Parasailing

After an enjoyable BBQ party last year, we ( with Dennis' colleagues and their wives) decided to have another one this year . But this time around, his big boss was the one who handled the party. It was hold today in the vacation house of his big boss in Strand Horst, Elmelo. I was excited to go because I heard that aside from cooking and eating barbeque, we would going to do 'parasailing'.

It was my first time to do parasailing and we were lucky to have nice weather today. It is an exciting and enjoyable activity where a person is towed behind a boat while attached to a parachute, known as a parasail wing. Firstly, I was so excited but  nervous to do it because you will fly almost 100 meters. I couldn't explain my feeling when I was starting to fly. I felt relax but scared also maybe because of the height. But I tried to enjoy the scenery and it seemed that you were a bird flying in the sky. It was fantastic experience that I would never forget in  my whole life. To add more information, we used the service of Parsailing Nederland. 

 

BEAUTIFUL SCENERIES IN ELMELO (captured by myself)

Philippine Independence Day 2012 in The Netherlands

Independence Day or Araw ng Kalayaan in Filipino is an annual national holiday in the Philippines dated on 12 June. It commemorates the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on 12 June 1898. Here in the Netherlands, there is a big group of Filipinos named Kalayaan Fiesta Foundation in The Netherlands (KFFN) who's still holding the celebration and leading the event for the purpose of uplifting the Filipino Community in The Netherlands or other related activities that can foster friendship and closer relations among Dutch and Filipino communities. It promotes also Filipino cultural heritage, and eventually provide affordable financial assistance to the less fortunate “Kababayan” (compatriots) in the Philippines or to duly recognized charitable institutions in the Philippines. The event this year was hold today, 2 June at Spaarnwoude Halfweg Haarlem. There  was an entrance fee that costed  €4,- per person and parking fee for  €6 per vehicle that would be collected to support, the Kalinga, one of the Filipino foundations who helped the Filipino street children.

The celebration was started with the Flag ceremony and followed by a parade. There was also a variety show that presented by some of my co-Filipinos. There were also a number of stalls displaying various Philippine products. For the foodies, they enjoyed the smell and taste of “talagang tunay na Pinoy BBQ” and other pinoy foods, while the shopaholics were delighted with both local and imported goods such as classy bags, shoes clothes, handy-crafts and different kinds of Filipino household goods. 

My Samenleven group was also joined the Independence Day Picnic which they stood a tent for all the members and also for other Filipinos. They brought different kinds of foods and ate together. Of Course! I was also there together with Dennis and his father. It was our first time to attend this event and we were curious how it would be and also, to meet the other Filipinos. For me, I wanted to buy some Filipino foods that I've really missed it to eat. But at the end of the day, I didn't buy anything. Why? Because there were many stalls selling Filipino products and I wanted to check all. Until I got tired looking of things to buy and decided to go back in our tent. We went home  tired but with sweet smiles on our faces and full stomachs.