#lifedance2014

Because those four nights were alcohol-ridden, let me enumerate the things induced by intoxication:

Giving your number (and name in Facebook) to random guys and receiving “We met last night. Remember?” messages which will prove to be so challenging for your memory the next day.

Be your most narcissistic self when having lengthy discussions with people you barely know. Tell them of causes you feel strongly about and how your career can contribute to change in society. Inform them of your life plans and do so in straight English. (That my drunken speeches are free from grammatical mistakes is a gift from heaven I’ll always be proud of.) 

Take group pictures with strangers like you’re college buddies and you intentionally went to Sinulog together.

Become instant best friends with people you just met at parties on the basis of a) shouting “Pit Senyor!” n times and b) belting out songs the DJ is playing in a look-I’m-in-a-music-video way. Express your gratefulness over the newly found friendship by generously giving hugs and smiling at them.

Ride on motorcycles, the driver of which is a stranger to you. (No doubt this is one of the situations that can put one’s life in peril. Thank God for friends who are willing to put up with your hyperactivity; otherwise, you’ll be known only as “the girl wearing crop top and shorts” in tomorrow’s daily.)

Have an invisible shield which can protect you from bruises, scratches, and cigarette burns; and suffer from the physical pain the morning after. Pretend that you’re all right whenever you’re with your parents because explaining the procurement of those injuries is too stressful and can remove your current privileges. Continuously wonder how you were injured.

Forget being a socially awkward turtle and tear down concepts of self-preservation and –consciousness. Be immensely approachable to guys you’ve always considered physically attractive.

Did I mention that you have “free hugs” plastered on you? Also shower people with kisses. Slightly related to number seven, except that this human way of bonding is also given to girls.

Order food you normally won’t eat when you’re sane and feel bad after remembering your pursuit of being fit and healthy.

Never mind having to take off your second layer of clothing and wave it in the air in a sea of people.

Don’t think twice about accepting a variety of drinks from different strangers: beer, tequila, whiskey, rhum. Open your mouth and face upward to signal that you welcome such gifts. Thank them and shout “Pit Senyor!” after they directly poured a drink to your mouth.

Have a mini party with the girls who are also lining up in the comfort room, agree that you’ll go to the cubicle together like you’ve known each other for ages.

Act like you just won the lottery and spend money on whatever the group agreed upon.

Although you’ve always deemed yourself as someone with two left feet who’s being put in front of grade school talent showdowns simply because of your height, dance like your life depends on it.

Have people soaked wet in beer.    

Painstakingly try to make sense of those fragments of memories and regret nothing. (Nothing, except if you: become impregnated, put someone’s life in jeopardy, set a house on fire, and squander all your savings in one night.)

At the top of my mind, those are the things that surface when our best friend and enemy overrules our rational being. Fortunately, there are effective measures that can minimize the damage:

Don’t bring your bag, no matter how small it is. This is especially helpful when you evolve into a running, dancing, and jumping creature. Only bring the essentials (e.g. phone, money, oil film, lipstick) and put them in your pocket.

Make sure to fill your stomach with a decent meal before anything else.

Wear clothes that are difficult to remove.

Be with gorgeous people who a) have similar ideas of loosening up, b) will not judge you and cause unnecessary drama after riding with your craziness, but are c) caring enough to save your life.

Sinulog, however, was not just about the crazy outdoor and indoor parties; it was an escape from the already burnout-causing stress of your daily grind. It was an opportunity to explore and strengthen relationships with people you rarely go out with because of academic demands.

To be perfectly honest, I was thinking twice of going to the festival mainly because I still had five midterm exams left. Five. I decided, though, that I can ace those tests although I didn’t take them on time and that my teachers would understand. I’d rather have delayed exams than be left with heaps of “What if?” haunting me in my sleep. In my defense, I still know my priorities; I just don’t want to be buried six feet under the ground only with memories of catching one deadline after another.

Because attention span seem to be retained better when a write-up is presented in bullet form, here are other reasons Sinulog 2014 is the much-awaited break that validates the “Good things come to those who wait” line:

First, the crowd at The Distillery, Life Dance, Paintensity, and Sinulog Invasion are the best. I don’t know if it was the alcohol working its magic, but everyone was in a festive and friendly mood. Knowing that we contributed to the manic atmosphere is a plus. Also, they are pleasing to look at. Really.

Suddenly joined a random Marlboro event in god-knows-where wherein everybody had the chance of winning tickets to Life Dance. For struggling students, that amount can be spent on other things for survival. Like, oh I don't know, a decent place to stay?

Casa Verde and Rico’s Lechon offer such scrumptious food that we constantly wished for them to establish a branch in CdeO and willingly spent more than the usual amount for their meals.

Attending a Globe event in IT Park wherein free food and drinks were given. Yes, the best things in life are free.

Life Dance was exactly how I imagined it. Basking in music that helps release endorphins, expanding our circle of friends—my father advised me to interact only with my friends. Why not widen our circle, instead?—dancing like no one’s watching, and living in the moment. 

Taking the Paintensity party to the streets, stopping almost every vehicle until they join with the “Pit Senyor!” rave, dancing in the middle of the streets, and climbing on top of car roofs.

Sinulog Invasion in one word: epic. That’s all I have to say.

Successfully executing our modus of extending our stay in Sugbutel without paying. Because our reservation was until Sunday noon only, we had to quickly decide where to spend the night before going home. To cut the long story short, we found vacant beds and slept without the employees noticing that they were giving their services for free. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Never too late for my first plane ride alone. Amid my mother’s and grandmother’s forecast of worst-case scenarios, I’m alive.

Thankfully, the boat ride back home was literally smooth-sailing despite reports of weather disturbances in the city. Hours before I decided to go on the said trip, my mother went hysteric upon knowing that her only daughter won’t be traveling via plane, as she wished.

My friends and I were joking about the weather going back to normal as soon as we arrive home. Much to our amazement, heavy rains were non-existent as the boat reached the port.

First times also present lessons that can better the next trip. A few tips for those who will be going to next year’s Sinulog Festival: (If you will be joining the madness on 2015, see you there! I know, it’s too early to say but I will be having my flight rebooked on that date as my return flight on Sunday was cancelled.)

Spontaneity is the name of the game, yet having at least a backbone for your trip is important. Book your trips to and from Cebu in advance as ticket prices increase during peak season. Same goes for hotel reservations.

Research on events so you won’t end up wandering around the city when you can be in a better place. I’m glad to have channelled my research skills to good use. Thank you, Internet.

Master your alcohol intake.

If you’re planning to attend Life Dance, don’t buy a ticket weeks before because you might win some during bar hops.

Be ready to be smeared with paint and drenched with beer, should you plan to go to parties in open spaces.

Don’t wear sandals, except if having your feet stomped on is all right for you. Wear comfortable but presentable clothing.

Bring food so you can save up during breakfast. You have lunch and dinner to explore new restaurants, anyway.

Take pictures. Lots of it. The documentation shouldn’t overpower the actual savouring of the moment, however, as you could end up doing nothing but take photos.   

The event is not for the hot-headed and reserved; leave your bad vibes somewhere else.

(In defense of those who said such festivals are a “waste of money,” I say it’s about one's choice of spending money. Different strokes for different folks. When faced with the question of spending my resources on new gadgets and clothing or new experiences, I choose the latter. The thrill of acquiring material possessions lasts only for so long, while the memories and experience, can greatly improve your happiness.

Yes, it’s the “icing on top of the cake” according to Martin Seligman’s talk on happiness, but to me, it’s worth it. “Hey remember the time when you bought a new phone?” < “Hey remember the time when we travelled to this place?” Also, being in unfamiliar places can increase one’s adaptability and survival skills.) 

Signs that you may be having a Sinulog hangover, which may take days and a year—until the next year’s festivities—to cure:

You’ve scoured the Internet for EDM songs reminiscent of you and your friends’ restless moments under the clear, dark sky embellished by strobe lights, white foam, sprays of water, and the like. And this playlist has been on repeat for days.

You get that unmistakable pang of nostalgia and contentment while browsing through pictures.

You look forward to having a celebration that’s n times better in 2015.

You can never have too much to discuss about what transpired, which never fails to bring out everybody’s six-pack through I-can-barely-breathe laughter.

When words can hardly encapsulate the experience, you let out a deep sigh often followed by “aaawwe” if you’re feeling quite emotional.

You and your friends’ immune system gave up, hence, paving the way for influenza, cough and colds.

Everything felt like it happened only yesterday.