Two weddings and a Happy New Year to you.

26.12.2010.

First there was Pa' Ijoi's 2nd daughter's wedding 24th. 25th. But the whole thing started months ago when they started buying the usual stuff - "bunga telor" etc. The last few days were just finishing touches, but Puan Hajjah Faridah, the brand new hajjah, took care of them. As usual, I might add. 

All the brothers & sisters except two showed up early to give morale support, if not actually digging in and making themselves useful. Even washing the dirty dishes helped. Nodi came later, but that's understandable because she came with her brood all the way from Sabah. 

Kak Mot's grand entrance for her younger brother's very first wedding celebration was difficult to fathom, though. As the oldest surviving sister, it would have made a fond scene to see her busy among the family members, fussing over the prenuptial details. It would have made a difference to Pa' Ijoi, I'm sure.

Today was Idah's cousin's kenduri , also the first wedding, for her daughter with  Christopher,  an Indian convert. That's why we saw a group of Indians from his side of the family sitting at one of the special tables at the reception at the Rasah Kemayan Golf Club. You might have wondered where they came from.

Pa' Ijoi's kenduri was grand by Kampong Lonek's usual standard - with the steep-roofed and bannered Arabic tents, the scallops and covered chairs.  Christopher's do was actually quite nicely done, too.

In fact we had to miss Pa' Ijoi's return reception in Palong because of Christopher's reception, but Pa' Ijoi cannot complain because we gave full support to him for the last several days.

In a couple of days it'll be a "Happy New Year."

I'm just going through my golf's "buku 555". As in the past 10 years, it looks like I can afford a  new pair of shoes this year, thanks to Cik Taib, Tok Mail, Muhsin and Usop pokak. I think I'll maintain my average of 300 bucks per month. Not bad for 66-year-old 14-handicapper, eh ?

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MIA, for a while.......

14.12.2010.

Down, but not out. 

First, the weekends of weddings, which are still going on, seeing that the school holidays are still here. The good thing about it is that there is no jam at the Ampangan junctions on the way to my morning golf at SIGC. 

Then there was Idah's return from the hajj. 

And Pa' Ijoi's kenduri at month's end. 

And finally my internet problem. A crane drove through the telecom's line in our neighbourhood that week that disrupted telecommunication's connection all over. When the line was restored, my pc wouldn't connect to the internet. First I thought it was the pc. Then maybe it was the telephone line. Then the Telekom man said it was my modem, so I bought a new one. In fact it was the setting at telecoms. That makes the new modem unnecessary. 

So, here I am, back at first chance. 

Mat Sham's wedding reception for his son was the ultimate. What else can I say - the Agong came. Beat that. Hank was with me at the same table. A few other OP's came by. Many more were sighted but not approached. How we all have aged. But Hank managed to correct my spelling. He said argument has no "e". I have no argument with that. 

Then Idah's return. With 3 delays. Without 1 bag. 

The first delay was from 12 midnight to 10 am, then to 1.35 pm. Then the one-and-a half hour wait at the wrong exit. The missing bag arrived by lorry in Seremban 1 week later. Apparently the handlers in Jeddah simply decided to let the bag travel unaccompanied on another aircraft later - against the basic safety precaution I thought everyone else in the whole world knows about air travel. 

All the children were there to receive her. Except we waited at the wrong exit. KLIA decided to let the returning pilgrims out through the domestic arrival instead of the international one. Nobody told us. But everyone else was at the domestic exit. We must have missed something. 

Idah was fine, except for the traditional "Makkah cough". But she stayed in bed for two days. The fatigue finally caught up with her.

Hoorai ! No more Maggi mee. 

Once Idah recovers. 

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