derpinsel.com - pixels, stories and texts by angela solis

On friends

Nung 2006, tumambay lang ako kila Cheree. Nung 2007, lumabas ako with my female single friends.

This year, feeling ko wala lang akong gagawin. Since marketing ploy lang naman ang lahat (although masayang makatanggap ng bulaklak), might as well magtipid at mag-stay sa bahay. Mag-aaral na lang ako, ha ha ha!

No, seriously this year, I’m writing an entry for my friends here in Winnipeg, tutal, kung tungkol na rin lang naman sa pag-ibig ang February 14, might as well write something about the people that I love.

I think ilang beses ko na ring nasabing lumaki ang social network ko sa university when me and my friends established UM-Sigaw. There’s no denying that. I mean, the fact na mas naging close kami ni Tristan (na nataong high school batchmate ko dito) noong nabuo ang org is something na achievement na rin in a way. Habang lumalaki ang org, dumadami rin ang kakilala ko, and so on.

I was talking to a friend over the phone earlier and I was telling him na siguro, partly the reason why na masaya rin sa org is because yung mga members, more or less we have the same life story. In the sense na marami sa aming immigrant, and we get to experience (and tolerate?) the same shit (masyadong mahaba at personal why we ended up with this topic, but suffice it to say na nasagi namin yung topic about peers and looking for people you can relate/talk to). Madami sa mga nakilala ko sa org ay mga “homegrown” so more or less the same values and principles in life. I mean, hindi lahat, but may common ground kaming kinatatayuan.

Of course, while I do get to talk to everyone naman, and I am the type of person who always voices out one’s opinion (kaya nga ang dali kong basahin eh), I only talk talaga to a selected few people in and out of the org (I have a guy friend from U of W na nakakausap ko about weird and random stuff). Sila na yung nakakaalam ng mga mas totoo pang nasasaisip ko. Most of them, ka-age ko. Kasi feeling ko in as much as I am friendly and talkative and whathaveyou with everyone, may ilan lang talagang nakaka-relate sa sinasabi ko at nato-tolerate ang pagka-twisted ng pag-iisip ko.

So ano ang point ko? Ang point ko is, my life, hindi lang sa university, pati na rin ang buhay ko dito sa Canada in general, has become more colorful, more exciting and more meaningful because I have my friends. Okay, sobrang cheesy na talaga nito, but seriously, I think na sobrang bleak at walang kuwenta talaga ang buhay dito (well, medyo uh, dim pa rin ang tingin ko about things, he he) pero medyo na-overcome ko yung sobrang negativity ko because there are people around me. We all share the same stuff, more or less, but at least, it feels comforting to know na it’s okay to get by and do the things that I have to do because there are people who believe in me. Actually, the idea that there are people beside me is enough for me to try a bit more and have a positive outlook in life.

Before, nagkaroon kami ng game in which we get to ask our friends/fellow members about stuff like family, love, friends, etc. Napadaan kami sa topic na within the lines na “ano ang pinagkaiba ng friends mo dito sa Winnipeg at sa Pilipinas?”. Nakalimutan ko na yung eksaktong sagot ko, but parang ang sinabi ko yata ay well, iba kasi. Especially dito, feeling ko lang, madami na ring mas matured na young Filipino migrants kasi iba yung experiences, iba yung environment dito. Iba na yung tingin namin sa buhay. Sa Pilipinas, kung andun pa ako, baka iba rin ang outlook ko. Yung experiences na meron ako with my friends back home (depende sa circle of friends ko), iba rin, so parang hindi level na pagkumparahin. Pero tulad nga ng nasabi ko before, may mga experiences at may mga bagay na nakakapag-connect sa akin at sa iba ko pang naging kaibigan dito na Pinoy, therefore, mas iba siya. Malabo ata ‘yun, pero parang ganoon na nga, he he.

Bottom line is, even though tingin ng mga kaibigan ko (actually, at the time of this writing, excluding Jaq who is busy with her duties, ako yung “ate” figure) ay ang bakla ko, or sobrang harsh or sobrang taklesa ko (totoo naman), I do appreciate my friends and I am happy na naging kaibigan ko sila. In fact, it is a privilege for me to meet such a diverse group of people na very interesting and fun to be with. Kaya ngayong Valentine’s Day, let me say THANK YOU for letting me become a part of your life. Hindi ko alam kung babasahin niyo ‘to o nagbabasa kayo ng blog ko kasi halos araw-araw naman tayong nagkikita, but then again, let me say my sincere thanks. Mahal ko kayo, seryoso.