Memories of Raya

As we approach yet another Raya, nostalgic Hail Amir & Uji Rashid Raya songs resonate in my car as I druive to work this morning as the songs are played over the radio (these songs are still the best Raya songs ever!!), I reflect on the different experiences I had on Raya, since childhood.

My childhood Raya memories.....

Mama was frequently not sleeping till wee hours of the morning, often cleaning up the house. exhausting herself out just to get that perfect squeeky clean home before guests of all races  come to visit. And my, did we get many of them, especially Mama & Babah's school teachers. Both my parents were principals of schools. It was really 1-Malaysia back then, in the true sense of the word.

On the eve of Raya, Babah would be busy clearing the garden, under instructions from Mama of course, and at late night, he would have to impit the rice to get nasi impit. Being the youngest, I would have long been asleep by then. I can't remember whether it really was my memories, or accumulation of what I have been told, Kakak once got up in the middle of the eve Raya night, and asked Babah if he had bakar the nasi impit yet. Everyone laughed, yet my sister still didn't know then what was so funny? Nasi impit is actually just a pressed (cooked) rice cake. Any bakar (roast/bake) is therefore not required.

Tok (or known as Ngah by my other 'older' siblings, since I am after all the youngest) would be busy with the sate goreng, gulai ayam and kuah kacang...Wait, I think there was also rendang, and yes and serondeng, or Tok calls it daging tarik.... We had to pry the beef into thin slices with our hands. I have not been very domestic, so all these tasks, I hated...(till today).

Raya mornings after Babah comes home from the mosque for the Sembahyang Raya, we would be busy with the crates and crates of bottled carbonated drinks enough for a few days of the celebration. We don't seem to have that now do we? Favourites would have been the F&N orange and sarsi....

I also loved the tall champagne glasses that were used only during raya to serve the drinks to the guests. None of us in the house drinks, by the way.... Just in case some one was wondering.

Babah would also buy the ice blocks, wrapped in newspaper and saw dust. As I reflect, it was so unhygienic, yet we never had any troubles did we?

Mr Keong, one of mama's teachers would always be the first to arrive. Kakak's and my tasks would be to fill up the cookie jars with kuih raya, cut the nasi impit and fill up the rendang in the Pyrex bowls.

My good old dad was a very hospitable person (Gosh I miss him so much, that it brings tears to my eyes as I even write about him now). He would entertain any Tom Dick & Harry that turns up at our door step on raya, and we had many of those popping by.... the school gardener, children of all races that go from house to house just to collect duit raya, etc....

Afternoons we would spend our times sitting down and relaxing, after being completely stuffed with all the carbonated drinks and ketupat, rendang and kuih raya, watching the RTM TV programs. We never had anything else then.

Now, we do it really differently....

Mama previously, since Babah passed away in 2001, insisted to celebrate in our house in Penang, even though no one is there. Most of us would need to spend it in KL with our other halves' family as well. I'm grateful that this year she has agreed to spend it with us in KL on the first day, and we shall push off to Penang on the second day. After all it would give her a chance to really visit pusara Babah on the first day of raya itself.

Ten~ten's and my tasks are to go to Melawati at 2.00am on Raya Day itself to buy all the rendang, serunding, ketupat, lemang that we need. We don't cook you see, unless we get some kind contributions from Kakak. However, we do set it up really nicely in the morning for the Raya Breakfast after Sembahyang Raya, so that my children are excited enough, and from that, they would have their own different memories of raya, like I did. Then it is the beraya session within our own family, with duit raya being given to the 2 babies.... It's simply wonderful and I'm really looking forward to it.

I learnt form the experience of Mama cleaning the house, so no not me, I won't let the same thing happen to me. I get the cleaners to come to the house. I concentrate on beautifying the house, change the curtains, re-upholster (when required only).

Drinks, we are a bit more health concious now, so it would be coke lite, pepsi max and good old water.... Kakak and family of course won't be happy about that .

What remained the same is us all getting really stuffed after over eating, and before the day ends we would need to crawl back to our homes, sofa, bed, switch on the air cond and get a good snooze.... let's see what we might do differently this year shall we?

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri!!!!....