One Helluva Raya

Ever since my suddenly illness about 2 months ago, I have been quite careful with what I eat. I don't know though how long this will last. Anyway, if last year we had dry mutton curry, mutton dalca, beef rendang and chicken, this year its only chicken.

I have been avoiding red meat. No, I did not abstain from red meat completely but, to not make me gobble up, we (the kids and the missus) decided not to cook any.

This morning, breakfast was just ketupat and 'ayam masak cabai'. Don't be fooled by the 'masak cabai' part because it was not hot at all. I can't take spicy hot stuff because of my gastric problem. I know I should abstain from ketupat pulut and maybe just take Capatis or Roti Benggali instead, but common, give me a break man, raya comes only once a year and I am not the kind who celebrate it the whole month. I celebrate only for one day and then its back to normal.

After the usual sembahyang raya ritual, before we headed to my brother in law's place, we had a family photo taken. Actually it was many photos coz my daughters are both photo freaks.

Early on, it was just a mundane raya. After the visit to my bro in law's house, we went over to my sister in law's house spending about only half an hour at each, then it was back home and that was raya for me, or so I thought.

In the evening, though, things started to heat up. Blogger Razlin of Attack of The Skym! came over. Actually my sister and her family from Shah Alam came first and a few minutes after that Razlin arrived. We were just about to warm up with talk on the present political situation when my brother from Taiping with his 5 grown up children came over together with the family of my late brother complete with grandchildren.

Now this is what I call RAYA. With family and friends around, it was a riot. Razlin left but not before updating me on his latest project. He truly is a sweet young man, very respectful to elders. I must congratulate his parents for bringing him up, right.

Then it was more politics with my nephew from UMNO also in attendance flanked by me and my brother in law from Shah Alam who are both hardcore opposition people and my brother who leans more towards the opposition.

Well, anyway, we chatted busily but with our eyes always on the clock coz the Manchester Derby was the main attraction of the night. My eldest daughter, a Manchester United diehard had to follow her husband, a Liverpool freak, to her in laws in in Parit Buntar so she wasn't around for the match but she kept connected with us with every goal scored and there were 7 last night.

My son and youngest daughter who are also Manchester United fanatics kept me company. We were vocally supported by my 2 Man Utd loving nephews from Shah Alam and my brother. My brother in law was the odd one out. Sad to say, some people do make poor choices like supporting the scousers from the land of The Beatles.

Anyway the match was actually the highlight of the Hari Raya yesterday. We stopped for some ketupat at the half time whistle and when Owen scored the winner in the 96th minute, I could have sworn the roof almost caved in. Wow! What a raya.

Anyway these are some from this year's raya raya album. Until next time, have a good time ya hear.

The whole family.

Come the 11th of November we would be celebrating our 30th anniversary.

The original family minus the scouser lover. No, the missus is not into football but we gave her a team: Newcastle.