Leng's chronicle...

FOOD... VERY NICE FOOD...


Since I don't experience this, so I tried to search in google what does people do during this event and google redirect me to wikipedia and yes I agree with how Wikipedia defines Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

I've been in Brunei for 5 years and with these years I witnessed how the people prepared for this occasion and I like it. The preparation is indeed amazing. People fast for 1 month and they will celebrate the triumph after suffering with their family, relatives and friends.

As observed, many students from overseas tend to "BALIK KAMPUNG" to celebrate Hari Raya. People will go for shopping, do house cleaning, preparing food, and the likes just to be well prepared for the Day of Celebration termed as "Hari Raya" in Malay.

What I like with the occasion is that I saw a very great close family ties amongst family member and even with the distant relatives. Despite the modern society, Bruneians have maintained their family bond custom. I appreciate the gesture of "Salam" to the elders wherever they bumped with each other may it be in restaurants, banks, shopping malls, everywhere. In Philippines it is also a tradition we called "Mano Po" taking the right hand of our elders and place their hand on our forehead, though it is still practiced but it's not applicable to TAG everyone. There are still many people doing that but it's not everyone.

The people I mingled with here in Brunei are very polite especially my students considering a lot of them are older than me. What I appreciate most is that they respect me and what I believe with. When it is Christmas time, all my students will really greet me Merry Christmas and I'm so happy to hear that, and guys just to let you know I also respect your beliefs too.

I hope that this kind of respect will root deeper regardless of WHO and WHAT we are as long as we are HUMANS. I hope that this kind of relationship, a multi-culture society yet there is unity and respect will not just work in Brunei but throughout the world. If this is so, surely we all will live in a peaceful and happy world...

Love lots,

MS. ORELLIE