Raya Memory

Raya this year ain't relaxing for me. Well at least I got to attend at 1 open-house. Then, it's still all about studies. Boo...

Raya wasn't really a big festival for me when I was young , until I went to Beijing. Since almost the whole embassy were Malays, the celebration was big. The tradition there wa, I mean what I experienced, the morning of the Raya would be a gathering at the ambassador's hou8se, a.k.a. 'The Resident'. Actually I have forgotten some of the activities, but I remember the brunch which was prepared by, hmm.. I forgot, and I think also by the diplomats' wives, including my mom. Whew, the food was such a variety, and lots of them! Haha!! I loved the Raya there, as well as the Chinese New Year! Coz it's cold! It's really fun to have delicacies in the cold weather! heehee!! And especially when it snows... Hmm... and the duit Raya, in RMB...not too much though, quite satisfied. :)

There was once around year 1997 or 1998 (forgot again), not during Raya, but an activity for Raya. It was around the second half of the year, when the children of the diplomats and staff of the embassy was to do a performance for Raya. It was a Raya song, which of course, I never heard of before. I still remember the song, but I don't know the name of it, it goes like "tiba syawal kita rayakan, dengan rasa gembira.. anak muda di rantauan, semuanya pulang ke desa..." We practiced singing for a few weeks, a few days in a week. I managed to catch the rhythm and remember the lyrics in some time. Didn't really enjoy it, since we have to sing it over and over again. And my sisters and I were the only chinese there, seemed weird. What I really do enjoyed was the afternoon tea break! haha!Food, food, food! I really love many of the Malay desserts, especially "Cucuk Kodok"! YUMMIE!!!

well actually, the purpose of the performance was... to be aired on TV. I was so scared in the beginning since I was a stage-fright, and then I would be a 'camera-fright'! In fact, on the day of the performance, the crew of TV3 was there in the Resident to film it. Everyone was busy that evening, The kids geting ready for the performance with some of the women's help, many of the women were busy getting ready for the food, which was for the party held along with the performance, an 'early Raya', it seemed. The filming of the performance went on well, and there was also interviews of the higher officers including the ambassador, Dato' Majid, and also the atmosphere of "Hari Raya" in Beijing. Such fun, there were a lot of food, and the satay was specially made for this occasion, and whole lots of them! (The embassy staff took a whole day to get the sticks of satay prepared.)

Whether the film got on TV or not, I don't no. I told my relatives to watch out for it, but somehow I got no news of it from them. *Geesh, my first time on TV, I never knew of it...* But for sure, It was a great experience for me, a memorable one.

Wish all my malay and non-Malay friends, 'SELAMAT HARI RAYA!!!'