Aidilfitri 2012 in Kelantan (4th Raya)

Dear Diary,

We checked out from Permai Resort the next day but not without first enjoying lavish breakfast of nasi dagang, gulai ikan tongkol, nasi hujan panas, ayam masak merah, acar mentah and dalca.

Abah's siblings: (from left) Ayah Yus, Cik Jan, Auntie, Mami, Abah, Cik Ros, Cik Ngah, Mak Adik & Ayah Fir

With their spouses: (standing from left) Auntie Julia, Ayah Li, Mama, Ayah Ni, Ayah Sir & Cik Su

One big happy family!

Before we parted ways, we took family pictures. What a family gathering would be if a group photo was not captured for remembrance. Bukan selalu boleh kumpul ramai macam ni! It was a family bonding event filled with fun activities and eating very delicious foods.

The rest of the day was spent by just unwinding at Abah’s condo. Later in the evening, we enjoyed some splashing time in the swimming pool.

Love these candid pictures of Abah playing with his two youngest grandsons - Irfan & Ilyas

After dinner, we went to Wakaf Che Yeh. Shopping time! The shopping haven, popular among tourist, has been upgraded and renovated. Rambang mata macam semua benda nak beli. Who wouldn’t when we can buy things at very reasonable prices? You can bargain some more. One of the reasons I love about Kelantan is that there are lots of shopping places selling all sorts of merchandise at good price. Setiap kali balik sana, memang kena siap duit lebih.

Problem Solved

Dear Diary,

Thanks for all the comments in my previous entry on technical problem with Picasa web album. A very special thank to Ishamizu who directed me to LYAfrina's blog. Lya has put up a tutorial on this very subject. So, I've decided to follow the suggested solution for now.

Alhamdulillah...case closed!

Need Help Please!

Dear Diary,

HELP!!! I'm having problem with my Picasa. I wanted to post a new entry yesterday with lots of pictures. As I was uploading pictures as usual, I received a notice saying that I've reached my quota for Picasa web albums. If I want to continue, I must buy additional storage space.

Have any of you out there face this kind of technical problem? How should I go about it? Should I buy additional storage space?

I think I cannot simply delete pictures in my web album as it would affect my blog. On the other hand, I'm quite reluctant to make monthly payment for the storage space as my blog does not generate much of an income.

Please help...

Aidilfitri 2012 in Kelantan (3rd Raya)

Dear Diary,

Our destination on third raya was Permai Resort & Rest House in Bachok. Mak Adik organized a family gathering (Haji Abdullah's Family Gathering Syawal 1433H). 9 siblings of Abah were there with each family. All in all, there were 62 of us. Imagine the havoc!

As soon as everybody was comfortably settled in their respective rooms, nasi lemak with its companion (sambal tumis ikan bilis, sliced cucumbers, friend anchovies and peanuts) were served. There were also ketupat kacang, ketupat daging (super nice!), bubur jagung, tapai, keropok and raya biscuits.

After a short rest, everybody was all geared up to participate in the evening’s tele-match. There were games for every age category from small children to married couples. It was adorable to watch kids fighting for chairs in musical chair but it was even funnier to watch uncles and aunts trying to burst other team’s balloons.

For teenagers and young adults, there were many fun games such as catching eggs without breaking them and beach volleyball.

Everybody was looking forward to enjoying night time because more exciting events were scheduled. First on the list was barbecue dinner. There were marinated chickens, lambs, sausages and fishes to be grilled and savored with kaw homemade sauce. Other menu included mi goreng, bihun goreng, puddings and fruits.

After the sumptuous dinner, karaoke session started. While sipping hot black coffee and listening to all “singers” belted their songs, we enjoyed each others’ company and talked till midnight. Obviously, there are a handful of hidden talents in the family. Even Hubby presented a tune that night! In between songs, there was lucky draw and prize giving ceremony.

What a memorable day!

Aidilfitri 2012 in Kelantan (2nd Raya)

Dear Diary,

Excited to go beraya

After Asar on first of Syawal, we got ready and started our journey to the East. Thankfully, traffic was smooth. We safely reached our destination after 6 hours on the road. Before going back to Abah’s condo in Kota Bharu, we stopped at Cik Jan’s house in Tanah Merah first for dinner and beraya. Menu that night were laksam (totally awesome!), satay, roti jala, kari ayam, cakes and raya biscuits.

Our second day of raya started early. From morning till late evening, we were on the road, visiting relatives’ and friends’ houses. It was merriment everywhere as eating and chatting ensued.

We (Hubby, the kids and I) haven’t been back to Kelantan for over a year so we were surprised to see our cousins, nieces and nephews are all grown up. It felt so good to catch up with everyone. Menu for the whole day were mi kari, satay, kari kambing with bread, ketupat, nasi impit, kuah kacang, spaghetti, mi goreng, nasi dagang, ketupat, rendang, cakes, raya biscuits and fruits.

Aidilfitri 2012 in Shah Alam

Dear Diary,

Phew, it’s already nearing end of Syawal. Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Eid this year was spent hectically, packed with activities and events up to the point that all the small children were cranky due to tiredness and lack of rest.

This year is our turn to celebrate Aidilfitri with Hubby’s family. Basically, our raya plans would follow whatever Abah’s plans are. From beginning of Ramadhan, we were told that we’d be spending raya here in Klang Valley. It was quite disappointing news because we were so looking forward to going back to Kelantan and celebrate raya there.

During the last week of Ramadhan, Abah surprised everyone when he changed his plan and decided to go back to Kelantan after all. Yeah, Kota Bharu here we come! Eve of raya, we went to Abah’s house, all packed up and readied to balik kampung.

As in tradition on the morning of Aidilfitri, we beraya with Mama and Abah and also among ourselves after solat raya. Green packets were given out to the kids much to their delight. Then we hit the dining table for brunch. Menu for the day were lemang, ketupat, rendang, nasi impit, kuah kacang, kuah lodeh, sambal ikan bilis (Mama’s sambal ikan bilis is the best. You just can’t stop eating it!) and raya biscuits. We didn’t have the chance to go anywhere because relatives and friends kept coming to Abah’s house.