"Tong Tong Fair", Indonesia Show in the Netherlands

Wooww... Night Market Fair "Tong Tong Fair" was held back in the Netherlands, great! This event is take place in the Malieveld field, near Central Station Denhaag, for 10 days from May 25 to June 5 2011. If you've never been there, let's follow the story of a friend who comes immediately when the event took place, Eliza Wijshijer.

The Big Bazaar Director "Tong Tong Fair" Ellen Derksen with Leslie Boon, grandson of the originator of "Tong Tong Fair" or also commonly known as Pasar Malam Tong Tong, late Jan Boon or Tjalie Robinson, author of the famous Dutch literature and culture of Indonesia, said the show "Tong Tong Fair" has grown into the largest Eurasian Festival in the world and is fully supported by Local Government and the three Service Den Haag in The Hague Municipal Department of Culture, Department of Population and City Planning Office.

At first, according to her confession "Tong Tong Fair" is known as the celebration of Indonesian culture or anything related to Indonesia in the Netherlands. They think once held the event to 53rd times, what if the expanded and more into celebration of Asian nations, although Indonesia is still a lot of culture seen in main stage.

Look then at some stage around the main stage area the night market, outlets various countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, China each day featuring a variety of performing arts.

Indonesia held a traditional dance, gamelan show arrive at a fashion show of batik from Yogyakarta and various other areas of the archipelago.

Visitors so crowded with hundreds of performing arts events from year to year and for visitors subject to the ticket price of 11.50 euros and 14.50 euros a normal day Saturday/Sunday, Pasar Malam Tong Tong open from 11:00 to 22:00 o'clock.

Eliza tells her experiences there, she saw the stage various kinds of Indonesian food, handy craft materials, batiks, sculptures typical of Yogyakarta and Bali, bags. Like visiting a bazaar with dances and songs. The crowd was mostly locals, who like the atmosphere of Indonesia, who happened to their vacation time to see what the situation. Do not be surprised when see the delicious culinary meatballs, nasi rames Padang, goat or chicken satay skewers, typical drinks ice Cendol and ice Teler. And this is special, we can meet sellers from Indonesia fruits like durian, mangosteen, coconut, and it feels really authentic and delicious! Humm... Yummy...

Eliza also shows the mangosteen fruit are also on display in one vendor booth, if outside the venue will be very expensive around € 12, but in the arena fairly cheap. Similarly, durian around € 5, while prices outside a supermarket for example can cost € 20. Sure miss Indonesia, right? Everything is so cheap and very special culinary!

Further she told when visiting Indonesian Pavilion Stand, she met with those who came directly from Jakarta as well as dancers and singers from Indonesia. Once crowded with visitors who come from all over the Netherlands and in Europe and the UK.

Tong Tong Night Market Fair was then known as a place of nostalgic people of Indonesia who settled dozens of years in the Netherlands, and for that matter do not be surprised if you see art of the past, such as keroncong and hawaian music.

Oohh... Opa, Oma let's come and reminisce over there!

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(Story from Eliza Wijshijer, Netherlands/Photos Eliza Wijshijer)

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1. Tong Tong Fair
2. Tong Tong Fair | 25 Mei t/m 5 Juni 2011 – Malieveld Den Haag