of changing times and changing values...

Its that time of year again. One or two days before Eid Mubarak. Where muslims the world over, celebrate in victory (as they say in indonesia) after a month long of fasting (abstention from food, drink, sexual activity and a host of other do's and dont's, from sunrise till sunset, one of the 5 tenets (pillars) of Islam). Just arrived in Kuantan about 2 hours ago and at my sister-in-law's residence. Most of my wife's other siblings are also back. From KL mostly, except one from Penang. Everybody's back except one family still in KL. When big oh well, huge families go back to their kampongs, it's always the rooming problems haha. The eldest usually get the best suite, ensuite (with attaching bathroom and all hehe). The rest, according to seniority and pecking order...hahaha. Well not really, some depends on how much more your mother in law loves your wife (wink). If your status is your Lordship (a datuk) or at best a Baroness (makdatin)..then the perk varies again..hahaha. Hmmm feudal system at work again. Imagine you're the youngest in the family and your husband is only a despatch boy with lots of kids, can't even afford a kancil and had to book the bus tickets months in advance, and everybody else is a dato' or a tan sri? You'd be lucky if you and your family get to sleep at the kitchen area. But, isn't that what Ramadan is all about? patience and surrenderance to Him? And what it is supposed to have taught you? Spluttering Humility rite? No, not that borgouise feasts at 6 star hotels or crates of grub fit for a King? Well, as usual..plenty of stuff to debate here. That's why I consider meself fashionably oxymoronic hahaha. I'd still think that I so have a pool of detractor followings hehe.

ok ok let get back to the foto above. That's an oil painting of what' left of the house of my wife's grandparents at Pulau Jawa, Pekan. Late Grandpa-in-Law was the late Sultan Abu Bakar's boatman and late great Grandma-in-Law was the current Sultan's nanny. The house in the picture used to be the focal point, the converging spot for the whole Abu Bakar clan. The parents, in malay culture, are always the unifying factor. When they are gone, the siblings go their own separate ways, well mostly, and repeat the rituals with their own families all over again (I hope!). Oh I forgot, for the last 2 years my family and I have been downgraded to a 3 star lodging house...somewhere nearby The Ritz-Carlton of Kuantan (wink) uwaa uhu hu hu..but my wife isn't complaining even though she is the eldest in the family. I am the Taro Aso kicking up the big fuss here...hehe. Upon reflection, I too, may do the same when our parents are gone. I guess we won't be soo eager to balik kampong for Hari Raya then. We will celebrate it wherever we may be, Paris? London? New York? Perth? Chicago? (hahaha yeah..you wish!) or just Jakarta or Bandung perhaps?.....wishing friends who took time off reading my blogpost, Salam Eid Mubarak! Maaf Zahir & Batin...