Eidul Fitri Celebration

Yesterday was the official first day of Eidul Fitri celebration, because Malaysians celebrated it on that day.

I fasted a day earlier than Malaysians, as I followed the Liverpool Mosque declaration that we were to fast a day earlier. (Perhaps I feel more like a Liverpudlian than a Mancunian. Don't ask further.) So my first day of celebration was the day before yesterday. But never mind, in the end, we overseas Malaysian will tend to celebrate when our families do back home.

So my youngest brother called me at about 3 am yesterday as he just came back from the mosque with my mother. They were having their breakfast of rendang (stewed meat dish with spices and coconut milk) and lemang (sticky rice cooked in bamboo with coconut milk), and off they went after that to my other brother's house near our late father's grave. My two eldest niece and nephew of the two different bothers went as well. I was wondering how the two seven year olds felt when they saw my father's photo and they have never met him before and then they went to the grave while the adults around them recite Quranic verses. I mean, they must be too young to understand the concept of death.

Later on in the afternoon, my brother whose house is near the grave, called me and we talked about football of course, as both of us are Liverpool FC fans. We are excited with the prospect of Fernando Morientes getting fitter from his injuries and that he scored a crucial goal during the Champion League's group match on Tuesday. (Oops, digressing a bit here...)

This ritual is what we do every first day of Eid, and then everyone would get back to my brother's house and relax and watch tv and have lunch and this time around my mother will sleep at my brother's house and return the next day. She made 6 kg. worth of rendang, and has apportioned to both brother's families, her neighbour and herself. Well, I for once, am so missing her rendang. It's the best.

But as I was thinking that, a friend of mine invited me and two other friends to her flat in Salford. She made rendang for us! What a dear... Plus, nasi impit (rice boiled in coconut leaves cases), and chicken curry, and other goodies. We did not stay too long as one of my friends needed to be at the Cornerhouse, so we sent her there to meet her companion for a film show.

So the two of us went and ended the celebration of Eidul Fitri at a Manchester Spanish restaurant called, El Rincon de Rafa. I cannot resist telling why I like the name. It's the "Rafa" in it, as in the best manager that Liverpool Football Club had of recent years! Oops, I am digressing again.

Well anyway, we had only some tapas with our Appletisers, as we were not that hungry. We had artichokes, and that was good...something different. The usual mushrooms in creamy sauce, garlic bread, fresh baguettes and a really good portion of mussels. The dishes were good to excellent. Next time, maybe, we will be more hungry and try the seafood paella or something.

So that was my Eidul Fitri celebration in 2005, perhaps the last one that I will have in Manchester and the UK. I will need to get my work done now, as there is not much time before the expected hand-in.

BTW, Happy Eidul Fitri and Happy Divali to you out there if you are celebrating!