This raya I had a preview of how all my rayas for the rest of my life is going to be like. For the first time in my life I got the chance to leave the house on the first day. My grandmother stays with us so usually on the first day, my house will be "attacked" non-stop from morning till midnight so no one usually leaves. That is till my sister got married. Every raya I watch her leave in the afternoons to visit her in-laws and I wonder when my turn will come. Its no fun wearing ur bestest, newest clothes & not getting the chance to leave the house. So finally I had my chance this Raya.
After Zuhr, The Don whisked me away to his parents' and after eating lunch we left for his maternal grandma's. As always, the reception I get there is extremely warm. His grandmother was very happy to see me and even chided The Don for not bringing me over more often. The Don's young oousin who calls me "Kakak Bollywood" (presumably because the first time he saw me I was in a Punjabi suit and my Indian features)was so cute. Whereever I sat he will pass by back and forth to glance at me. Yet when I look at him, he will look away and pretend not to have seen me. Next stop, his paternal grandmother's. I havnt had the chance to meet most of his paternal uncles and aunts so that day was actually my first time meeting them. Luckily his cousins whom I have gotten real close to over the years were there so that kinda helped alleviate my nervousness a bit.
By the time The Don sent me home, it was almost nine and I had missed my chance to meet most of the uncles and aunts who had come by. Ooops. Next year, we're gonna have to adjust the timing a lil bit so that I can meet both sides of the family.
2nd day of raya is the usual jalan raya outing for my siblings. We will congregate at my eldest bro's house for brunch then proceed to my grandmother's in Eunos crescent (I hve 2 paternal g-mamas) and my uncles and aunts. Most of my uncles & aunts stay in the Eastern part of SG so we try to cover as many houses as we can in one day. The best part of our annual hari raya visitation is that we go in a convoy of about 6 cars. The children will have the best of time, switching cars from one place to another. And challenging whose father's car will reach first. Since The Don joined the family (this is his 2nd year joining the annual family raya visitings) usually he wins hands down but this year, my eldest nephew got himelf his own car (a Lancer as well) so Uncle Don has a contender.
This raya visiting has also been quite exhaustive for me and The Don. Every house we enter, they will proclaim "Eh the Pengantin is here!!!" and they will proceed with 1001 questions and advice and tips and the absolute worst comment was "This year datang dua orang, next year datang bawak perut eh?" at the same time gesturing a heavily pregnant woman. UUrrghh!!!!
Its interesting to see how colourful our raya is going to be henceforth. I will have so many more family members and a whole lot more houses to visit and people to meet. Not to mention a whole lot more money to give out too.
But its ok.... The Don will be the one getting the shorter end of the stick coz he only has a few cousins while I have 18 nieces and nephews heheheehe.
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