a cake to mark the occasionIt certainly is a great feeling to see both young and old paying tributes and reaffirming their love and respect for their mothers. Mothers' Day this year seems to be celebrated with greater fervour even in Malaysia and among the Malays too. I mentioned the Malays because the Muslims don't encourage celebrations not observed during the times of prophet Muhammad ( PBUH). Even celebrating the birthday of the Prophet himself ( Maulidin Nabi) is denounced as improper by some purists.
My children with their husband and wife like many others, gave their mother ( that's my wife Zaitun, of course) , a grand dinner. It was at a great Japanese restaurant where the menu book itself was as big and colorful as a prayer mat or 'sejadah'. We spent so much time studying the scrumptious dishes available and unable to make up our mind that we ended ordering everything that was suggested by anyone. I think we can visit the restaurant for a week and yet could not exhaust all the possibility.
Ordering food calls for a long, serious deliberation
By the time the first dish arrived i was famished like an undernourished orphan. Forks and chopsticks went flying around like swords in a battle royal trying to get to the nearest morsel.
Yes, as the dishes kept coming and the chomping grew more rigorous, we forgot everything that we were discussing just a whike ago. About the rising cost of food and gas in the country, about inflation, the astronomical rise in the price of land and houses in KL and all the major cities in the country, the low price offered for trading in a car and the exhorbitant price for buying a new one, arguing on why the taxes imposed on imported cars are so high, the failure of our education system to produce nation-loving citizens, the rising tide of racialism andreligious extremism etc, etc. We just ate and drank until we suddenly felt bloated. When the Happy Mothers' Day cake and other mouth watering sweet pies came around, no one was really capable of taking much anymore.
The celebriti was then requested upon to give a speech. I think it's a very good idea to give mothers a chance to address everyone in the family after a good dinner. She can say anything she wants in the spirit of the celebration. I was thoroughly amused. Yes it's easy to level criticims against people including members of your own family. But try to find good things to say about them and you might run out of ideas or vocabulary. I think my wife felt that too but she was too happy and surprised by the reception that the words of praise for her lovely children just flowed out like honey from a bottle.
I had never really subscribed to celebrations like mothers' day, fathers's day, teachers' day , secretaries's day, armed forces' day etc since people of every profession seem to be in the mood of selecting a day of the week for their self-accredition and aggrandization. But i am beginning to appreciate them for the chance they give to be with those beig celebrated and to enjoy their company in a festive mood. I have celebrated Mother's Day before with my wife and her mother. But this time around the children themselves arranged and paid for it. I was so happy to be just a guest and i think i must have eaten the most. It was a blessing to see my wife so happy and satisfied with the brew she had brought up.
9 comments:
You are lucky with children living a short distance away, taking you out for good meals etc. In the backwater like where we are, away from the children, we just have our usual ikan goreng sambal belacan!
Akhi Norzah,
I used to remember in our younger days knowing, though not quite celebrating New Year's Day, Merdeka Day and the various festivity days. It was because these came with the designated holidays. Even birthdays within the family passed by without much fanfare.
Now, as you have indicated every other day happens to be a 'day of some sort'
Just leave it to the children. They are old enough to take us around for a treat on them so we just say a 'big thank you'.
Salam.
Hank
(nice to be back on familiar ground)
Yes, Pakcik Al-Manar, in some ways we're lucky. But bringing up children in the city is no joke. So many attractions and distraction. After they're married off things improve but we're left alone and are often lonely. So the chance to go out for dinner with them is always wecomed.(btw. Didn't know what happened. Your comment just diaappeared from the screen.no undo button on my ipad).
Hey bro, welcome back to proseland. For a while i thought you got lost in the clouds of poetry and the muse. Yes, i've never really remembered the many anniversaries that we have today but always welcome the chance for a free lunch or dinner given by the kids. Of course we have to return the favor once in a while and that can be a real massacre, hehehe. Welcome back Akhi.
Akhi Norzah,
Thanks buddy! there're lots of lost grounds to cover but I will - slowly but surely, InsyAllah.
Just out of interest Akhi, what happened? Were you really lost in poetry or you went for a vacation? The trouble with poetry is it's so subtle that you can't express what you want anyhow you want it. There are rules to observe. Unless you're an established poet and can break all the rules, hehehehe.
Akhi Norzah,
Nothing in particular really. Just hardware hiccups that got me off tangent and left me distracted. Made my first posting in 'Rainbow' just now and hopefully to maintain the momentum.
Ok but blogging gives a different satisfaction from writing or reading poetry. No holds barred in prose, no meter no rhyme to be concerned with. Both nothing to prevent us from enjoying both prose writing and the verses. Salam.
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