Celebrations In A Row

Sometimes it feels like life in Malaysia is one everlasting festival. Maybe it has to do with the fact that three nations are living inside one so the amount of celebrations is tripled.

I week ago we had the Chinese Mooncake Festival. We ate mooncakes and burned incenses under the full moon. Kim (woman in the red shirt) told me it is important to choose either one or three. I made my own prayer with three incense, number 3 being my lucky number after all.

The night was cloudy so the moon was hiding most of the time. One traditional part of the festival is sending lanterns to the sky filled up with wishes. We didn't make our own lanterns but big red ones were sent from the neighbor's house (the red dots in the picture).

Part of the traditions of celebrating the muslim Hari Raya is to have Open House -parties for friends and family during the following month. We had PT Foundation's open house this Sunday and as you can see from the pictures it was quite an success. There was about 400 people visiting the PT's estate.

The guests came in colors of rainbow from all the communities of PT (Pink Triangle, Positive Living, Sex Workers, Maknyah, Ikhlas -programmes). Workers, volunteers and friends sharing a chat and a festive lunch.

One of the customs of Hari Raya is to give little money presents to the young ones of the families. Here the chairman Hisham is giving out the gifts to children of all ages.

As you can see violet was the colour of 2009.

I invited Veera to come along and we caused attention being the two blondes in traditional Malay Baju Kurungs. Oh, the amount of photographs people wanted to take with us! But I must admit, this time being compared to Nicole Kidman, I was quite flattered.

Smiles, friends, poses and some more photographs.

The same day but few hours later we were invited to celebrate a more private party: Raymond's dad's birthday. Again it was time for a ten course meal in the Chinese restaurant with the attendance of the whole family.

This cute pink teardrop shape cake represents longevity.

But of course Birthday wouldn't be birthday without a birthday cake of it's own.

It's always good to end the blog post to smiling group portrait. Selamat everything!

Fresh Karipap

I want to share with you one more sight from Johor Bahru from last week.

This sympathique Salahuddin Bakery has served the citizens of the town about 100 years. From father to son in two generations.

The authentic pink oven they use has been the same for the whole lifetime of the bakery.

We bought these yummy buns that have vegetarian curry filling and karipaps for the road trip back to KL.

Sponsored by Wrigley's Spearmint :)

Hari Raya Celebrations

To make it short: Hari Raya celebrations are mostly about family and makan (=food/eating).

But to make the story a little longer here is selection of glimpses of my first Hari Raya experience. During the 1st day of Hari Raya we went to Hisham's parents house. While eating and chatting for hours many relatives and friends passed by for a short meal.

The hosts and guests were dressed in traditionally Malay muslim costumes.

I didn't yet have a local dress to wear so I just put long sleeve outfit on.

Between meals different kinds of cookies, cakes and chips were served.

2nd house:

More cookies and more family.

Children of the house playing badminton. At least until I came interrupt them with my camera.

On the 4th day we left to Johor Bahru(state in the South of Malaysia) from where Hisham's family is originally from to visit more relatives.

1st Aunties house. New selection of cookies was served.

This cute fellow was so very energetic running and jumping over the room. I was pleased he stopped for a second so I was able to capture him. Smile!

Once again I was so warmly welcomed. When the meal they served included meat, they felt so sorry for me not to be able to eat it, they send the maid to shop vegetarian option for me. To every home I was greeted not like an outside intruder but like a special guest and agreeable addition to the family.

2nd house. This home belong to a uncle we visited in the hospital. He was told to be a very social guy who would have told me many stories about world war 2 if he would have been in better condition. Now lying in the hospital bed, surrounded by many generations of his family, he whispered to her daughters to keep me entertained.

Her wife (the lady in mint green dress)made sure that we arrived to their beautiful house for a proper meal. It was already the second dinner of the evening.

3rd house. The house of the daughter of the previous uncle (don't be offended if I remember wrong). The lord of the house was this smiling doctor in the picture. Conversation continued about the gossips and health of the relatives, complicated politics of Malaysia and food, food, food. Finnish = finished, joke was of course mentioned once again.

The ladies of the house kept remembering I was from Sweden because I reminded them of Agnetha of Abba.

Rojak: fresh vegetables served with spicy peanut sauce, is one of my favorite dishes. But when eating the dinner number 3 of the night it's not as easy to have a big plate. It is considered rude, like an insult, not eat the food that the host have prepared so of course I did confront the plate number three with healthy appetite.

This random dried tiny fish was already server earlier at the buffet lunch. Isn't it just cute!

Next day was time to visit the members of the family who had already left this world behind. It was my first time in the muslim grave yard. Notice the position of the graves. The bodies lay sideways facing the direction of Mecca. I was warned taking photographs in the graveyard cause I might also catch spirits to my film. If you notice some paranormal in these photos let me know (I think it would be super cool!).

The male ancestors have these 3D statues on their grave...

...when females have these more flat-design ones. This grave was particularly touching with its mom-children aspect.

On all 4 graves we visited Hisham and his mom made prayers and poured water.

When I asked from Hisham what the water signify, he told me "Well. Just think how hot it must be there buried in the middle of earth. So the corps are sweating a lot. This is their morning shower!" Puh! I can only tell you what I'm told and this is often as close the truth I get. I should collect a book of the stories Hisham is telling me.

The graveyard was covered with these trees. I heard is the common thing to have. The trees were full of loud birds and crickets. Hisham said to be scared of those sounds from the early childhood cause it is the sound of the graves - and so - sound of the dead.

For the last but not the least I want to show you that now I am too a proud owner of traditional Malay dress, thanks to Hisham. The jacket needs little adjustment cause it is a bit too big but otherwise the dress fits me very well. For next celebrations I can dress like a proper local. Yey!

Terima Kasih! It was one beautiful (cantik) Hari Raya!

Evening Snack at the Office

Too bad I have only the the photo-eye of my macbook here at the office to share with you this extraordinary drink color: it truly is the same shade as the neon green on those highlight markers we all know. The drink itself was not bad at all, quite sweet and fulfilling. But we'll see if I'll turn into a Hulk by tomorrow, as Clayton suggested... 

The color of photo has not been adjusted or photoshopped in any way!