It's not about the shoes you wear,but how you wear 'em, darling.: Hari Raya

I've been a very bad girl.

I know I pinkie swore in my previous blog that I would tell you about my new job, but between the flurry of writing about how not to clump your lashes with mascara (primer is good people!) and frantically grouping christmas makeup gift baskets into colour code for our christmas section, I have abandoned this blog and am sad to see cobwebs building up around it. If only I had internet access at home, then I would update it every weekend, but now I'm only able to write when I've actually got time to take a breather. There's a part of me that just feels like writing and writing and expressing myself, but then there's another part of me...that just wants to sleep after work, if I'm not buying something or looking at shoes.

So, Hari Raya has come...and err..not really gone because openhouses are only just starting, yay! As I'm typing this, I'm actually wearing my kebaya top with jeans because the big boss of this company is having an openhouse after work. I know some people find it annoying how people wear kebaya with jeans in an attempt to make it look modern, but I think mine actually looks pretty alright. No, seriously. Anyway, Raya has been good so far, but I'm still recuperating from all that rendang and lemang. By the fourth day, I couldn't even lay my eyes on any Malay food - I was screaming for good 'ol Italian pizza (screaming at The Boyfriend to order Domino's, in particular). And you know what the best thing is? I still get duit raya. My friends are amazed by this, but I'm happy because I've got really generous relatives. Just as long as I don't have any obvious grey hairs or deep crow's feet, I think I can still be a receiver of money for a few years to come. My sister is 27 forgodsakes and she still gets duit raya! So if any of my relatives are reading this and you were so kind enough to donate to the `Aainaa Charity for Petrol Money, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I was having a conversation with my sister (or maybe I should call it very brief chit chat while we were getting ready in front of the mirror because we don't really have 'conversations' per se - and it's usually one-sided) about how Hari Raya isn't that exciting anymore when you're an adult UNLESS: a) You just got married so you're ecstatic to be celebrating Raya as husband and wife, or b) You just gave birth to your first baby. I don't mean 'just' as in a few minutes before raya, I meant the baby has to be at least a few months old, obviously. You wouldn't want to spend raya in the hospital with leaking, sore boobs, no sirree.

Another thought that ran through my mind (I use the term 'ran' loosely, maybe it was more of 'flew') was when the heck am I supposed to start giving duit raya. I mean, I'm working - does that mean I automatically have to shove my money in other kids' hands? I know I should start sometime soon, but aren't there boxes you need to be able to tick, or requirements you need to meet in order to be eligible to give out money like candy? I know, I know, generosity comes from the heart...you either give or you don't if you're a stingy son-of-a-bitch. I unfortunately fall in between being a giver and a tight arse. I WISH I had money to give. Insya-Allah, by the next time Raya rolls around I'll be giving out those ang pows.

I'd have to say that the best part about this Hari Raya is that everyone is home and we're all together - this includes my weird cousin Kak Sheena, who is back from Germany. I haven't seen her for yonks, so it feels good that all the crazy cousins/sisters are back together. Plus I got to spend my first raya with Yasir, who had a shit Raya morning when I was throwing one of my diva tantrums but then forgave me when I felt embarassed and wished him Maaf Zahir dan Batin (convenient, eh?)

Time for pics!