1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009

Event : 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009
Date : 21st March 2009
Venue : Precinct 2, Putrajaya

Been looking forward to this event for quite sometime now and in my mind, I've even fast forwarded the launching date to a week earlier than the actual one. Thank God for Hitz.FM constant reminder on the events date and whereabouts. Yes! It's Saturday... yatta!! Off to Putrajaya to ride Hot Air Balloon!

Went there with Mr. Dino and we arrived at around 8 am, and the place was jampacked with people. Can't blame them coz it was on a weekend, moreover school holidays. My plan to RIDE on one of the Hot Air Balloons came crashing down after I saw the word 'SOLD OUT' on the small white board on the ticketing counter. T_T ~~~~ bohooooo So fast they sold out wei!

According to the announcer the tickets sold out at 7.10 am like that. BUMMER! Guess gotta wait for next year! I heard it was RM 10 per piece. Most people thought with just RM 10 you can like ride em from one point to the next but WRONG... it's just moving up and down and the balloon will be on a leash.... hehe. Seriously... not horizontally... it's vertically.

Below is the itinerary for that Saturday... according to their official website.

	0700 - 0745	Arrival of VIP / media / guests
	0745 - 0800	Official Launch of 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009
	0745 - 0815	Balloon area opened to photographers; Photo Op#1
	0800 - 0900	Balloon Fun Fly with VIPs
	0900 - 1000	Para motor showcase
		Children Colouring Contest (aged 7-9), prize: hot air balloon ride with parents
	1000 - 1130	Remote Control Flying Aircraft Display
		Children Colouring Contest (aged 10-12), prize: hot air balloon ride with parents
	1130 - 1200	Paper Airplane Contest
	1400 - 1500	Kite Flying Exhibition
	1500 - 1630	Remote Control Flying Aircraft Display
	1630 - 1730	Para motor showcase
	1730 - 1900	Balloon Fun Fly
	1745 - 1815	Balloon area opened to photographers; Photo Op#2
	2030 - 2100	Night Glow

Snapzaroos of some of the Hot Air Balloons.. I thought I saw a Coke-bottle-shaped balloon on their webby but seen none on that day. In fact quite a number went missing... sesat kot... or maybe that's just in the Philippines. Random snapz of hot air balloons for the official launching... and the afternoon session.

We were at Putrajaya almost the whole day, from morning until the 'Night Glow' event. Initially the plan was to see 'Night Glow' only but it was a last min thingy that we've decided to go early in the morning and while we're at it... why not wait for the night event?

We had our lunch at Alamanda, Putrajaya and followed by a movie... BAD choice of movie!! *cringe*. I feel like literally banging my head on the brick wall. It was vapid, plot less and arghhh!! I actually like Sharifah Amani, and to think that she's stuck in this kind of movie is unforgivable! Her role/acting in Yasmin Ahmad's movies brought out the best in her... well can't blame her for this =/ but I suggest u people out there to just wait for the movie to be aired on TV during the festive season or sumthing... don't waste your moolah!

What movie you say? You wanna know what movie I've chosen? Oh God I can't believe I went to see this movie la... ok la... ok la... sometimes we have to support Malaysian product also la... but please la, if you want people to support Malaysian product, don't just make movie with much make up without substance! I've seen down to earth Malay dramas with more plots, logic and emotions. I don't know much about movie making but I do know that I am one of the many people out there who spend money willingly to go watch GOOD movie with PLOT! Heck, Samuel Rizal's even better in Eiffel I'm in Love. I feel I've been cheated somehow.. Aiyyo... this entry is supposedly about Hot Air Balloon lah! T_T pstt... the movie is Sayang!! You can dance.

I hope you don't mind me make ways for "TalenTime" advert, it's due on 16th March 2009, A movie by Yasmin Ahmad. By the time I publish this entry, this movie will probably have exceeded its launching date. So far with her previous movies... I love her choices of actors, I love their expressions, nice cinematography, the messages that are being conveyed, the jokes are natural & not overboard. Somehow she almost captures and able to relate to the norm of Malaysian... A good movie weaves slowly with their audiences, let them absorb, let them think, let them feel, include them and leave an impression even after the movie ends. I hope this movie is not a disappointment...

...and the trailers :D

Ok back to Hot Air Balloon! We waited 'patiently' for the night's event... and again, the ticket SOLD OUT.. the heck!? Anywayz lets spy on what others were busying themselves with on that day after the morning event... Random shots of people and the stuff around them.

We forgot to bring tripod so pictures aren't that good or clear for that matter. Night Glow happened when they blast the burner into the mouth of the envelope and that's ur night glow! Actually it was quite fun and multitudinous of spectators crammed around the fenced tract. Check it out.

I surfed around for basic info on how hot air balloons actually work and thought I might share the diagram showing the parts of HAB here FYI and for my future ref too =p

Pix + Info from HowStuffWorks

Lets call it a day... :D

As alwayz, credit goes to Mr. Dino for all the pix!