hounslow barrio festival

[FieryMary]

hey ciels!
how was the barrio fiesta?

[mrsfrivolity]

Went really well! I thought this year was a bit better but maybe it's because there seemed to be more food stalls ( i had lunch three times! ). The stalls for remittance, travel and shipping still outnumbered the food though. I'd like to see more stalls for filipino products. The fair was massive so the kids were never short on funfare. Variety show was not as star-studded. I'd really like to be able to tell some of the performers that unless they're Francis Magalona, pinoys and "rap" do not mix.

It was great to speak tagalog in a setting reminiscent of Philtrade's Christmas Boom-na-Boom It's the one place and time in the UK where Filipinos feel like they're in da Pilipins! It was to me, at least.

Made friends as well Bill and I always enjoy meeting up other Fil-UK couples. To sum it up, we had a good laugh and it seems that we might hook up in the nanayland in December too as we're all going to be there roundabout that time.

Lovely to see you here Ann. This is a forum of friendly people. Enjoy!

[KeithD]

We have enough people on here to arrange our own festival

How about we all meet up at the next Motorhead gig

[ivor&mel]

So Motorhead play Pinoy rap now? OK... let's give it a go

[mrsfrivolity]

That's definitely something we could organize at some point. We'll call it The Great Forum Meet-up!

[KeithD]

....and we can have the bash around Pete's place.....he's paying of course

[FieryMary]

Hey salamat Ciels!
I am enjoying myself here already :-)
I hope to make good friends here as well.

[FieryMary]

LOL lunch three times?
Normal yan dito sa Pilipinas hehehe

[ginapeterb]

Went really well! I thought this year was a bit better but maybe it's because there seemed to be more food stalls ( i had lunch three times! ). The stalls for remittance, travel and shipping still outnumbered the food though. I'd like to see more stalls for filipino products. The fair was massive so the kids were never short on funfare. Variety show was not as star-studded. I'd really like to be able to tell some of the performers that unless they're Francis Magalona, pinoys and "rap" do not mix.

It was great to speak tagalog in a setting reminiscent of Philtrade's Christmas Boom-na-Boom It's the one place and time in the UK where Filipinos feel like they're in da Pilipins! It was to me, at least.

Made friends as well Bill and I always enjoy meeting up other Fil-UK couples. To sum it up, we had a good laugh and it seems that we might hook up in the nanayland in December too as we're all going to be there roundabout that time.

Lovely to see you here Ann. This is a forum of friendly people. Enjoy!

Actually my own assesment of this years Barrio Fiesta, was one of general dissapointment, the only good thing for us, was meeting Bill, Cielo, and Gavin, which was so nice, and we chatted a long time in the afternoon, last year we had, ABS CBN T.V. celebs, their was a Giant t.v. screen, and the entertainment was better, I think comments were made to me about the lack of entertainment value, I only saw Kiddy dance show, a beauty pagaent, and the presenters were constantly boring the pants off everyone by advertising for the different vendors, this was at the most, irritating.

The promised celebrities, did not seem to appear, I felt sorry for alot of Filipinos who had travelled long distance by coach party, its those ones I felt for, as the only thing they had come down for was to eat local foods, apart from that, there was little culture, I personally took a long walk around the field, and found little to interest me, I know this is a slightly different assesment to Cielo's but against last year, I enjoyed last year more, sadly at around 4.45pm, we left to go home, and I had invited friends from Scotland to come down, I wish I had taken them somewhere else.

I have heard from people who attended on Sunday that the music was better, although we did not go on Sunday, but we picked Saturday thinking that was the best day.

[ginapeterb]

I had a general chat with my buddy William from the South London crowd, and he showed up with a large party of Filipinos on Sunday.

First the security guards, (always ethnics ) tried to stop them going in with a few cans of lager, then they managed to sneak in at the other entrance with about 40 cans of lager.

About 12.30pm, they were waiting for Nugroovz to come on stage, then the organizers, wanted people to buy raffle tickets to get into the compound in front of the stage, it was £1.00 a ticket, so William and a few others bought them, then when it was time to get in the compound, they opened the gates and let all the Filipinos in, who had not paid.

Suprise Surprise, when Will complained, 7 coppers turned up to escort him and his oppos out of the grounds, they were told the organizers did not want them there, so after waiting a year to see his beloved Nugroovz play, the was ejected from Lampton Park, his verdict on the whole day was


SH1T

[baboyako]

lasing pinoys

[ivor&mel]

Are you going back next year, Pete?

[KeithD]

I'll organize a few coach loads of Man U & Liverpool fans for next year then, should for an ....erm.....interesting day

[ginapeterb]

Are you going back next year, Pete?

Thanks for asking Ivor !, thats a question Gina and I discussed after the weekend, in truth, the answer is no, we wont be going next year, I don't think its worth the effort, unless Gina expresses a desire to go for a couple of hours, but for those who are long distance, I wouldn't bother, the problem with the barrio fiesta is, that it is hyped up to be a great 2 day event, but when you really see it for yourself, no doubt you will make your own judgement, that it is nothing more than a chance for Filipino vendors to make money out of Filipinos, this years selection of food sellers was incredible, is it worth coming down from Sheffield Ivor ? I guess unless you go and see it for yourself, its hard to answer, would I spend money on taking a coach or train down from the North, having seen it for 2 years, No I would not ! but of course thats only my opinion.

Apart from the San Miguel, and by the way, you are not allowed to take the bottles away, it was not cold ! and there is nothing worse than semi warm beer in a hot climate, the ready available diet of ethnic private security people moving you on from this place to that, there was not much else to do there, as I have already alluded to in previous posts, meeting other forum members was the highlight of the day, apart from that, I think i have made my position very clear....hahahahaha

[KeithD]

Best if we all meet up at say......Chester races

[ivor&mel]

We had hopes of getting down this year, but they got scuppered. I'd have very much liked to experience it, but it seems it's going downhill now. Is it getting too big? Who actually organises the thing?

I still like the idea of a forum meet... but we're all too lazy on here to organise anything

[ginapeterb]

We had hopes of getting down this year, but they got scuppered. I'd have very much liked to experience it, but it seems it's going downhill now. Is it getting too big? Who actually organises the thing?

I still like the idea of a forum meet... but we're all too lazy on here to organise anything

Ivor, it is organized by the Philippine Center here is the link if you want to take a look ?

http://www.philippinecentre.com/

I would say that the event is too commercialized, yes they need sponsors, but the its always the usual suspects.

Charrie Travel
PICC Philippine Island Connections
Josephines Restaraunt.
And many others.

However, I think we should organize a forum meet up, at some future event, I know Mrs Frivolity (Cielo) and I discussed it, that it would be nice to meet up, but Ivor is right in one sense, we are all a lazy lot, the amount of people who promised to meet up with me at the Barrio Fiesta in 2005, was a complete washout.

I am happy to co-ordinate something, but I will only do this, if I think there is a fair chance that people will show up, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, talk is cheap, what we really need is somone to extend an invitation to their garden, we could have a barbecue, etc, food, Im sure some of the ladies will bring things, I dont have a garden, or else I would happily open up my house to all who wanted to come, I am quite happy to travel across the country to someone elses house, if they invite me, as I live in a penthouse, I cant really do it, another idea is for someone to rent the village hall or something like that, this is popular as it means, generally there is a garden out the back, but as Ivor says, we all lazy here, I was always told, if you want to meet people and make friends, you have to make the effort, i am willing to do it.

We could have the

The FilipinoUK Barrio Fiesta 2006 or 2007 ?


I think its worth it trying, but lets see what others think.

Pete

[ivor&mel]

Thanks for the link, Pete. At least I know who is responsible now

There's a link on that site to an online magazine for Filipinos in the UK: I'll have a gander when I get time.

How about meeting at Alton Towers? Pretty central... and if no-one turns up, always plenty of vomit-inducing rides to go on

[mrsfrivolity]

How about meeting at Alton Towers? Pretty central... and if no-one turns up, always plenty of vomit-inducing rides to go on

That's actually a good idea. I was thinking in the line of campsites Just bring food, booze and camp in. If not all could attend, there's still a lot of things to do for those who did.

Unfortunately, Pete, if you organize it this side of Christmas, Bill and I will be very sorry to miss it.

[KeithD]

Well if you're away, just leave us your keys

[mrsfrivolity]

Can't Keith. From July 21, we'll be homeless

[KeithD]

Pete will put you up.....no rent or food costs of course !!

[Eljohno]

Can't Keith. From July 21, we'll be homeless

How come you will be homeless?

[Pauldo]

Never you mind Erve, there will be a next time.

Hopefully me too. I had to fly out on the 13th to work, which was also my daughters 5th birthday

[mrsfrivolity]

How come you will be homeless?

We sold our house to finance a pub tenancy in January. So until then, we will be backpacking around the Far East as it's cheaper than renting here.

The cost of having a holiday for six months is half the cost of renting a place here for the same amount of time.

No contest really

[mrsfrivolity]

Pete will put you up.....no rent or food costs of course !!

Yeah...Bill will cook and I'll clean up! Howzaboutit Pete?

[ivor&mel]

So where's the new pub exactly...? We haven't forgotten the free drinks offer

Anyway, good luck to you both on your travels. Hope you'll find time to keep us posted about your adventures

[mrsfrivolity]

It's all still in the application process Ivor and yes, we will definitely keep everyone posted!

[KeithD]

we will definitely keep everyone posted!

You'll never fit me in the letterbox!

[ginapeterb]

We sold our house to finance a pub tenancy in January. So until then, we will be backpacking around the Far East as it's cheaper than renting here.

The cost of having a holiday for six months is half the cost of renting a place here for the same amount of time.

No contest really

Cielo explained all this to me on Sat, was I half alseep Cielo ? I think its a wonderful idea, what you are doing !, the cost of renting these days is expensive, a house normally is between £600.00 per month and £1200.00 per month dependingon size and amenities and location, just think what £800.00 a month can do in the Philippines, as you have said, its cheaper to go around the far east than live here, if you are not doing much ? good on you, go for it, you will just have us all hating you for this.

hahahaha, pleased for you Cielo...