funny, when my friends and i first came here (the first year in auckland), the first thing we thought about during a festive season like the eid (aidilfitri) was to send our picture and dedication to a malaysian newspaper...we chose our best pictures (usually pictures of us in a season that would never happen in malaysia like winter) and try to fit as many dedications as possible in a limited space and sent as many entries as possible to the utusan malaysia...we were garbed in our winter best (our winter coats and mufflers and what-not) and looked reasonably happy (while in real life, i was probably half frozen)....
after that we somehow lost our interest in that...we do our dedications in private now, sending cards with our love and best wishes in this happy time...at least that's what i do...i missed celebrating the eid with my family so much...i missed the feeling when i wake up mid-morning (mama will probably be knocking our doors most insistently with threats of baba arriving soon from his eid morning prayer)...i will probably be a sore bear who hates eid for the very reason that i am forced to wake so early in the morning (even though i am very excited the day before, with my baju kurung already pressed neatly and accessories all ready arranged accordingly on the table)...my other sisters will take turn to take their showers and i will be the last madam in line...
mama will probably already ready downstairs, smelling beautifully as usual (mama's smell)...baba will come home from eid morning prayer and all of us will ask for forgiveness from both mama and baba...there will be joviality in the air, with teasing of how stingy baba is in giving 'duit raya' (pocket money or malay version of angpau, a tradition adopted from the chinese from chinese new year)...next, we'll be bundled up in our family car to our next destinations - baba and mama's families homes (which are quite near our own, sadly i don't have a 'kampung' so i've never experience the 'raya in kampung' or aidilfitri in the rural areas/village feelings, with no lemang to bake or making ketupat before raya, or knocking neighbours doors for 'duit raya' on the first day of eid)....eid in the city is definitely different from eid in the village...
i missed nenek maridah's spicy fried chicken, beef rendang and display cake (the cake is only for display until first day of eid is over, so no touching, only looking)...nenek maridah is best cook, other than mama, of course....the first day of eid is full of unspoken expectations of a happy day and reunion of family members and all the good things in life...we wear our new clothes and all enmity is forgotten temporarily for that auspicious day...
i know eid will not be arriving in an approximately another 2 weeks, but the closer the day is, the more melancholic i feel...eid is definitely different here in auckland...it is not bad, just different...celebrating with friends, with no special holiday for eid celebration (sometimes celebrated during the exam/test period), there is less celebratory feelings in the air...however, all of us do our best to celebrate it...we have our big celebration, usually about a week after eid due to circumstances but i am still happy that we are still celebrating...anyhow, this is not meant to sadden those who are far away from the loved ones...this is a reminder that no matter how far our loved ones are, i am sure we are all remembered as we remember them...my family will always be in my heart....
after that we somehow lost our interest in that...we do our dedications in private now, sending cards with our love and best wishes in this happy time...at least that's what i do...i missed celebrating the eid with my family so much...i missed the feeling when i wake up mid-morning (mama will probably be knocking our doors most insistently with threats of baba arriving soon from his eid morning prayer)...i will probably be a sore bear who hates eid for the very reason that i am forced to wake so early in the morning (even though i am very excited the day before, with my baju kurung already pressed neatly and accessories all ready arranged accordingly on the table)...my other sisters will take turn to take their showers and i will be the last madam in line...
mama will probably already ready downstairs, smelling beautifully as usual (mama's smell)...baba will come home from eid morning prayer and all of us will ask for forgiveness from both mama and baba...there will be joviality in the air, with teasing of how stingy baba is in giving 'duit raya' (pocket money or malay version of angpau, a tradition adopted from the chinese from chinese new year)...next, we'll be bundled up in our family car to our next destinations - baba and mama's families homes (which are quite near our own, sadly i don't have a 'kampung' so i've never experience the 'raya in kampung' or aidilfitri in the rural areas/village feelings, with no lemang to bake or making ketupat before raya, or knocking neighbours doors for 'duit raya' on the first day of eid)....eid in the city is definitely different from eid in the village...
i missed nenek maridah's spicy fried chicken, beef rendang and display cake (the cake is only for display until first day of eid is over, so no touching, only looking)...nenek maridah is best cook, other than mama, of course....the first day of eid is full of unspoken expectations of a happy day and reunion of family members and all the good things in life...we wear our new clothes and all enmity is forgotten temporarily for that auspicious day...
i know eid will not be arriving in an approximately another 2 weeks, but the closer the day is, the more melancholic i feel...eid is definitely different here in auckland...it is not bad, just different...celebrating with friends, with no special holiday for eid celebration (sometimes celebrated during the exam/test period), there is less celebratory feelings in the air...however, all of us do our best to celebrate it...we have our big celebration, usually about a week after eid due to circumstances but i am still happy that we are still celebrating...anyhow, this is not meant to sadden those who are far away from the loved ones...this is a reminder that no matter how far our loved ones are, i am sure we are all remembered as we remember them...my family will always be in my heart....
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