Tuesday, December 27, 2005
THE POWERBARKADA - 8 LIVES. 10 YEARS. 1 BOND.
Mula pa nu’ng 1996 ay lumalabas na ang aking Powerbarkada tuwing December to celebrate Christmas. So nu’ng Dec 21, 2005, ikasampung na namin. How did we do it? I can only surmise.
1. WE ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN EACH OTHER’S LIVES. Hindi kami loose group of individuals na nagkikita-kita lang tuwing Pasko, magka-catch-up on each other’s lives pagkatapos hindi na naman magkikita-kita for another twelve months. Simula nu’ng magba-blockmates kami as freshmen sa UP College of Mass Comm, halos lagi na kaming magkakasama sa klase, sa enrollment, lunchbreaks at after classes. Ngayong may kanya-kanya na kaming career at lovelives, we still make it a point to get together as often as we can. Tuwing may okasyon o wala lang. Minsan may isang mag-o-organize para magkatugma-tugma ang sched. Minsan naman, kung sino lang ang puwede. Basta the point is, kahit gaano kami ka-busy, we take time out to drive/commute to wherever para lang magkita-kita.
Does this mean hindi na kami Powerbarkada kapag, say, may mag-migrate na isa? Siyempre, Powerbarkada pa rin pero siyempre iba pa rin ang closeness nanu-nurture ng proximity.
2. WE STAY IN TOUCH. Lumilipas man ang maraming linggo o buwan bago kami magkasama-sama pero hindi kami nawawala sa sirkulasyon. Nag-gu-group texting. Magbabalita lang kung nasaang lupalop ng mundo kami naroon o kaya magkukuwento ng nakakatawa/unforgettable experience. May limang taon na rin ang aming egroups na isa pang source of entertainment sa trabaho kapag nagiging makulit na ang hiritan.
3. NAG-AAWAY KAMI. Importante ‘to. Kapag nag-aaway kasi kami, nako-communicate namin what we feel is going wrong in the relationship – however big or petty it may be. More importantly, sinasabi namin ‘to with the desire to fix it. Hindi siya basta “Ayoko na! Hindi na’to magbabago! Hindi na lang kita kakausapin from now on!” Hindi namin tinatago ang mga sama ng loob namin sa isa’t isa. That way, naa-address siya at nalulunasan naman. Preservation of the Powerbarkada bale ang most important.
4. WE ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER’S INDIVIDUALITY. We maintain individual schedules and have other groups of friends. Nagiging mas masaya at interesting tuloy ang kuwentuhan kapag nagkasama-sama. And with all our other cliques alam naming top (or at least, one of the top) priority ang Powerbarkada. That is how we survived being split into Broad Ass and Samaskon in college, and GMA and ABS-CBN after graduation. Ina-acknowledge naming, before all these other labels, we are are friends.
And we support each other’s endeavours. Nu’ng sumali ako sa UP Mountaineers, nag-leave sa trabaho ang buong Powerbarkada para lang i-cheer ako sa aking 15K Test Run – complete with banners and leis, ha!
Madalas naming asarin si Val sa kanyang ostentatious fashion sense pero that is not to make her conform to how we dress up. Happy nga na iba siya, eh. At least laging may aasarin hehe.
5. WE HAVE FUN. Yes, nandiyan ang closest friends para dumamay sa mga mabibigat na problema. Pero, essentially, we keep coming back to each other kasi masaya, eh. Kapag magkakasama kami, lagi kaming nagtatawanan, naghihiritan, nag-aasaran. Nakakaimbento pa kami ng mga genre ng jokes. Chemistry na’to. Sometimes magje-gel ka sa isang group, sometimes hindi. Suwerte nami’t nahanap namin ang mga individuals na ka-jive namin talaga. Hindi na namin pinakawalan.
6. MAKE TRADITIONS. Our annual Christmas get-together is one. Nagsimula siya 1996 pa. And every year, nag-e-effort talaga kami na maging present dito. Nakakakalbo ang pagtutugma-tugma ng mga schedule namin pero worth it naman. Tradition na rin namin ang ilibre ang buong Powerbarkada para i-introduce ang bagong boyfriend. At after ng dinner, grilling through text kung saan i-te-text namin ang mga questions sa bagong jowa sa isang moderator na siyang magbabato ng mga tanong. Traditions kasi ‘yung mga bagay na kayo lang ang nag-o-own kaya nase-strengthen ang bond.
7. WE NEVER LET LOVE GET IN THE WAY OF FRIENDSHIP. Sa sampung taon, nariyan na rin ang nagkagustu-gusto kami sa isa’t isa. Walang nagkatuluyan. Pero I’m proud of the fact na we’ve remained friends despite that kind of love that has destroyed so many friendships. We acknowledged our feelings. We talked it out. We allowed each other to grieve. And we waited out the storm until finally matatabunan ang romantic feelings at heartbreaks. Lilitaw ang mas matibay na friendship.
8. WE ARE EACH OTHER’S FANS. Malakas kami maghiritan at mag-okrayan pero alam ko na we have a deep, profound respect for each other. Kaya nga kami Powerbarkada kasi naniniwala kami na bawat isa sa’min powerful. Mayabang kami pero hindi kami nagyayabangan. Proud kami at masaya sa achievements ng bawat isa. Ang bawat promotion, award, papuri, milestone na makuha ng isa, pakiramdam namin nakaka-add din sa’min.
9. WE THINK LONG-TERM. Nu’ng college we’d fantasize about having powerlunches once we start earning. Hindi namin namalayan, nagkatotoo na nga. Hindi namin pinag-usapan na “Friends forever tayo, ha” pero on a certain level we wanted our friendship for each other to be for keeps. Naramdaman kasi naming rare ang samahan na namumuo among. At kung parang kisap-mata lang ang paglipas ng isang dekada na magkakabarkada kami, I really look forward to more milestones in our friendship ahead.
10. I WOULD LIKE EACH OF THE POWERBARKADA TO INSERT HIS/HER OWN TIP HERE. CCCRSTV, PLEASE…
1. WE ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN EACH OTHER’S LIVES. Hindi kami loose group of individuals na nagkikita-kita lang tuwing Pasko, magka-catch-up on each other’s lives pagkatapos hindi na naman magkikita-kita for another twelve months. Simula nu’ng magba-blockmates kami as freshmen sa UP College of Mass Comm, halos lagi na kaming magkakasama sa klase, sa enrollment, lunchbreaks at after classes. Ngayong may kanya-kanya na kaming career at lovelives, we still make it a point to get together as often as we can. Tuwing may okasyon o wala lang. Minsan may isang mag-o-organize para magkatugma-tugma ang sched. Minsan naman, kung sino lang ang puwede. Basta the point is, kahit gaano kami ka-busy, we take time out to drive/commute to wherever para lang magkita-kita.
Does this mean hindi na kami Powerbarkada kapag, say, may mag-migrate na isa? Siyempre, Powerbarkada pa rin pero siyempre iba pa rin ang closeness nanu-nurture ng proximity.
2. WE STAY IN TOUCH. Lumilipas man ang maraming linggo o buwan bago kami magkasama-sama pero hindi kami nawawala sa sirkulasyon. Nag-gu-group texting. Magbabalita lang kung nasaang lupalop ng mundo kami naroon o kaya magkukuwento ng nakakatawa/unforgettable experience. May limang taon na rin ang aming egroups na isa pang source of entertainment sa trabaho kapag nagiging makulit na ang hiritan.
3. NAG-AAWAY KAMI. Importante ‘to. Kapag nag-aaway kasi kami, nako-communicate namin what we feel is going wrong in the relationship – however big or petty it may be. More importantly, sinasabi namin ‘to with the desire to fix it. Hindi siya basta “Ayoko na! Hindi na’to magbabago! Hindi na lang kita kakausapin from now on!” Hindi namin tinatago ang mga sama ng loob namin sa isa’t isa. That way, naa-address siya at nalulunasan naman. Preservation of the Powerbarkada bale ang most important.
4. WE ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER’S INDIVIDUALITY. We maintain individual schedules and have other groups of friends. Nagiging mas masaya at interesting tuloy ang kuwentuhan kapag nagkasama-sama. And with all our other cliques alam naming top (or at least, one of the top) priority ang Powerbarkada. That is how we survived being split into Broad Ass and Samaskon in college, and GMA and ABS-CBN after graduation. Ina-acknowledge naming, before all these other labels, we are are friends.
And we support each other’s endeavours. Nu’ng sumali ako sa UP Mountaineers, nag-leave sa trabaho ang buong Powerbarkada para lang i-cheer ako sa aking 15K Test Run – complete with banners and leis, ha!
Madalas naming asarin si Val sa kanyang ostentatious fashion sense pero that is not to make her conform to how we dress up. Happy nga na iba siya, eh. At least laging may aasarin hehe.
5. WE HAVE FUN. Yes, nandiyan ang closest friends para dumamay sa mga mabibigat na problema. Pero, essentially, we keep coming back to each other kasi masaya, eh. Kapag magkakasama kami, lagi kaming nagtatawanan, naghihiritan, nag-aasaran. Nakakaimbento pa kami ng mga genre ng jokes. Chemistry na’to. Sometimes magje-gel ka sa isang group, sometimes hindi. Suwerte nami’t nahanap namin ang mga individuals na ka-jive namin talaga. Hindi na namin pinakawalan.
6. MAKE TRADITIONS. Our annual Christmas get-together is one. Nagsimula siya 1996 pa. And every year, nag-e-effort talaga kami na maging present dito. Nakakakalbo ang pagtutugma-tugma ng mga schedule namin pero worth it naman. Tradition na rin namin ang ilibre ang buong Powerbarkada para i-introduce ang bagong boyfriend. At after ng dinner, grilling through text kung saan i-te-text namin ang mga questions sa bagong jowa sa isang moderator na siyang magbabato ng mga tanong. Traditions kasi ‘yung mga bagay na kayo lang ang nag-o-own kaya nase-strengthen ang bond.
7. WE NEVER LET LOVE GET IN THE WAY OF FRIENDSHIP. Sa sampung taon, nariyan na rin ang nagkagustu-gusto kami sa isa’t isa. Walang nagkatuluyan. Pero I’m proud of the fact na we’ve remained friends despite that kind of love that has destroyed so many friendships. We acknowledged our feelings. We talked it out. We allowed each other to grieve. And we waited out the storm until finally matatabunan ang romantic feelings at heartbreaks. Lilitaw ang mas matibay na friendship.
8. WE ARE EACH OTHER’S FANS. Malakas kami maghiritan at mag-okrayan pero alam ko na we have a deep, profound respect for each other. Kaya nga kami Powerbarkada kasi naniniwala kami na bawat isa sa’min powerful. Mayabang kami pero hindi kami nagyayabangan. Proud kami at masaya sa achievements ng bawat isa. Ang bawat promotion, award, papuri, milestone na makuha ng isa, pakiramdam namin nakaka-add din sa’min.
9. WE THINK LONG-TERM. Nu’ng college we’d fantasize about having powerlunches once we start earning. Hindi namin namalayan, nagkatotoo na nga. Hindi namin pinag-usapan na “Friends forever tayo, ha” pero on a certain level we wanted our friendship for each other to be for keeps. Naramdaman kasi naming rare ang samahan na namumuo among. At kung parang kisap-mata lang ang paglipas ng isang dekada na magkakabarkada kami, I really look forward to more milestones in our friendship ahead.
10. I WOULD LIKE EACH OF THE POWERBARKADA TO INSERT HIS/HER OWN TIP HERE. CCCRSTV, PLEASE…
# posted by rey agapay @ 7:52 AM 
