Hello, my lovelies! It has been ages since I updated this blog. As you might have guessed, Spring Term is finally over which can only mean one thing: a blog update!
Update
While I was away – or more like while I was crying and constantly pulling a string of all-nighters because of my assignments and a whole bunch of other things – from the blog, I made time to take photos on film and digital. So, there is actually a lot that I want to share here, but to make it up to you, instead I will be blogging about a recent day trip that I made with my S.O. to Brightlingsea.
Day Trip to Brightlingsea
Since I have a DSLR now, I figured that I should at least take some videos during the trip, but I didn’t plan on putting them together and uploading them on YouTube as I never really considered for The Rustic Trove to head towards that direction.
After putting a lot of thought into it, I didn’t see the harm in doing so because not only that I get to learn more about cinematography (I had dreams of becoming a film director!), I also get to show places that I went to through a different medium other than film photography and writing.
As of late, I’ve been listening to a lot of indie music from Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. Not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but there is a growing indie music scene in the region and I am beyond ecstatic to have known and witnessed that myself!
In hopes of exposing more Southeast Asian indie bands, I thought that Senja dan Mentari by MarcoMarche was the perfect song for the Brighlingsea trip video. So, I contacted the band’s official page on Instagram to ask for permission to use their song, and they gladly gave their green light! I was quite starstruck that they gave their time to even reply me, to be honest. Hahah!
You can find them on Twitter and Instagram and don’t forget to check out their music!
About less than 40 minutes by bus from Colchester lies the quiet, serene town of Brightlingsea. As soon as we arrived, we did not slow down to get to the seaside where we found colourful beach huts lining the shore. As an island girl, I’ve always had a soft spot for the seaside.
The wind blowing gently against your face,
the waves crashing against the shore,
the sun beaming down on you…
It was a much needed getaway after having to deal with an avalanche of work where some kept coming out of nowhere. I was under a lot of strain not just to finish them but to do them well.
But it’s over now, which makes me grateful more than anything and that was exactly how I felt when I finally saw the seaside in so long. In spite of the juxtaposing bright and cold weather, my heart was at ease and my mind wandered off almost immediately upon arriving at the harbour.
Who would have thought that by simply being by the seaside could do so much to your moods or perception of things? Each of my worries started to wash away with every tide that arrived and went away.
When we reached the end of the harbour, we found a little cafe packed with people having their lunch with families and friends. It was a nice sight, reminding me more and more of my home on the other side of the globe.
Of course, a trip with the The Rustic Trove is not complete without a black-and-white photograph. So, here’s one of a lighthouse perked upfront.
Upon seeing all that there was to the seaside, we decided to get something to eat before returning to Colchester. On the way back to the town centre, we dropped by a halal restaurant which served the typical Lebanese cuisine: doners and koftas.
If I had to pick one feature that struck me the most about Brightlingsea, it was definitely the warmth exuding from the locals themselves.
I saw a green grocery store which looked effortlessly rustic with wooden pallet boxes displaying fresh and organic goods. Coming into the store was by far one of the best decisions I ever made as I had the chance to get to know the owner who was so welcoming and friendly, just like everyone else that we came across in the town.
In a nutshell, Brightlingsea is the kind of town where everyone knows each other.
Where the shopowners allow passers-by to look around their unattended shops as they have coffee with their neighbours.
Where the locals would stop their cars for you so that you can take an arguably ‘dangerous’ picture on the narrow road of their High Street, which lacks the international franchises and brands that one would usually see in the Colchester’s High Street.
And there I was, who preciously thought that Colchester was small.
Indeed, Brightlingsea is a microscopic village on the edge of East of England that does not beg for attention nor do they crave for it. The town is where the art of slow living can be effortless.
All this time, I had been so adamant about travelling far from Colchester as a getaway, but it was blatant enough that I didn’t need to look that far to find one.
Until the next adventure!
The Rustic Trove 