Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Hari Raya 2011

It's 12.25am, Tuesday. It's Hari Raya.

How swiftly time flies. Somehow you could feel it this Ramadan. It's amazing.

Also Ramadan has been notably good. Could be the weather. Mostly cool days.

People I talked to agree that this time they could feel how time swiftly flew by.

Hari Raya 2011. Another Hari Raya? Always another Hari Raya.

I am now at Bapak's place. Our customary Raya eve at Bapak's.

There was a time, Raya eve was noisy and riotous. We'd be firing crackers and making a din. It was fabulous.

These days, we play "bunga api". Good enough. Still fabulous.

I usually visit Mak's (and then Kak Piah's, and much later, Bapak's) grave early Raya morning around 7. There'd be people but not too crowded. A little later and the cemetery would be brimming with visitors. And parking would be a nightmare.

This year, we decided to visit the graves a day before Raya. It seems sensible and practical,.

I thought, in all my wisdom, that we should have always done this.

So, at about 10 yesterday morning, we visited Mak, Bapak and Kak Piah. Our other sister, Kak Eda is buried in Subang Jaya.

We all feel the oldness of our lives. In Singapore, we've left with only one aunt and an "aunt-in-law" - Cik Ah and Cik Zai (Bapak's younger sister and sister-in-law).

Bapak's older sisters and younger brothers have all died.

Our older cousins have all passed on.

Mak is survived by her older sister, Wak Nah and youngest sister, Mak Busu.

Now, the kids have all grown up. How they have grown up.

The younger ones still remember Bapak. Soon, he'd be a fleeting memory. That comes with time.

Another Raya. Always another Raya. But never the same.

We miss you Bapak, Mak, Kak Piah and Kak Eda. Al Fatihah.

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a Selamat Hari Raya.

Have a blessed one.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Assalamu'alaikum Datuk Nuraina

First of all, Al-Fatihah and my deepest condolences.

Here I am in UK, reading your post, a lovely one, meaningful to me. My beloved mom passed away end of January 2011. I didn't have an opportunity to see her for the last time though I always phoned her and took care of welfare based on my kudrat. Destiny as it is. (My dad passed away in 1999, a week before Eid. He fell in front of me.) I hit rock-bottom terribly due to my recent destiny. But, I eventually stood up but not in an exponential way.

I don't know how to describe what I feel about this year Ramadhan as well as Eld. I have bought a train ticket to London, you know to celebrate Eid there and I purposely didn't come to the train station today.

Here I am in my room, reading your post. At least I know, someone out there shares the same feeling with me.

Thank you so much for your kindness+friendly approach while in Oxf. Takecare.

Malay Mathematician, UK.

GUiKP said...

Selamat Hari Raya Sis, from all of us here in Kedah; Wan Nordin, Azura, Arman, Ainaa and Elham. Oh yes, home time flies, and not a few are pining for the raya of yesteryear.

de minimis said...

Selamat Hari Raya to you and all at home, Nuraina.

GUiKP said...

How time flies.

NajibmustGo said...

Nak basmi kemiskinan tak cukup 1 atau 2 billion.

Melayu dah fedup tenguk senarai Forbes 100 terkaya di Malaysia dipenuhi dengan Cina dan India Kristian.

Lim Goh Tong 40 billion
Ananda 40 billion
YTL 10 billion

Apa bendenya Najib.

Kenapa UMNO biarkan Cina, India dan Kristian menjadi kaya raya sampai mencapai tahap kelucahan melampau.

2 billion bahagi 10 million berapa ringgit sorang?

UMNO patut adakan undang2 had kekayaan yang boleh dipunyai oleh orang2 Cina dan India. Tak lebih dari 500 juta sorang.

Ini tidak bila nak pilihanraya baru nak basmi kemiskinan.

Kemiskinan tak boleh dibasmi. Kita nak perkongsian kekayaan minyak, oil palm, getah, frekeunsi radio, air, dan tanah Melayu bersama.

Bukan hanya kroni pemimpin Mahathri a/l Mohamed atau Dollah Badawi atau adik Najib saja rompak PNB.

Terbaru Sime Darby dirompak lagi oleh Bakkee dan Cina Singapura sampai 1 billion beli E&O.

Apahal PNB senang benar Sime Darby bagi duit pada Cina2.

Najib must go. Malay leaders must be chosen on merits not on past father connections.

ummisara said...

Kak Ena...selamat hari raya maaf zahir batin.