Four Weddings and A Funeral
I remember this expression as a popular British romantic comedy movie in the early 90s starring Hugh Grant. It was hugely popular in the UK around 1994 and if I am right it was the movie that established Hugh Grant as the best romantic comedy hero that Britain has ever produced.
This time around, the school holiday season was greeted with wedding invitations from friends and relatives. The first wedding I attended was that of a friend who works at the engineering consultancy company where I used to work in KL. I must say that the wedding invitation came as a surprise for me as I did not expect him to get married that early. But then according to him “the call has come” (sudah sampai seru). It was on Sunday so it was a breeze to get to central KL where it was held. The ceremony was accompanied with the beating of kompang and later followed by a live band playing songs from the 60s.
Later in the evening I was again attending a wedding of an old friend. This one was a rather grand one as it was held at a golf club in a KL sub-urb. It was the first time I attended such a grand wedding ceremony. I did not know the way to the place so I decided to get a lift from a friend who also got invited. Five of us who attended the same university as the groom were seated around the same table. It was quite an experience since some of us had not met since we left the university. Twelve years of stories to catch up in a space of about 2 hours. Not so much to catch up with the groom though as he was busy with the bersanding ceremony. But never mind, instead we were entertained with jokes and pantuns from a very well known TV presenter, Wardina Safiyah who was the MC and happens to be a student of the groom. My friend, the groom who is now an architect with his own practice, has chosen one of his own workers, as his wife. I knew him as the most hardworking and committed student during his university days. With that kind of passion in his craft, I am sure one day he will be a very successful architect and businessman. I wish both of them the best of partnership.
Fast forward six days later, I was back in my kampong attending the wedding of my cousin. She is the daughter of my uncle who had played host to my brother’s wedding a year ago. I felt that I was very much indebted to my uncle’s family as he had acted as “our parents” in all matters that needed presence of family elders since my parents’ death. The daughter had also helped baby sit my children for 3 months before I got a maid. So it was a kind of obligation for me to be home for the occasion. Fortunately, my wife’s leave was approved and the whole family could travel up to our home village for a few days.
The wedding was held in full Kelantanese tradition (plus a bit of Thai influence as we were in Pasir Mas!). The kompang and live band of KL is not the taste here. Instead the couple was greeted by a performance of silat cantik followed by tomoi (Thai boxing) complete with traditional musicians playing gendang (goat skin drums), gedombak, serunai (flute) and gong. I thought this was the time to meet all my relatives in one place all within one day! And I did meet most of them that day. One that I also met was my mother’s cousin who invited me to her son’s wedding the day after. So off I went to the fourth wedding in a space of one week! I couldn’t escape it as I was personally invited by the Mak Cik herself.
The next morning I got an SMS from a friend informing me of his grandmother’s death. Unlike weddings, one can never plan to attend a funeral. But it’s something that must happen when the time comes. I knew my friend’s grandmother as a rice trader in Pasar Pasir Mas. Until a few years ago, when she became ill due to old age, I used to buy rice from her before my trip back to Kajang. The rice from Pasir Mas, which mostly comes from across the border, is special not only because it’s cheaper but also because it tastes better. Her passing symbolises the passing of one generation of Pasir Mas woman traders from the scene. No doubt, new generation of Kelantanese woman traders are already hard at work. Life must go on. From Allah we came, to Allah we Return.
Kajang
8 June 2007
This time around, the school holiday season was greeted with wedding invitations from friends and relatives. The first wedding I attended was that of a friend who works at the engineering consultancy company where I used to work in KL. I must say that the wedding invitation came as a surprise for me as I did not expect him to get married that early. But then according to him “the call has come” (sudah sampai seru). It was on Sunday so it was a breeze to get to central KL where it was held. The ceremony was accompanied with the beating of kompang and later followed by a live band playing songs from the 60s.
Later in the evening I was again attending a wedding of an old friend. This one was a rather grand one as it was held at a golf club in a KL sub-urb. It was the first time I attended such a grand wedding ceremony. I did not know the way to the place so I decided to get a lift from a friend who also got invited. Five of us who attended the same university as the groom were seated around the same table. It was quite an experience since some of us had not met since we left the university. Twelve years of stories to catch up in a space of about 2 hours. Not so much to catch up with the groom though as he was busy with the bersanding ceremony. But never mind, instead we were entertained with jokes and pantuns from a very well known TV presenter, Wardina Safiyah who was the MC and happens to be a student of the groom. My friend, the groom who is now an architect with his own practice, has chosen one of his own workers, as his wife. I knew him as the most hardworking and committed student during his university days. With that kind of passion in his craft, I am sure one day he will be a very successful architect and businessman. I wish both of them the best of partnership.
Fast forward six days later, I was back in my kampong attending the wedding of my cousin. She is the daughter of my uncle who had played host to my brother’s wedding a year ago. I felt that I was very much indebted to my uncle’s family as he had acted as “our parents” in all matters that needed presence of family elders since my parents’ death. The daughter had also helped baby sit my children for 3 months before I got a maid. So it was a kind of obligation for me to be home for the occasion. Fortunately, my wife’s leave was approved and the whole family could travel up to our home village for a few days.
The wedding was held in full Kelantanese tradition (plus a bit of Thai influence as we were in Pasir Mas!). The kompang and live band of KL is not the taste here. Instead the couple was greeted by a performance of silat cantik followed by tomoi (Thai boxing) complete with traditional musicians playing gendang (goat skin drums), gedombak, serunai (flute) and gong. I thought this was the time to meet all my relatives in one place all within one day! And I did meet most of them that day. One that I also met was my mother’s cousin who invited me to her son’s wedding the day after. So off I went to the fourth wedding in a space of one week! I couldn’t escape it as I was personally invited by the Mak Cik herself.
The next morning I got an SMS from a friend informing me of his grandmother’s death. Unlike weddings, one can never plan to attend a funeral. But it’s something that must happen when the time comes. I knew my friend’s grandmother as a rice trader in Pasar Pasir Mas. Until a few years ago, when she became ill due to old age, I used to buy rice from her before my trip back to Kajang. The rice from Pasir Mas, which mostly comes from across the border, is special not only because it’s cheaper but also because it tastes better. Her passing symbolises the passing of one generation of Pasir Mas woman traders from the scene. No doubt, new generation of Kelantanese woman traders are already hard at work. Life must go on. From Allah we came, to Allah we Return.
Kajang
8 June 2007
2 comments:
aku dah baca kat email... so aku tak payah dah baca kat sini. salam utk mu & famly Jem.
budd.aleh.ansara.98/82
Budd, aku ada la baca skit blog mu...menarik juga cite2 mu tu. Tapi aku masih tak paham Amature Radio tu amende? Pah tu mu kerja AV nie apa mende? Tapi aku rasa mu hidup happy di Kelantan, kampung halaman sendiri, ada masa beramal, tak ada rush-rush mace kat KL ni. Di kelilingi orang -orang yang seagama, satu budaya etc.
Syabas dengan pilihan mu tu.
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