Moments to Remember. Experience to Share.

I’m not a party animal! I’m not a nocturnal animal who bar hops, gyrates wildly and ceaselessly to the techno-music and burns the dance floor, gulps a few bottles of beer as if it were ambrosia, and leaves the bar or disco at the crack of dawn, spent, tired and sometimes, wasted.

I’m a bibliophile who finds refuge in the company of fiction. But this semester break, my routine in reading got disrupted once I hesitantly gave in to the invitation of one of my friends, a confessed party animal who is always present in the anticipated gigs in town. With hesitation, I put my printed companions under my bed and joined his group. We hit the shorelines of the fast—becoming party-abode, Urbiztondo in San Juan, La Union where the annual surfing party was in full swing.

A few meters away from the venue, I could already hear loud music. The long stretch of sand along the beach was covered with feet adorned with flip-flops, sneakers, and rubber shoes. Party revelers came in full force. Teenagers were trooping to one direction where the party was at its most intense level.

Henna-tattooing was an eye-catcher. My companions had their left shoulder adorned with an intricate design reflective of the attraction of the beach-surfing.

When henna-tattooing was over, we inched our way to the bar. People of all ages, of all size and shapes, of different races were in the company of beer and wines. Wine and beer flowed like the sea water which was a bit raging, seemed like participating in the revelry. When we had our fill and when I noticed that I could no longer control my speech faculties, an indication of intoxication (hey, I don’t want to throw up in public), we dragged our feet to the highway and bade one another and called it a night.

When I reached my room, my books on my bed seemed to stare at me and ask, “Is partying over?” I picked one book, Stephen Chbosky’s Perks of Being a Wall Flower, touched its covers with my hand adorned with bracelet I bought at the surfing break. I placed the book near my pillow, removed the bracelet, put it on the book and looked at the perfect combination.