A: 5 FRIENDSHIP HIGHLIGHTS with BEBI J (more photos to be uploaded on the update) :)

Okay, so the original scheduled topic was for me to write things I know about bebi J that maybe most of you don’t know yet. I think it was a nice idea. But the only problem is I already did that on my blog entry on her birthday week, remember “SHE’S ALL THAT”? I know I can go ahead and just list some other facts about her, but instead, I’d just like to highlight the (currently) top 5 most memorable moments of our friendship. How his crazy friendship started, the most fun moments in between, and how I have come to consider the friendship I share with her as the “best”.

As most of you may already know, bebi J knew each other since we were freshies in college. Well, I can say we were more of acquaintances then than friends. We never really did share any “special moments” during those times. But the things that happened during the latter part of our freshman year and the beginning of our sophomore years led into two crazy unica hijas to become closer than they ever thought they would be! 

1.      Harbour Square

It all started here. A couple of drinks with Jaz (I used to address her with her nickname before I started calling her “Bebi J”) and another friend gave birth to a really special friendship. The things we talked about, the seats we took, even the bar we went to are all very vague to me now, but I do remember how much we laughed, how long we all just sat there and talked, and how much fun we had. And this bonding started the “bebis”. I became bebi A, Jaz became bebi J, and another friend became bebi G. I think it was the work of the jejemon inside all of us! Haha! But I remember these "bebi" names were from me, so does that make me the most jejemon of the three? Hahaha!

It was that night that showed me the crazy, hilarious, and fun side of bebi J, and that makes me so glad I went out with them. I wouldn’t be friends with her if she was dull, or so proper, and all goodgy goody anyway. Haha!

Harbour Square is a compound of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops at Roxas Boulevard, Manila Philippines. It's really relax aura makes it a good place to hang out and chill with friends. If you're lucky, you may also find yourself shopping in the bazaars that from time to time are set up in the area.

2.      Enchanted Kingdom

It’s not only magic that’s here. For me, it’s also fun, friendship, and good memories. I honestly have a smile on my face right now as I type this. So many really funny memories are rushing in. I’ve visited this amusement park 7 times too many, and nothing would compare to the time I visited it with bebi J with our friends from an organization in college.

I am not one you can take to amusement parks and expect to make the most out of the entrance fee. That is simply because I do not really like extreme rides, I’ve never been on one. The most extreme I’ve tried was EK’s Jungle Log Jam and that was with bebi J and another friend. I remember how scared we all were, but I most specially remember how much we laughed while in the ride.

We were all crazy scared about the ride, and we were caught off guard on our first fall. We knew there was going to be a second and bigger one next, so we anticipated and encouraged each other to scream to let out the scary feeling. We did attempt to do it, but we somehow lost our voices and breaths halfway and ended up screaming after our ride has landed. Hahahaha! It’s not as funny when I type it here as it actually is being there, but I guess you'd need to bring a crazy friend with you and ride in an extreme ride for you to find out how it would feel. 

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Enchanted Kingdom is an amusement park located at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It has been long considered as the Philippines’ Disneyland. Though it may not have Mickey, Minney, and the rest of the gang, it does have lots of rides you can choose from. They cater to the extreme ride enthusiasts, children, and even those who prefer it "safe" since they are positive they would pee halfway if you put them in any free-falling ride.

3.      David’s Salon (ExcelLANCE 2008)

Now, had today been 2008, I wouldn’t even think about including this in my entry. And since it's already 2013, I don’t think bebi J would hate me anymore if I share this to the world. And to her mom, tita Ning, bebi J didn’t mean to do it. She was a good student. :D

Bebi J and I were too concerned about our look for this annually-held awards night of our department in college that we went to a Salon to have our hair and make up done on EXAMS WEEK. I wasn't worried at all because I already took all my examinations then, she, however, still had one left; English. We both thought that since the people who would attend to us are pros, we’d be done in no time. We have not been so wrong. Well, the person who attended to me was quite fast, but it was a different story for bebi J. It took her I think about an hour and a half longer for the person who attended to her finish her loose curls. I can remember the look on her face as she almost every minute checked her phone for the time. She was going to be late for exam, she was positive about that. But she still hoped that she will be able to take the examination.

We rushed back to campus right after we paid for the rather disappointing service we had been offered, and yes, she was 30 minutes too late for her exams. And yes, she didn’t get to take it. So after a few minutes of breaking down and wondering how the future would look like for her now that she missed to take one exam because of some lousy locks, she decided she's just going to make the most out of her pretty hair. We then prepped and enjoyed the night.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion about the service given to us. I’m sure some other people would love to go back to David’s Salon for their service. Just not us.

Note: And also, bebi J was allowed to take special examinations! Yaaay!

4.      The filming of Lihim ng Dapit Hapon

Now I think it’s not just our friendship that grew stronger during this period. We made really good friends with many other people while filming this short film. I see this as one of the highlights of my friendship with bebi J because making an indie film is not at all easy, but getting to work with a friend who also is very responsible and hard working lessens the pressure and stress on the set. She was tasked to handle the wardrobe, hair and make-up of our stars and she did just that flawlessly. She was very coordinated and was always on time. She made sure she kept track of what was going on and was aware of what was needed to be done next. I guess, I can say, I saw the grown up and professional side of my best friend during the 3 days of filming.

Can you spot bebi J?

Lihim ng Dapit Hapon is a short film written and filmed by 4th year AB Communication Arts students of Colegio De San Juan De Letran Manila (Philippines) as part of their final examination for film class. The story is about a guy who has deep affection for a woman who can never look at him the same way. Their love story will shock anyone who will watch the film.

5.      The making of BLAAAH

I have always wanted to start my own blog account, but never really tried to create one. Until one afternoon, I told bebi J that I think it’s a cool idea if we can start a joint blog account. And she agreed! It was a really funny, creative-juice-draining, and even scary month of preparation we had. We would talk almost for an entire day just to try to come up with a name to call our account. And just for you to have an idea what kind of crazy stupid ideas we came up with, here are some of the names I can still recall:

>     Pizzaz gurlz (from bebi J’s mom)

>     The bestfriends code

>     She said she said

>     What best friends know

>     Autonomous Region

>     Our autonomous region

>     Our autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao (Hahahahahaha! If you don’t get it, then you’re probably not from the Philippines. But just FYI not trying to make fun of any group of provinces nor religion. )

>     BLAAAAAAH

Now after I think two weeks of trying to figure out what we will call ourselves, we went into planning what topics to write. What is the tone of our blog entries, which topics we can and cannot discuss. And now, you are reading mine! :)

I have not yet even included that time when bebi J had too much to drink on a night out with girl friends that when we got back to our dormitory, she wouldn’t stop talking about this particular guy. And she really hated that guy! Well, at least when she's sober. Haha! Or that time when we skipped classes just to well, slack around and do nothing. Or that time when I flooded our entire dormitory with water. Well, not so much fun, but still, an experience. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am really happy and blessed that I have spent all my years in college with her. All the trials, the hardships, the happy times, the i-am-so-near-to-selling-my-roommate moments, and all the crazy times. She has made me the crazier person I am now. Haha! And I thank her for that.

And I do agree with what she wrote about me not being her best friend. That bitch isn’t my best friend too! Haha! She really is my sister. We may argue, bitch out on each other, disagree strongly on so many things, but in the end, we still love each other.

- Spread the love! - A!

A&J: No valentine? No problem!

It’s not everyday that we get the chance to spend time together and shop. So this month of love, we made sure that we get to set a date for bonding, shopping, and a whole lot of best friend time!

We both love to shop for clothes, hair accessories, shoes, among many other things that shout “I’m pretty!”, but unlike when we were in college, we don’t get to bring along our girl friends anymore to shop with us and judge our choices.  And we know for a fact that having someone on the next fitting room ready to check how the dress fits you is always helpful on deciding whether or not an item is worth losing a few bills in your wallet. So we were both excited to know that we will again get the chance to shop like how we used to do it; together. We didn’t waste any second while we were together. All the chika and all the shopping we did. Legen… wait for it… dary! :D

Before proceeding with the main event of the day, we first filled our sexy bods with some delish dishes from Conti’s, and of course, what else for dessert but MANGO BRAVO.

We visited SM Makati, The Landmark, Greenbelt malls, and Glorietta malls on a Monday. Why Monday? We both do not enjoy shopping in crowded places (this only applies to bigger malls, we both love Divi and Greenhills) so we met on a Monday!

We both didn’t have anything specific we’d want to purchase. We touched and tried everything that caught our eyes. We bought quite a number of small items and of course, some clothes. It’ll be too many (and not to mention too boring) if we share with you, friends, all of the things we bought, so let us show you our top 3 favorite purchases from our best friend Valentine's date.

Bebi A:

AAAWWW:  Bebi J can do her make up really well. She can transform herself from very chic, to rock and roll diva, to “I’m an actress who doesn’t know how to act” (Haha! She did a Kristen Stewart make up before).  Bottom line, she knows how to handle those brushes and palettes. And she sure looked nice when we met at Greenbelt; made me wonder if she forgot it was only ME she’s dating that day.

So since I was with her, I took that chance to have her help me choose the right lipstick for me. She gave me some really nice suggestions on which shade I should use, and which brands I should go for to get good quality lip stick. I went for Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suade in Cotoure shade.

 The stick itself is more pink than red, but once applied gives you a reddish tint. A light dab gave my lips my desired natural-looking reddish/pinkish look. And it really lasts. The sales person didn’t lie to me when she told me it can last up to 16 hours. Lips still reddish after you have brushed your teeth, is that good or bad? You be the judge.

I LIKE: I stopped by at The Landmark a few days before bebi J and I went there. On my first visit, I saw this lacy dress that I fell in love with. I fit it, and it looked good on me (Yeah, you read that right :D ), but I didn’t buy it. But when Bebi J and I saw it again on our visit, I immediately asked for a new stock, and purchased it. Her remark, “Bi, this will look good on you.” gave me THE push.

This corset top dress will go well with a nice earth-color boyfriend jacket and closed heels for a more chic corporate look, and of course, can be worn alone plus some bright pumps for a date with the boyfriend. This baby all for a very cheap price of Php299! And I know a dress like this will cost me around $40-$50 in Singapore. Money well spent!

I SUPER LOVE: There is one difference between Forever 21 Orchard Exchange (Singapore) and Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines); I have never gone to the former with my best friend. I have found myself wandering around Forever 21 in Orchard way too many times, but never have I purchased a single thing. There was just nothing that enticed me to buy anything, not even the ones I really liked (it happens to me a lot when shopping alone, for added proof, refer to the lacy dress story at The Landmark again). But when we got to Forever 21 SM Makati (Philippines), I just went mad over some shift dresses. And this time, I didn’t just fit dresses, I actually bought the one that I liked.

 And I just love how this shift dress can make me look longer than 5’1”. I also bought some half nude half red pumps (Parisian) to go with the dress. I feel very Audrey Hepburn-ish in the outfit. Oh! And let me just add, I’ve already worn this in the office, and I got compliments from almost everyone, including the big bosses. Made me feel so puhreetey!

Bebi J:

AAAWWW:  I am on the plus side of the fashion spectrum, and though they have a plus size section in The Landmark, the choices are still limited and kind of outdated, so I wasn’t able to buy new clothes from Landmark, but I was more than happy to suggest some cutesy dresses for Bebi A. We also bought some super cute and colourful mini hairclips to hold our fringes! Because every lady with fringes knows that it can get really irritating sometimes. ;D Then we went to the mall’s ground floor and that’s like a slice of heaven for me; MAKE UP counters everywhere!!! I immediately switch my make up sniper vision on and located VMV Hypoallergenics to buy “Skintangible Faintation: Skin Refining Skintelligent Non-Makeup”! I love VMV so much! In fact I am using they’re whole “Re-Everything” skincare line!

 

 
(L-VMV Hypoallergenics' Skintangible)
It is a skin brightener and it’s like a foundation but it’s not. It’s so light on the skin and it already has an SPF! I use this to achieve the dewy skin effect, not oily. It just gives the face that healthy glow!

I LIKE: And then we head on to my favourite high street boutique here in the Philippines; Forever 21! I made my way to the Plus Size section right away and found this very nice blouse top and a Navy-inspired black striped dress.

I purchased both of them, but I really like my new Navy dress. I’ve been looking for a dress like this for quite some time now. I love how its simplicity paired with a colourful skinny belt can remind me of Paris or if you match it with a black belt, you automatically can rock an Adele inspired look!

 
I wore this with a black skinny belt and my Tory Burch Black Jelly Reva Flats, and then Voila! A date night or night-out-of-the-town-with-friends look! Or, exchange the flats with red stilettos for a more vamp and sophisticated look.

I SUPER LOVE: And, then after a long day of shopping in Makati we went to the SM Mall of Asia to meet up with some college friends for dinner. On our way to the resto, we saw this store called Club Princess, a very cute store which has a lot of, well for the lack of a better word, princess things, feather boas, pink and everything cute! I found this zebra print headboard that is shaped like a crown with pink ribbons across it used to hold notes or pictures and it is the cutest thing!

I have been looking for something like this for quite some time now as well. I even tried to DIY this but, obviously, I failed immensely. LOL. I love having pictures or memorabilia of my loved ones by my bed that's why I put so much positivity in this board plus it's really cute so a +1 for my room's aesthetic! ;)

That day couldn’t have gotten any better! Food, Shop, and Chika! What else can two female best friends ask for on an ordinary weekday?! And we cannot even begin to describe the things we will do to get that kind of bonding again. Obviously, one day isn’t enough for all the cute items we can get our hands on. But though it’s just one day, we’re glad we had that chance. Who knows, maybe our next Vday date will not be in the Philippines anymore? ;)

 

J: BEING NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth)

Well, what about being that NBSB girl?

Oh, how about that?! Being one, myself at 23, it gets kind of sad at times. (READ:  I hate to start on a depressing note right here, but believe me it will get better.) It makes me think of what have I been missing by not having a boyfriend, it also makes me think if I have already missed out on my chance to find the right guy. Hoping and sobbing while watching romantic movies because I still don’t know how that kind of love really feels like. Just sitting, wondering will I ever find one. That John Mayer song—“A Love Song for No One”, that is how it feels sometimes. The feeling of being left behind while almost all of my friends are being pursued by amazing, and sometimes not so amazing, guys and then on to having a relationship of their own makes me want to burst out to this song most of the time;

“I could have met you in a sandbox
I could have passed you on the sidewalk 
could I have missed my chance and watched you walk away?
I'm tired of being alone so hurry up and get here 
I'm so tired of being alone so hurry up and get here”

But then, this feisty woman inside me pulls me back to reality as I drift away to “pittyville” once more. And then I will just realize again how many girls my age would envy whatever I have right now. Just how many girls my age could say that they are so thrilled to know how it feels like to be pursued for the first time? Or how that first date feels like? Or how does a first kiss feel? That certain feeling of not knowing and the excitement of having something to look forward to, these are just some of the things I could still get a hold of to. And, I know I am not alone!

I know I am not the only one in this world who feels like a loser sometimes just because I or she still doesn’t have had any relationship yet at this age. Just realize that maybe we bloom a little later because we’re not supposed to have a BOYfriend, we are meant to have a MANfriend J I always say this to whomever is asking me why I still don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t intend to offend anyone by saying this, “I don’t have a boyfriend because I am that one time big time girl”, and they will ask me what I meant and to which I will answer defiantly, “I am not the kind of girl who got to have tons of boyfriend to prove my femininity, I am the kind of girl that will be ready for the man I will spend the rest of my life with, wherever he is”

I wish my statements here wouldn’t be taken the wrong way, I really admire ladies my age that’s able to sustain a long-time relationship and I am so happy for all of you! But, just thinking of all the possibilities and adventures yet to unfold in my life, it’s just amazing!

Let me share a little story. Back in college it was my conscious decision to not be involved with anyone or even entertain any kind of woo-ing, that was a pact I made with myself, but I’m just a girl and I’ve had my own share of extreme crushes, platonic friendships and ultimate heartaches. Being heartbroken over a relationship that never really existed is the worst! And, I’ve been through all that. I was never and ever will be perfect, but I have embraced these imperfections and just accepted the fact that it is part of life. I have to be hurt every once in a while for me to be stronger, better and much more prepared for whatever life and love throws my way. I would not go into details; instead I will share how I got through it. And, it was never easy; it took time, sleepless night, bucket of tears and ample time of recharging my self-esteem.

Here it goes:

·         First, acknowledge that what I am trying to get over was never really there. That it was only me and I should be alright for myself.

·         Second, go through the pain, but never for too long.

·         Third, go out with friends and have fun.

·         This may sound cliché but the fourth step is to continue living. I might’ve gotten a haircut or something just to have another fresh beginning but other than that, all I did was, I continued to live. I moved on and nothing feels better than that J

So, to that guy who I am yet to meet in my life, I would just want to let you know that I am here still preparing myself to share my first hello, my first “can we have coffee sometime?”, my first date, my first ride home, my first love with you J I hope to cross paths with you when I am done being a girl and are already an independent lady. I will never lose faith of finding you or you finding me as soon as we both are ready to embark on this wonderful journey called LOVE.

Make everyday a day filled with love, life and laughter!

-J (020113/12:27AM)



P.S. May I suggest that you play this song by Jordin Sparks, it's called "Worth the Wait" and be inspired. This has been my anthem since college an it really helped me get through some stuff and a fool-proof feel good song. I am wishing it will do the same to you ;)