Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Tuesdays With Bapak

Yesterday When We Were Young - October 9 2007

What is it about nearing the end of Ramadhan that it often takes me back decades?
This happens every year. Well, every year after I turned 40, to be exact.

It often takes me back to Jalan Lembah in Section 5, Petaling Jaya where we lived from 1960/1 to 1968. It was our second home since coming over to Malaya from Singapore.

I remember joyful Ramadhans. Not that they are never anymore. They still are as we celebrate and observe the holy month with our own families.
I have pinned it down to age -- ageing.
I suppose as we grow older, with a parent and two siblings gone forever, you get a little misty and reflective.

I'd like to say that those were the good old days but that would mean that days now are no longer so and that is not true because they are.
Well then...those were innocent carefree blissful days because we were young with nary a care. Even having to pass exams fitted nicely into our scheme of things. I don't remember my parents breathing down our necks for us to get straight As. But, aah.... times are different now. Competition is tough.
My poor kids.

I remember that I began "berpuasa" (fasting), I think, when I was 10 or 11. Even then, I "ponteng" a few days. But, it was never an issue.
Which was why when I began to notice how kids these days started fasting at such a young age, I was surprised, to say the least.

My parents never forced us to fast when we were children. I think it must have been the same for many families then. Perhaps today too.
Because of my own experience, I never forced my own children to fast when they were little.
And like most children, these days, they need not have to be forced to begin fasting. They just do, sooner or later. And like I said, it is usually sooner.

However, I know of some people who literally force their kids, as young as four or five, to fast. I say "force" because that's what it is. "Paksa".
I think that's wrong. I used to tell them so but these days I just shut my mouth. But, if looks were telling, then, they know.

I think encouraging children to understand and appreciate fasting and what it is all about is good. I, personally, would want them to do so at their own pace and their own time. Of course, there is a limit to the grace period, and if they still do not understand and want to do it at 13, then, I think I'd be a little tough on them. For their own good, you know.

When my siblings and I were little, our parents never told us to fast because, when the time came, we did.
We just saw how the grown-ups did it. And we found how even a simple meal tasted devilishly good after a day of fasting.
A glass of water tasted like milk....or sweet grape juice by the time we "buka puasa".

I've told this story before about how my son, Adel, began fasting. I shall tell it again.

He was about six years old.
One day during Ramadhan he told me he wanted to fast.
I asked him why.
"Nak sama-sama Mummy," he said.
I said he would still "sama-sama Mummy" whether or not he was fasting.
Besides, he was too young and he didn't have to. Allah will understand, I said.
"Allah nanti marah, ke kalau Adel puasa?" he asked.
Of course not, I said.
"Allah sayang Adel, ke, kalau Adel puasa?"
Of course, He does, I said, a little worried about where the line of questioning was leading to in case I did not have the right answer.
I said Allah understands if little children cannot and do not fast.
"But I want to. Like you and Bapak and Mama and kakak Ana and kakak Ani, Datuk and (oh, just about everyone)......."
I actually discouraged him at first but then, why should I? Why don't I just let him have a go.
Waking him up for sahur was hard. For me not for him.
He was sleepy but acted macho, as though he'd done it before. Like it was nothing to him.
When he began his day of fasting, I never quite left him in peace to carry out his ibadah, as it were.
I kept asking him whether he was okay, whether he was thirsty or hungry.
At one point, I asked him whether he wanted to break his fast.

His six year-old eyes glared at me. I think he was irritated and had had about enough of his smothering mother.

"Tak nak. Adel tak nak buka. Adel nak puasa. Adel tak lapar. Adel tak haus."

So there, mummy!
With a heavy heart, I left him to complete his fast but not without quietly checking on him, every now and again. Of course, much to his ire and consternation.
I knew he was a little hungry, perhaps. And thirsty.
But he had a mission to complete.
And "Adel dah besar, mummy!" Ok. Ok, sayang.

Well, they don't make kids like they used to. That's a fact.
While there are children who are not ready to fast, but are forced to by their parents, there are those as young as four or five who have already begun fasting, and not at their parents' insistence.
They do it so willingly and steadfastly, I feel really humbled by that.

I never fasted when I was six. Well, not actually. I often intended to like the adults in the family but invariably I'd succumb to the wafting aroma of sambal tumis or ikan goreng.

Neither Bapak nor Mak ever insisted, pestered or hounded us to fast when we were young.
They didn't have to. In time, we just did because it was a wonderful experience. Unsurpassed.

When we were little, Kak Eda and I would tell Mak confidently that we were fasting on that particular day.
"Aah... puasa yang yok, eh?", she'd teased.

"Uh-uh... pagi-pagi buka periok," we'd happily holler back.

Oh...yes. Those wonderful Ramadhan days when I -- when we were young.

(Missing Mak, Kak Piah and Kak Eda this blessed Ramadhan!
By the way, did you get the feeling that last night was special? Aaah.... just a feeling.)

62 comments:

Dancy said...

Assalammualaikum .

Foremost , mohon maaf coz I never did get round to send u a card via the snail mail .....never did ask for yr address though .

Yes....towards the end of Ramadhan ..I feel nostalgic and the tendency to remember old friends and wondering where they are ........

can't wait to balik kampong ( Miri ) and be greeted by the kambings , cows , chickens ( those that managed to escape from being slaughtered )and itiks ......haaa....the smell of kampong life .......

I remembered my son's first close up encounter with a kambing .....he was mesmerized and practically squat down next to the goat ......I was afraid the goat would give him a side kick .....somehow the goat knew my son would do him no harm . I went up close too.....and noticed that ....that goat was one kind of a specimen ....with one horn ........one eye badly hurt and red ....I said to myself if the teacher at my son's kindergarten asked him to describe how a kambing looks like ....I wouldn't be surprised the description my son would give her .

I missed Tuah too .....she would be the first one to greet us as we turned the corner to our house . Tuah is the buffalo that belonged to my neighbour ....we all thought she was a he .....then we noticed she was pregnant ...they named her child as Jebat ....sad to say he / she drowned when he/she fell into a drain .....Tuah ..always giving us surprises like the day she ran away with her boyfriend and we found them on the main road ...it was a hassle coaxing them to come home ......memories of yester years .

So , Selamat HAri Raya to you and yr family .....

Wassalam .

Mior Azhar said...

The beauty of Ramadan.
Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin to you and family.

Typhoon Sue said...

true. like you, nobody forced me to fast. i just did it because everyone else did it. in fact, even if i tak tahan and my mom made me buka puasa at noon, i would immediately 'tutup puasa' balik and berbuka with everybody else like nothing happened.

so, technically, i never ponteng.
:)

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI
MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

Anonymous said...

Kak Ena,

Dulu masa kecik mama tak paksa puasa, bila dah besar dan I saja2 jer ponteng, terus kena bedal. Ah! saketnya...sampai sekarang takut nak ponteng.

I'd be sure to adopt your approach when it Luqman is of age to puasa. I dont believe in forcing either. I believe in instilling the values and importance of puasa.

Hopefully, I can do it. Good day Kak Ena

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Dancy: thank you for the eid wishes adn greeting.

what a wonderful story of your kampung.
i am jealous of anyone who has a kampung. a real kampung! with hens, ducks, goats, buffaloes....the whole set-up!
i knwo i am so jealous of my brother-in-law, Nik Azman because he has a lovely kampung in Besut.
He took us there one Hari Raya Haji many years ago.
My son was so thrilled. he had never been close to a swaying coconut tree, never played on white sand (except the beach), never went close to a grumpy cow.
he chased the hens and ducks. it was fabulous.
i used to have a kampung to go to. but no longer.
so i do long for a kampung.
and i think, sadly, my kids will never know what a simple kampung life is like.
so balik kampung to us is not a literal thing.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

mior, azian and family:

selamat hari raya aidilfitri to you all.
Maaf Zahir & batin.

Anonymous said...

Funny, Muslim men can fast when they were ten or twelve, the whole month but they can't when they are forty!

My darling daughter is eleven this year and I told her this would be the ONLY year she could fast for the whole month 'uninterrupted', for the rest of her life (BUT I simply dunno how to tell her most probably from next year onwards, that is no longer possible!).

Enjoy the rest of the fasting month and Allah bless your Ramadhan this year.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

sue,

hi sue!

ooh...those were the days, eh?

buka puasa and tutup balik puasa and then buka...
Cool.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to you too, Sue! And Maaf Zahir Batin!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

bigdog,

don't worry. when the time comes, Aishah will have her mama to turn to.

selamat hari raya aidlfiti.
take care. Go easy on the ketupat!

Pi Bani said...

Ahh... those were the days. I did start fasting when I was 6. Taklah penuh sebulan - just kadang-kadang and jarang-jarang. Definitely not forced by my parents... but seronok berbuka when I actually managed to puasa whole day.

And I remember the FIRST time I puasa penuh sehari, when it was almost buka puasa time, my mother dah hidangkan the drinks on the table. Dia toleh-toleh tengok one glass dah kosong. Hehehe... I thought since the drinks were served bolehlah minum... so I gulped a whole glass within seconds!! Kira excused lah kan... bodoh lagi masa tu... so can still be considered full day kan? :)

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NURAINA A SAMAD said...

elviza,

how is little luqman? hope he is better. sedih kak ena dengar that we was hospitalised.

you know, i love sahur, kan? i never miss sahur. it's true i never miss sahur unless, which is very rare, i TERoversleep.

those days when I was still single, footloose and fancyfree living with my parents, i would join them for sahur. and i would have sahur even though i could not fast (uzur).

anyway....be prepared for the day when Luqman tells you he wants to do the man thing -- he wants to fast.

selamat hari raya!

Anonymous said...

I was just reminiscing with nik last night about our childhood memories of ramadhan. I grew up in Section 16 and so my memories are all there: Mak cooking her buka puasa dishes - masak asam pedas, sotong goreng hitam, masak cencaluk and petai goreng, pindang serani (dishes which are now only available upon request – thank you Kak azah).Waking up bleary-eyed for sahur with bapak and Mak. Baking cookies and kek lapis for raya. Main bunga api and mercun katak on malam tujuh likur. Hanging around the kitchen on raya eve whilst Mak and everyone cooked the raya dishes. Staying up on raya eve with kak eda, listening to the permintaan hari raya on the radio.. You’re right kak ena, Mak never forced us to fast, but she always told me to try, at least for half a day first.. I do the same with haris and sofia, and they have been fasting well for the past few years, although initially waking up for sahur was a bit difficult. And yes, they insisted on fasting!

Lalin

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

lalin,

oooh yes.... thanks, azah for the assam pedas, pindang serani, sotong goreng hitam and masak cencaluk...
i do remember those days in section 16 too.
Mak would cook simple mouthwatering dishes and Bapak would get all the kuih-muih from Kampng Baru...

i remember you baking cookies, tarts, and kek lapis rempah, zaiton and ice-cream.
remember when my NST colleagues discovered your kek lapis?
you made quite a killing every ramadhan, huh?

oh well...those were the days.

BaitiBadarudin said...

Dear Nuraina, All that pindang serani and sotong masak hitam really makes my mouth water. I remembered too those ramadans of long ago when I had to bake and market my mum's apple tarts, makmur and suji, but now I've gotten so lazy. And, yes, last night was unsually cool and calm. Selamat menyambut lebaran, minal ainil wal faizin!

Mat Salo said...

My six year boy pulak terbalik. I tanya dia " Nak try puasa ke" when he gets up, hoping that he might want to attempt it for a few hours. But he always shakes his head. "Susu botol" pon belum quit ...

Selamat menyumbat lebaran eid mubarrak, ya Kak?

Minal Aidin Wal Faidzin.

Ma'af Lahir & Bathin.

Rockybru said...

Hi Ena,

True, the misty part about yesterdays. The beauty is today will grow to become part of "the beautiful past" when tomorrow comes.

I have never told my kids to fast and they have been doing it for years. Ahirine completed the whole month when she was in Standard 2, I think. That was the age I started. I managed 1 and a half days (remember how half days counted?).

Growing up, my mom and dad never forced me to fast. But they did insist that I tell the truth. Every buka time, they will ask their kids at the table, "Did you fast today?" My mom will just look at me, and I would (usually) say, "No (followed by an excuse why I did not)". And my mom will say, "Tak apa, you can try again tomorrow".

In Singapore, a Muslim may eat openly during Ramadan. Fasting is an ibadah and it's between one and God. A Muslim may also fast openly.

I wish Malaysia could go back to those days when we didn't force each other to be "good" Muslims. I go back to Singapore and it's amazing to see how strong their faith as Muslims has grown all these years, despite the absence of "snoop" squads to arrest Muslims for not fasting, for khalwat, for partying at discos, etc.

I am rambling. Lapar kot.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

queenB: oooh.... a southern belle knows what's mouthwatering! people here dont like sotong masak hitam. it is decidedly a cery southern dish.
and apple tarts, makmur, suji....alahai... they don;t make them as much anymore.

selamat hari raya, maaf zahir batin!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

mat salo:

alaaah..... dia masih baby lagi...kesyian nyee.

selamat lebaran to you and your family!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ahirudin (Rocky):

sigh.,.. time flies.
before we know it, we're way into our 70s. what would we be reminscing?

er...rocky...how do you NOT fast openly?

hmmmm....

Anonymous said...

Hi Nuraina, thanks for sharing the memories... nostalgic & home-sicklah bila baca your lines... my first raya with family in Dhahran, Saudi. My wife ended up buat dates tarts instead of pineapple tarts, still good! Anyway, here's wishing you & family a good raya semoga diberkati Allah all our deeds. Amin.

Syaliza Abdul Rahman said...

Aslmkm :o)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to you & yr family :o) Maaf Zahir & Batin

Accia said...

Salam Kak Ena,
Selamat menyambut Hari Raya to you and family. Maaf Zahir Batin too!

Anonymous said...

O Ramadan mengamit memori silam ...

When I was growing up in Kuantan and later Pengkalan Chepa, I remember “main tikam” was a favourite past time among primary school kids, especially during Ramadan. One pays like 5 (?) cents for each try of the lucky draw. In the lucky draw, the player picks one of the mini envelopes which are pasted and arranged neatly at the bottom part of the papan tikam. The top part of the papan tikam is where they hang all the goodies to be won, RM notes, eye catching toys, and what have you. After removing the envelope from the papan tikam, you then unwrap it to see the number, and check whether any of the goodies are associated with the number that you’ve chosen, almost arbitrarily. It is a form of gambling, a game of chance. Thus it is not at all surprising that the kill-joy authorities have “banned” tikam, but the kids these days are poorer for it because they have one less interesting distraction to contend with.

I must admit, I was a tikam junkie. The tikam towkays who are invariably school kids too, tend to congregate at one place, and lo and behold it is in the open. There’s no guilty-conscious. The arrays of papan tikam that are on display, together with the well hung goodies are, well, mouth watering to any impressionable kids like me. We were spoilt for choice, and the tikam really distracts us from thinking about food. I guess it is so popular during Ramadan because kids have so much purchasing power because they don’t spent their pocket money on food. The dark side of tikam is when the “professional” (profiteering more like) towkays plant unwinnable goodies to entice the unsuspecting kids or recycle the envelope to maximize their profits.

Dikesempatan ini juga, kami sekeluarga ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya dan Maaf Zahir Batin kepada semua anggota keluarga Pak Samad yang tercinta, dan pembaca setia blog Jalan Sudin.

Sekian. Wasallam.
aMiR - A TWB Junkie.

A Voice said...

Puasa yang yok ... pagi-pagi bukak periok... :-)

Haven't heard that quite a while

Keanorlinsya said...

Aunty Ena,
last night was indeed special. We my family and I) had a hunch it was mlm Lailatul Qadar. Signs point to yes. We may never know, but we hope for the best.

Anonymous said...

Missing Mak & Abah for Raya. You have aged when your parents are no longer with you. One day, your kids will be missing you. And then their kids will miss them.

Life repeats itself, and it's beautiful each time.

Selamat Happy Eid, Maaf zahir & batin, teman-teman, walaupun kita saling tak mengenali.

Anoni-Mus

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

ahh, memories...

hello pn nuraina,

i did fairly well til i started mixing around when i turned 15. we would skip puasa just for the sake of a few puffs of cigarette, a packet of bonbon and a bottle of pepsi. looking back, i'm convinced now that i was dumber than most primary school kids.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

dhahran: Selamat hari raya to you and your family.
Hmmm dates tart sounds just as yummy!

Pi: Of course, can be considered full....heheheh...for little kids, anything goes.
Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin!

syana: Selamat hari raya to you and your family. Maaf Zahir Batin.
Have a good holiday.

Accia: Selamat hari raya...
ampun maaf di pinta.
take care.

Kea: Really? I hope so.
Best wishes to your mum and dad.
Selamat Hari Raya to you all!
Tak balik kampung?

Voice; I know....i pun lama tak dengar that verse.
Selamat Hari Raya to you!

Anoni-mus: When Eid is approaching, we all get a little melancholic thinking about those who have left us.
Salam Lebaran to you. Have a happy aidilfitri.

Kerp: don't be too hard on yourself...we all go through naughty phases in our lives.

Selamat Hari Raya to you and your family!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMiR: I remember those tikam games although I had never tried my hand at them.
perhaps because i was in an all-girls school and the ice-cream or goodies man never had those.
i know boys enjoyed them.
sure sounds thrilling.

well... every end of ramadhan,we all go so reflective.
must be age-lah. what else could it be. apart from the fact that the idea that our family gets smaller and smaller with the passing years.

Thank you for the wishes.

And Selamat Hari Raya to you and you lovely family!

zaitgha said...

Nuraina,

Kinda late visiting you here this time, been bz with late orders of the cookies...tak sampai hati nak turn down...only the other day my other half and i talked about how young children started to fast nowadays and for my kids all 3 of them started when they were in kindy...dont get me wrong as i never force them...

just wanna share this conversation i heard on the first day of puasa when i ziarah my aunt's family in Kuala Pilah...the mum asked a very young boy if he fast and he said yes but baru buka because just heard the azan on the radio...and i could see the loss looked of the mother as the azan was just after 1 pm ha ha ha....

my early primary was in Kota Bharu and at that time i felt KB was more
'moden' than KL...when we moved back to KL at the end of my year 4, i got scolded by Gurubesar in KL on the first day of school because i was wearing the pinafore i/o baju kurung...and i was stunned ha ha ha

anyway...thanks for making me go back in time...and Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin

p/s
tak buat open house?

Anonymous said...

Yes Nuraina - there's something about Bulan Puasa and Hari Raya that makes you hanker after your own childhood days and the way we were.

There's something about sahur and buka puasa that makes you yearn for the favourite foods and drinks of yesteryear painstakingly made and served in the family home - not at the gerai or hotel/corporate buffet tables.

There's something about takbir pagi Raya that makes you so rindu for favourite things and loved ones that are no more!

Lest I be accused of being an old bore I'd like to admit I try to not to be hypocritical when it comes to religion and its rituals. I did start berpuasa when I was seven. But when my wiry 8 year old grandson Omar tak tahan and buka after school, I do not chide him or frighten him about dosa.

After all there are many things I didn't start until I truly understood and believed in them!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA TO YOU & YOUR FAMILY NURAINA

Anonymous said...

And Nuraina - if you read Imam Feisal's column (SUNDAY STAR, 7 October)he deliberates that laylat ul-qadar can occur to us individually on any day in Ramadan (although it is publicly celebrated on the 27th). It's in our soul and it enlightens us!

It's wonderful to believe you can have your own experience of lailat ul-qadar however insignificant to others!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Zai,

i can imagine how busy you are...
banyak dah buat tempahan kuih orang?

just make sure you have some time for yourself and yr family. jangan lah sampai letih nanti nak beraya.

thank u for visiting... better late than never.

selamat hari raya to you too! have a great raya.

actually, we do have open house evry year, which really is bcause everyone has one. the thing is, our open house is the whole month of aidilfitri. but these days people would only visit on invitation.

anyway...when we have that open house that everyone has, i shall definitely sms you!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

OFF:

yes...how wonderful it is.

thanks for sharing your thoughts.
i will definitely read imam feisal's piece.

take care and selamat hari raya to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

In my 70s, Insya-Allah, I shall be reminiscing this to my cucus and perhaps cicits:
"Oh Tok Pa was a TWB junkie once, and proud of it. The blog hostess and readers are truly absolutely fabulous."
Hope they can still access the 30-year old archive at that time.
aMiR

Unknown said...

Salam 'Aidil Fitri kpd Puan sekeluarga dari bakaq a.k.a. ~penarik beca a.k.a. sang kutu sekeluarga.. من العائدين والفائزين

Anonymous said...

Selamat Hari Raya to you and your children, Ena. And to Bapak and the rest of your lovely family whom we have come to know and love through your blog!

zaitgha said...

hi Nuraina,

I am not that bz lah as the reason i stayed home pun because of the family...didnt take thousands orders of cookies...ni buat suka2 ajer to while away time when the kids at school...yg last minute ni only my in laws neighbors yg found out i buat cookies he he...kalau nak betul2 biz i cari assistance nanti...

my house open the whole month of Eid jugak but like you said some ppl wont come unless invited...so anytime in Seremban sms la ek..

Anonymous said...

dear kak Ena

yes, the childhood days during Ramadhan were the best experience we had at Kampung Melayu. After buka, while the adults would go for their terawih at the old Masjid Alkaff up on the hill, somehow the kids, as many as 20 of them would come over to our house to play hide-and-seek ..maybe because while our house was small we had huge compounds to play on. We would hide at dark places,behind the mango trees, on the jambu tree, behind the house, under the clothes line, under the house and even near the.. er...jamban.I remembered everyone was gungho about hiding in the dark coz the adults had told us..'Bulan puasa hantu semua kena ikat'....so we didnt think we would meet or bump into any during those nights....even tho we've been told spooky stories before, of the area.

my immediate neighbours used to tell us that we were their alarm clock during sahur coz our chatting would be enough to wake them up.

Here's wishing you and the whole Cik Mel's family Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin. I also pray that Cik Mel di panjangkan umur, and sihat sihat selalu. InsyaAllah.

lina

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

aMir,

that's really so so sweet. thank you. dear aMiR.
May Allah berkati hidup aMiR bersama keluarga yang tersayang.
May you live a long life!
God Bless and have a happy and blessed Eid.

And remember, whenever you and you family are in town for the Eid, do txt me. I am usually at Bapak's during the Eid (until i resume work, that is)
And if we have that open house, i will surely txt you. i know you are not in KL, but i'll txt u anyway.mana tahu if u happen to be in the neighbourhood.

salam to your wife and kisses to your kids.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Zai,

of course, kalau i am in seremban i shall SMS you...

anyway, Zai...if and when you happen to be in KL/PJ, txt me and you are most welcome for raya.
i must tell you that i have been, all my life, celebrating raya at my dad's place. so, if i am not out, i am at my dad's, layan tetamu, cuci pinggan.....(makan ketupat, makan cookies...)

otherwise, if we have that open house, i shall give you the date, ek?

Selamat hari raya buat Zai and keluarga yang tersayang.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

bakaq penarik beca,

terima kasih.

selamat hari raya aidilfitri saya ucapkan kepada saudara sekeluarga.
Ampun Maaf Zahir & Batin.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

mekyam,

thank you.

and here's to you, Mekyam. Have a wonderful Eid.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

Hmmm.... how do you spend Eid in the States?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Lina,

actually, i remember being very brave during Ramadhan because all the syaitan, djinn, and hantu2 are all tied up.

so i do remember the eve of Raya, we'd play in the garden. we'd put on the pelita around the fence, play mercun (when it was allowed) o bunga api and then, yes, we'd play hide-and-seek..

we'd run around the garden and sing and dance... so much fun.

actually, the kids do that now...arwah Kak Eda was in charge of the bunga api for the longest time. then Nina took over...sampai sekarang.
Raya eve is what the kids look forward to.

thanks, Lina for visiting TWB.
Selamat Hari Raya to you and your family.
And please kirim salam to sanak saudara kita when you meet them.

This year, I don't know whether I can turun together with Nina and everyone else sebab Adel ada SPM.
But I'm sure I can work something out.
Shaira dah upset dah when i told her we might have to give Spore a miss this Raya.

wanshana said...

Oh yes...those were the days when we had kampungs to go back to...with the chicken and itik angsa and the lot!

Not forgetting the meriam buloh, and Pertandingan Hiasan Panjut (Pelita) Terbaik in the kampung...

Aihhhh...those were the days. For my kids, the only kampungs they know are only PJ and KD.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir Batin, to you and your lovely family.

Please convey our Raya wishes to Abang Med and K.Ton, too! Thanks.

Take care.

Bailey said...

salam kak ena.

selamat menyambut eid mubarak.

maaf zahir batin.

i always enjoy reading your TWB. =)

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

shana,

i think, it's true my kids are for the poorer that they on;t have a kampung.
jangan jadi macam my cousin from singapore. when she was small, she saw a goat somewhere near serdang and she said "eh eh...anjing..anjing...besar nye anjing".

i think kereta lembu were still plying roadsz in PJ until the late 70s and perhaps, even into the 80s. the bullock carts were part of town life then.
i'm sure my kids would be freak out if they ssw one.

yeah, shana those were the days. kampung anak2 kita, bandar or bandaraya.

anyway....salam aidilfitri to you, Ayah and your gorgeous children.

i will kirim your greetings to abang med and kak ton.
take care!

do drop by my dad's place if you are in the neighbourhood during Eid.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

bailey,

selamat hari raya to you too.
have a wonderful celebration!
Take care.

Anonymous said...

Salam Kak Ena,

Tumpang lalu, can I speak to aMiR if I may...

Sir,

I was a papan tikam addict myself! Never thought I live to see the day someone actually write about it.

There, I found it here in TWB.

I remember the papan tikam game was such a hit during my time. I was born in mid seventies. The tikam game must have been in the early eighties.

I got so addicted I kept going back to Keda' Mak Cik Som to, oh well, serve my gambling needs (sheesh, kecik2 dah belajar berjudi!).

One day Nenek gave me money to buy the whole papan tikam to myself! Oh, I loveeeee Nenek. Nenek will never be a kill-joy like those authorities.

As a result thereof, I got all the gifts offered. What a feeling.

Nenek is now 72 and probably waiting for us to go home for Raya. Sigh.

Got to call Nenek now.

Thanks aMiR for the memory. Thanks Kak Ena and sorry I hog your place (what's new anyway?)

Hi&Lo said...

Nuraina,

We don't age. We simply mature and mellow with the passing of time.

Ageing means we are going downhill. With God's help, we will continue to flourish.

Even when we lose our physical abilities, I hope we will remain a fountain of hope to all who know us. Our usefulness will be on another level.

Let us resolve have childlike faith and enthusiasm. Children cannot do great things. But the little something they can do, they do with gutso.

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving. You are one of the reasons I am thankful for. If you ask me why, it's inexplicable.

Believe me, you are already a blessing to me.

IBU said...

Dear Kak Ena,

Taking this opportunity to wish you and family Selamat Hari Raya & maaf zahir batin.

Tolong sampaikan salam aidilfitri to Kak Ton & family jugak ya? Dgn ucapan: Hmmm... agak2 raya ni ada ke rumah yg "open" with the mee rebus special tu?

Salam Aidilfitri from Seoul,
Ibu

J.T. said...

Lovely memories of childhood and your son's early days of fasting. Seems only like yesterday, doesn't it?

Here's wishing you and your family a joyous Hari Raya.

Take care.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Hi&Lo:

Thank you for the lovely words. You are most kind, sir.
Thank you for always visiting.
Have a good holiday, H&L!


Ibu: Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
eh eh... ibu di Seoul, ke?
Cuti?
amboi..... musim dah mulai sejuk, kan?

JT: Thank you...
sigh... these days, i am always reminscing.
just this morning, i looked at adel, who is all of 17 and 6 foot tall, and told him that it was just like yesterday that he was a baby.
he looked at me, and smiled.
sigh sigh..

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

pn Nuraina,

thanks. salam aidilfitri to you and family as well. ampon maaf jika ada terkasar bahasa dan tersilap kata. ikhlas.

have a great raya.

Anonymous said...

Kak Ena,

Hope you'll have a wonderful Raya! If you're in TTDI, sila singgah ya :)

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

kerp: selamat hari raya, maaf zahir batin!


Norzu: Salam aidlfitri and regards to to your mom.
Insyallah, if i wil visit you!
take care

syed syahrul zarizi b syed abdullah said...

Salam Lebaran! Elok2 makan ketupat

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

syed syahrul,

selamat hari raya to you, too!

Lady Patsy said...

Hi Kak Nur,

Dah lama I tak singgah kat "rumah" you. Maaf ya ... am making my comeback slowly.

Anyway just wanted to wish you and your family Selamat Hari Raya and may this celebration be filled with much love and laughter for you and your loved ones.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Hello Lady Patsy,

nice to "see" you, my dear.
thank you for the greetings.
hope you are well..

take care...