The Biggest Barkada Ever

I've had so many friends in the past years. These friends included the "so-called" kind, the "real" kind and the "all kinds of everything rolled into one" kind. But after a while of thinking(and serious self-debating), I made a list of those whom I consider the BEST. Let me enumerate all of them and explain why they all rock:

1.) Tricia. Probably the wackiest of all my friends, she's been with me since the 2nd grade. She is and is still continuing to be the one who shares most of my pain and sadness and ALL of my laughter. She's also the one in my "gaylords" photo. Like normal best friends, we have fights and misunderstandings. Yet, I have no doubt that when I am old and gray, Tricia will still be there being the totally wacky friend that she is today.

2.) Stephanie. In the 5th grade, she was a new pupil. I found her a bit rebellious and totally eccentric yet little did I know that we could get along so well. Most of the things we love to do are gossiping(admit it-it is completely satisfying to talk about the latest classroom scandal), making secret languages and talking about the most random stuff. Whenever I need someone to tell a secret to, I know that Steph will always be there ready to lend an ear and a tight-lipped mouth.

3.) Renee. Though I would love to say her nickname here, I also hate to betray her trust. Renee was the one I could talk to about one of my favorite interests, MUSIC. We pretty much listen to the same genre of music and obsess over the same bands.Oh yeah and did I mention that she makes balancing being a straight-A student and a music-lover look totally easy? Although she has transferred schools, I know that when I need a companion to the next FOB concert, Renee will always be one call(and 04C jeepney ride) away.

4.) Kate P. I thought Kate P. was downright mean and cranky. She was known for picking fights and being VERY frank. But when my 5th grade Homeroom teacher asked me to be seatmates with her the last thing I expected was to be her close friend. I slowly came to realize that Kate P. wasn't mean at all, she was just misunderstood. What was known for fights was actually her defending me and my other friends. What was known for being VERY frank was telling off mean people to stop picking on her friends(a.k.a. me and my other friends). While being tough is no mean feat, Kate P. knows how to be real and has this habit to keep me from getting my head stuck in the clouds.....a habit which I will forever be thankful for.

5.) Chrysilla. Whenever I'm ready to unleash my kikay and girly side, I can always count on Chrysilla to be there. From fashion advice to make-up tips, she taught me how to look my best and act the part too. And the thing that makes her one of the best? Being the updated chick she was, she also introduced me to Friendster and YM which I so totally love. She's already in another school but she still remains close to my heart.

6.) Meg. While I have Chrysilla to unleash my kikay side; I have Meg to unleash my rowdy, boyish side. Since Meg excels in Taekwondo, she has a knack for girl empowerment. She totally opposes to stereotyping(I can so conform), and believes that girls can do boys' sports too(I'm right at yah gurl!). I love that I can talk to her about anything because she is a great listener while I am a big talker.HAHA. The greatest thing I learned from her is this: "Always be yourself and be proud to be a girl!"

7.) Kate L. Known for being witty, Kate L. is a very smooth talker. She'd make a valuable team member when it comes to debates. She's always known the right answers to everything and if you try to fight her, you end up speechless--and powerless. And being very much experienced in life, she shares with us the mistakes she has made and the lessons she has learned. My being weak in defending myself is not exactly a secret, and I'm glad that Kate L. is there helping me out to be prepared for the real world. And being one of those girls who go home at 6, she's been a constant companion and I know that she'll always be there like PERMANENT glue--sticking 'til the very end.

8.) Trixie. Admit it, all of us get angry when someone suddenly butts in when you are doing something? But you can never get angry when it's Trixie. Instead you double over and laugh. Trixie is known for being "a fly"(haha), talking nonsense and being constantly clumsy and careless in our midst. Yet, Trixie is also a great friend. Underneath that tomboyish exterior is a friend who willingly listens and gives advice. Even people from outside our barkada go to her from comfort. Aside from her great friend skills, she can easily be trusted with secrets.

9.) Dawn. Okay, not to be bragging, but people laugh at my jokes a lot. But nobody laughs as gaily and cute as Dawn does. Known in our circle as the "CUTE" one, Dawn loves to dance and knows a lot of songs. Her cuteness can also be compared to a blue teddy bear(she loves blue) because when we're sad, she's always there to cheer us up. With her funny antics and her obsession over Chris Evans, she instantly brightens up our day.

10.) Raunice. Nobody screams "UNIQUE!!!" louder better than Raunice does. She has her own attitude, her own style and her own ways. We both love Candy mag, that's for sure and did we mention that we love GOSSIP GIRL and AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL too? Raunice's life story is touching too, as she relays to us how her parents got the big "D". She made me realize that I should love and obey my parents despite their flaws and misgivings.

11.) Krisha. You've probably heard of the song,"Low",right? Then what you don't know is that Krisha is the girl in our group who first heard of that song. And soon it spread to the whole batch. And being Dawn's bff, she entertains us with funny antics and first-hand gossip. The 2 of them entertain us with (off-key)singing and dancing. But one thing is for sure, when there's a song that I like but don't know the title, Krisha will surely know about it.

12.) Karla. Many people know that joking and having fun are two of my favorite hobbies. And my partner in doing this is Karla. I can relate to her "kakulitan" and her "pagka bugal2xon". It's also no secret that in our circle of friends, Karla and I are the first ones to have boyfriends. So, the best moments we share together are those wherein we swap stories of kilig moments we have with our boyfriends.

13.) Jon. Sure he may be the only boy in this list but he's the only guy(aside from NJ) whom I can understand the most. Our bonding time is usually profile chatting and flooding each other comments in Friendster. But one thing I really appreciate about him is that when I have a problem, he is always concerned and does his best to help. Plus, he's trustworthy so you can tell him all your secrets. Oh and yes, Jon is short but he definitely has good personality.

14.) Chandra. It's common knowledge that teens today are x-rated but not as x-rated as Chandra. Chandra may be a year younger than me but she knows a lot of random facts about life. She can tell me juicy info and she makes an entertaining companion. When I'm with her, I can talk about anything under the sun.

15.) Kathleen. Kathleen may be last in the list but she is definitely not the least. What makes Kathleen different is her ability to look at the bright side. Although there are times when she tends to give up, she turns for me to help. I know that she will always be there for me and accept me,flaws and all.

So there you have it. My chock-full and seemingly entertaining list of friends. Though I probably think you gave up reading this somewhere in the middle, I appreciate your efforts in reading this. I know some of you might say that I trust too many, so let me make this clear for you: Life is sweeter when shared with a friend or in my case,Life is MORE sweeter when shared with MORE friends.