Cross-Cultural Conversations

Friday, November 21, 2003

10 Things I Miss Most About The Ramadhan Experience In Malaysia.

1. The intense moment as we all wait for the Penyimpan Mohor Besar Diraja to very slowly announce the first day of Ramadhan.

2. Sitting at the dinner table staring at my food while impatiently waiting for the Azan announcement over RTM 1, signalling that it's finallly Maghrib time for Kuala Lumpur "dan kawasan-kawasan yang sewaktu dengannya".

3. Checking my tummy to see if fasting has done any positive impact on my weight reduction program.

4. Taking a 4 hour long "powernap" and conveniently waking up at 7.12 pm, giving myself a full two minutes to prepare food to break my well-executed fast for the day. This rarely happens, I promise you.

5. Checking out the good Raya advertisements on TV. My all-time favourite would have to be Perodua's ad, where a rich couple in a Mercedes crosses paths with the humble Kancil and refuses to give way, forcing the Kancil to drive to the edge of the road yet still remaining calm and friendly, in the process, making the snobs feel embarrassed by their immature attitude. It should also serve as a reminder to the bad Malaysian drivers to have some courtesy while they're on the road. After all, jalan ni bukan bapak kau yang punya!

6. Jejak Rasul 1, 2, 3 dan 4.

7. My chance to show off my excellent choice of Baju Melayu material and colour, only to be outmatched by my younger brother's apparently better colour and cloth material.

8. Trying to perfect my skill of drinking but not technically "drinking" the water when I take a shower during the day.

9. Those Ramadhan food bazaars in Taman Tun and Bangsar. Oh kuih seri muka cantik berseri di manakah engkau di pasar ini?!?

10. The intense moment as we all wait for the Penyimpan Mohor Besar Diraja to very slowly announce the end of Ramadhan.