The Homecoming of a Surfette

Never a fully pledged surfer (I can't do neither a bottom turn nor a cutback), I dubbed myself, a surfette. A zealous student of surfing and ardent lover of the surfie life. I can still vividly remember my last surfing session in San Juan last 2004. The waves were friendly, it was raining, and the people in the line-up are giggling like a bunch of popping candies. Just before sunset, a rainbow appeared bidding me farewell. I remember feeling sad, just when you discovered bare joy and momentary contentment, suddenly you have to say goodbye. Like the meeting of waves with the shore, life is nothing but moments. And I will miss that moment for two years. Life pulls wicked acts on you every chance it gets.

The line-up at Capones, Zambales.

Surf sistas. Tata never really gathered the courage to learn how to surf but she goes on surf trips with me once in awhile, probably to check out cute surf boys.

Tisoy (short for meztiso which was a term for half Spanish- half Filippinos during the colonial period, recently tisoy means someone pale). These La Union surfers are sure paradoxical. I remember when I was learning how to surf, I was trying to paddle out for hours but the waves kept bringing me back to shore. Tisoy nicely paddled out with me, he was like a drill sergeant shouting paddle! paddle! paddle! I paddled until my arms turn to lead. And yet the waves kept pushing me back to shore. Tisoy gave up on me and caught waves instead, bummer.

When surfers couldn't get wet, they play with fire!




Power boys Carlo and BJ, high for life. Kuya Chu, Japanese surfing Yakuza.

Viva and Ian, Kamakura samui surfers. The three of us surfed the cold, February water of Kamakura, Japan. We shared one surfboard and one wetsuit. The frigging suit was too big for me, cold water was seeping in!!! It was so cool seeing the surprised faces of the plethora of japanese surfers we met in the Philippines. Yeah, that's right! We're invading your local surfbreak for a change!

Tisoy, Ada, Mickey, and the self-proclaimed international playboy Joncy (with his aviator slut sunnies).

Waking up to no surf and the bad boys of La Union loitering around the apartment. Peps and Mickey were ready to continue my disrupted surfing lessons. And you wonder, why my surfing sucks despite all these talented surfers for teachers? Well, they just paddle out with me and the moment we hit the line-up, they catch waves and forget I exist.

How sweet! Wahine, once a whelp herself, is now mum to cute little wahines.

Super surf siblings Daisy and Anthony, who both can do headstands while surfing, with their surf proteges. Kuya Enteng, the first local to surf the waves of San Juan using plywood.

The bad boys of San Juan surfing: Lemon, Mickey, Moro and Jazzy. One flat day, Lemon, Jazzy and I went to Lemon's house to harvest their mango tree. While Jazzy was busy picking mangoes, Lemon went to get some containers for the mangoes. I was left at the foot of the tree when one huge, vicious dog started running after me. I swear I've never climbed a damn tree so fast in my life!