🎉🎇🥳🎆Bun Bang Fai Festival is a fun festival in Laos. People also call it the Rocket Festival (A2, past simple, text, exercises, soundfiles)🎆🥳🎇🎉

• Malivanh visited the festival in May 2026

My name is Malivanh and I visited the Bun Bang Fai Festival from May 4 to May 10, 2026. I went with my family to a village in Laos. We stayed there for one week. I felt very happy and excited.

The festival had a long history. People said it started many years ago. They believed rockets could bring rain for the rice fields. Farmers needed rain for their crops. I learned this from my guide. It was interesting and simple.

On the first day, I saw people making rockets. They used bamboo and paint. The rockets were big and colorful. I helped my cousins carry small things. We worked together and smiled a lot.

On the festival day, we went to the field. Many people waited and looked at the sky. A rocket went up very high. Everyone shouted and clapped. I felt very proud and happy to see it.

After the festival, we ate food and talked with friends. We went home with good memories. I will never forget this festival in Laos.

I also met many people from different villages. They were friendly and kind. We talked about the festival and daily life. I made new friends during the trip.

The weather was warm and sunny every day. At night, we sat together and listened to music. I felt safe and very happy in Laos.

This festival taught me about old culture in Laos. I understood why people respect the rockets. I hope I can visit again next year with my family.

I will remember the sounds, the colors, and the smiles. It was one of the best moments of my life. I was very thankful for this experience.

____________________

Vocabulary:

• to be excited: to feel very happy and full of energy about something
• to believe: to think something is true
• a rocket: a flying object that goes very fast into the sky
• crops: plants that farmers grow for food (like rice or corn)
• a guide: a person who helps and shows you a place
• paint: colored liquid used to make things colorful
• colorful: having many bright colors
• the sky: the space above us where clouds and the sun are
• to shout: to say something very loudly
• to clap: to hit your hands together to show happiness
• a village: a small place where people live, smaller than a town
• to be kind: to be nice and helpful to other people
• daily life: normal things people do every day
• to make friends: to become friends with someone
• to feel safe: to feel not in danger
• to teach somebody something: to help someone learn something
• to respect: to think someone or something is important and good
• to remember: to keep something in your mind
• a sound: something you hear
• an experience: something you do or live through in your life

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Basics in past simple:

Past Simple – Regular Verbs

Rules:

• Most verbs: add -ed
  play → played
• Verbs ending in -e: add -d
  live → lived
• Verbs ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -ed
  study → studied
• Short verbs ending in vowel + consonant: double the final consonant and add -ed
  stop → stopped
• List of irregular verbs => LINK

Use:
The past simple is used to talk about finished actions in the past.

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List of verbs in text, regular and irregular:

Infinitive	Past tense	Definition
be	was / were	to exist / to be in a state
visit	visited	to go and see a place
go	went	to move from one place to another
stay	stayed	to live somewhere for a short time
feel	felt	to have an emotion or physical feeling
have	had	to own or hold something
say	said	to speak words
start	started	to begin
believe	believed	to think something is true
bring	brought	to take something to a place
need	needed	to want something important
learn	learned	to get new knowledge
see	saw	to look at and notice something
make	made	to create or produce something
help	helped	to give support to someone
carry	carried	to take something from one place to another
work	worked	to do a job or activity
smile	smiled	to show happiness with your mouth
use	used	to take something and do something with it
wait	waited	to stay until something happens
look	looked	to turn your eyes toward something
shout	shouted	to say something very loudly
clap	clapped	to hit your hands together to show happiness
eat	ate	to take food into your body
talk	talked	to speak with someone
meet	met	to see and talk to someone for the first time
sit	sat	to rest on a chair or ground
listen	listened	to hear carefully
teach	taught	to help someone learn something
understand	understood	to know the meaning of something
hope	hoped	to want something good in the future
forget	forgot	to not remember something
remember	remembered	to keep something in your mind
stay	stayed	to live somewhere for a short time

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Match word and definition:

Words

1. to feel safe
2. a guide
3. to clap
4. a village
5. to remember
6. to shout
7. a rocket
8. to respect
9. crops
10. to believe
11. to make friends
12. daily life
13. paint
14. to teach somebody something
15. colorful
16. a sound
17. to be kind
18. an experience
19. the sky
20. to be excited

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Definitions

A. to hit your hands together to show happiness
B. to think someone or something is important and good
C. plants that farmers grow for food (like rice or corn)
D. a flying object that goes very fast into the sky
E. to be nice and helpful to other people
F. normal things people do every day
G. to help someone learn something
H. to feel not in danger
I. having many bright colors
J. to become friends with someone
K. to think something is true
L. a small place where people live, smaller than a town
M. to keep something in your mind
N. something you hear
O. to feel very happy and full of energy about something
P. colored liquid used to make things colorful
Q. to say something very loudly
R. a person who helps and shows you a place
S. something you do or live through in your life
T. the space above us where clouds and the sun are
U. to exist / be in a state

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Answers:

1-H, 2-R, 3-A, 4-L, 5-M, 6-Q, 7-D,
8-B, 9-C, 10-K, 11-J, 12-F, 13-P, 14-G,
15-I, 16-N, 17-E, 18-S, 19-T, 20-O
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Match the definitions with the correct words:

Definitions

1. to feel not in danger
2. a person who helps and shows you a place
3. to hit your hands together to show happiness
4. a small place where people live, smaller than a town
5. to keep something in your mind
6. to say something very loudly
7. a flying object that goes very fast into the sky
8. to think someone or something is important and good
9. plants that farmers grow for food (like rice or corn)
10. to think something is true
11. to become friends with someone
12. normal things people do every day
13. colored liquid used to make things colorful
14. to help someone learn something
15. having many bright colors
16. something you hear
17. to be nice and helpful to other people
18. something you do or live through in your life
19. the space above us where clouds and the sun are
20. to feel very happy and full of energy about something

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Words

a. a guide
b. crops
c. to believe
d. to respect
e. to feel safe
f. to shout
g. to remember
h. a village
i. to clap
j. to make friends
k. daily life
l. paint
m. to teach somebody something
n. colorful
o. a sound
p. to be kind
q. an experience
r. the sky
s. to be excited
t. a rocket

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_________________________

Answers:

1-e, 2-a, 3-i, 4-h, 5-g, 6-f, 7-t,
8-d, 9-b, 10-c, 11-j, 12-k, 13-l, 14-m,
15-n, 16-o, 17-p, 18-q, 19-r, 20-s

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True or false:

1. Rockets were made only from plastic materials imported from cities.
2. Malivanh visited the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Laos.
3. The festival was a private event with no other visitors besides his family.
4. Farmers said rain was not important for agriculture in that region.
5. Malivanh met friendly people from different villages.
6. People made rockets using bamboo and paint.
7. The festival was mainly focused on boat racing in rivers.
8. A rocket went very high into the sky during the festival.
9. Malivanh spent the whole trip studying in a classroom instead of joining activities.
10. The festival lasted for one week.
11. The guide explained that the festival was originally from Europe.
12. He traveled with his family.
13. During the trip, Malivanh stayed in a hotel in a large modern city far away from the village.
14. People believed rockets could bring rain for rice fields.
15. Most activities in the festival were held indoors inside temples only.
16. Farmers needed rain for their crops.
17. Malivanh learned about the festival from a guide.
18. Malivanh attended the festival during winter season.
19. Rockets were described as big and colorful.
20. The festival took place in a tropical rural village in Laos.

_____________________

True: 2,5,6,8,10,12,14,16,17,19,20

_____________________

Correct version:

1. Rockets were made only from plastic materials imported from cities. True is: Rockets were made using bamboo and paint.
2. Malivanh visited the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Laos.
3. The festival was a private event with no other visitors besides his family. True is: Malivanh met many people from different villages at the festival.
4. Farmers said rain was not important for agriculture in that region. True is: Farmers needed rain for their crops.
5. Malivanh met friendly people from different villages.
6. People made rockets using bamboo and paint.
7. The festival was mainly focused on boat racing in rivers. True is: The festival was about rockets that are believed to bring rain for crops.
8. A rocket went very high into the sky during the festival.
9. Malivanh spent the whole trip studying in a classroom instead of joining activities. True is: Malivanh took part in festival activities with his family.
10. The festival lasted for one week.
11. The guide explained that the festival was originally from Europe. True is: The guide explained the festival has a long history in Laos.
12. He traveled with his family.
13. During the trip, Malivanh stayed in a hotel in a large modern city far away from the village. True is: Malivanh stayed in a village in Laos.
14. People believed rockets could bring rain for rice fields.
15. Most activities in the festival were held indoors inside temples only. True is: The festival activities took place in open fields.
16. Farmers needed rain for their crops.
17. Malivanh learned about the festival from a guide.
18. Malivanh attended the festival during winter season. True is: The festival took place in warm weather in May.
19. Rockets were described as big and colorful.
20. The festival took place in a tropical rural village in Laos.

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Put the events in the correct order:

A. People made rockets using bamboo and paint
B. Malivanh visited a village in Laos with his family
C. A rocket went high into the sky
D. People ate food and talked after the festival
E. Malivanh learned about the festival from a guide
F. People went to the field to watch the rockets

_______________________

Correct order: B E A F C D

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Short answers, past simple, basics:

Example Sentence	Yes	No
I learned letters.	Yes, I did.	No, I didn’t.
You read signs.	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
He spoke English.	Yes, he did.	No, he didn’t.
She watched TV.	Yes, she did.	No, she didn’t.
It helped me.	Yes, it did.	No, it didn’t.
We used an app.	Yes, we did.	No, we didn’t.
You read words.	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
They made mistakes.	Yes, they did.	No, they didn’t.

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Questions (Past Simple)

Question	Yes	No
Did I learn letters?	Yes, I did.	No, I didn’t.
Did you read signs?	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
Did he speak English?	Yes, he did.	No, he didn’t.
Did she watch TV?	Yes, she did.	No, she didn’t.
Did it help me?	Yes, it did.	No, it didn’t.
Did we use an app?	Yes, we did.	No, we didn’t.
Did you read words?	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
Did they make mistakes?	Yes, they did.	No, they didn’t.

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Was / Were

Question	Yes	No
Was I happy?	Yes, I was.	No, I wasn’t.
Were you happy?	Yes, you were.	No, you weren’t.
Was he happy?	Yes, he was.	No, he wasn’t.
Was she happy?	Yes, she was.	No, she wasn’t.
Was it good?	Yes, it was.	No, it wasn’t.
Were we happy?	Yes, we were.	No, we weren’t.
Were you happy?	Yes, you were.	No, you weren’t.
Were they happy?	Yes, they were.	No, they weren’t.

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Provide short answers as shown in 1.:

1. Rockets were made only from plastic materials imported from cities.
   
   YOU WRITE:
   No, they weren’t.
   
2. Malivanh visited the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Laos.
3. The festival was a private event with no other visitors besides his family.
4. Farmers said rain was not important for agriculture in that region.
5. Malivanh met friendly people from different villages.
6. People made rockets using bamboo and paint.
7. The festival was mainly focused on boat racing in rivers.
8. A rocket went very high into the sky during the festival.
9. Malivanh spent the whole trip studying in a classroom instead of joining activities.
10. The festival lasted for one week.
11. The guide explained that the festival was originally from Europe.
12. He traveled with his family.
13. During the trip, Malivanh stayed in a hotel in a large modern city far away from the village.
14. People believed rockets could bring rain for rice fields.
15. Most activities in the festival were held indoors inside temples only.
16. Farmers needed rain for their crops.
17. Malivanh learned about the festival from a guide.
18. Malivanh attended the festival during winter season.
19. Rockets were described as big and colorful.
20. The festival took place in a tropical rural village in Laos.

________________________

Correct answers:

Rockets were made only from plastic materials imported from cities.
No, they weren’t.

Malivanh visited the Bun Bang Fai Festival in Laos.
Yes, she did.

The festival was a private event with no other visitors besides her family.
No, it wasn’t.

Farmers said rain was not important for agriculture in that region.
No, they didn’t.

Malivanh met friendly people from different villages.
Yes, she did.

People made rockets using bamboo and paint.
Yes, they did.

The festival was mainly focused on boat racing in rivers.
No, it wasn’t.

A rocket went very high into the sky during the festival.
Yes, it did.

Malivanh spent the whole trip studying in a classroom instead of joining activities.
No, she didn’t.

The festival lasted for one week.
Yes, it did.

The guide explained that the festival was originally from Europe.
No, it didn’t.

She traveled with her family.
Yes, she did.

During the trip, Malivanh stayed in a hotel in a large modern city far away from the village.
No, she didn’t.

People believed rockets could bring rain for rice fields.
Yes, they did.

Most activities in the festival were held indoors inside temples only.
No, they weren’t.

Farmers needed rain for their crops.
Yes, they did.

Malivanh learned about the festival from a guide.
Yes, she did.

Malivanh attended the festival during winter season.
No, she didn’t.

Rockets were described as big and colorful.
Yes, they were.

The festival took place in a tropical rural village in Laos.
Yes, it did.

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Past simple – basics

Personal Pronoun	Verb (Past)	Object
I	ate	apples
You	ate	apples
He	ate	apples
She	ate	apples
It	ate	apples
We	ate	apples
You (plural)	ate	apples
They	ate	apples
I	played	football
You	played	football
He	played	football
She	played	football
It	played	football
We	played	football
You (plural)	played	football
They	played	football

Personal Pronoun	Verb (Past Negative)	Object
I	did not eat	apples
You	did not eat	apples
He	did not eat	apples
She	did not eat	apples
It	did not eat	apples
We	did not eat	apples
You (plural)	did not eat	apples
They	did not eat	apples
I	did not play	football
You	did not play	football
He	did not play	football
She	did not play	football
It	did not play	football
We	did not play	football
You (plural)	did not play	football
They	did not play	football

Did + Pronoun	Verb	Object
Did I	eat	apples?
Did you	eat	apples?
Did he	eat	apples?
Did she	eat	apples?
Did it	eat	apples?
Did we	eat	apples?
Did you	eat	apples?
Did they	eat	apples?
Did I	play	football?
Did you	play	football?
Did he	play	football?
Did she	play	football?
Did it	play	football?
Did we	play	football?
Did you	play	football?
Did they	play	football?

Didn’t + Pronoun	Verb	Object
Didn’t I	eat	apples?
Didn’t you	eat	apples?
Didn’t he	eat	apples?
Didn’t she	eat	apples?
Didn’t it	eat	apples?
Didn’t we	eat	apples?
Didn’t you	eat	apples?
Didn’t they	eat	apples?
Didn’t I	play	football?
Didn’t you	play	football?
Didn’t he	play	football?
Didn’t she	play	football?
Didn’t it	play	football?
Didn’t we	play	football?
Didn’t you	play	football?
Didn’t they	play	football?

Forms of ‚to be‘

Personal Pronoun	Positive	Negative	Question
I	I was happy.	I was not happy.	Was I happy?
You (singular)	You were excited.	You were not excited.	Were you excited?
He	He was at home.	He was not at home.	Was he at home?
She	She was tired.	She was not tired.	Was she tired?
It	It was cold.	It was not cold.	Was it cold?
We	We were at the party.	We were not at the party.	Were we at the party?
You (plural)	You were friends.	You were not friends.	Were you friends?
They	They were in the garden.	They were not in the garden.	Were they in the garden?

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Answer in full sentences:

1. Did she go to Laos or Vietnam?
   
   YOU WRITE:
   She went to laos.
   
2. Were the rockets made of bamboo or plastic?
3. Did she travel with her family or alone?
4. Was the festival in May or December?
5. Did people believe rockets bring rain or snow?
6. Did she learn from a guide or a teacher?
7. Were the rockets big or small?
8. Did people shout or whisper when the rocket flew?
9. Did she feel happy or sad during the festival?
10. Did the rocket go into the sky or stay on the ground?
11. Did they use bamboo or metal to make rockets?
12. Did she meet villagers or stay alone all the time?
13. Was the weather warm or cold?
14. Did people clap or stay silent?
15. Did she eat food after or before the festival?
16. Did she visit a village or a city?
17. Did the festival last one day or one week?
18. Did she remember or forget the experience?
19. Did farmers need rain or snow for crops?
20. Did she feel safe or in danger during the trip?

__________________________

Correct answers:

Did she go to Laos or Vietnam?
She went to Laos.

Were the rockets made of bamboo or plastic?
They were made of bamboo.

Did she travel with her family or alone?
She traveled with her family.

Was the festival in May or December?
It was in May.

Did people believe rockets bring rain or snow?
They believed rockets bring rain.

Did she learn from a guide or a teacher?
She learned from a guide.

Were the rockets big or small?
They were big.

Did people shout or whisper when the rocket flew?
They shouted when the rocket flew.

Did she feel happy or sad during the festival?
She felt happy.

Did the rocket go into the sky or stay on the ground?
It went into the sky.

Did they use bamboo or metal to make rockets?
They used bamboo.

Did she meet villagers or stay alone all the time?
She met villagers.

Was the weather warm or cold?
The weather was warm.

Did people clap or stay silent?
They clapped.

Did she eat food after or before the festival?
She ate food after the festival.

Did she visit a village or a city?
She visited a village.

Did the festival last one day or one week?
It lasted one week.

Did she remember or forget the experience?
She remembered the experience.

Did farmers need rain or snow for crops?
They needed rain.

Did she feel safe or in danger during the trip?
She felt safe.

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Fill in the correct form of the verb in past simple:

1. Malivanh ______________ (go) to a village in Laos with her family.
2. She ______________ (be) very happy and excited about the festival.
3. They ______________ (see) people making rockets from bamboo.
4. The guide ______________ (tell) her about the history of the festival.
5. People ______________ (believe) rockets could bring rain for crops.
6. Farmers ______________ (need) rain for their rice fields.
7. Malivanh ______________ (learn) many new things during the trip.
8. She ______________ (meet) people from different villages.
9. Everyone ______________ (feel) proud when the rocket flew into the sky.
10. People ______________ (make) colorful rockets together.
11. The rocket ______________ (go) very high into the sky.
12. Everyone ______________ (shout) and ______________ (clap) when it happened.
13. After the launch, people ______________ (eat) food together.
14. They ______________ (sit) and talked about the festival.
15. Malivanh ______________ (hear) music at night.
16. She ______________ (see) the beautiful colors of the rockets again in her mind.
17. She ______________ (remember) the sounds and smiles clearly.
18. She ______________ (understand) why the festival was important.
19. She ______________ (take) many good memories home with her.
20. She ______________ (forget) nothing about this experience.

———————————–
Correct version:

Malivanh went to a village in Laos with her family.

She was very happy and excited about the festival.

They saw people making rockets from bamboo.

The guide told her about the history of the festival.

People believed rockets could bring rain for crops.

Farmers needed rain for their rice fields.

Malivanh learned many new things during the trip.

She met people from different villages.

Everyone felt proud when the rocket flew into the sky.

People made colorful rockets together.

The rocket went very high into the sky.

Everyone shouted and clapped when it happened.

After the launch, people ate food together.

They sat and talked about the festival.

Malivanh heard music at night.

She saw the beautiful colors of the rockets again in her mind.

She remembered the sounds and smiles clearly.

She understood why the festival was important.

She took many good memories home with her.

She forgot nothing about this experience.

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Form questions in past simple, then answer them as shown in 1.:

1. (she / visit / Laos?)
   
   YOU WRITE:
   Did she visit Laos?
   Yes, she did. She visited Laos.
   
2. (she / travel / with her family?)
3. (she / go / to a village?)
4. (farmers / need / rain / for crops?)
5. (she / learn / from a guide?)
6. (they / make / rockets / from bamboo?)
7. (she / meet / people / from other villages?)
8. (people / shout and clap / when rocket flew?)
9. (rocket / go / into the sky?)
10. (she / remember / the experience?)

_________________________

Correct version:

1. Did she visit Laos? Yes, she did. She visited Laos.
2. Did she travel with her family? Yes, she did. She traveled with her family.
3. Did she go to a village? Yes, she did. She went to a village.
4. Did farmers need rain for crops? Yes, they did. Farmers needed rain for crops.
5. Did she learn from a guide? Yes, she did. She learned from a guide.
6. Did they make rockets from bamboo? Yes, they did. They made rockets from bamboo.
7. Did she meet people from other villages? Yes, she did. She met people from other villages.
8. Did people shout and clap when the rocket flew? Yes, they did. They shouted and clapped when the rocket flew.
9. Did the rocket go into the sky? Yes, it did. The rocket went into the sky.
10. Did she remember the experience? Yes, she did. She remembered the experience.

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Match question and answer:

1. Where did you go during the festival?
2. Who did you travel with?
3. When did the festival happen?
4. Why did people use rockets?
5. What did you see there?
6. How did you feel at the festival?
7. What did the guide explain?
8. Who made the rockets?
9. What happened when the rocket went up?
10. Where did the event take place?
11. What did you do after the festival?
12. How long did you stay there?
13. What did you learn from the trip?
14. Who did you meet there?
15. What did you enjoy most?
16. How will you remember this experience?

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Answers

a. I felt full of joy and very excited.
b. The crowd became very loud and full of happiness.
c. I shared food and spoke with new friends.
d. I was together with my family members.
e. I noticed long bamboo tubes with bright colors.
f. A simple story about the festival was shared with me.
g. I gained more understanding about old traditions in Laos.
h. It was in early May this year.
i. Local villagers prepared them together.
j. The visit lasted about seven days.
k. I spent time in a small countryside place in Laos.
l. It will stay in my mind as a very special time in life.
m. The flying rockets and happy crowd were my favourite part.
n. I spoke with people from different nearby villages.
o. It was held in an open field near the village.
p. They thought those objects could bring water for rice plants.

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__________________________

Correct answers:
1-k, 2-d, 3-h, 4-p, 5-e, 6-a,
7-f, 8-i, 9-b, 10-o, 11-c, 12-j,
13-g, 14-n, 15-m, 16-l

__________________________

Correct version:

Where did you go during the festival?
I spent time in a small countryside place in Laos.

Who did you travel with?
I was together with my family members.

When did the festival happen?
It was in early May this year.

Why did people use rockets?
They thought those objects could bring water for rice plants.

What did you see there?
I noticed long bamboo tubes with bright colors.

How did you feel at the festival?
I felt full of joy and very excited.

What did the guide explain?
A simple story about the festival was shared with me.

Who made the rockets?
Local villagers prepared them together.

What happened when the rocket went up?
The crowd became very loud and full of happiness.

Where did the event take place?
It was held in an open field near the village.

What did you do after the festival?
I shared food and spoke with new friends.

How long did you stay there?
The visit lasted about seven days.

What did you learn from the trip?
I gained more understanding about old traditions in Laos.

Who did you meet there?
I spoke with people from different nearby villages.

What did you enjoy most?
The flying rockets and happy crowd were my favourite part.

How will you remember this experience?
It will stay in my mind as a very special time in life.

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