Preparing to 'Balik Raya' - Part 1

In my teenage years, I dreaded having to go back to my family's hometown too early. All because I don't have my things around me to keep myself busy while waiting for iftar. And there's too many people busy doing things in the kitchen preparing a million things while subtly updating each other on family gossips.

I for one love to join in the chat but can't take all that yummy smell, makes me suffer even more, don't know, it's just extra tougher there, the time seems to move really slowly. My grandma is especially the happiest at preparing everything, yeah, so as everyone's. But she still grinds the chillies with the 'batu giling' you know! The most I'd do is sit by the stairway near the kitchen and watch her do her work and just listen to everything around me, in case they'd set me up with someone without my knowledge, who trust your aunts??


I felt so much remorse having to observe others who were my age just, lying down, lazing under the fan reading old kampung magazines and exchange thoughts about old times celebs, later just SMSing away, sleep, sleep, sleep, watch VCD, listen to MP3 player the whole day, then get into the kitchen once in awhile just to see if the food is good and enough to feed 20. After that, they'd just sit down with sleepy eyes at the dining table waiting to be served. They'd do this everyday, even when fasting is over.

I looked at my grandma's face, all that sweat and smile, proudly serving all her grandchildren who's probably not as excited as her about being together... I quickly snapped out of my insensitivity, my negligence. She really deserve much better than that. I thought, I have to make the most out of the time I already put aside to go back to her which is just once a year.

Dwelling in the kitchen IS the best way to spark 'team building' among cousins, aunties, uncles and grandparents, even if it means contributing some silly updates about yourself instead of just updating about how many months bonuses you have received and who bought Gen2 first.

Back to my contribution to my grandma, I don't just start my day back in my hometown by going to the market to top up all the foodstuff anymore. There's always a box of things from KL too. Now that there's Tesco, Giant and Ikea, I'd try to bring back unique things for her. Last year for example, I had to curl myself in the back seat of mom's car because I brought back 4 pieces of Ikea's Daim's Cakes placed in an ice box, 6 cans of Arnott's love letters for the little ones, biscuits, homemade 'ais krim batang'.. I can't remember how many, new cookie jars from Ikea... I don't know... a lot more. Then I knew more what it feels like to be my mother all these years making sure ends meet so raya's perfect for me and my sister. I saw the smile we sisters used to have in my grandma's face this time.

This year I plan to bring back the Korean/Japanese O'mochi but I got tired of hunting for it in 6 different shops already, other than futile chances of finding a nice pair of kebaya in Shah Alam, Subang and KL. I think it's only available during the Mooncake festival. I thought it would be different to serve cold desserts for a change. Who knows where I can get halal ones by the crates?

My two cents for the young ones so when you reach my age, you've put a lot of mileage in the family institution:

Just know that there is no such thing as a communication gap between grandparents and grandchildren, it's just how you make the content of your conversations to turn out to be.
There are still people who hates to be seen in baju Kurung and baju Melayu, hilang adat dan budaya, kosonglah jiwamu. Even the Chinese and Indian women buy baju Kurungs to wear them on Fridays!?

The cast who play lazy cousins at grandma's and at the same time posing for Nabila's viewing pleasure. Left to right to left again: Kathy, Socks, Comot and Joy. Nabila: I hope this blog page is not stinnnkkky nymooore :)