Ang Paglalakbay sa Sand Bar Island Beach Resort, Concepcion Iloilo

Mapayapang paligid. Malinaw na baybayin. Preskong hangin. Luntiang bukirin. Puting buhangin. Kahit sa isang araw lamang ay naramdaman ko ang lahat ng mga ito. Totoo nga ang sabi ng kaibigan kong nag imbita sa aking bumiyahe sa lugar na ito- malaparaiso at nakabibighani. Ngayon, malakas na ang aking paniniwala na ang mga natural na likas na yaman, kapag hindi ginagambala at inaabuso, ay tila diyamante na hindi matutumbasan ng kahit anumang pag usbong ng teknolohiya and industriyalismo.

          “Pupunta tayo ng Sand Bar. Sumama ka na!” ani ng kaibigan kong sabik na tumuloy ako kasama ng dalawa niya pang mga ka-berks para raw menos gastos. Napaisip ako. Anu ba naman ang isang araw na masilayan ang sinasabi niyang marikit na resort na sa Concepcion, Iloilo lang pala matatagpuan? Dahil napa-oo niya ang dalawa pa naming mga malalapit na kaibigan mula kolehiyo ay hindi rin ako nakatanggi.

Tanawing Napapa-wow Ako Habang Nasa Bus

Sa Andoks Restaurant, Tagbak Terminal Branch kami naghintayan. Alas nuwebe ng umaga. Ako yata ang naunang dumating. Habang inaabangan ko ang iba ko pang mga kasama ay bumili na lang muna ako ng Dokito Frito fried chicken. Sabi kasi ng aming kumbaga “organizer” ay magdadala na agad kami ng aming panghapunan upang pagdating sa destinasyon ay deretso chibog na lang kami at ‘di na magluluto pa.

Nang kumpleto na kaming walo, ay sabik na kaming umakyat sa bus na aming sasakyan. Gustong-gusto ko talaga ang sumakay sa bus kasi parang feeling ko nakalipad ako sa hangin kahit ilang metro lang mula sa lupa. Nakakaaliw lang tingnan ang mga dyip at kotse na wari’y nagiging maliit sa aking paningin. Sa pamasaheng Php110, mahigit tatlong oras ang biyahe papuntang Concepcion. Paminsan-minsan, humihinto ito sa kalagitnaan ng rota para magpasakay ng iba pang mga pasahero. Sa bawat pagtigil nito ang siya namang pagdatingan ng mga nagbebenta ng maaring nguyain. Nakagugutom din ang umupo lang ng ilang oras kaya’t hindi na ako nag alintana pang bumili ng mga paborito kong pampalipas gutom. Ninamnam ko ang itlog ng pugo, bibingka, at ang paborito ko sa lahat, ang Esguerra’s Buko Pie na tiyak mapapa-wow ka sa laman nitong siksik sa buko.

Ang Esguerra's buko pie ay sinlaki lang ng aking kamao pero siksik sa buko.

Habang nasa bus ay ‘di ko maiwasan mamangha sa nakaka-relax na kapaligirang tatambad sa iyong mga mata. Bago kami makarating sa Concepcion ay dinaanan pa namin ang mga munisipalidad ng Zarraga, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Balasan, at iba pa na nalimutan ko na ang pangalan ngunit nanatili pa rin sa aking isipan ang mga malalapad na palayan, mga bukiring busog ng mga puno, at mga burol na parang pinag-shootingan ng mga Teletubbies. Masaya ako dahil nabuksan ang aking mga mata’t isipan sa dako nito ng Iloilo na talagang maipagmamalaki. Hindi pa man ako nakararating sa Sand Bar Beach Resort ay busog na busog na ako sa mga nakahuhulog panga na mga tanawin.

Ang Paghanap ng Ipanlalaman sa Sikmura

                Sa wakas at naiapak din namin ang aming mga nangingilong mga paa sa Munisipalidad ng Concepcion. Bumaba kami sa bandang pagawaan ng mga maririkit na mga muwebles at mula rito ay natanaw namin ang mga binatang naglalaro ng basketbol sa kanilang covered gym at mga taong namamasyal sa plaza. Sa gitna ng tagiktik na init ay dumiretso muna kami sa Tourism Office na siyang nakatayo sa likuran mismo ng gym. Pagpasok pa lang namin ay laking ginhawa ko na sa lamig na dumampi sa aking balat. Hay salamat, airconditioned! Sa loob ng opisina ay malugod naman kaming binati ng mga staff. Nagbayad kami ng 20 php bawat isa para sa registration. May mga leaflets at mga newsletters ang nakahilera sa kanilang shelf at meron din mga retrato ng kanilang mga tourism spots na naka-display sa isang mesa. Nariyan ang Agho Island, ang Pan de Azucar Island, at ang Bolubadiangan Island kung saan matatagpuan ang Sand Bar resort.

Mga leaflets na naka-display at ipinamimigay sa Tourism Office ng Concepcion, Iloilo para sa mga bisita.

                Iniwan muna namin ang aming mga kagamitan sa opisina pero si Glaiza parang ayaw mahiwalay sa tatlong kilong bigas na bitbit bitbit niya hanggang sa palengke kung saan makikita rin ang pier. Doon ay namili kami ng isda at baboy para sa aming hapunan gayundin ng tatlong apat na litrong mineral water. Narinig namin na wala raw doon pangkunan ng maiinom na tubig. Tinahak din namin ang mga kanto para makahanap ng softdrinks at beer. Parang nasa Amazing Race lang kami noong naghahanap kami ng aming mga mapagsasaluhan sa isla. Bumili rin kami ng mga yelo na talaga namang malalaki at mahahaba.

                Bumalik kami sa tourism office upang kunin na ang aming mga gamit at mula roon ay hinatid kami ng isang mabait na staff papuntang pier kung saan naghihintay na ang bangkang maghahatid sa amin sa aming destinasyon.

Ang Maginhawang Biyahe sa Bangka

                Tinatayang tatlumpung minuto ang biyahe sa pump boat mula sa pier papunta ng Sand Bar Resort. Nang nakarating na kami sa kalagitnaan ng malawak na karagatan ay napanganga ako sa aking mga natanaw.Nakakalat ang mga maliliit at malalaking mga isla. Nakakaakit din ang napakaasul at napakalinis na tubig. Habang umaarangkada kami, nilulublob ko ang aking kamay sa tubig upang maramdaman ko ang malamig nitong hampas. Sabik na talaga akong maligo.

    Mula sa malayo ay nakatambad na sa amin ang mahabang linya ng puting buhangin. Iyon na pala ang Sand Bar Resort. Tila kakaiba ito sa ibang mga beach na kadalasan kong pinupuntahan sapagkat ang buhangin ay humihilera sa kalagitnaan ng malawak na karagatan. Tila ba ang paghubog nito ay naka-depende sa kung saan papunta ang direksyon ng hangin. Nang kami’y dumaong ay mabilis kaming bumaba  sa bangka habang tinutulungan kami nina manong sa aming mga kagamitan. Nagpakuha agad kami kay manong ng aming retrato sapagkat tila malaparaiso ang buong paligid.

Sa wakas, pagkatapos ng mahigit tatlumpung minutong biyahe sa bangka ay nakarating din kami ng Sand Bar Island  BeachResort.

Picture picture!!!!

Welcome!!!

    Mula sa daungan ay masisilayan agad ang cottage kung saan nakapaskil ang pangalan ng resort.  Ang Sand Bar Resort ay makikita sa dulo ng Bolubadiangan Island kung saan may mga iilang mga residente ang namamalagi  at namumuhay ng payak. Isa lamang maliit na resort ang Sand Bar kung saan nakapuwesto ang mga matitibay na mga nipa huts na maaaring tulugan sa presyong Php 800 para sa overnight stay. Malalapad ang mga ito at may mga kama rin. Marami ring mga mahahabang mga kawayang upuan na nakaharap sa nakaka-relax na baybayin. May mga puno’t halaman din kung saan maaaring mag-chill sa mga duyang sinisilungan ng mga ito.

Matitibay na mga nipa huts na kung saan maaari mag overnight stay.

Magpakasarap sa view.

Mga cottages kung saan maaaring mag-chill

                Masarap ang lumublob sa malinaw na tubig habang nilalanghap mo ang preskong hangin. Parang iisa lang kayo ng kalikasan sa panahong iyon. Hinintay namin ang nakabibighaning paglubog ng araw at ang ganda naman talagang pagmasdan ito. Nang dumilim na ay dumiretso na kami sa aming kubo upang ihanda namin ang aming hapunan. Pagod lahat sa mga larong hinanda ng kaibigan kong nag-organisa nitong biyahe. Hindi kami nagtagal sa paglangoy sa beach sapagkat mababa pa ang tubig noong takipsilim na iyon at medyo mabato pa ang ilang parte ng baybayin. May natagpuan pa nga kaming starfish eh. Tila naubos na ang baterya ng aming mga kamera sa kaka-picture.

The Best Na Umaga

          Umaga na at ang sikat ng araw ay sapat lang sa pangangailangan ng balat na makatanggap ng Vitamin D. Excited na ang lahat lumangoy. Masarap ang yakap ng simoy ng hanging dumadampi sa katawan. Mataas na ang tubig at tila mga pinong buhangin na lamang ang iyong maaapakan kapag ika’y nakababad na. Kahit na gabi na kami natulog dahil sa inuman at kwentuhan ay ganado kaming sulitin ang huling araw namin sa napakapayapang isla. Pinagmasdan ko ang buong pulo at naramdaman ko kung gaano kaswerte ang ating bayan dahil ipinagkalooban tayo ng Diyos ng mga mayayamang mga baybayin. Nararapat lang na panatilihin ang kalinisan at karikitan ng mga ito.

Talon!!!

Ang linaw nga naman ng tubig.

Parang gusto ko nang tumalon sa tubig!!!

Inenjoy lang namin ang paglangoy kasama ang bawat isa. Hindi na nga namin namalayan na ang bolang plastic na amin pinaglalaruan ay naanod na pala ng alon at hindi na namin ito mahanap. Parang kami ang may ari ng buong isla sapagkat walo lang kaming lumalangoy sa beach. Dahil klaro ang tubig,  paminsan-minsan ay may nakikita  kaming mga maliliit na isda na umaaligid-aligid sa amin.

Ang mga Napuna ko sa ‘Di Malilimutang Trip na Ito

Hindi ko talaga malilimutan ang paglalakbay na ito na pinag-iisa ka sa kalikasan. Mas mabuti nang ganito. Walang matataas na mga gusali. Walang mga bars at restawrant.  Ang makatungtong lang sa lugar na ito ay nakapagbibigay na sa akin ng kapayapaang ‘di matatawaran. Hindi ko malilimutan ‘yung mga duyan, mga nakababaliw na mga photoshoot, mga kwentuhan, ang pagluto ng baboy at isda, at ang paglaro ng 123 stop. Napag-isip ako kung paano namin tinipid ang tubig na maaari naming ipanligo sapagkat nabibili ito ng Php20 per gallon.

Sinundo na kami ng bangkang maghahatid sa amin sa pier ng Concepcion. Natanaw ko ulit ang lawak at ganda ng buong karagatan. Masarap pagmasdan ang buong paligid na walang maruruming usok at mga nagbibilisang mga sasakyan. Ang mga puno ay buhay na buhay at ang tubig ay tila nangungusap na huwag itong dumihan.

Habang nagpapaalam kami sa lugar, nilasap ko ang huling tatlumpung minuto namin sa umaandar na bangka. Alam kong minsan ko lang ito nasasaksihan kung naroon na kami sa kanya-kanya naming mga tirahan.

Paalam Sand Bar Island Beach Resort. Sa uulitin!!!

Contact: Concepcion Municipal Tourism Office
Office of The Mun Mayor- (033) 392-0309

Jim - 0999-771-0086

Ricky- 0928-983-5476

Breaking Dawn Part 1 Film Review

          Finally, I’ve watched Breaking Dawn Part 1 and it totally was the finest of all the Twilight movie installations I’ve ever seen. The flow of the scenes were amusingly engaging, captivating the hearts and minds of the viewers with the unique and mysterious love triangle of Edward, Bela, and Jacob.

            The film’s plot focuses on the marriage of Edward and Bela and the risky pregnancy of the latter. The fast growing infant inside Bela’s uterus saps out her physiological health, weakening her bones and seemingly sucking her blood as well. The wolf pack, on the other hand, wants to kill the Cullen family including the newborn baby of Bela since this is the only way for their bloodline to survive. However, Jacob, being loyal to Bela eversince, won’t allow this to happen and separates from the pack. We see how Bela loses her life for her baby and how Edward desperately wants her other half to survive by injecting her with his venom and biting her on almost every part of her already cold body.

          I really love the movie’s musical scores since it well complemented the mood of each scene, making me connect more to the drama or action being presented.

          The special effects were brilliant most especially during the heart-pounding fighting scenes between the vampires and the wolves. I was taken aback by Belas’ emaciated physical appearance during her pregnancy. It looked absolutely true that it made me think Kirsten Stewart starved herself in real life.

          The cinematography was pleasing to the eyes. It superiorly took every angle in the most creative technique. Some shots were simple yet visually lovely.

          Taylor, Kirsten, and Rob had naturally stretched their acting abilities in this installation because some conflicts required intense, deeper emotions.

          The settings were admirable especially with the frequent views of beaches and lush forests. The place (off coast Brazil) where the main couple spent their honeymoon was really a dreamland. It really reflected how big time Cullens were.

        Though the movie was very “bitin”, it effectively allured me to look forward to the next part. I hope there would be more adrenaline-rushing twists and revelations that will leave us in awe. Director Bill Condon must have sweated out all his creative juices in this romantic yet action-packed movie.

Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino are the Hottest Abuwaks on Earth

         The horror movie, Aswang, directed by Jerrold Tarog, stars the two of the hottest stars in show business, Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino. It tells the story about a barangay haunted by man-eating creatures called Abuwaks, the type of aswangs that can abruptly transform into “bayawaks” that crawl underground or into “uwaks” that eerily fly up in the sky, searching for flesh to feed on.
         Lovi Poe is Hasmin who, unknown to the people in the barangay, is one of the most powerful Abuwaks destined to marry Apo, the seemingly invincible leader of their community. Unlike the other Abuwaks, she does not want to hurt or prey on ordinary human beings. Apo has condemned and killed her parents because of this very belief.
         However, Paulo Avelino as Daniel gets into the scene when He, together with fellow assassins, Niña Jose and Marc Abaya, search for the two kids (Albie Casiño and Jillian Ward ) who have escaped in their torturous hands. Out of gas, the kids reach a haunted rural barangay where they are unluckily followed by the notorious syndicates.
        The children, being chased by the killers, will be safe under the guidance of Hasmin and the reluctant killer, Daniel, who falls in love with the former. He would risk everything just to free the beautiful Abuwak from Apo’s captivity.
        The special effects in the film are believeable. The way how Abuwaks turn into their animal versions and how they burst out from the soil seem artistically real. No doubt, the film presents how local cinema can be parallelled to that of hollywood movies in terms of visual tricks.
        The costumes, more particularly the prosthetics applied on the Abuwaks are fine and meticulously done but they do not really scare me. Maybe because I’ve seen such gross images many times already in some movies that they have appeared generic on my eyes.

        The sound effects are satisfactory and appropriate but It do not really make me jump off my seat. What I love though is the cinematography and how it creatively flashbacks past events in the characters’ lives. It also magnificently captures the beauty of the plains and forests. The scene where Paolo Avelino chases Lovi Poe in the woods reminds me of Twilight. The part seems cheesy but it has a cool effect amidst the gloominess happening around the place.

        Antagonist Marc Abaya entertains me with his funny antics. Niña Jose is just one hot killer. Lara Quigaman and Joem Bascon’s characters as Abuwaks integrate the entire story.

        The film is a good watch since it tackles on the cultural belief of Filipinos regarding Aswangs. As children, most of us are totally scared when we are teased on being followed by an aswang as a form of discipline adults applied on us just so we will act properly. Until now, we can hear stories of aswangs living in some secluded barangays that continue to live with humans. We hear that they can turn into cats, dogs, or whatever animal they can disguise themselves into. The film is a good representation of this belief. Nevertheless, it shows the real meaning of peace – that behind the differences between the creatures God created, it is in loving one another that will bring us to ultimate prosperity.

Devouring Seafood at Allan's Talabahan

          If there’s a place where I could feast on seafoods while not hurting my pocket, Allan’s Talabahan in Oton, Iloilo would be the perfect spot. This is the right haven for a weekend eating experience most especially for barkadas who still depend on their parents for their allowance. Just like me, saving a part of my baon when I was a student was so “sulit” since aside from walking out of the simple yet cozy resto with a full stomach, you  got to smell, taste, and gobble down your favorite ocean delights.

          And what can I say? I am a “Pantat” boy. Thumbs up to their oh-so-meaty grilled mudfish, if you really call it a mudfish. I didn’t even taste a hint of soil. To tell you the truth, my friends and I devoured it up to the last bone. Dipping it in my toyo with calamansi made it more gratifying.

         Though I am not really a fan of talaba, theirs abided with my palate satisfactorily. Of course, I had to fully masticate it because the first time I ate talaba in a friend’s birthday party, I didn’t chew it properly that I ended up having diaarhea the next day. And I thought a softdrink was the remedy to my watery disease. Haha!!!

          What you shouldn’t miss in this humble seafood house is their baked talaba. The melted butter that surrounded the flesh and the seasoning that came with it made the sweetness irresistable to partake. Mind you, its smell was already satiating. What more with taste, right?

          My all-time favorite grilled squid was also available. Its juicy and delectable savor was heightened by the onions seasoned to it. Perfectly manamnam!

          If one isn’t craving for seafood like my friend, Angel, the restaurant also offered scrumptious porkchop and other preparations aside from seafoods that are surely to be enjoyed.

         After half an hour, our table seemed to be cleanly swept. Turned out we really had a satsifying fill. When we went out of the place, we laughed as we compared whose belly was the largest of all. Aside from the delicious meal Allan’s Talabahan offered us, the company of good friends made that day more appetizing to eat. I will definitely come back here soon.

Amigo Plaza Iloilo Made Me Smile

            The renovation of Iloilo Amigo Plaza Mall made it hipper and more spacious for its customers to shop in. It is actually filled with fashion boutiques from which you can choose a variety of trendy clothes, shoes, and accessories. Branches of Mang Inasal, Bench, and Blue Jay Cafe' are also located inside. Adjacent to it is a grocery stop where I love to eat siopao for a quick fix to my hungry stomach.
            If you want to sit for a bit to stretch those tired feet, there is also a small bakeshop situated within where you can take a break and munch a yummy bread or two. I just love how this simple pasyalan looked so fresh and relaxing to the eyes. If you want to cool down from the heat and pollution brought by the city, anyone can just pass here and stroll for a while. And yes, I admire its comfort rooms - clean, wide, and stylish. A sort of a lotto game is also played here where you can get lucky enough to go home with big bucks. I tried to play twice but sorry, luck wasn't on my side on that certain day. It's funny how you wish all the numbers you've marked will show up on the screen.

            I kind of missed the old Amigo though. When I was in highschool, my friends and I bought our flutes for our music class in one of the Chinese stores housed here before. And we also used to purchase some cheap exchanged gifts in a store located on the 2nd floor of the Old Amigo. Unfortunately, I don't know where those shops transferred.
            With the cool ambience and lots of finds to scour, plus the company of great friends, Amigo Plaza surely made me smile.

Film Review: No Other Woman

          Killing script. Relateable story. Hot actors. All-out drama. These are the ingredients comprising the movie, “No Other Woman”, making it click to the Filipino audience. Anne Curtis, needless to say, even promoted her movie by doing a chant with the madlang people in Showtime that goes like this at the end “….kiss me and don’t ever fall in love with me…No Other Woman (in a husky voice)…Showtiiime.” The whole studio just laughed after that. Following Curtis’ crazy antics, who wouldn’t?

            And how relateable can the film get.  As I was watching it in the big screen, I even heard a woman sitting behind us empathizing on the plight of Sharmaine (played by Cristine Reyes). Maybe because like the character, her husband or boyfriend is also having an affair with another woman. “Men like him (pointing to Derek Ramsay’s character, Ram) should really be crushed and trampled to death,” she bitterly said.

            I understood how he hated Derek’s role so much. With a mistress like Cara (played by Anne Curtis) persistently seducing your husband, you, the rightful wife, will absolutely fire up to the highest level. Curtis portrayed her role very well- stubborn, irritating, pushy, wicked. Her fearless eyes emanate greed and ambition the moment she looks at Cristine. Her pouty lips, sizzling voice, and suggestive body language were effectively executed to show how desperate she was to put Derek into her trap. I guess her acting prowess stood up from the rest of the actors in the film.

            I liked how Cristine did her job as the conservative housewife as her character diametrically oposed that of Anne. She wears fine Sunday dresses and she always carries a down-to-earth and timid facial expression. I loved how she pulls off her killer lines towards Anne. This added humor to very serious scenes.

            I also admire how Derek Ramsay showcased his mature acting ability in the film. It’s a good thing he proved he is not only equipped in taking off his shirt since he sure displayed the actor in him in this movie.

            “That’s impossible to happen in reality,” commented the woman at my back as the movie concluded. Bitter much? Maybe hers is not a happy ending. Maybe she has not yet forgiven the man who has hurt her. Or she could be right – that not all absurdities work out well in the end. But I guess, the film tells us this message: Forgiveness can change lives for the better if we only give it a try to courageously forgive.

While the Time with Horrible Bosses

           Horrible Bosses, a film directed by Seth Gordon, is adrenaline rush! It is energetically a mixture of comedy, action, and a bit of suspense. You can just laugh your heart out on your seats as you follow the three main guys fight and bicker one another as they investigate on how they can pull off a clean strategy of killing their arrogant bosses.

          Take for example Dale (played by Charlie Day), who,  after saving  Mr. Harken’s life (played by Kevin Spacey) from an allergic reaction to nuts  by continuously injecting him with the syringe the latter was bringing in his pocket, realized it was a stupid mistake. Dale’s two buddies, Nick (played by Jason Bateman) and Kurt (played by Jason Sudeikis) , were pretty disappointed with him because at first, their goal is to dispatch their bosses. Mr. Harken is Nick’s boss who never promotes him despite the former’s promise to upgrade his position as long as he works before sunrise and after sunset. Nick was so angry towards Mr. Harken because he was called in his office just for being a minute late, blackmailing him so he can’t quit. Well, for Dale, we can’t blame him for giving Mr. Harken another chance to live. He doesn’t personally know him and he was just being nice to a stranger who needs emergency help.

          I loved Jennifer Aniston’s portrayal of the lusty maneater dentist, Dr. Julia Harris DDS, Dale’s boss who always seduces him despite her knowledge that Dale is already engaged to someone.  She was really convincing  for you can really get irritated by the way she uses  Dale as the object of her sexual fantasies. One time, she took pictures of her and Dale appearing they were having sex when Dale was in deep sleep due to the anaesthesia she has given for his tooth extraction.

          Colin Farrel was also a plus point in this film. He plays the role of Kurt’s boss, Bobby Pellitt, the inheritor of his deceased father’s chemical factory business. Pellitt is an ultimately mischievous boss, sniffing cocaine, sleeping with prostitutes, and manipulating Kurt, the manager of the company, to fire even the dedicated workers just because of their disabilities that don’t really affect their work. Farrel’s physical appearance in the film is way different from the usual heroic, knight in shining armour roles he has played in most of his movies. His hair is thinning, his forehead is as wide as the back of the casserole, and his upper body is too narrow for his bulging belly.  He totally showed  how flexible he was when it comes to roles.

          The three main characters, although unfamiliar to me, made me smile towards their chemistry. They just compliment well each other despite their obviously distinctive personalities. For this, their friendship and bonding in the film came out more realistic. Nick is more of the silent and serious one. Dale is one hyperactive guy.  Kurt fools around attractive women most of the time.

          There are many elements added in the movie which allowed it to raise the comically adventurous vibe higher. One is the car’s direction monitor that actually talks as if you’re conversing to a true person. Its voice sounds like an Arabian man. The device can also record sounds for a certain amount of time. In fact, it has an important role in solving the main mystery in the film.

          Bored? This movie is just the right solution to while away time.

Movie Review: Something Borrowed

                     Life is so full of choices.  It’s up to us what choice to make as long as we firmly believe in our hearts what we really want and what really makes us happy. This is the wisdom that the movie, “Something Borrowed”, has rendered me. Starring Kate Hudson (Darcy), Ginnifer Goodwin (Rachel), Collin Egglesfield (Dex), John Krasinski (Ethan),  and Steve Howey(Marcus), this romantic film directed by Luke Greenfield inspires us to stand for our dreams, preventing fear from hindering us to reach for our heart’s wishes.

                   Something Borrowed focused the story on Rachel and Darcy, who had been best of friends since they were still kids up to the time they embarked on their different careers. Both were heading on their thirties and Darcy, a carefree party girl, was about to marry Dex,  Rachel’s fellow student and buddy in law school. Rachel introduced him to Darcy way back their university days. Amidst all the wedding preparations Darcy was making for her big day, Rachel had casually confessed her liking to Dex during a conversation they both had in a bar. Dex took this seriously since Rachel had been the apple of his eye ever since he met her in campus. He was just hesitant to reveal his true feelings since he was not sure if Rachel liked him too. On the 4^th of July, nearing Darcy’s wedding, the two decided to spend the free day together. It was a time of reconciling their feelings for one another and a moment to contemplate on the choice they had to make before  everything else falls into regret. Darcy came over to Rachel’s apartment one day telling her she had cancelled her wedding in the last minute after realizing she’s in love with Marcus, a happy-go-lucky acquaintance. Surprisingly, she found Dex’s jacket on the floor. She was very devastated with the fact that all this time, her bestfriend and her soon-to-be hubby were having an affair. But for Rachel and Dex, truth had set them free and it was the start of a true, courageous love without any interferences and barriers.

                  One thing I admire about the movie was that although the story highlighted  the attitudes and behaviours of the  main characters, it also maximized the use of interesting supporting actors. They were given roles instrumental for the exciting growth of the story such that their unique personal traits added to the revelation of the true attributes of the major actors. Ethan, a childhood bestfriend of Rachel and Darcy, was the first one to smell that there was something fishy going on between Rachel and Dex. He was persistently motivating Rachel to say the truth to Darcy as soon as possible. It was later in the story that he confessed his long time crush towards Rachel. He was, however, accepting enough to understand that Rachel had fallen into another guy. Ethan was an epitome of a real friend- a shoulder to lean on and a person with open arms to support a friend’s aspirations.

                   The film’s pace was engaging. The scenes were simple yet reflected the mundane realities such as an ordinary sleepover with your bestfriend, or just a plain conversation with a buddy about life’s problems while walking in the park. The setting showed the typical busy yet vibrant life in the States’ urban zones. From time to time, the camera captured the breath-taking scenery of lofty buildings to reflect such feeling.  Despite the hustle of the city, I appreciated how the friends in the story took a little time out to enjoy the calm energy of the beach.

                  What I love most about the movie was that it climaxed right exactly where it was going to end. Though at times, you will feel impatient with Rachel and Dex not telling the truth early in the story or right in the middle of the flick, the plot made it a point to add twists that would squeeze not just the strong points but also the weak side of the said characters. This made me eager to really know how’s it going to conclude. And yes, Darcy was pretty frustrated and angry after seeing Dex’s jacket in her bestfriend’s apartment like you could imagine smoke puff out her nose and ears (really good acting, indeed!).