Tues 30.4.2024.
So the 2024 Raya Puasa celebration organized by the FMC-PD group was successfully held at the OPA Penthouse, Subang, on Sunday 28.4.2024, which was the 19th of Syawal, the Raya month. Painstakingly prepared, the event fully served its objective, and in no small measure Nawawi must be given full credit for it. The venue was because of the FMC-PD declining numbers. In fact to make up for that, the OPA's of 62-66 were included because they were, like the PD group, BB's before FMC became RMC.
Hank & I, from Seremban, the only outstation participants, arrived at the Penthouse only second to Halim Shah. Nawawi was also already there, still in his beloved yellow T-shirt, giving orders left and right, catching Hank right in his first step into the foyer. I saw the open elevator and quickly got in and pressed "3" and "close door" simultaneously, thus escaping Hank's predicament, ha ha.
Food and drinks were already frenetically being readied in the kitchen lobby on the 3rd. floor. The lamb was still whole but looked done on the embers, and the pasta-chef was already frying the kwei teow. I went in and counted 10 tables in the main dining area, and another 6 in the office hall. At 8 per table, there should be places for 122 guests, I figured. In the end, there were only 2 tables not fully occupied, indicating almost full attendance as per the guest-list. That included Asmat Kamaluddin whom I saw for the first time in these gatherings, and I told him so.
In typical Malaysian style, a lot of time was spent on speeches and salutations. In fact one of the sub-committee members stood up in the middle of one of the speeches saying something that I couldn't make out, because I sat at the last table on the exit to the kitchen lobby. I assumed it was a complain about the speeches, something I could have done myself. But nobody responded to that outburst, and the speeches up front and the noisy talk at all the tables around went on. Fortunately for Nawawi, our real host, no food & drink was on any table yet. Otherwise they would have dug in, speeches or no speeches.
Except for me. I quietly went out to the food-preparation area and told the guy at the roast-lamb station I want to test it before the others are called to get the food. Because the speeches still had not ended after I cleaned up my roast lamb, I went back and took a plate of kwei teow. So when they finally said " please get your food now", I was already into my desserts !
One or two came in wheel-chairs, and many with canes in hand. But several regular faces in the past didn't come, mostly citing other commitments, but also because of health issues. So these annual celebrations now show up the ravages of time, relentless and unavoidable. Which makes these outings all the more cherished, I feel.
From Mydin Seremban 2, I came with Hank in his car, with me driving. We gave ourselves plenty of time for the 11-o'clock deadline. The last KL trip took us an incredible 3 hours. But although this is still Hari Raya time, the traffic wasn't as bad as anticipated. That was why we were only beaten by Halim Shah, who came from nearby PJ.
The drive back was also not as bad as expected, although it was Sunday afternoon, when normally the weekenders return to KL. We stopped for hot coffee at the Dengkil R&R, and reached Mydin S 2 before 6 pm. I told Hank to post to me all the photos taken. He said to go to "link" and download, but I said "too much trouble lah."
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