Salam Aidil Fitri 1430/2009

The food to our soul is hope. The delights of our heart, happiness. As we closed another Ramadan chapter, InsyaAllah we have brought hope and happiness onto others. When done, , the journey of realisation will give hope to have our own happiness., beyond any physical pleasures. Spare yourself a thought. Salam Aidil Fitri to all. Have a Grand Raya. Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

Raya dulu-dulu!!!

I was revisiting old entries of this blog and was reading my previous Raya entries when it struck me that I now have a rather vague recollection of my Raya experiences especially when I was smaller and younger.

So out came the old photo albums where I searched for old Raya photos. Unfortunately, there were not that many photos and certainly none when I was in the primary school years. The fact is I really do not remember much about how I spent my Raya with my parents and brothers - except that we usually would drive to my Opah's place in Lahat (near Ipoh) after the solat Raya and on the second day of Raya, my Bapak's mum and siblings would be coming down to our place in Temoh for some serious Raya "lepak" session. That went on for many years, ever after my Bapak's passing.

Here are some of my Raya of yesteryears that I managed to .. err... salvage:

First Raya with Alia

Then Asma came along the next year (just check out her hairdo)

... and Arissa appeared the next year (us with Mak Temoh in Temoh)

Cousins - Safia, Ina, Alia, Asma, Soraya holding Adam with Arissa sleeping peacefully.

Bapak's siblings and gang used to come down to Temoh every second Raya ... so much so it became a must tradition that went on for many years (pix in mid 90s, probably Raya1996)

And of course before that, all of us would gather at Opah's place on the first day of Raya (this pix taken on Raya 1986)

However...one of my most favourite Raya happened in 1993... when I got engaged on the second day..

My family getting ready with the hantaran pertunangan before making their way to Kampar...

to sarung the cincin to this beautiful lady

I didn't go though... the rombongan left for Kampar and I went to sleep. This is me after they all got back from Kampar. Happy man!



As for Raya with kawan-kawan, we normally visited each the on the thrid or fourth day of Raya... like this Raya in 1983 when my Form 6 buddies came over to my place in Temoh. Those good old days!!!!!

Buka Puasa Feast ... and we don't need fancy hotel buffet to enjoy it.

Iftar is definitely a happy time. These past two days we had guests over for iftar. And the wife together with our delightful Kak Encik (Yan's cousin) cooked up a storm that all enjoyed immensely. Let's the photos explain....

Sunday...

The chef and the cook

Sibs - Nisah and Affan

The host and the guest

The mom and the bro

The lauks - ayam masak merah, lemak keli belimbing, kari daging, hati lembu rendang and sayur campur

The mascot???? The cucu!!!

The appetiser and the desserts - yummm yummy

The fruits

Saturday...

Sessi bertemu menantu

The guests

Appetiser - Mee rebus

The dessert

More desserts

Alhamdulillah!

Just remember that you have many gifts

Our dearest Asma,
As you turned 14, it is also a time to rejoice that you have remained in Allah SWT’s perfect protection in all forms and ways starting with your health, beauty and intellect and ending with the days he has allotted you unhampered by crippling disease and or lack or loss of intelligence.

We are so deliriously happy to see you all grown up and we pray that you will before making every decision big or small make a prayer to ask Allah for His guidance, help and blessings.

We pray that you ask Allah SWT to give you at all times guidance, the ability and desire to follow His guidance (The Quran), wisdom to understand its beauty and its markers, Afiyah which is an all enveloping protection from Him both in this world and the next.

Just remember that you have many gifts, some you are aware of while some you will become aware of as they unfold. Do remember that they are all from Allah and use them in the path of Allah.

We pray for your health, your protection, and for your happiness. Always. We are here to love you and support you in your journey. May you always feel the gentle cloak of Allah’s Love and Rahmat on your shoulders.

Love and prayers for you always! Happy 14th Birthday, Asma!

Amin.

From,

Mak and Bapak!

There Is No Map To The Journey Of Life.

Way back in 1979, around this time of the year, I was just a Form Three pupil preparing for my SRP. As I was not a particularly brilliant nor was I a ‘rajin’ student, the fact that I barely sneaked into Form Four later was indeed a huge personal victory. Studying and taking exam are clearly not me!

And what do you know, exactly 30 years on, here I am staring at PMR (again!) - that all-important exam for the 15-years olds in the country.

Yes, my Alia is 15 this year. Thanks to my beautiful eldest daughter, I am relieving those nerve-wrecking moments of 1979 again and again. In fact, we celebrated her birthday on August 10 recently.

Of course, it feels it was only yesterday when we brought her home from the clinic and I was hovering anxiously around my wife trying to help her gave our baby her first bath. Today, we still hover around our eldest daughter – “urging” her to study and to do her chores.

We celebrated her birthday (and her sister’s Asma as well as both are August girls) by having a makan-makan at New York, New York Deli in One Utama recently. An okay lah joint! 2-in-one celebration.... jimat duit this year!!

Anyway, here’s a poem for my Gegenemaye:

There Is No Map To The Journey Of Life.

There is no book to the journey of life, and the road you are destined be mother or wife, will seem at times to have bedrock of fear but never forget sweat pea, I am always near.

Watch for the souls who like trees root in soil, for fear that there heart is the thing they will spoil. Don’t let them lead you to alleys of dark, where you’ll be forced to protect your light and your heart.

Some live as victors and challenge the past, some never get there and live as a cast. I know of life that the road is not clear, but you have your bapak Alia, I am always here.

There is no map to the journey of life, so live to be whole, not just girlfriend or wife. Souls like ours need pasture & plane, and your soul my girl will be restless, again and again.

As you journey ahead your spirit will speak, it is for home you are heading, it is home that you seek. Where that is only you can find, let your heart lead the way and just follow behind.

While I am out here ahead in some way, I hope the signs I write, you’ll find on your way. Read them and do what you will, at the end of the day its your heart to fulfill.

If there was a book to the journey of life, yours would be bound with the pain of my strife. It would heal and protect and ease your pain, and help you find your feet again.

The words would be written with the depth of my love and never forget I am with you, be it here on earth while I’m still alive or even after I’m gone.