Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

The title here is the greeting one utters to muslims as Ramadan ends. The words Hari Raya translate to day of celebration. Aidilfitri  translate to the Arabic words Eid - festivity  and  Fitr to break the fast. The actual time is determined by the new moon at that time.  Breaking the fast and celebrating with family is the pattern here in Malaysia.  If you can liken it to the celebration time for families over a Christmas season, that is what you will find here regarding travelling home and spending time with family.  Favourite foods, reminiscence of past years, and being together is how they celebrate.  They open their doors to foreigners and welcome you to share in their good fortunes.  Oh yes, the fireworks. They have been blasting off for the past month. I must have acclimatized because I don't jump under the bed any longer when I hear the distinctive bang, bang, bang, as they set them off once darkness descends on the land. And now, for the next month, there will be bashing and crashing like no other.The Chinese new year celebration cannot hold a candle to this din.   I don't quite understand this, but who am I to question?  And just like home, there are people who are lonely, because for whatever reason they have no family to celebrate with,  Last year I took two such people out to lunch for the first day of Hari Raya. I guess I will find others again this year. Only rule that applies is 'my choice of restaurant'.

For myself, I intend to sit back and let the drivers get to their destinations and then head out on the roads to Singapore to find my own celebration of what I want to connect with. Western experiences - such as a big fat steak, a soaker bathtub, and maybe a concert if something appeals to me.

This time of celebration actually begins Friday (sometime determined by the new moon).  However, the government has decided that because everyone returns to balik kampungs (small villages), hence time is needed to make these journeys.  I am glad - it should stagger some of the rat race on the highways.  I hope.

For the next few days I will be taking gifts to the Head Masters/Head Mistresses much like the western world takes gifts to others at Christmas. You can find all sorts of prepackaged baskets of goodies at the shops. I have picked up some and now am heading on the roads to make my deliveries. Now you know what will be going on here for the next week and a half.