To all the ... I ...before...

Me? How I wish I could be in Bukit Bendera, Kota Tinggi, Puncak Alam, Jerteh, Grik, Kuantan, Sungai Petani, Alor Setar, Rembau, Mata Air, Temerloh, Johor Baru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Bukit Katil, Pasir Mas at the same time but hey ...I am just human. For those whose places I mentioned - thanks for the fond memories which I will always treasure for the rest of my life...and if by chance I missed a few, forgive me as I have no intention to deliberately leave you out.

Balik kampung ! The familiar delightful time is here again and the exodus of cityfolks making beelines towards their respective kampung to celebrate eid fitri will be reaching its peak this coming Saturday 19th September 2009.

For those celebrating the eid in Kuala Lumpur, it will be one of those few days where they will enjoy traffic free highways and uncongested public transport system. A time where the city will be flooded with PATIs' and PADIs'. For these PATIs' and PADIs', they do not have to worry about roadblocks set up by Malaysian public to "sweep" PATIs'. It is just not the Malaysian way...

As for the rest of us, the urge to reach home to the comforts of kampong scenes and the nostalgic memories of distant past should not be a license nor excuse to go against the traffic rules or to overspeed. Let's everybody reach home safely.

For those who are still looking for tickets, this is not the end of the world. It has been announced by the keeper of the Royal seal that the moon sighting shall be on 19th September and going by records, the chances of positive moon sighting is quite minimal. Does that means Eid Fitri will fall on Monday 21st September 2009?

Whatever it is, for those whose marriage bonds necessitates them to criss cross the country from 2nd Raya onwards, these are dreaded times indeed. Travelling from Bukit Bendera, Penang to Kota Tinggi Johor will be a challenge but not as tough as travelling from Alor Setar to Kuala Terengganu through the mountainous east-west highway with the infamous Tanah Merah bottle neck along the way. And all this are part of the yearly sacrifice the majority of us go through each year to be with the family clans. Sorts of going back to the roots.

Me? How I wish I could be in Bukit Bendera, Kota Tinggi, Puncak Alam, Jerteh, Grik, Kuantan, Sungai Petani, Alor Setar, Rembau, Mata Air, Temerloh, Johor Baru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Bukit Katil, Pasir Mas at the same time but hey ...I am just human. For those whose places I mentioned - thanks for the fond memories which I will always treasure for the rest of my life...and if by chance I missed a few, forgive me as I have no intention to deliberately leave you out.

By the time this posting is out, yours truly will be making final arrangements for the long journey to criss cross the country in the next 5 days or so. Time to replenish and to rejenuvate in the company of family, friends and loved ones. Some say that the scenic view of Kuala Berang-Simpang Pulai highway will blow you away. Anybody taking that route this coming holidays?

It will be most unfair if those living oversea are left out. And there are a few who deserved special mention, leaving their families behind in pursuit of educational enhancement. Leaving just before Eid Fitri and then celebrating it in faraway places may be tough for them. Hope they will not breakdown upon hearing "Dendang Perantau". I can understand if you are 18, 20, 25, 30 going for further education but this special friend of mine choose to further his at 52! Well! I hope he has his reasons...:)

There are also those who will be celebrating eid Fitri in USA, UK, Egypt, Bahrain, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. For those celebrating eid Fitri in foreign land with their spouse and children, it will not be as bad. they may even cooked lemang in tin foiled or laksa or rendang. It's just home away from home, with the exception of unfamilar faces and different climatic condition.

Coming back to this special friend who at 52 year and now back in UK as a student. Let me take this opportunity to wish him the best of luck and who knows it may be good for him on the long run. Enough time to sort out his priorities and needs as well as sufficient airtime for him to croon his favourite Willie Nelson (but in this case, its Johny Carson of "the Tonight show" fame in 1984) and Julio Inglesias "To all the girls I loved before"...naughty, naughty you...(you need to listen to the lyrics...)

To those celebrating Eid Fitri, Selamat menyambut hari lebaran Maaf zahir Batin. To those not celebrating, enjoy your holidays...

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...