16 October 2009

Raya D'kota

It was not that bad after all. Celebrating the first dawn of Syawal in the heart of the Bolehland metropolis, surrounded by tranquility almost a zen-like stillness that settles over a high mountain that follow an annual migration of their materialistic inhabitants and urbanites to their safe haven. Everything starts with the first time to begin with.

I enjoyed this year's Raya as much as I enjoyed the post-psychedelic atmosphere and good companies that continuously color my Raya days despite the warning that another earth shattering tremor was about to hit our homeland. I must admit though, my dietary regime was not as in harmony as my relentless appetite, an internal crisis unbeknown to me probably disguised in form of a lackadaisical state of mind lately.

Raya without friends, families, neighbors and even strangers around us to cherish with is not a Raya to celebrate for. Despite the very limited time and limited ability to move around this Syawal, I managed to savor the sweetness of those special days with special people. Some were new friends, known only through the blogosphere and some were long lost friends who came to pay the visit to their long-time-no-see friend just to say hello.

At the same time, I am still hoping and expecting (menaruh harapan tinggi) from our blogosphere's penyimpan mohor besar raja-raja especially the one in Bangi (you know who you are :) who promised to organize a bloggers' hari raya gathering (or was it over already?). The Raya is almost over, but the spirit is still high.


One super cool couple they are, Kanda RA and Zendra. That was the first time meet, a short escapade but the feeling as if we have been knowing each other for ages. Many thing to talk about and to share with. To tell you the truth, that was the only open house I attended this year and so far. It was one memorable experience with the warmest hospitality ever. The food was superb, especially the lamb curry (really commendable).



Before we left, one happy family photo for the album . I am feeling a bit poetic and into my element now (as put it by kanda RA)

Terimakasih daun keladi,
Kalau tak raya pun jemputle lagi


Another popular and ardent blogger who almost detour the whole districts of Selangor in order to reach my house. At first I was a bit reluctant to publish this photo as he told me he is a photo-shy guy and for some reason unclear to me, never shown his true persona in public (or his blog). I hope he is not mad with me (ampun). A really nice and lovely couple to spend time with.Wishing you a smooth sailing ahead and hoping to see you again June next year. Hang on there and keep persevere mate!


These young and elegant ladies we first met and got acquaintance with during the bloggers mengeteh sessions earlier this year. CAHAYA, Teja and kama are blogger, while the sweet lady in red is Teja's and kama's course mate, who was born in Ganu but didn't ganuspeak with me :) Luckily they didn't gatecrash into my house and gave a notice earlier, otherwise they won't had the chance to sample the famous beriyani gam Bt. Pahat.

I didn't know CAHAYA is also a camera freak- like me (Camera freak doesn't mean one is a good photographer - just like me). Out of a sudden, she whisked out her cute little camera from her secret Doraemon's pouch and diligently taking photos one of my classic camera collections. In this digital era, not that many knows the 120 mm film anymore, but she did.

DrZue, a blogger and family close friend (in the middle) came all the way from University Malaya to celebrate Raya with my staffs and me in my office. She didn't came alone but with her big entourage. This was the second time. The first time they came to visit me a week after Raya and I didn't prepare anything for them. This time, even though the food were not that lavish but we were a bit prepared with nasi lemak special and curry puff - courtesy of makcik cafeteria :)


My long lost friend Osman, his wife Jah and their lovely kids. Osman was my senior in UKM, a silat buddy whom out of the blue got married to my wife's best friend, course-mate and housemate Jah. To make the story more interesting, Osman's younger brother married to my younger sister while both of them studied at Al-Azhar. So that make us what bro? A beras....biras...or bau-bau bachang?



43 comments:

Sir Pök Déng said...

You guys have a great time Raya-ing in the kota! Oh by the way doc, I'm salivating over lamb curry.

*tutup mata, imagine lamb curry*

Memorable trails... said...

Salam Doc,
Despite not feeling well,you seem to have quite an enjoyable raya..so much food and so many guests.
Another raya after puasa 6?

Honeydy Love said...

Selamat hari raya Dr.Sam
:)

DrSam said...

Sir Pok Deng,
The Raya this year was on a different note but very enjoyable, yes. Now after the surgery, I have to tutup mata and just imagining the lamb curry :)

madam gold,
Salam madam. Actually I was not really in the mood to Raya-ing as the countdown to my first surgery has already begun. A bit nervous. But the constant cheering from my friends has lifted up my spirit tremendously.

Raya after puasa 6...I still hutang 3 days of fasting (warded just before Raya). Raya Haji kot madam :)

DrSam said...

Honeydy Love,
Salam Hari Lebaran to you too :)

Fadhil said...

Wah...Doc, camne nasi beriyani gam Batu Pahat boleh sampai ke Lembah Kelang?

DrSam said...

Oldstock,
Kita impot orang Bt Pahat jadi tukang masak seumur hidup kat dapur :)

besi said...

raya kat kl...
open house je la
hehehehe

adiwarnatasya said...

Salam Persahabatan:)

Small Hiker said...

interesting Raya entry... you had summed up your raya activities nicely...

HLiza said...

Still in Raya mood ya Dr Sam..I envy you for meeting so many bloggers this raya..hope you get healthy fast and the pain story will be left behind..

ASH said...

Dearest DR SAM,
Setiap hujung minggu ke hadapan ini, begitu tight masa ku..
Wish you could come during anak kakpah's kenduri since she has already prepared two tables for bloggers to sit and chat.

Kakpah is my BOSS..and please do come! My email hidasaif67@yahoo.com. I'll give you my phone number and the address!!

( I will tell her that I've invited you too..don't worry!!And TAKE CARE)

Looking forward to meet you..

Abd Razak said...

assalamualaikum dr sam

Best about raya ni boleh jumpa semula sanak saudara & sahabat-sahabat...kuatkan ikatan ukhwah

NanaDJ said...

Dr Sam,
Glad you had a nice Raya despite your gall bladder problem. Didn't know you are celebrating here otherwise could have invited you to my house on the first day.
Beryani gam from Batu Pahat? Would have love that, being a Johorian, nothing beats beryani gam and kuzi kambing and mi bidali and...
Salam

laki cikgu kimia said...

drsam area mana? rogi x dpt join.. tp kalu ke area bangi jemput2lah datang ke Kedai Makan Nasi Ulam, adik ipar saya yg empunya..

selamat hari raya.

DrSam said...

besi,
open house banyak, cuma tak terdaya nak pergi. Paling pun gatecrasihng rumah jiran-jiran dekat je.

Adiwarnatasya,
Salam perkenalan dan terimakasih singgah. Ada masa kongsi cerita.

Small Hiker,
Raya with new and old friends, really made the day.

Hliza,
Raya mood will be switch off soon. So still looking forward for some kuih raya and angpau :)

ashley,
will email you after this. Thanks for the invitation. Insyaalah tiada aral sampaile kita ke sana. Lama tak menjenguk tempat yang penuh kenangan manis itu :)

Abd Razak,
Waalaikumussalam sdr. Tujuannya memang begitu. Semoga ikatan dan tali persahabatan berkekalan.

NanaDJ,
You can still invite me...Raya or no Raya for a cuppa :) Beriyani gam will surely always tickle my taste bud, but I am still in my pantang mode. Mi bidali? I asked my wife and she has no idea what its look and taste like. A good excuse to gatecrash into you home for a food tasting session?

DrSam said...

laki cikgu kimia,
Saya nun dekat-dekat Subang ( depan Kota Damansara). Ramai blogger kat area Bangi. Pernah juga dengar nama kedai tu. Inyaallah kalau terlajak ke sana saya singgah.

CAHAYA said...

Thanks again for having us at your home, Dr Sam and Kak Zayda.

Thanks for the duit raya too. ;)

p/s: bila masa ambil gambar saya plak ni.

NanaDJ said...

Doc, are you not a Johorian? If you are a real orang johor(meaning from JB and NOT from any other parts of Johor - sorry orang Muar, BP, Mersing, KT, Pontian etc)you will know of the famous Mi Bidali avaiable in KL at Aji Don's Ally Plaza Damas ...I tak tahu how too cook it (its arwah Hj Ali's secret and well kept recipe just like the Colonel's KFC) but will willingly give you a treat there or at my house.

aShaBuLz said...

wow...beraya sakan. hehe...

DrSam said...

CAHAYA,
No problemo, anytime.

p/s: tu le... khusyuk sangat dok ambil gambar kamera sampai tak sedar.

NanaDJ,
Nope, I am from the keropok lekor land. However, my wife is a Johorean. But as her father was in navy, she spent most of her adulthood outside Johore. Now where on earth this Plaza Damas is? I thought I know KL like the back of my palm :)

aShaBulz,
No time no hear mate?

BEiB said...

Raya kampung
Raya kota
Raya sakan...
hehehe...

Yang Benar, Kakak Perkara Rawak said...

DrSam,
tiba-tiba baru saya perasan,








tingginyaaaaa!







p/s:malang sungguh untuk sy,sebb setiap tahun,mesti ibu,mak cik,pak cik,kazen cakap "Uyah,trylah daging kambeng ni".Serik gila,tak pernah makan,cuba sekali,tapi berkali-kali tambah,kebetulan 4 rumah seterusnya pun masak kambing.Balik rumah,pening sangat-sangat-sangat. #geleng kepala,trauma :)

Zendra-Maria said...

Dinda DrSam, we were very honoured indeed to have you and family grace our occasion.

Kambing is our favourite too, but have to limit lah.

Salam to Dinda Zaydah, too.

Pn Kartini said...

Salam..:):)
Raya dkampung..dKota..walau suasananya mungkin berbeza namun yg pasti ikatan kemesraan ukhwah itu tetap terjalin..:):)

NanaDJ said...

Dr sam,
Plaza Damas is at Sri Hartamas (the old one not Desa Hartamas) along the road leading to Masjid Wilayah.You won't miss it. But the Mee Rebus plus other Johor Specialities is only avaiable at night.

DrSam said...

BEiB,
Betul tu. Dimana kita berada, Raya tetap Raya. Semangat tu membara senantiasa.

PJM,
Agaknya sebab dah cekeding sikit kot. Tak proportionate. Sebab tu nampak macam longjong silver aje :)

p/s: cuba sikit-sikit tak apa. Saya dulu 4 tahun (masa belajar) asyik makan gulai kambing aja (sebab daging lembu memang susah nak dapat - bulat).

Zendra,
Kanda Zen. Looking forward to another meeting.

Pn. Kartini.
Salam. Ikatan ukhuwah itu yang paling penting. Makanan dan kuih-muih tu penyeri suasana aje.

NanaDJ,
O.K. Got it. Yes not so far from our place. Insyaalah will make our eating out tour soon. thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

salam Dr.Sam.

wah meriahnye.. raya tahun ni.
cun2 belaka yer, Dr.Sam pun nampak muda jer...

tahun depan raya kat kampung pulak.
:)

tq Dr.Sam :)jumpa lagi

Anonymous said...

ops lupa .

selamat hari raya maaf zahir batin buat Dr.Sam sekeluarga.

:)

yohteh said...

Salam Dr...
di penghujung Syawal yang berbaki ini, saya mengambil kesempatan mengucapkan SELAMAT HARI RAYA...!!!

Fly said...

salam Doc, klu dekat leh kami beraya bersama doc kan :)

DrSam said...

FL,
Salam Fahmi. Alhamdulillah, akhirnya menjelma. Lama tak dengar khabar berita. saspen juga.

Insyaallah, jika umur panjang kita jumpa.

yohteh,
Salam yohteh. Salam Hari Lebaran untuk yohteh sekeluarga jua.

Fly,
Salam. Insyaallah Raya Aidul Adha kami balik Bt. Pahat. Ada rezeki kita boleh beraya sama.

payarumput21 said...

Salam DrSam..

Asalkan dekat dengan keluarga.. Raya kat mana pun tak kira..

:)

Naddy said...

happy post raya dr sam, looks like everyone is coloiurful, cheery and stuffed from those delicious sounding food.

Hidup KOKA said...

Not too late to say "Selamat Hari Raya" kan..,.

nahmy said...

salam doc..
desa @ kota...dulu @ sekarang, raya ttp raya...tp raya yg 'manis' adalah raya bila berjaya mengingatiNya sentiasa di hati. arrright doc...good seeing you embracing your joyful spirit!

ouT oF My MinD said...

teringin gila nak kerja time raya. Tp sebelum time itu tiba, pulun habis-abisan cuti raya. doc, bila mau buat gathering lg...nk join kali nie.

Naddiea said...

Doc,seronok juga rupenya beraya di bandor ni.Tapi mesti tetap rindu kat kampungkan.walau cemana ramai pun kawan2 kita celebrate raya bersama.Take Care Doc and selamat berpantang.hiihi...

DrSam said...

payarumput21,
Salam. Itu yang paling penting. Raya dikelilingi oleh yang tersayang.

mizzyN,
Raya is always very colorful, the food, the mood and the company. Hope your was colorful too.

hidup KOKA,
Thank you. Hope you had a wonderful Raya this year.

nahmy,
salam. Ya. Raya kerana meraikan kemenangan berjuang sebulan dibulan Ramadhan.

ouT oF My MinD,
Tak ramai yang ingin berkerja masa Raya. Adapun jika terpaksa.

Gathering Raya dah tak sempat. Gathering ukhuwah kena rancang terlebih dahulu. Tapi kalau setakat mengeteh tu anytime. Hutang mengeteh dengan beberapa blogger pun masih tertangguh lagi ni :)

Naddiea,
memang takkan sama beraya dikampung dan di bandor. Suasana pun berbeza. Lagipun bukan selalu boleh balik kampung, apatah dihari yang mulia itu.

Zue said...

ehhh...ehhh....:) :) :)

Thank you very much for everything.

CATZ said...

wah drSAm,

u have a great raya...
meriah...
err...beriyani gam batu pahat?
care to share the recipe?? plis..
:)

DrSam said...

Zue,
Raya sakan :)

CATZ,
kena cuba try test dulu. Kalau sedap baru dapatkan resepi. Jemput datang rumah lepas tu bukan setakat resepi, my other half boleh buat demo masak sekaligus. Amacam?

PerantauSepi1306 said...

Enjoying Syawal, eh Dr Sam.. semoga sentiasa sihat dan ceria selalu hendaknya ;D

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...