Ramadhan Mubarak, everyone. Tonight was Ramadhan Eve. We had our first Tarawikh prayers of the year, during a semi-quarantine pandemic-based lockdown. Ramadhan usually brings joy, but with the outbreak everyone feels fear and uncertainty. The authorities have suspended congregational prayers at the masjid to prevent spread of the Covid-19 disease. This suspension also covers Friday and Tarawikh prayers. Some places in the world do feel a disquieting woe and sadness as thousands die of the plague. What will the future bring to us all?
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Pre-Aidilfitri in Pasir Mas
After our journey through Thailand to get to Pasir Mas, we finally arrived just in time for buka puasa at the dinner table with the family there. Nia and family were already there to greet us.
Here are some photos of the fun times over the days before we drove to Sitiawan for Aidilfitri!
Pre-Aidilfitri in Pasir Mas
The days before Eid when Irfan played with his cousins
Perak beckons.
A New Place to Eat
We are always looking out for an affordable restaurant with delicious food. Luckily, there are still many places that surprise us in a good way in Perlis. South of Kangar towards the highway, while looking for a nasi mandi restaurant, we came across this good Thai restaurant for iftar. We parked by the fields which had been prepped for sowing. It would not be long before a more lively field of green would grow and cover up the brown mud. We discovered that the nasi goreng Thai here was delicious. It has a side of soup and sambal. The nasi mandi restaurant was right across the road. We might return to it later. Here is Irfan posing with the multicoloured lights that marked the restaurant’s location and illuminated the its signage.
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A Ramadhan Weekend in Sitiawan
The previous week, just after one of my classes I was informed by Atok Irfan that Opah was hospitalised for a because of dengue fever. We headed back to Sitiawan to check up on her in the weekend. After breaking fast in the car along the highway while passing by the Gurun rest stop, we decided to have our dinner in Sungai Petani. Fortunately, Opah was on the mend although the doctor forbade her to continue her fast until she was checked out. Later, we went on a drive around town and watched Solo: A Star Wars Story at the Aeon mall – a second viewing for me since Kuala Lumpur. Hey, it be my old school! Weird thing is that besides very small bits and pieces of it, it no longer on the whole looks like my old school. Yay for progress? This used to be a happening place […]
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Driving Towards Kelantan
Two days before Eid, we drove to Pasir Mas. We had planned on departing at 2 a.m. but we all overslept. So, we left and headed east after Subuh prayers. A notable feature of this journey is that Ain drove for more than 80% of the way. She took the wheel from Changlun. She drove from Changlun along the North-South Expressway, got out at the Gurun exit, drove past Jeniang, Kuala Ketil, Baling, Gerik and went up the East-West Highway over the mountains. She became sleepy near the Titiwangsa rest stop, so we parked the car for a while. Irfan massaged his mother’s back, which was knotted up no doubt caused by the extra long driving. Then I took the wheel while Ain slept in the back. The only place where a traffic jam occurred was near Bukit Bunga in Jeli, caused by Friday prayers traffic. I drove on towards […]
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Final Iftar Outdoors
Ramadhan will end in a couple of days and soon we will head to Pasir Mas for Aidilfitri. A new outdoor eatery popped up nearby, across the main road from our residential area. Nothing extraordinary to report except that this would be our last breaking of fast before Eid. Also, some great lighting in the photos below.
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Early Ramadhan in Perak
I drew the artwork above while in Sitiawan. It was the start of the second week of Ramadhan when we all drove to Perak for a long weekend to buka puasa with Irfan’s grandparents. Also, there was some business to be had in Ipoh with Wan Cu and family facilitating said business. It has been a while since we drove to their house in Ipoh from Sitiawan. I nearly got lost because the phone could not acquire the GPS signal long enough to tell us which direction we should take. But because of the ordeal we underwent, I think I will be able to remember it from now on. We left for home from Ipoh, heading north and parting ways with Atok and Opan at Wan Cu’s place.
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Iftar at Some Place Fancy
We rarely ate out for iftar this year. So we thought we’d go to the Kluang Station restaurant before Ramadhan was over. The Kluang Station restaurant was nearby and not in Kluang; though I’ve been to the Kluang Station restaurant in Kluang. Ain headed there after work to get some groceries. Irfan and I rendezvoused with her there after Maghrib for dinner after breaking our fast first. It took a while for the special iftar buffet to end before we could order ala carte. I got some seafood broth and Ain had nasi lemak. Irfan had a burger. Irfan loved that burger.
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Iftar at Irfan’s School
Irfan’s school raised enough money to build a dedicated surau not just for the students and staff, but is open for the public. We attended its opening ceremony which also had Maghrib, Isha’ and Tarawikh prayers. The school principle was on hand with the PTA president to commemorate the event with a plaque. There was a tazkirah by an uztadh from Al Hijrah TV station. For iftar, we broke fast with some dates, then we performed Maghrib prayers before having a meal. After that it was time for Isha’, Tarawikh and Witr prayers. The surau is a comfortable sanctuary, which Irfan has used for Zuhur prayers before coming home after school during Ramadhan. Hope he uses it a lot more before the end of the school year.
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Breaking of Fast With Atok and Opah
Most of our breaking of fast at sundown during Ramadhan – known as iftar – were done at home at the dinner table. But once in a while we do go out to dinner, but only after Maghrib. Last weekend, Irfan’s grandparents were also in town a-visiting, so Sunday night we decided to eat out. We tried out Pak Ya’s place at Taman Cempaka, which is to the north of and right next to Pandan Indah. When the food arrived, we came to two conclusions. One, we have to take photos of our orders. Two, we will have to take Ayah Cik, Cik Dik and Yaya to dinner here when they next visit. We didn’t take photos of all the dishes, unfortunately.
Continue readingBreaking of Fast, Ramadhan 1431
Ramadhan mubarak to everyone! Another year, another fasting month. Ain spent an hour preparing this meal for our first breaking of fast this year. [[image:first-break-fast-2010.jpg:Delicious spicy stuff!:center:0]] We broke fast with dates, before digging in, dining on rice, with some chicken and fish, and spinach. No fruits, no kuih-muih. We are grateful for the delicious stuff bestowed onto our dinner table!
Continue readingSelamat Hari Raya from Ohio
Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir batin from all of us in Ohio. We wish we could have been in Malaysia for the holiday, but we will have rendang and stuff here too (eventually when I get my act together). Lily did not show up for the picture taking session, and I had already changed out of my baju kurung, so here are Vin and Allie, wishing you all a wonderful month of Shawal. [[image:allie71a.jpg:Vin and Allie in their baju raya:center:0]] * Allie is wearing the baju raya that Opah and Tok got for her.
Continue readingEid Mubarak From Ipoh
[[image:aidilfitri-ipoh.jpg:Greetings from Rapat Setia Baru:center:0]] It’s been already 30 days into Ramadhan and beyond? It’s already Eid-ul-Fitr? How time flies. Greetings from Irfan’s Opah Cu’s home in Ipoh from our family to all three* of you regularly reading this blog. *This number might or might not fluctuate according to the phases of the moon.
Continue readingAnd Now For A Word… Or Four
Today is the last day of Ramadhan and tomorrow is Aidilfilti. We’ve just had our last sahur for the year and now the sun is slowly rising in the cool morning air of Irfan’s Tok Bah’s house here in the outskirts of Pasir Mas. We arrived here at noon yesterday, commandeering Irfan’s Atok’s car which he left with us before flying off to Ohio earlier this week. As you can see they’re having lots of fun (and awesome food) in the previous post. We planned on beating the massive holiday traffic by leaving long before the terminator crosses our location, at 0300, or 0330 at the latest early Sunday morning. Unfortunately we woke up at after 0400 because of the amount of work done the previous day taxed us physically. (Damaged car tyre was switched with the spare and we assembled a new bookcase, which I hope will be left […]
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Into the Second Week of Ramadhan
It’s now the second week of Ramadhan. If anyone asks (and you’d know the answer to this if you’ve asked me) it’s been more tiring than it’s been hungry. The myth that you’re wiped out and floored by the hunger was totally dispelled when I was fourteen and playing hockey in the mornings during fasting month. And again, when I was seventeen and whacking tennis balls against the wall after school at 3 PM in the hot sun – though I was wiped out after that. However, this year I find out I can barely stay awake after 10 PM. I wonder if it’s because of the job I’m working now. I’ve already missed 2 nights of Tarawih & Witir prayers. I remember less than 10 years ago completing a full month of them at the mosque, even. And this year, for Aidilfitri, Tok & Opah Irfan will be in […]
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Pre-Aidilfitri at Pasir Mas
As was blogged earlier, three days before Deepavali were spent at Lubuk Tapah, Pasir Mas. Not only were there the pre-Aidilitri preparations going on, but they were also getting ready for the wedding of Ain’s cousin some time after the festivities, which Ain & I will have to miss. What is there to report at Tok Bah and Tok Ma’s house? I really like the solok lada at dinners. Irfan hoarded all the pillows in the house and buried himself under them. Biscuits were baked (picture below). It rained quite a bit, which was pleasant. We didn’t even leave the kampung in the day, knowing full well that the traffic in the town of Pasir Mas would be horribly jammed because of the balik kampung season. Irfan discovered the joys of Cartoon Network on Astro. Here are some of the pics. Irfan smiles for the camera at Tok Bah’s […]
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