The Journey of The Omar Family: Eid 2006

(Somehow or rather, at certain times, the blogspot people didn't allow me to upload pictures with several errors, stay tune dear visitors....)

Eve of Eid

Omar knocked off from work early that day, a privilege given by most companies to Muslims in Singapore to prepare for Eid the following day. We planned to have our final breaking-fast session at Al-Falah mosque in Orchard Road. Of course I have to go my separate way in the mosque as they separated the breaking-fast area between men and women. Aaqil decided to tag along with his Bapak at the mens' section. Lontong and fried chicken with fruits as appetizers/desserts were the menu, tempting but the chilli in it reminded me of the toilet so I practised moderation whilst enjoying the meal.

Aaqil after breaking-fast, while volunteers in background clearing leftover foods making way for maghrib prayers...

Like most countries, the mosques in Singapore will provide free meals for breaking-fast and its open to anybody, rich or poor, and some even extended the invitations to non-Muslims to share our religious cultures during that special month. Why we chose Al-Falah? No special reasons exactly, only that since we need to grab some last minute stuff in Orchard area and that was the closest mosque in vincinity and at the same time exposing Aaqil to such an environment where Muslims gather to break-fast and have their prayers together. It was an awesome sight to me as the ladies filled the cordoned section too, joining everybody that marked the final day of Ramadhan. The twice-yearly 'takbir' was heard after our dawn prayers and that marked the end of the soulful Ramdhan.

Eid

It's Morning of Eid and we were preparing ourselves to the airport to catch a late morning flight to Penang. Courtesy of our neighbours, Mr & Mrs Oh and their baby daughter, they joined us at the airport to have a roam around too since it was a public holiday for everybody as well. A 2-family breakfast an McDonalds started our day at the airport upon checking in our lugagges and we still had a little more time at the viewing gallery (where Aaqil enjoyed most) before we

were on our way boarding. Perhaps it was a little too early for Aaqil as he dosed off again even before the plane took off waking up just in time when meals were served. He was behaving well until the plane descend, of course, the cabin pressure will affect everybody's ears including his little ones, but the suckling and swallowing action while he breastfed soothed him a lot, leaving the adults with blocked-nose-blowing actions to equalise the ear pressures.

Arriving in Penang 90mins later where dad and my younger siblings awaited and we headed straight for my

paternal-grandmother's house visit followed by another one before heading back towards Kulim, my earlier home sweet home. All of us were busy enjoying our own things for most of that 5-day trip. Aaqil with his motor-cycle rides, me with my 'trying to visit as much friends as possible' project while Omar following through without jeopardising his cravings for local festive dishes with additional suppers and unnecessary add-on meals, I believe he brought himself back an additional 2 kgs as well.

Itinenaries weren't planned well this time and we did missed a lot to-do things and added to the KIV list instead. But the rest were well covered. The pictures below will proof the several bike-rides Aaqil had, the friends I got to visit (you know who they are) and the amount of food Omar consumed on every location with the best evening spent with siblings Farid & Najwa at Penang Island and again not forgetting the food.