Raya 2022

Assalammualaikum and Selamat Hari Raya! It has been a week since Raya and I must say this is the most chaotic raya ever in my life, bet to all Malaysians as well! After 2 years of lockdown Raya (2021 was the worst where you can’t go anywhere at all), this year’s Raya is the most awaited one because the SOPs are slowly lifted, also we can even travel out and about freely now. It’s time to visit all the relatives and balik kampung since it has been 2 years we aren’t allowed to do that. As per calendar, Raya were scheduled on Tuesday, 3rd May. 

On Sunday, we had our last kopek buka puasa at my sister’s new renovated house in Sg Buloh. My parents already cooked their rendang minang earlier that day, it’s normal for us to cook rendang 2 days before Raya because well, it takes longer hours to cook, but can last long (up to a week outside). I was supposed to help them that day, but my fridge went loco, and the handyman only came at 3pm. Felt like canceling, but this is a fridge, kinda important and our schedule during Raya will be packed. The handyman only took like literally 10 minutes only to check….. Solution is to just leave the fridge of for two days which can be done without him being here anyway… Syurga rewards for my parents for cooking the 16kg rendang all by themselves. My sisters weren’t around too as Aida is working whereby Ecah already gone to her in-laws hometown. 

After berbuka, we were discussing Raya plan and the possibility that it will probably be Raya on the next day since most countries; Arabs, Europe will celebrate Raya tomorrow, Monday. There’s even some forwarded WhatsApp on that, at first I thought it was a joke, but no guys.. it really is happening tomorrow!! When it was announced on TV, yeap, it’s happening, that night already Raya eve. I’ve read some places has already in the midst of Terawih.. haha. Luckily the hardest part; rendang is already done. Left with other menus; Nasi Minyak, Acar & Ayam Masak Merah. By the way, my husband and Hanif weren’t with me at that time because he’s at MIL’s helping out cleaning the house. After the shocking announcement, I went back Mak’s house to wait for my husband to fetch us home to pack our clothes. I already folded and put them aside, only left putting them into the luggage. 

We return to Mak’s house the same night, and at the same time I started to prep for tomorrow’s menu. I couldn’t sleep well that night, well I think most Malaysians were, I heard loud sounds coming from everyone’s kitchen. Memes and jokes were flooding through social media, what a Raya to remember indeed. Alhamdulillah, all are done according to plan on the raya, I cooked Acar, Ayam Masak Merah, and Nasi Minyak. While mak prepared kuah kacang, rendang and ketupat. 

Of course, there’s consequences of this, I only bathed and put on my baju raya at 2pm! Haha. The day starts quite late because I guess everyone overslept, and put on extra makeup to cover the panda eyes. Aida and her family came in later, of course her plans get haywired too, she supposed to have her first raya at her husband’s side in Kuala Lipis. After that, we went to Ibu’s house in Puchong, she also were tired for this sudden Raya, and only started to cook the night before. This is Eve Maryam’s first raya and she behaved like an angel like she always been. That night Mak Yong’s family and my grandmother came over, it was so good to see everybody after 2 years! Had a good time chatted with my cousins and meeting their little ones until late that night.

Overall, this is definitely bittersweet Raya to all of us, this is my first experience of shocking Raya, but Abah told us, it happened before in the 70s. That definitely a good reminder to us that we human can always plan, but afterall, we go back to the fundamental, that is checking the anak bulan. One lesson for sure, cook your Rendang early!