On this last day of one of those rare long weekends we have at work, I can't help but look back on how superb the past two days have been. Spent Saturday driving 300kms north to La Union with my couplet friends Abby and Paul as well as new found couplet friends Michelle and Gutch (hope I spelled his name right). It was a good 5-6hr drive from Manila which took us through different towns and barrios in the North. I was composing this blog entry in my mind already while kicking speed pass endless trucks and jeepneys on "one-lane streaks" where overtaking is not only challenging but perilous. Thank God we made it safely to the resort.
It did not take long before I started pestering surfer locales to teach me how to surf. Although this guy I wanted to call "Frankie" made me wait for God knows how long (not to mention keeping me in moments of both anticipation and anxiety during the wait), He did not fail to work me up in that surfboard. Thanks to him also, I had ample time to wade with the big, playful waves which kept crushing and beating my back but never ceasing to keep me at awe at how such big element of nature can be so gentle the moment it gets to shore as I wait. Hah! I must be a real "wave-charmer" at that..hehehehe.
So it goes, my journey to Surfing 101, I'm pretty proud of myself to have learned the basics in less than an hour. The wait for Frankie sure was worth the experience and this picture perfect moment (as posted). Someone who has'nt been doing push-ups and serious exercise would probably wonder how the hell she could get up on that board to ride on on the waves but I guess perseverance and faith can really make a difference. Frankie was also a natural teacher at the sport so Kudos to him!
Two hours later, we decided to call it a day at surfing student's haven so we went back to the resort and prepare for dinner. By the way, here's me with the kids of Golden Haven surf spot...they totally loved my surfing:
Random disclaimer:
Pardon me for such poor trail of thoughts (incase you noticed). Per this whole blog, you can see that I'm admittedly better doing poems than narrating so cut me some slack for this entry (thanks very much)
And then there was dinner, the two sets of couplets had their fill of booze as I joined them for a couple of minutes over cajon-jamming and I-pod trippings but later on dozed-off early since I'd have to drive back to Manila early the day after. Trying to sleep at the usual humid weather on a fan room was needless to say, a struggle but I eventually made my way to lala-land to charge myself up for another long drive .
The trip back to Manila was a breeze. I was so high and happy form the whole experience with so much energy for my next mission on to the first ever Percussion festival!!!
My prayers have been answered. This whole free-for all perc-jamming, by the bay idea is so brilliant. It's like the closest you can get to Cuban-street dancing!! I invited my brother, his friend and another "blog-mate" who's beginning to become a fan of both percussions and reggae. This event is organized by the Samba school of Manila who's decided to make this a regular event every Sunday from 3-6pm at a bar called "By the bay" in Baywalk. The idea, is for it to be a free workshop for percussion and samba dancing enthusiasts. I mean, can't I get any closer to two of my passions???
Yes, you could say that I'm on-a-high right now. It's like God is teaching me how to fall in-love again (duh? you might say). As you can see, everything that's transpired this weekend taught me that it's all about the journey, the waiting, the anticipation and literally how far you'd go for it. Sooner or later, it's gonna be all about sustaining it, making it work, going through the ups downs (the learnings and the frowns) and nourishing it despite it all.
You begin your life everytime you discover new things. I've realized the beauty of life through the waves. My love affair with it started with fear at how big and magnificent it looks. That fear eventually turned to awe as I gawk closer to its majesty..Next thing you know I'm riding it and taking full control.
At the very end of it, I know that God is loving me through all these experiences. I'm all sure this weekend is just a taste of things to come, the beginning of a lot new discoveries and hopefully the end of boredom (harhar!)
