The Raya Story in Alor Star (with pics!)

Selamat Hari Ra--ryeeee!!!

No space in dulang to susun properly but its supposed to spell "Selamat Hari Raya! :)!"
Smiley face got eaten early.

I still received duit ra---ryeeeee...okla very very small amount but who cares really! It was like getting a busload of sugar on my wedding day!!! "oh-so-excited"

The night before. "Eat, not make! eh salah! MAKE, not eat!"

The designs were "interesting"

...but it turned out good the next day. That's MakMak serving cupcakes on the first day of raya because EVERYONE forgot to bring home kuih raya. So we had only cupcakes and MakMak's own kuih makmur that she makes every year for raya. yummy!

Let me tell you the story of my first raya as a wife.

It started blissfully, with a travel time back to Alor Star in 4 hours from KL on the eve of raya. Blissfully because, we went back to Alor Star. MY kampung. not his! MINE! ....muahahaha *evil*. I'm still trying to hold a discussion to maintain this balik kampung contract for a longer period of time but since Raya Haji will definitely be celebrate at Ketereh, Kelantan every year (Insyaallah), there might be hope the justification of beraya first in Alor Star and then to Kelantan will stand strong.

Zul and I on the outside staircase of MakMak's house on the first day of raya.
Our first raya photo together. We matched the house! i forgot MakMak's house is painted orange outside.

Arrived at my grandmama's house, we had the honour of having my mom's old bedroom all to ourself! Considering there are only 2 big proper rooms that could fit a family of 5 in each and a smaller room for 2 downstairs, it is a big honour. And did i mention, a bed with new mattress too? ....and yet MakMak, my grandmama suggested to my mother,

"maybe Zul would be more comfortable staying at a hotel."
"Segan, rumah kampung" she said.

Gee, wheres the fun in raya if there's no queue in front of the one and only bathroom at Makmak's place? Seriously! It wont be the same without seeing someone straying with a towel and a toothbrush in the mouth in the kitchen, pacing back and forth. and a row of uncles with towels wrapped around their waist or over their shoulder at the breakfast porch facing the river, and a row of sleepy cousins with towels wraps around their heads in the living room watching the morning tv,

Like this, but imagine sleepier versions (except Mak Teh, she 's already asleep), and with towels. and bigger hairs.

....and a couple more on the stairs with half awake and with one eye on the bathroom door.

Ok fine. Best example of towel wrapped around shoulder while waiting for bathroom to be free. la di di da. Except i wasnt pacing in the kitchen, i was making breakfast.

And as soon as the bathroom door open, or the loo's door. There would be a mad scramble of

"I'm next!" "my turn" "lelaki dulu!!! nak semayang!!!" "emergency!" "OI QUEUE!!!!" etc.

All in loudspeaker mode of course. Sitting on stairs is the best spot to outrun and outmanoeuvre anyone queuing ahead as you would have the first view of the bathroom door. Everyone else usually move when someone, either the person exiting the precious room or someone in the kitchen to announce

"NEXT! SAPA NYER TURN!" as per the government servants at public offices.

Ah, Zul had to learn that, he missed his turn couple of times because he didn't declare his turn and then was bamboozled by my little cousin. He was lead to believe that my cousin was in queue before him, ...my cousin wasn't but in the minute of confusion, my little cousin went in the bathroom. There, lesson learned, know your number in the queue and declare it! ye shall be notified of your turn.

What we look after everyone have showered.

Plus at hotel we need alarm to wake us up. At rumah MakMak, the volume is on maximum, you will KNOW when its time to wake up even without anyone waking you up.

And they were playing mercun in the morning.

Though i think this one is after salam2 coz Alif have a raya packet in his pocket.

Then on the day of raya, we bersalam-salaman. Like this...really...very like the artist-artist malaya on raya programmes on tv.

Amongst the things requested this raya, wedding photos, courtesy of my father's laptop.

MakMak, my grandmama, cried as per usual during the salam-salam session. We took photos. Though there were only 3 sets of families out of MakMak's 11 children and *i lost track of numbers* cucus and cicits, we had to squeeze for the photo.

MakMak in the middle surrounded by her 2 sons, 2 daughters, 2 son-in laws, 1 daughter in-law, 9 granchildren and 1 Tok Teh Nah, MakMak's sister. Out of those 4 children of MakMak's, Pak Ngah came home alone without Mak Ngah and 5 children, 1 son in-law and 3(?) granchildren, Pak Tam have all his 5 children in there, Mak Teh Puyah without 2 sons (1 was there but pegi beraya), 1 daughter, 1 son in law, 1 daughter in law and 3 grandchildren. and my family was without my brother. AND YET IT TOOK AGES TO GET EVERYONE IN THIS PHOTO!

Yet to arrive: a mere 5 mins after this, Mak Chak's lot came pouring in the house from her house nearby. Then i lost count. Pak Cik family came later in the day. and Mak Teh's daughter and plus 3 inc hubby came soon after.

Boys will be boys. In this case, Pak Tam acting out his younger brother role with Pak Ngah

Then we brought Zul to beraya-raya with my other grandma and grandpa who lives separately, far far away. ....

With Tok, my father's real mother at Bukit Tinggi. She is tiny.

My far-tha with his far-tha. Tok Wan, my father's real father. God bless him, for him in his state of total blindness remembers only me, Dayang out of my father's other children. :P

And here is the part where a few people that is reading this will slap their forehead, shake their head and say "dayang.....dayang....apa nak jadi ni?"

Somewhere along the journey to one point or another. in the car..i was thinking...no..i realised....

I HAVEN'T BERSALAM WITH ZUL! MY HUSBAND! OMG! .....so i immediately turned to him and whispered,

"I haven't beraya with you! my husband! OMG! i forgot"...and he just looked at me and gave me this stupid smile that he does when he realise his wife can be a real bimbo and said

"I know, i was waiting for you to realise that"...
"why didn't you reminded me or something?!" ...
"sajer nak tengok sampai bila you sedar"....hah! for that i replied
"hmm ok, nantila.......*pause*........*quietly* i'm sorry. but we do it at home properly nanti k?" .....well it was kinda awkward for me to suddenly knell in front of him in the car right?! .....and for forgetting, tak dapat duit raya from him that day :(

Just shows how forgetful i can be and that i kept forgetting he's my husband. Thought its my boyfriend i brought home to kampung with me and sleep in the same bed every night :P

The "look" he gave me. Ok, it's not but i just needed a reason to put this photo here.

When everyone bersalam-salaman. We amik gambar. That why la! forgot.

So there you go, my first raya with my husband, and i forgot to beraya with him on the morning of Aidilfitri. *doh!slap own forehead*

Three days later, off we went to Ketereh, Kelantan through the windy windy road of Grik. Of course la kena balik Kelantan, this husband of mine sebak, eyes were red and teary at my uncle house during the 2nd night of raya karaoke session while singing the first, FIRST verse of Dendang Perantau. Haiyah, macam dok kat Long-dong tu heh. Jaoh sangat!.

Karaoke session in the middle of nowhere. Literally. Total darkness outside. No other houses except 1 for several kilometres away. My uncle, Pak Man (with grey hairs) is working with RISDA or something, hence posted at places with no people except plants. His officers have homes nearby but not many lives there...wonder why.....? hmm? More fireworks. See the darkness engulfing them. thats at Pak Man's place

Then we went to Kelantan, and that is not the story today.