So, I went to the beach for the weekend. Actually, it's for a school project. But it felt like a fun weekend getaway, nonetheless.
My people decided to shoot the TV commercial for our Advertising class at a beach in Calatagan, Batangas. It was suggested by one of my friends who went there a couple of times already. She showed us photos which convinced us enough to give it a go. And that was it. We settled for an overnight trip to take advantage of the holiday.
Unfortunately, all of us had Saturday classes. Good thing a friend of ours had a car, so transportation was no problem. We left, naturally, after school (and after running some last minute errands) at around eight in the evening. All in all, the 4 to 5-hour journey was not bad, really. Even after we almost got lost on our way to the beach at the cemetery! It was dark, and roads looked too similar. We had to walk a bit to check if we were actually going the right path. Scary, but, kind of a liberating experience. There were also locals around who were kind enough to give us directions. We arrived at our destination around 3-AM. Safe and sound, but with hungry stomachs.
The beach was a virgin island. It was not developed yet, so there were no resorts for accommodation. Not even a single room nor decent bathrooms for that matter. There were only cottages. Water supply and electricity access were also very limited. But the beauty of the beach was undeniably breathtaking. We first built tents. We gathered tree branches to make fire. It was hard, but it was definitely fun. We made breakfast after settling all those stuff. We spent the rest of the night under the moonlit shore. The winds were cold, and the sea was calm. For a moment, everything felt nice.
After a two-hour sleep, the morning sun awoke us again. The beach was even prettier in the morning. Its overwhelming beauty made me want to just stare at it. But, alas! We had to start getting to work. As soon as we started preparing, the scarcity of almost everything continued. There's really no room for pag-inaarte. After breakfast, we we wasted no time and started shooting. We had two of our friends as the main models for the shoot. However, we all had to participate; not just as behind the camera crew, but as extras to appear in the commercial, as well. I hated it, but I had no choice because everyone seemed fine with it. We had to do so many takes under the scorching heat of the sun. Thirsty and exhausted, we still managed to finish the shoot earlier than expected. We initially planned to visit another island with our remaining free time before we head back to the city, but we were not able to do so. We still enjoyed a few hours of silent rest by the beach.
At four in the afternoon we were all set for the road. The traffic was unbelievably bad, though. Over three hours had passed and we were far from home, still. We had cheeseburgers for dinner at Mcdonald's. It was what saved us from the excruciating traffic. Back on the road, after another hour or two, my other friend and I finally reached our stop. From then on, we had to commute and encounter people. I could not remember what time exactly I arrived home because there were too many things going on in my tired brain. The family and relatives were all there, not to welcome me, but to celebrate my mother's pre-birthday. I managed to stay up late, and share even a few drinks with the cousins. I know, my weekend was jam-packed. And how fast it went by.
At long last, my bed and I meet again.
PHOTOS: Sony A300
My people decided to shoot the TV commercial for our Advertising class at a beach in Calatagan, Batangas. It was suggested by one of my friends who went there a couple of times already. She showed us photos which convinced us enough to give it a go. And that was it. We settled for an overnight trip to take advantage of the holiday.
Unfortunately, all of us had Saturday classes. Good thing a friend of ours had a car, so transportation was no problem. We left, naturally, after school (and after running some last minute errands) at around eight in the evening. All in all, the 4 to 5-hour journey was not bad, really. Even after we almost got lost on our way to the beach at the cemetery! It was dark, and roads looked too similar. We had to walk a bit to check if we were actually going the right path. Scary, but, kind of a liberating experience. There were also locals around who were kind enough to give us directions. We arrived at our destination around 3-AM. Safe and sound, but with hungry stomachs.
The beach was a virgin island. It was not developed yet, so there were no resorts for accommodation. Not even a single room nor decent bathrooms for that matter. There were only cottages. Water supply and electricity access were also very limited. But the beauty of the beach was undeniably breathtaking. We first built tents. We gathered tree branches to make fire. It was hard, but it was definitely fun. We made breakfast after settling all those stuff. We spent the rest of the night under the moonlit shore. The winds were cold, and the sea was calm. For a moment, everything felt nice.
After a two-hour sleep, the morning sun awoke us again. The beach was even prettier in the morning. Its overwhelming beauty made me want to just stare at it. But, alas! We had to start getting to work. As soon as we started preparing, the scarcity of almost everything continued. There's really no room for pag-inaarte. After breakfast, we we wasted no time and started shooting. We had two of our friends as the main models for the shoot. However, we all had to participate; not just as behind the camera crew, but as extras to appear in the commercial, as well. I hated it, but I had no choice because everyone seemed fine with it. We had to do so many takes under the scorching heat of the sun. Thirsty and exhausted, we still managed to finish the shoot earlier than expected. We initially planned to visit another island with our remaining free time before we head back to the city, but we were not able to do so. We still enjoyed a few hours of silent rest by the beach.
At four in the afternoon we were all set for the road. The traffic was unbelievably bad, though. Over three hours had passed and we were far from home, still. We had cheeseburgers for dinner at Mcdonald's. It was what saved us from the excruciating traffic. Back on the road, after another hour or two, my other friend and I finally reached our stop. From then on, we had to commute and encounter people. I could not remember what time exactly I arrived home because there were too many things going on in my tired brain. The family and relatives were all there, not to welcome me, but to celebrate my mother's pre-birthday. I managed to stay up late, and share even a few drinks with the cousins. I know, my weekend was jam-packed. And how fast it went by.
At long last, my bed and I meet again.
PHOTOS: Sony A300
