Raya Recap 1

Five days have passed since the month of Syawal left us. In any event, it has been a subdued Eid for this household. I should take that back. Probably it has not been one for Sadia who had been dragged here and there by her harried and dazed parents.

Poor Sadia. Whose sleeping schedule turned haywire because of the Raya house-hopping we yielded to. Whose appetite waned throughout the rushing and bustling.

Yet, amazingly Sadia thoroughly enjoyed herself during this festive time, playing with cousins and her young aunties/uncles, as well as chasing cats around the house compound! (this one took place in Kuching)

Our Raya eve was spent at my parents in Kota Damansara ('KD'), where we came bringing satay, peanut gravy and other accompaniments that were served for both Iftar and Eid the next morning. All the siblings save for my eldest sister were around for the final Iftar get-together. We also helped in some last-minute cleaning before retiring around midnight.

The excited Sadia couldn't bring herself to sleep in the new environment and kept waking up now and then. Unfortunately, she also rose up early in the morning when my brother knocked loudly on the door to rouse us from our sleeping state.

After taking turns showering, hubby left for Eid prayer whilst I tended to Sadia's whims and fancies. She busied herself circling the living room all the while refusing any attempt to feed her and ended up nibbling on some cookie.

My husband returned home from the prayer earlier than the other men in the household - my dad and brother - since he went to the communal surau in the vicinity of Mutiara Damansara enclave, as opposed to the overcrowded neighbourhood surau nearby the KD's house where cars triple-parked and inadvertently caused a spillover jam to the immediate surroundings.

As we waited for the other siblings' - twin sister and younger sister - entourage to arrive from their respective homes also located in KD, we then took turns to eat the delicious Raya spread. By this time however, Sadia had grown tired due to lack of sleep and cried in protest when we donned her with a baju kurung top. She didn't like the material at all. We proceeded to the bedroom to put her down for a nap, and shamelessly fell asleep as well!

One-and-half hour had past by the time we stirred from our beauty sleep, overhearing the clamoring of kids and the familiar sisterly voices. We quickly dressed up in our traditional garbs of baju kebaya and baju melayu respectively, and opted for a non-sleeve top and lounging pants for Sadia. No use arguing with a tyke.

The bersalam-salaman session started thereafter and followed by exchanging the kids' Duit Raya with my siblings. In record time, the house was emptied as we made our way to my grandma's in Kampung Bharu. While my sisters and company went straight to the aforesaid destination, my parents and us took our own little detours.

Every year, my mom would send Raya goodies to the Muslim nurses on duty at her dialysis centre in Subang Jaya. And again this year, she didn't want to disappoint them. Since they couldn't go back or get leave for Raya, that's the least she could offer them.

We, on the other hand, parked our car in KLCC to buy diapers and Sadia's lunch! Yes, KLCC on the first day of Raya. In our respledent, traditional clothes! It reminded me of the (singleton) time when I would come to KLCC with my yet-to-be-married sisters and female cousins for our coffee fixs (or chocolate in the case of caffeine-averse young cousins) on the first day of Raya following an almost complete withdrawal from Starbucks and its ilk. (We usually do this in late afternoon after our respective parents customarily resorted to sleeping all over the floors and beds at my grandma's following a hearty chow-down)

Due to our long detour, by the time we arrived in Kampung Bharu, my parents had already sat eating on the dining table. Also, both my uncle's family and auntie's family had also left for their in-laws and relative's in Seremban and Kajang respectively. :)

After savouring the delectable feast at my grandma's consisting of all the food from her children, hers and then some, we decided to take a breather back in Ampang. Most of the people had already either assumed the reclining position or entertained their tummy somersaults due to a shock to the system following a month of fasting. Hehe.

Coupled with sleep deprivation, Sadia was getting edgier with the cramped space that we took it as a signal to go home. In true fashion, we also joined her in the late afternoon kip and the ensuing heavy rain relieved us from the hitherto blistering heat. We woke up later than expected but turned out, everyone else were more or less late for the next venue owing to the pouring rain.

Some people already detained in Kampung Bharu due to the pelting rain had skipped the next open house on the agenda - my late grandauntie's place in Kampung Pandan - in order to help moving some furniture in case the rain flooded the first floor of the house.

Auntie Mi's specialty was Laksa Penang which was downed with gusto by all. I, for one, love her specially marinated fried chicken. (I'm a sucker for chicken dishes!) A foolish ghoulish Malay movie was playing, much to the delight of the young, anxious children present. Rain continued unabated by the time we left for the next house.

The rest of the people who couldn't make it to Kampung Pandan rendezvoused with us in Kajang, the late granduncle's place and the last house of the day at which we congregated for Maghrib prayers and dined on the Kajang household's specialties, one of which is the Satay Goreng.

Before adjourning en masse for our respective homes, the married adults distributed angpows with one another. Many thanks go to my enterprising aunt who willingly asked for a head count of children for each household that we visited!

In Ampang that night, we postponed packing for our Kuching-bound flight for the cosy bed had beckoned us to lie on it instead. We were beyond bushed. After all, with the flight at 2 p.m. surely there would be ample time to pack in the morning. Alas, we always forget the lessons of last-minute packing....