The Barkada Outing Attendance

Summer isn’t over and there are still places in your bucket list you need to visit on the next coming weekends. Bags are packed, Summer destinations are set, gadgets fully charged, and the day will never be complete without your friends! This is gonna be one amazing summer vacation because the officials of the team are present. And I’m sure, if your Barkada’s officials are present, every minute of your adventure’s gonna be great.

Since the outing is not a “drawing” anymore, let’s start naming these “officials” before hitting the beach. Here are the Barkada Outing Attendance.

Super Gran – The oldest, the most sensible, and the leader of the group. Super Gran is the grand daddy, the big brother, the final say, the one responsible for the actions of his best pals. He’s often the party starter and the house owner where the Barkada will round up before going out-of-town.

The Joker – He’s the life of the party. He will start everything with a punchline. A simple smirk and everyone will laugh. The group is dead without this guy. Everyone will agree and he won’t to crack a joke. Every time he talks, you will expect a joke following it. It could be a green joke, a smart joke, or a serious one but you will still blast a giant laugh because you thought it’s funny but it’s really serious.

DJ – This friend of yours has the most loudest speaker on her phone. Often a young and stylish lady, this girl have watched every single music video on the topic. She also wears earphones on her neck playing music in 100% which sounds like 75% of your phone volume. Her playlist could be chaotic but she knows which are reggae, kpop, mellow, and rock.

The Thinker – The serious type. This guys spends his journey sitting on the back seat. He could be the one among the group that isn’t laughing when the joker starts to talk that’s why most of the time getting roasted by the joker. He might be quiet but he is a very important person in the team. Days before the outing, you’ll see Super Gran talking to this guy for suggestions and recommendations. An adviser.

Baggage Counter – We sometimes call this guy as ‘Brando’, a wight-lifter, athlete, tall, dark and handsome hunk. The tank of the battle party. He will gladly accept the favor of carrying the excess bags of the ladies. He’s the selfie stick of the group because he has long arms. He can also also piggy-back everyone who’s tired except,

Fridge – the most heavy-weight among the group. He’s the sumo wrestler, she’s the ‘Babe in the City’. This person carries big bags of food but always getting worn-out carrying them. As heavy as real fridge, but reliable when you need an emergency snack. I don’t why but whenever the Fridge is a woman, she’s around 5’1 or 5′ flat in height with 25 or 26 of foot size which is the main reason why these guys always fell when the group is doing a mile hike.

Photographer – It’s always important to bring a camera when going out-of-town but the best camera is nothing without the skillful photographer. He takes picture of everything. Friends, landscape, sea shells, neighbors, skeletons, etc. He’s your friend who’s carrying a distinct bag that he often covers with his body when it’s about to get hit, or raising on the top of his head with full strength when walking on a 3-feet water. He has this expensive camera that costs his college semester tuition fee and he’s gonna die protecting it.

The Cat – The person who shouldn’t be here in the first place. This particular member of the group was just in school an hour ago and now spending a summer vacation with you guys in a remote island miles and miles away. That’s right, she’s currently snorkeling wearing her school uniform. “Ikaw, san aabot ang vacant mo?”

Counter-terrorist – Or sometimes called “Terrorist” depending if he looks like a Taliban. He’s the combat expert. The group’s security guard. He wears camouflage all the time. You can’t actually tell whether he’s going for a tour in an island or the battle zone of Scarborough Shoal. He carries flashlight, army knives, taser, probably a concealable pistol with live rounds in case of real trouble.

The Rich Kid – The Rich kid is wealthier than any of your family wealth combined. Even wealthier than Super Gran. This kid’s so rich if it isn’t it a government property, she’ll purchase it (Or maybe that’s exaggerated). She’s rich, alright? She” join the adventure with a big space on her bag -for souvenirs of course. She might be techie with gadgets she bought online a week ago for the trip. She doesn’t brought much since she can buy what she needs on the area. “I’m sure there’s a store there somewhere.”

Jail-bait – The youngest but look like the same age with Super Gran. The first girl to be approached by the flirts. Her oldest age is 17 but look 28 on her 16. If she approached you, you’ll get jailed. If you approached her, you’ll get jailed. Plus a kick on the face by Brando. That’s better than NATO rounds, right?

Tour-guide – If the tour guide is one of your friends, I’m sure this person have reached many places with the big chance that he already visited your next destination twice. He knows the area and you guys will never be lost as long as you have this walking Dora’s Map. He blends in with locals as if he  grew up with them. He speaks and understand 9 local dialects in the Philippines even if we have only 8. But his monthly travels made his skin very dark because of sun burn which helps him look like one of the locals. I’m not a racist but inside a Barkada, there’s always that “well-done” friend.

And now that the officials of Barkada are all aboard, let’s hit the beach!

By SnowWhite

The Truth about Friendships

“Some friends gladly stay, some move away. Some come and go, but their affections grow. While some, I recall, are not friends at all.”

― Primadonna Angela

Admit it! You’re busy. So busy that sometimes you forget to feed the goldfish or put on your left contact lens. And after a lengthy work week, it can be difficult to gather the energy to go grab a drink with a girlfriend or head to see that band you’ve always loved. Maintaining a healthy social life is a must, but you don’t have to waste your precious post-employment hours on those “friends” you don’t really need around. And then, time will come you’d ask “If these friendships are so great, why don’t they last?”

There are no formal commitments in any friendship. People become friends in an instant, rather than through a legal ceremony, and their relationships can be ended without giving any reasons why. This is both what makes friendship so remarkable and yet frustrating. And, admit it or not, there comes a time when other relationships take priority over friendship. In an ideal world, you can balance all your relationships, from your friends, to your kids, to your parents. In the real world, there are many times when your family needs you and as a result your friendships suffer.

In order to survive, friendships need to be flexible. There should be proper nurturing of friendships. Communication is very important as what is needed in other types of relationships. However, on the lighter part, it takes a special set of friends that can say to each other “I don’t have time for you now” and then go back to where they left off when the crisis or family time eases up.

The problem is that by its very nature, people tend to be emotional about friendships. When a friend puts you second, it hurts. It also leaves you with the feeling of unimportance. Furthermore, you’ll think about all the times you put that same friend first, and you’ll feel resentment.

Moreover, one of the most common reasons great friendships don’t last is because our lives are constantly changing. Besides, having a new set of companions or a new set of activities, makes us different. Events and circumstances change people. We change, they change.

We may share experiences with our friends like getting married or having children but there might be differences in the way you will be looking at life after. Unfortunately, change means a new ground that can draw a wedge between friends, even if their friendships are seemingly good at the surface. Friendships might be temporary at times but each friend you meet may add a lasting lesson in your life. Enjoy your friendships for what they are and for however long they remain in your life.