Pre-Raya

1. Kids become ‘smarter’ in face-burning and finger-cutting.
2. It is the high time for the elegant biar-papa-asal-bergaya trend.
3. “Fuyyo! Sales lah bang!” a hysterical wife said to the tired husband.
4. Buying baju raya is a standard operating procedure for joy in the world.
5. Jalan TAR and Masjid India belong to shopaholics and spendthrifts.
6. Offices are decorated so dazzlingly like Santa Claus is coming.
7. Even Anuar Zain knows how to sing a bad cover version of lagu raya.
8. Jalan raya is a short-cut highway to meet God in heavan or hell.
9. Balik kampung journey pains your ass in the middle of congested traffic.
10. Mat rempiks are experimenting new raya stunts in the deserted city.


During Raya

11. Fashion disaster is at every corner of kampong, graveyard and mosques.
12. “Eh, is that last year’s curtain?” an observant makcik is giggling.
13. Kids are cursing at the grownups who give them only RM1 for duit raya.
14. Veer-Zaara on TV2 is more appealing than meeting long-lost relatives.
15. The more the number of horribly same-taste biskut raya, the merrier.
16. “Maaf Zahir Batin,” says a wrongdoer and forgets about it immediately.
17. Famous artists are singing tirelessly on TV like there is nothing else to do.
18. Pil Chi Kit Teck Aun is a best-selling cure for compulsive eaters.
19. Hedonistic activities take a new level after a month of self-control.
20. Concerned aunties are asking the singles: “Bila kau nak kawin?”


Post-Raya

21. Kids are counting their profits to buy more terrorist-related devices.
22. Parents are asking for their share of duit raya from their rich children.
23. Baju Melayu is kept nicely in the locker until the next Hari Raya Haji.
24. “Will I see my grandchildren again?” kampong old folks are sobering.
25. Rumah terbuka is mushrooming and filled with biskut raya leftovers.
26. People are persistently indulged with excessive foods and drinks.
27. A worried man asks a Courts Mammoth officer: “What installment?”
28. OPS SIKAP XIV will definitely be launched again next year.
29. Going back to a pathetic office life is like going back to hell holes.
30. A government officer is lamenting: “Lambatnya nak masuk gaji baru!”

Oh, belum raya lagi ke? Okay, Selamat Hari Raya.

Selamat, selamat. InsyaAllah.

I am quoting a reading quiz given to my Diploma English Level 4 students:

“Our greatest hopes and most exciting dreams almost always involve human relationships. This means that we are always at the mercy of those who, because of their position, can destroy our hopes. The unfaithful lover, dishonest business partner, ungrateful employer or disloyal friends have the power to shatter, in just a few moments, years of carefully nurtured dreams.”

And one of the questions is:
“People cannot shatter our dreams. True or False?”

Based on the reading passage and the teacher’s answer key given to me, the answer is – False.

Happy? Not that easy.

I found the statement and the answer quite ironic. When I announced the answer to the class, I was hesitant, whether to be objective or subjective. I was tempted to say – True. If that was my answer, I would violate the writer’s viewpoints and the teacher’s answer key. Never mind. Subjectively though, I can claim that it is so true that people cannot shatter our dreams, can they?

All right, so my dreams have been for so many times crashed by those powerful people around me. But. But. But, I have never stopped dreaming and trying to realize them in other possible ways. We may be subordinates, but with regards to our dreams, they cannot possibly, in one way or another, destroy those dreams, unless we easily give in to the fate and let the fate takes charge of our lives. I believe humans’ spirit can be extremely stubborn and sophisticatedly equipped with dangerous weapons – beliefs and hopes. We are also given such tremendous choices in life, and we can choose to continue our dreams. As sexy Mariah Carey evokes in her song “Can’t Take Them Away”, and her duet with Whitney Houston “When You Believe”, I am truly inspired not to let anyone ruin my ways of doing things.

My unfaithful lover might have destroyed my romantic idea of love, but that cannot stop me from searching for a real love.

My dishonest colleague might have crossed over the promotion I wanted badly, but that cannot stop me from looking for better positions.

My ungrateful employer might not have acknowledged me for my tireless contributions in the company, but that cannot stop me from being a better player in the dirty politics of organization.

My disloyal friend might have cancelled the trip to Langkawi, but that also cannot stop me from going to Langkawi, alone.

(So students, you can take your pick – choose my answer and fail the reading quiz, or you can hold fast to your dreams and pass this life with flying colours, okay?)

Now again, can’t people shatter our dreams?

When I asked one of my friends what year this Muslim’s New Year is, he hesitantly answered, “Fourteen seventy something.” I said, “Oh, fantastic. We can celebrate it, but that would be about fifty years from now.”

We did not laugh. This ignorance is perfectly understandable. I wouldn’t have known this fact either had I not been cozily sleeping in the mosque while the Khatib was soothingly delivering his sermon last Friday prayer. (Shame on me. Facts of life, you were right my sister.)

Oh, can you also be so damn sure that you can pronounce the word Ma’al right? (Do you remember Vince's suicidal attempt in his song with Yassin? Yes, that part with ta-a-la. Hahaha).

Apparently, less publicity is given to the 1427th celebration, if you ever call it so, of Ma’al Hijrah. Despite the hangover euphoria that everybody just felt for 2006 (Jesus Year!) exactly one month ago, this Muslim’s New Year is celebrated so ‘flamboyantly’ in the midst of spiritual malaise of our fellow Muslims. No firework at KLCC. No mega concert. No discount for Orange Club (Astaghfirullah!). No parties, of course. Good. (Do we have to?)

Besides the ever famous 2006 New Year, I see another ‘meeting’ between Chinese New Year and Muslim’s New Year as ironic coincidence. The former is full of traditional celebrations while the latter is full of religious significance. One is celebrated in joyful mood, laughter, hilarity and familiness while the other one is ‘partied’ in a less-firework understanding of Hijrah – physical, spiritual and mental swing of Muslim’s renaissance. The only ‘obvious’ Ma’al Hijrah program is the national ‘gala’ aired ‘live’ on most TV stations early in the morning, the very morning when most young Muslim teenagers are sleeping comfortably on their beds.

3 New Years, 3 Meanings, 3 Lives.

Happy New Years (Jesus, Chinese, Muslim)!