Nasugbu: First of Summer 2014

I once again got in touch with the waters and the sand.

This time I was in Nasugbu.

The weeks leading to and following this trip have been super nippy. And that week of the trip when it got summery hot, we thought the warm season would continue, but we were wrong. Maybe nature just gave us that good weather for a week, so we could enjoy Nasugbu. We were lucky kids nature was on our side. 

:D

Nasugbu is a wonder hidden in Batangas. I must admit that the travel was long, the trip tedious and the road steep, but it was all worth it. The view alone compensated for all the hassle. There were lots of blues and greens around – the water, the sky, the trees. It is also overlooking other islands, and from afar, they look splendid and mysterious. The sand is not that white, but it is very fine – heaven to thy feet. It has a rocky portion where sitting and chatting felt just about the right thing to do when there.

Aaaaah!

Despite all these good things about Nasugbu, the most beautiful part of it still has to be the sunset. It’s the thing that truly stuck with me. We were at the beach, and everything that was in front of us was the endless sea and the clouds above. There was nothing that could block the view, which was why it was perfect. It was dusk, so we saw the sky change colors. The sun turned from yellow to orange, as it set. It was a beautiful process, really beautiful, but it was also really quick. I learned that now that I have given it so much observation.

I am truly happy that I shared this experience with the people who are just as nature-loving creatures as I am. Because we share the same enthusiasm with what the beach can offer, it becomes easier to just forget the qualms we have and just do whatever it is we feel like doing. Because together, doing crazy antics doesn’t look so bad and embarrassing. People would remember the group but not the people in it; the group itself is the camouflage.

A little something to all of us girls from Je. Thank you. :)

The beach always has that calming effect on me. More than witnessing it is experiencing it. Sure we swim in the same sea and walk on the same sand, but what truly make the experience personal and special are the degree of connection we make with nature and the people we are with.

It’s weird how I go all wild and fun when I’m actually at the beach, but when I start thinking and writing about it, I suddenly get all sentimental and over-appreciative.

I guess I’ll always just find myself out there every summer looking for something beautiful out of the breeze and the waves. Marveling at the effortlessness of every beach’s beauty is the reward itself.

Summer has just begun.

*Thanks to Jerome and Maricris for the photos!

MY BOOKY WOOK by RUSSELL BRAND

I have loved Russell Brand ever since. He has always stricken me as someone oozing with a strong personality. J The only thing is, I know nothing else about him aside from the fact that he is a comedian and used to be with Katy Perry. Haha! But I’ve always felt that he has an interesting life, that's why I decided to give his book a go.

My Booky Wook is Russell Brand’s own quirky memoir of drugs, sex and stand-up comedy.  In this book, he mainly relates to the readers how he came about getting addicted to drugs and sex and how he managed to deal with them through comedy. This is also about his life with his family, junkie buddies, hookers, girlfriends, talent agents, and savior friends. 

I shall have heroin, but I shan't have a hamburger.  – Russell Brand (on being a vegetarian) (HAHAHAHA!)

Obviously, My Booky Wook fed me with a whole bunch of new and old things about Russell Brand that I didn’t know yet before I read it.

And I was right! He does have a very, very interesting life! It gave me the feeling that if I were friends with him (I wish!), there wouldn't be any dull moments. It’s like something unusual is always bound to happen with him around. Haha! I love all his crazy adventures and misadventures! J

I felt like I was just having a long, long conversation with him while reading. Yep, I was imagining Russell opening up and talking to me with his sexy British accent, which I absolutely love by the way. You read that right, mate. Gosh, that would be such a treat. Haha! 

I can say that he is a natural comedian because, even in the way he had written his bio, it's still in a comedic/light fashion. Or maybe he really just has a funny and crazy life. Whichever, I love him just the same. This guy breathes comedy. Or should I say, he is comedy. Hahaha!

His naughty encounters, as a kid and as a kid at heart, were so cute and funny. Hahaha! The things he did would surely not set a good example and should make him look bad, but he told them in such cool and adorable fashion that their degree of awfulness is less. They made me go bonkers about him more, instead. Haha!

I loved the clippings he added – old photos of him, pages from his diary, copy of his evaluation forms, posters of his shows. They gave the memoir a more personal feel. I especially liked the poem he wrote for his nan. He has a soft spot for his nan, which I found very sweet. J

On a serious note, the book didn't make me feel like I should be sympathizing with him because of everything that happened to him. I mean, sure, he’d been through so much, but he didn’t write this book to get the reader’s sympathy. I don’t think so.

I admire that he really is into stand-up comedy and acting. In fairness, he takes his career seriously. He didn’t let go of it even during the times when he was almost out of himself due to addiction. It was actually what saved him. J

The part which got stuck on my head was when he realized that his little misdeeds as a child was a prelude to the greater misdemeanors he had as an adult. He saw how the things he did in the past as a kid would lead to the kind of person he is now. I think it’s a very interesting observation, and it’s something we could all use in our lives. J

He may be funny and all. He may sound like he’s just joking, but when you listen close, you realize his words have substance. Gosh, I love him. Haha!

I think many of the boundaries that convention has placed upon us are arbitrary, so we can fiddle with them if we fancy. Gravity's hard to dispute, and breathing, but a lot of things we instinctively obey are a lot of old tosh. – Russell Brand

The only thing I did not like much about it was the fact that I wasn't familiar with some of the people and shows he mentioned in the book. Even if there were footnotes, I still kind of found it hard to understand. Hahaha! (Well, this is a lack on my part. I should read more! NO TO IGNORANCE! Haha!)

His story may be compared to a roller coaster ride – full of ups and downs, sometimes nauseous and, most of time, wild. J

I love Russell Brand more now! Such a clown! J

Bye for now, feller. I’m going to indulge myself with more of Russell Brand by watching clips of him doing stand-up comedy and some of his TV shows. You should, too! Thank God for YouTube. Haha!

I have also been watching a bit of his Brand X with Rusell Brand on cable.  J

Forward ever, backward never. – Mr. Gee

Photo sources: http://www.wrif.com

                       http://mediagallery.usatoday.com

                       http://www.starpulse.com