Saturday, October 11

Hari Raya

It is another working Saturday. It sucks, I know. What is more, there is nothing in this whole wide world can beat the pleasure of waking up late on a Saturday. I really miss that now!

However, did I tell already? I had the best Hari Raya week ever! It was tiresome but it was all worth it. The delicious food, the nice relatives and the understanding family members, they were the reasons I enjoyed the long break more this time around. Here is what my hectic Hari Raya 2008 looks like:

Raya eve
Singapore –> Kuala Pilah (Abi’s maternal grandmother’s home)
First Raya
Kuala Pilah –> Seremban (Abi’s parents’ home)
Second Raya
Seremban –> Gombak (my mother’s home) –>
Kampung Baru (my maternal grandaunt’s and granduncle’s homes) –>
Cheras (my maternal grandaunt’s home)
Third Raya
KL –> Kepala Batas (my paternal grandmother’s home) –> Sungai Petani (my father’s home)
Fourth Raya
Kepala Batas –> Gombak (my maternal aunt’s home) –> Batu Caves (my paternal aunt’s home)
Fifth Raya
KL –> Port Dickson (Abi’s maternal aunt’s home) –> Tangga Batu (Abi’s maternal uncle’s home)

It was crazy but my husband and I braved through it all. Truth be told, I had a bit of a breakdown when nearing the end of the fourth Hari Raya. I was so darn tired and all I wanted to do was be alone with Abi. I thought that was what holiday is supposed to be about. You know, about how we should be spending more of our time together instead of with many other people.

But then again, I realized that any festive occasion defines the meaning of togetherness on a bigger scale, literally. In fact, festive occasion maybe the most common reason that brings people together since the beginning of time apart from childbirth, funeral and wedding celebrations. I am talking about massive amount of same believers around the world gather with their families at the same time to enjoy the same event.

Therefore, after having a good night’s rest, I was more refreshed and before I knew it, my husband and I were on the road again the next day. They did not say the more the merrier for nothing, right? So that was what exactly we were doing: making sure our host had their Hari Raya open houses full of fun partygoers like us!

I am looking forward to celebrating another Hari Raya next year. It does not matter whose family I get to celebrate with first. I do not mind about it so much because my in-laws love me and my own family has never been more supportive of the decision Abi and I make. Most importantly, as long as my husband is around during such festive season, other things just do not matter.