U going 2 the beach?
I already saw the Facebook status advertising the get together twenty minutes before I receiving this text. Glad to see the weekly dissemination of Saturday's plans have begun. Yes, I'm going.
I've spent the morning as I usually spend my weekend mornings; sleeping in (just 9:30 or so), Skyping a few close family and friends, listening to this weeks podcasts, and half-heartedly tidying up my apartment. Depending on how Friday evening went, I may also be nursing a very mild to medium hangover.
At an incredibly leisurely pace, I prepare myself to leave the apartment. I make sure to stuff my beach bag with the usual; blanket, towel, camera, iPod, songbook, and sunscreen. I pull on my anchor-patterned swim trunks and a tank top, and slip on my blue boat shoes (God, I love those so so much.) I top off my beach bum look with a bandana that disguises my too-long-to-rock-a-short-look, too-short-to-rock-a-long-look hair and a pair of rainbow plaid wayfarers. As I walk out the door, I grab my ukulele in its case and strap it to my back. Outfit complete.
Before flagging down a taxi I stop by a convenience store and buy myself some snacks for the sand - a cold lemonade, a bag of chips, and some highly questionable chicken on a stick that I'll gladly eat anyway.
Seven other foreigners are already there, staking out our usual spot. I set up my area, apply the 'block, and give my body over to the sun.
People trickle in, the afternoon wears on. We play cards, drink beer, barbeque, listen to music... basically all the things you can expect from a group of 20-somethings hanging out at any given location, but in bathing suits. The long stretches of sand lounging are punctuated by the occasional dip into the water; a tradeoff of refreshment and mild disgust (the stillness of the water makes for some tepid conditions. Still... it can be ignored.
Hours pass, our skin turns pink as we neglect to reapply our protective creams, and the sun disappears over the hills. We formulate the next phase of our plan; a short dinner break, and then regrouping for cheap beer and Ministop ice cream in the park.
I love it here.
Oh, and here's a video.
