the happiest days of my life. I’m contented and I’m happy. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or if tears would fall by the evening. All I can feel is the here and now. When I heard the song, I got scared… If the time does come when I have to say goodbye to him, I wouldn’t know how… I don’t know if I can give him up… I wouldn’t know what to do if he gives me up either…

“When there’s so much happiness in a relationship, the more it gets scarier for us to think of the future.” As much as we would like to make our partners happy, even if its at the expense of our own happiness, there’s this inner voice that says, you just have to hang-on as hard and as tight as you can — to this person who is the source of your happiness. “If its what you want, its what I want… I want what’s best for you.” On the outside, individuals would normally say that when she or he is faced with the situation when there’s no other way but say goodbye. But we all know that deep inside, our hearts are crying out — there’s got to be some other way… to compromise… to save the relationship… and for those who are yet at the peak of something gloriously romantic and utmost happiness, thinking of that certain time and that particular word is the scariest part when it comes to risking your heart. Some couples make it to the altar, some just end up with tears on their pillow… All I can say is… GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!

I wrote this blog July 22 of last year. This was the time when I was so much in love with my boyfriend, I was even scared of what tomorrow might bring. However, he did say goodbye last March 4 of this year. For whatever reasons, you’ll find it in another article. Now, as I’ve read this again, in a different view, because I’ve just lost the person and I started to doubt my faith in God when it comes to happiness. I’m afraid to be happy because of the pain that might actually serve as payment for those precious moments of happiness. Sometimes, I’d like to tell my heart NOT to fall in love again but I guess it’s beyond my control now. I’ve cried too many times, and now, I am yet again crying because of another LOVE lost. Indeed if you take a risk on LOVE, you would definitely need all the LUCK in the world to actually make it come true and make it work all throughout.

Loving is a risk… and I wish I never took the risk at all.