BUTTERFLY KISSES

SUMMER'S THE TIME OF THE YEAR TO HEAD TO THE BEACH. BUT INSTEAD OF JUST SPENDING YOUR DAYS DOING USUAL BEACH STUFF, LIKE BUILDING SANDCASTLES OR SOAKING UP THE SUN'S RAYS - WHY NOT CATCH A WAVE?

At the beaches of San Juan in La Union, you can find kids and adults of different ages surfing. La Union is just six hours away from Manila. It's great for surfing the whole year round, but the biggest waves - sometimes reaching up to 15 feet come during the months of November to January.

Surfing looks cool, but is it something you can do too? Definitely! Before you go out into the water, your instructor will give you pointers and directions on the shore, including how to wax your board and how to stand on the board, to make sure that you get it right. After half an hour of that, you can try it out on the water.

The key, of course, is balance. And unlike riding a bike or a skateboard, you've got something other than the hard ground to fall on (IF you should fall): the water.

Fourteen-year-old Mara Lopez learned to surf when she was only six years old. Her dad, Hiroshi Yokohama, taught her how. At that time, she was the youngest Filipina surfer. She insists that surfing is for everyone, especially for the whole family. "Once you learn how, surfing gives you such a great, relaxing feeling. And it's cool to hang out with surfers!" Mara's nine-year-old brother, Ken, also learned to surf when he was six.

Mr. Yokohama says it's easier to teach kids because they have no fear. And also because it's easier for them to balance. You can get it right in just a day or two!

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