7 Things I Enjoy About Raya

Assalamualaikum and hey there.

Okay okay, I know I'm 1 week late for this post, but who cares. I'm gonna do it anyway. :PP

So, after a month of fasting, here comes Eid-ul-Fitri, or Hari Raya Aidilfitri or simply known as raya, to commemorate our success in completing our fast. (or do we? :P ) So in Malaysia, Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the biggest celebration for Muslims here, even though other countries (mostly Arab countries) will celebrate Eid-ul-Adha much merrier.

1) Balik Kampung!

Balik kampung basically means "coming home/ going back to our hometown". This is the time of the year where I get to gather with my cousins and catch up with everyone's lives (this sounds so like my Form Four's English essay :P ). And then we will visit our relatives which I will only meet them once in a year, which is, of course, during raya.

The thing about my extended family is that, almost 3/4 of my cousins are female, which is why I am so awkward with boys, especially the ones who witnessed me grow up from a cute innocent wide-eyed girl to a not-so-pretty, not-so-innocent weird young lady. It's AWKWARD.

2) Bunga Api & Mercun!

It used to be much more varieties to choose from, but not nowadays since firecrackers are not really legal (i.e. illegal) anymore,,,,, but well, you still drink alcohol even when you're under age. So, don't judge us. :P

This is bunga api, aka sparkler, but I don't really like this type because it's quite painful. But this one is more beautiful though.

This one is safer, but it's not really entertaining, and it lets out too much smoke (this is why air pollution is severe during hari raya :P ) And it's not as beautiful as the sparkler, so well, I don't know, maybe this is why I prefer firecrackers :P

I love this one - it's called mercun lebah. (bee), basically because it looks like a bee. And when you light it, it will fly like dancing starlight (bwahaha)

This one is quite similar, called mercun rama-rama (butterfly), 'cause of course, it looks like a butterfly. I think this one is prettier and cooler, but I barely found this one, so yeah, it's rare.

This one is the most typical one, called mercun naga (dragon). I don't even know why. Oh, maybe because the packet has a dragon logo? Maybe,,, IDK. But this one is colourful and fun. And safe. So it's a smart choice. I like it too. ;)

This one is called mercun gasing (top) because it spins like a top. It's beautiful, soundless and it's safe, probably safer than mercun naga. But it's not really fun though. But I still enjoy it. 

Oh my God, this one is not even a firecracker! It's practically a real bomb! Well, at least, the sound produced is like one. It's so ear-splitting I can't even bear with it. And it doesn't even create beautiful light patterns. So, I hate it. (oh btw, it's called mercun bola (ball) 'cause, umm, look at the shape. Duhh.

This one is called mercun aiskrim (ice-cream). I never played this and in fact, I never saw this one. It looks intriguing though. :P 

I think this is why some people called us terrorists- maybe they visited the villages during Hari Raya and saw children playing these less-scarier-version of bombs and be like "oh my, look at these kids, they're trained to be terrorists from such early age! Where's humanity?" Just saying. 

3) Baju Raya 

The Malay Traditional Clothes are Baju Kurung and Baju Kebaya for women and Baju Melayu for men. But nowadays, women opt for jubah too 'cause well, we ladies need more choice, right? :P

The interesting part of this is that most of us will go to a textile store such as Jakel or Nagoya and choose our own 3-metre of fabric and then pay a tailor to sew a Baju Kurung from it. So, we practically have our own custom-made apparel every Raya! Isn't that cool and exclusive? :PP

 


These are called baju kurung. It's simple, comfortable but still stunning.

These are called baju kebaya. Nowadays, I barely see ladies wear this anymore 'cause let's be honest, it's kinda,, revealing. But there's a Muslimah version of this which is more polite and still gorgeous.

This is just a few style of hundreds fashion for jubah. It looks like gowns and it's beautiful but personally, I'm not a fan 'cause it's uncomfortable for me. But it's still pretty tho.

And yes, guys have to stay with the same design of Baju Melayu every year, and only depend on the samping for some differences. Ahahaha.

4) Kuih Raya!

Just generally the food 'cause Malaysia is a food haven so of course, Hari Raya is one of the days that shows that title. Some essentials include ketupat, rendang and lemang. Classics would be dodol and wajik, which I barely see these days. And tremendous amount would be kuih raya, aka the biscuits and pastries, no matter traditional or modern ones.

the right one is the ketupat. Well, the left one is also a ketupat, called ketupat palas which basically a lazy version of normal ketupat 'cause let's face it, that weaving is an art and it's not easy to make art. 

this is called lemang. That's sticky rice (same like ketupat, wait, is that what we called it? oh well) 

this is rendang! What you eat ketupat and lemang with so that it'd be more appealing. 

this is dodol. I've tasted it before. It's very chewy and it's kinda sweet. Not a fan, though. 

this is dodol in making, and this is why dodol is so rare these days. 

this is wajik, I never tasted it. But it looks like sticky rice... too... 

kuih kapit, it's sweet and crunchy and tasty.

kuih goyang/ kuih ros. Also my favourite, sweet, crunchy and delicious. I think I prefer this more than kuih kapit.

yes people, we eat muruku during Raya. We are more 1 Malaysia than you thought :P 

Anything with cornflakes is an easy winner. 

Almond London. Very common/ It's biscuit covered with chocolate, and there's an almond in the core. Not really my favourite.

When I was in Form Three, I guess, my Mom bought two boxes of red velvet cookies and let's just say that was the most palatable bunch of cookies I've ever tasted. Even more delicious than Famous Amos! 

Yes we eat modern cookies too and oh my, I LOVE MERINGUE COOKIES!!! It's the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy and it's soft and it's mess-free and it's,,, expensive. Of course. (I never ate these cookies anymore after I met them 3 years ago. Huhuhuhu~~) 

5) Duit Raya!

                                      

It's like angpau, and children will get them. Wait IDK, I don't think only children get them 'cause even I got some a lot this year. Ahahaha. I guess as long as you're not working yet (among your close relatives) or as long as you still look young (among your far relatives and your parents' friends) 

Lately, the smallest amount I received would be RM2, compared to when I was little (RM1) which means Malaysians are getting richer. Bwahaha :P

6) Lagu Raya! 

Oh my, we have copious Raya songs! And for this one, traditional songs are still the winner. I don't like the modern ones, it's not really sentimental and of course, not nostalgic. 

And it's a lie if you say you don't listen to Raya songs every time you turn up the radio in your car during 1st and 2nd Syawal, 'cause radio stations are outrageous. :P 

Songs that are repetitively played during Raya to get into the mood:-

~ "Selamat Hari Raya" by Saloma 

Marilah, bergembira, bersama menikmati hari raya, minta mak, kuih sepotong, saya mahu makan kerna perut kosong ( I think the child's voice must have been around my mom's age by now :P ) 

~ "Seloka Hari Raya" by Hail Amir & Uji Rashid
Usahlah abang membuang waktu, mari menuju ke rumah bonda, usahlah abang membuang waktu, mari menuju ke rumah bonda 

~ "Pulang Di Hari Raya" by NoorKumalasari
Di hari mulia ini, kususun sepuluh jari

~ "Selamat Berhari Raya" by Rahimah Rahim
Enak menjamu selera, jangan lupa yang tiada, selamat berhari raya, walau di mana kau berada

~ "Suasana Hari Raya" by Anuar Zain & Ellina
Ketupat, Rendang, sila nikmati kawan, penat memasak malam ke pagi

Songs that are a must to listen to during Raya:-

~ "Balik Kampung" by Sudirman
Perjalanan jauh tak kurasa, kerna hatiku melonjak sana

~ "Menjelang Hari Raya" by DJ Dave
Menjelang Hari Raya, berakhirnya puasa, bergema takbir senja, menyambut Syawal tiba 

~ "Sesuci Lebaran" by my girl, Siti Nurhaliza :P
Bersihkan jiwa, sesuci lebaran

~ "Satu Hari Di Hari Raya" by M. Nasir
Satu hari di hari raya, aku menangis tanda gembira

Sappy songs that is possible to make you weep:-

~ "Cahaya Aidilfitri" by Black Dog Bone (I swear they speak Malay)
Siapakah yang sudi, menghulurkan simpati, kepada nasibku ini....

~ "Ku Pohon Restu Ayah Bonda" by Mamat
Tanpa kusedari, air mataku mengalir....

~ "Pulanglah" by Aishah
Di pagi hari raya, hati sayu....

~ "Dari Jauh Kupohon Maaf" by Sudirman
Dalam dingin Subuh, hatiku terusik...

Songs that are my personal favourites:-

~ "Indahnya Beraya Di Desa" by Azlina Aziz
Wahai perantau-perantau di kota, pulanglah ke desa, berhari raya

~ "Senandung Hari Raya Untukmu" by Dayang Ku Intan
Maafkan aku, kerana tak dapat, bersamamu sayang, di hari raya, hari yang bahagia, kerana, tugas pada negara....

Okay,,, that's so many.

7) The Special Raya Shows! 

Be it be the blockbluster movies that you figured there are so many more beneficial things you can spend your money on than buying a movie ticket (which I adore very much) or the special Raya episode of your favourite novel-adaptation TV Shows (which I'm not looking forward to), there are special and interesting. And thanks to the recording system, I can record all the shows that I want without sacrificing my time to visit my relatives.

See? Raya is fabulous and epic. ;)

Til then.

Salam Aidilfitri!!!

 Ikhlas Daripada,

Reachable Places in Klang Valley

Interesting places you can reach by using public transport

Assalamualaikum and hey there! 

         The very first thing I learned post-SPM was sadly NOT driving (it was sad 'cause I've been dying to drive since EVER) but it was using the public transport, which was not bad at all since I used to be shelled in a boarding school, so, I barely knew this stuff. And Alhamdulillah, I'm so glad I did have time to learn all of this 'cause, it is very useful EVEN when I have a car someday in life. 

          And plus, this helps me, FOR THE FIRST TIME, to be more in-the-know than my sister, 'cause usually, when it comes to like, 'real life skills', my sister is far advanced than me. But not this one. This time, I WIN. Bwahahaha. 

           Sorry for acting crazy. (I'm not)

            Therefore, due to the frequent use of public transport, I'd always seen this complicated map consists of labyrinths of routes, which now I totally understand why tourists would easily get lost in KL. 

             So, basically, in Lembah Klang, we have four types of 'trains' - Rapid KL (But a lot of people call it LRT) , KTM Komuter, KL Transit (or better known as ERL) and KL Monorail. To pay the fare, you can either use cash or cashless, which basically means, using a Touch 'n' Go card or MYRapid Card (which can only be used for LRT and Monorail), but the price for cashless is cheaper so yeah, that's why daily users use the card. 

             Anyway, if you think being 'carless' limits your movement, then think again. 'Cause in Klang Valley, there are a lot of places you can go by using public transport. So, let's take KL Sentral as the central point 'cause duh, hence the name, and here we go! 

1) NU Sentral

So, basically, that's KL Sentral and there is an escalator to NU Sentral, which is a shopping mall, which is very fun. I love NU Sentral because personally, I think it looks clean, shiny (haha) and convenient. I love the surau there, very spacious, Muslimah-friendly and air-conditioned. 

If you go to NU Sentral, you'd find:-

~ GSC Cinema

~Parkson

~ A lot of chain restaurants/ cafes like KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Kenny Rogers, Secret Recipe, Auntie Anne's, Subway, etc 

~Typo 

Yep, possibly, my favourite mall. Possibly, okayyy.

2) KLCC 

Yes, I know the real name for that magnificent building is actually Petronas Twin Tower, the world's tallest twin tower (yep, fun fact y'all)  and KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre) is actually a small building near it, but yeah, we call it KLCC so just accept it. Bwahaha. 

How to get there : Use LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> KLCC 

Fare: KL Sentral >> KLCC = RM 2.40 

Main Attractions:-

~Petronas Twin Tower where you can either go up there to Sky Bridge or the 88th floor if you have a lot of money (which I never did) or pose with it 'cause duh, it's the tallest twin tower in the world! :P (which I shamelessly always do) 

~ KLCC Park which is very fun for children but it used to be more exciting when I was little (#childhoodmemories) 

~ Suria KLCC which is a shopping complex full of exclusive brands and pricey items plus two food courts with wide range of delicious food (I'm not kidding, try the Cafe Milano waffle- ranked #1 in my waffle chart. Hahah) Oh, plus Kinokuniya bookstore and of course, Typo 

~Petrosains which is an edutainment, interactive, informative centre. 

~ Aquaria which is an oceanarium with a 90-metre underwater tunnel

~ KL Convention Centre, which is a place where major events are held 

~Avenue K, which is a shopping mall nearby which is just as interesting as Suria KLCC but somehow not as popular as it is - even when it has its own edutainment centre and POPULAR Bookstore and the scenic Rooftop which enables you to make KLCC as the background (which is apparently closed at the time I wrote this) 

3) Central Market 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Pasar Seni

Fare: RM 1.30

Don't worry people, it's indoor and air-conditioned. 

I suggest you buy your souvenirs here of course 'cause the price is cheap, and there's a wide variety to choose from. And please, DON'T buy your souvenirs at KLCC 'cause the price is ridiculously expensive. Please, save yourself and your money. Buy your souvenirs here. You're welcome.

4) Amcorp Mall 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Taman Jaya >> Walk a little bit >> Amcorp Mall 

Fare: RM 2.50

What's interesting here: All things music like:-

~ Victoria Music Centre (CD and DVD store)

~ Gramophones

~ Vinyl record players 

~ Guitars 

Also:-

~ POPULAR Bookstore with cheap stationeries and books

~ BookXpress Bookstore with even cheaper books 

~ Scrumptious foldover waffle

5) Ampang Park 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Ampang Park 

Fare: RM 2.70

This is like, the oldest shopping complex that still exists in KL. And.... sadly, it's going to be CLOSED. LIKE FOREVER. OMG. This is also my #chilhoodmemories and even though I don't even like this place, but it's still a shame if it's closed... 'Cause it has:-

~ Dunkin' Donut

~ McDonalds 

~Cozy Corner Restaurant 

~Pizzahut

~KFC

~Manhattan Fish Market 

Please, I'm not being sarcastic. It's sad okay, to close a historic building like this.... 

6)  Mid Valley 

How to get there: KTM Komuter >> Mid Valley 

Fare: RM 1.60 

There are reasons why we Malaysians love to go to shopping malls - it's air-conditioned, which means, smoking is prohibited (which is good for me to avoid being passive smokers) , all under one roof, easy to find parking lots and sometimes there's music. 

And in Mid Valley, there are also:-

~GSC Cinema

~ MPH Bookstore

~ SPEEDY DVD and CD Store

~ Vintage 1988 Charm Bracelet

~ MegaKidz, which is an edutainment centre for kids

and,,,, there's also a bridge to The Gardens, which is another shopping mall but it's classier which have:-

~ BORDERS Bookstore

~ Rock Corner Music

~Red Box Karaoke (!!!) 

~ Samsung Certified Repair Centre

which made me so MAD that I just KNOW about this place! 

I mean, even the toilet is like a 5-star hotel's ..... 

7) Berjaya Times Square 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Imbi 

Fare: RM 2.50

If you want to go to a theme park in the middle of a city, this is the place you should go! 

What's interesting here:-

~ Berjaya Times Square Theme Park, which is an indoor theme park, complete with a roller coaster ride and DNA Mixer, haha, you should try. 

~ A lot of retail shops selling imitation brands which of course, are cheap and of course, are not the real brands so don't be too gullible 

~ Subway

~ Ayam Penyet 

~ Wendy's 

~ GSC Cinema (other than strolling at the mall, we love to watch movies. Hey, at least we pay for it)

I think, this mall is like, the tallest shopping mall in Malaysia, like 9 floors if I'm not mistaken. I don't really like it tho, ('cause I prefer NU Sentral everyone) 

8) KL Tower 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Bukit Nanas >> walk through the street >> walk across the road >> walk some more >> KL Tower (or you can skip all this by just taking a free bus ride near the station)

Fare: RM 3.70

Haa,, you think you can't go to KL Tower with public transport? You're wrong. :P But it's a long way but it's not impossible, 'cause I've tried it. So, you can go visit this another amazing skyscraper of Kuala Lumpur and watch KLCC from up here. Oh, and there's a revolving restaurant up there. Oh, and also some attractions down there, for example, a mini zoo. Sadly, I never been up there even I LIVED in KL for like 8 YEARS OF MY LIFE. WHAT. 

9) KL Live 

How to get there: Rapid KL Monorail >> Bukit Nanas >> walk through the street for a few metres until you see this building

Fare: RM 3.70 

I thought only KL Convention Centre that you can reach there by public transport! Turns out you can go KL Live by yourself too! I was so jubilant when I discovered this during my journey to KL Tower. I mean like, that's new! (at least for me :P ) 

So, KL Live is basically where artists love to play their concerts at. It's a concert venue. Yeah, that's all I got.

10) PWTC 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Masjid Jamek >> LRT Rapid KL Ampang Line >> PWTC 

Fare: RM 2.20 

My family and I used to go there by train to the KL International Book Fair when I was little. So, this is a famous venue for important events ranging from political conferences to book fairs. Yep, that's it. 

11) Bukit Jalil Stadium 

How to get there: LRT Rapid KL Kelana Jaya Line >> Masjid Jamek >> LRT Rapid KL Ampang Line >> Bukit Jalil 

Fare: RM 4.70

This is also an important location for major events in Malaysia ranging from football matches to concerts. And guess what, it's reachable by public transport :P 

12) Batu Caves 

How to get there: KTM Komuter >> Batu Caves 

Fare: RM 2.60

      I never tried 'cause I never been there before but they said it's reachable, so you should try. This is one of the main tourist attractions in Malaysia. So yeah, go check it. 

13) KLIA 

How to get there:-

If you're in hurry : ERL KLIA Express >> KLIA 

Fare: RM 55

If you're in no rush, try this : KTM Komuter >> Bandar Tasik Selatan >> ERL KLIA Transit >> KLIA  

Fare: RM 2.40 + RM 38.40 = RM 40.80

(See how much you can save???) 

I'VE FIGURED THAT OUT FOR YOU. You could save RM 14.20! And you can use that extra money for your lunch, and dinner. :P 

That's it, Hopefully find this helpful. 

And this entry pretty much sums up what kind of person I am - BOOKS, MUSICS, WAFFLES. Hahah. 

Til then. 

Ikhlas Daripada,