Half-Truths

NP: Make It To Me, Sam Smith

Two years ago, at the then closed Q Pav

I've disliked routine. Often, I stop by other places before going home and just wander off. When i started work almost two years ago, i often found myself at the harbour at dawn, nibbling on a subway, waiting  for the sun to rise, the mall to open, or for something to happen. Sometimes, i would lay at the parking lot - no crowd, no shame - and close my eyes, imagining that a tide would take everyone and leave me at the shore, making me the last person on earth. 

Nagsaza 2014, pt. 4: Worth It

Daniela Andrade's Cover of Bill Murray by Phantogram

HOURLIES

Part 3

3:00 PM: We enlisted the help of a friendly local to come and pick us up at around this time and guide us through the mountain, but he was nowhere to be found. We were beginning to get restless; if we wanted even a smack of light to help us cook dinner, we'd better get moving soon. 

4:00 PM: Got tired of waiting, and decided to try our luck anyway. We trudged up the soft sand and up to the mountain waiting ahead of us. 

Nagsaza 2014, pt. 3: Morning Connection

NP: Kina Grannis' cover of Coldplay's Magic

HOURLIES

Part 2

7:00 PM: By now the sun was finally gone, and the only sources of light were the smattering of bonfires littering the beach. There were also a few tents lucky or experienced enough to bring lamps. I was feeling a bit envious, when all of a sudden, Jani whips out this huge foldable lamp. Nope, sorry i'm mistaken. She whips out this huge foldable table lamp. Talk about prepared.

8:00 PM: I was pretty zoning out by now. The camp site had ran out of pans to lend us, so we ended up cooking the liempo with the pot. It was difficult, as i think some oil ended up on the side of it, and the fire was climbing everywhere. Smoke was everywhere, and i half expected the locals to just scratch their heads, shrug and say "Kami na lang po mam, baka masunog pa ang campsite."

8:01 PM: Shan, bless this beautiful soul, managed to work some magic on the pot. It was burnt a bit, but it was still amazing to eat that shit with some rice. Dinner on the beach, score.

By now everyone was pretty tired of bumming on the beach and runnning on reserve energy to light up the bonfire. We washed up (which took forever, on account of having only 2 bathrooms and a dozen other tents and campers) and crawled into our tents. Our was a sand filled cave with a hard as fuck floor, but i was too tired to care. I slept like a log.

5:30 AM. New day. I kept on waking up intermittently during the night to our camp neighbor's drunkenness. Thankfully though, i managed to scrape a few hours of sleep. I crawled out of the tent with some difficulty, as i thought i pulled a muscle sleeping (the floor was crazy hard) and almost ran into Fess' legs. She bade me goodnight and crawled back to sleep. I stood up and took in the beach air. Everything was bathed in blue, with one end of the beach dipped in the honey yellow of the morning. The mountains threw shadows at each other and the sea quietly beckoned with gentle, but consistent waves.

Morning.

Curled up and half asleep by the lawn chair was Shan. We chatted for a bit before we were joined by Jani, and then by Fess. We decided to rouse Bren to walk for a bit and enjoy the air at the far end of the beach - the one that looked like it was dipped in honey and connected the river and the sea. 

Nagsaza 2014, pt. 2: Contained Atmosphere

NP:  Lotte Milan, Valentine

Hourlies

Part 1 here.

pundaquit kids

11:40 PM By now we've settled into the dark of the bus right along the aisle. That reflector vest kuya lied - there were no seats left. We couldn't exactly leave the bus either, as we ended up right at the group of seats at the end due to our remarkable running prowess. We were trapped with a shit load of groceries and our bags. Since we opted to ride from the Pasay station, it meant that we would be riding through EDSA Traffic on a rainy Friday night while standing on the aisle. I decided to sit, crossed leg (or Indian sit, as what we say. Funny how an indian sits, eh?) right there smack on the aisle to get some much needed sleep and rest.

12:40~ish AM: Finally crawled out of the hell that is EDSA. I looked around at the windows and was reasonably pleased; there were no billboards or tall buildings. I had left the city.

1:30~ish AM: Bus stopped for a 15-minute stopover at this pitstop. We immediately alighted to stretch our legs, as it had not been an easy journey. Sure, we were sitting on the aisle, but the air and floor was cold and the space miniscule. But gdmn, who cares. We were moving.

Nagsaza 2014, pt. 1: Leaving MNL

NP: The 1975, Chocolate

Hourlies

6:00 PM: got off work. trudged off to nearby convenience store to buy some needed things. 

6:30 PM: left supermarket with a ton of canned food, chips, bread and candies. Went back to my desk to breathe a bit and to get my things. Off to nagzasa, beybeh!

6:40 PM: couldn't find a taxi. 

7:40 PM: still no go. 

8:00 PM: FINALLY. Arrived at the meet-up place later than expected - met up with Shan and Jani, both with luggages the size of ships. Shan left to do some errands and entrusted her things to us. 

8:30 PM: Left the meet-up place. Cabs weren't willing to ferry us to the bus station because, in their words, "malapit lang". Jani and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and with metaphysical curses directed at the universe, started trudging to the Victory Liner bus station.