Ramadhan Kareem Everyone :-D

I received through my office email a few days ago a message from a friend of mine in KL ,"when are you going to update your blog?  It has been a long time!"  Oh Dear, if he knows that I am practically killing myself to cope with everything!

The children is on Summer break now.  As my beloved husband landed himself in a part-time job (evening job), I am technically on flexi-hours.  Well, over here if you have school going children, you can actually opt for flexi-hours.  I said "technically" as on paper, my office hour is from 7.45 a.m to 3.45 p.m.  It is just that somehow, though more often I arrived the office before 7.45 in the morning, I found it hard to leave at 3.45 p.m not that I don't want to! Just how could I simply leave everything especially when it is only done mid-way? Beats me even thinking about it!

A lot happened since my last entry - the saddest being the passing of my M-I-L after nearly two years battling with the Big C - never being one asking to be pampered she fights through until her last breath - leaving us all in her sleep.  No more bubbly chat, no more asking for recipes, no more expecting her here this Autumn.....planning a trip up north and no more expecting the exceptionally tasty food she always prepared for us... This Eid, there'll be no more calling her seeking for her forgiveness and prayers - she's in our memory now with a very special place in our hearts. May she be in peace with her Creator, in His loving embrace...Amin...

For us who were left behind, life has to go on.  Until the day when we too will be summoned...

Back to my friend Idzni's (the Irish guy) email. He was asking about the Ramadhan over here - besides no    Pasar Ramadhan and no mums and aunties, sisters and brothers to tumpang berbuka - Well, we go through our Ramadhan very moderately really.  And since there are a lot of Muslim populations here in Luton, our Tesco and Sainsbury put up Ramadhan Mubarak posters and stocked in more Halal Meat and Halal Chicken" sections - and though we cannot get stall-bought mee goreng, kuay teow and the like, we still can buy the ingredients and cook them ourselves - Bury Park is never short of briyani, pilao and kebab - we have Halal KFC here too. As for Tarawikh, we have Islamic Centre, Jame' Mosque and no less than two others - all in all, it is about the same except perhaps the length of fasting that we have to do daily now that it is summer - the early days of Ramadhan, it is from around 3.40 a. m to around 9.00 p.m but I am really glad my Damia has been fasting in full except for the days when 1. it was so cold and her tummy ached, 2. she accidentally took the offer of peanuts from her brother Aqil (cheeky!) and cried when she realised what she did; 3. yesterday when her tummy ached and her Dad asked her to break her fast.  All-in-all it is quite well done as she's only 7.

Eid? Maybe this time I will take a day leave.  If not, I will go to work imagining in my head the song "Dari Jauh Ku Pohon Maaf" from the moment I stepped into St Pancras.  Or maybe "Dendang Perantau"? Well, that depends really.  Oh yes, talking about Eid, I have yet to give my Sister the details for the Baju Raya that I need for the Office's Eid Reception! Wait aah... Along! I love you :-D

Till then! Have a Great Ramadhan and a Great Weekend Everyone :-D

 

Source of image : Moon over Uni of Dundee from the Dundee University website