Dieppe was fabulous!

Yes! It is the "Habagat"(southwest monsoon) wind season. Rain and typhoon season. Bad news for kite flyers. Another bad news is... WE LOST THE FORT! Buildings, buildings and more buildings. Sign of progress?

For almost a decade, The FORT became our "official" kite flying site and "outdoor clubhouse". Let us thank the Fort Bonifacio Development Authority for allowing us to use the wide open field. Thanks to everyone who made use of their time to fly kites and shared the sky with us.

We have an alternative flying area though. Follow EDSA straight up to the south-end (Pasay).
There you will find Bay Boulevard (beyond Roxas Blvd.) and the Mall of Asia (SM). Just beyond the Mall, beside the sea wall is the Esplanade. It is a brick-layered baywalk area, stretching from the Mall area to about a kilometer farther. Good wind, good flying area, BUT! --- within the aerodrome and flightpath of aircraft landing or taking-off from the nearby airport. It will mean kite flying altitude limitation to only 200 feet! Well, better than nothing.

More foreign trips:
Tanah Lot International Kite Festival - Bali, Indonesia ...... 11-15 Aug 2006
Dieppe International Kite Festival - Dieppe, France ...... 8-17 September 2006
Cambodia International Kite Festival - Siem Reap, Cambodia ...... 4-9 December 2006

Have invitation, will travel. Way to go!

'Just arrived from the Qingdao International Kite Festival in China. This event was just right after the 23rd Weifang International Kite Festival. FOOD BINGE! Chinese buffet and 15-course lauriat meals served daily (together with all the Tsingtao Beer you can drink). I must have gained several pounds.

At the International Kite Federation (IKF) Convention in Weifang, several resolutions were passed which included using kites to herald the 2008 Beijing Olympics and extend the international kite trade.

I don't think I will go to the 18th Uchinada World Kite Festival in Japan. I've been travelling almost every month since the year started. Good thing the Papagaio Kite Festival (29Apr) in Batangas was moved to November 06, but the Subic Base Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fun Flying Fest took over the schedule. It was a successful event and we look forward to similar events in the future.

Looks like a busy year for us:

12-15 Jan 06 Gujarat International Kite Festival Ahmedabad, India
28 Jan 06 Sta . Rosa Parish Fiesta/Kite Event Sta. Rosa, Laguna
04 Feb 06 Ateneo Grade III Kite Flying Day Ateneo Field, Q.C.
09-12 Feb 06 10th Phil. Int'l. Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Clarkfield, Pampanga
15-21 Feb 06 Pasir Gudang Int'l. Kite Festival Johor Bahru, Malaysia
19-23 Apr 06 Weifang Int'l. Kite Festival Weifang, China
29 Apr 06 Papagaio Kite Festival Lipa, Batangas
01-06 May 06 18th Uchinada World Kite Festival Uchinada, Japan

These are only the confirmed events. More sked are coming in as the Amihan wind season and Summer '06 heats up.