Gatherings and Functions

The last few weeks had been busy weeks for me. I had to attend to many voluntary functions and gatherings, weddings, the retirees club functions, and also religious gatherings. In between the running around attending to those that required my attention, Sita came back with little Najla for a couple of days, while Fahrul had to be away for work in Taiwan.

Najla is able to stand up and letting go her hands working at balancing herself. She has fallen a few times and had been reluctant to take the few steps to walk. I guess it is only a matter of time that she will learn to walk and then climb and by then I guess she will be all over the house, furniture and so on…. Najla’s baby sitter had to be away for about a week and during that period Najla was left in the care of a neighbour to the regular baby sitter when Sita has to go to work. However, Najla being overly attached to the regular sitter could not adapt herself with the temporary sitter so much so that she was, since then, noticeably paranoid at being left alone away from Sita. Perhaps she was afraid that she will be left behind by Sita to strangers yet again!! Its been about three weeks since and Najla is still throwing tantrums whenever Sita leaves her. She is ok with the regular sitter , and also with us though.

Apart from attending to personal commitments, we were invited to eleven weddings in the last three weeks, some of relatives, some neighbours and some others of our friends. We attended all of them and on one occasion we had to rush to four functions in one day, three weddings and a ‘tazkirah’ or ‘religious talk and exchange of thoughts’ function organized for the retirees fraternity of which I am the secretary. I do not mind running around attending to these functions. I get to meet people, friends and relatives and fraternize with my fellow retirees. The setback though is the eating at these functions. Invariably at all these functions food will be served and I am one who just cannot turn away food. Oh food, glorious food……. I do not usually eat much but it is a habit that I want to try and taste all the food. Invariably I will end up over eating. I still walk and slow jog the five to eight kilometers daily and I guess this helped in working out the extra calories that I consume but I feel the balance of foodstuff I take at these functions are way out for me. They are usually the high protein and cholesterol laden food, with high content coconut milk, curry and spices ingredients. I am trying to limit the intake of fatty stuff but then, when the food is spread all in front of me, my determination melts away and I succumb….

The other set of functions that I attended was the religious gatherings over about four days. An international conference on the propagation of Islam titled “Hadramis in SE Asia; Identity Maintenance or Assimilation” was organized by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Amongst the speakers was one well known speaker from Yemen, AlHabib Sheikh Ali AlJeffri, Deputy Rector of Darul Mustaffa, Yemen and one who travels around the world on Islamic missionary work. The Chairman of the Petronas Retirees Fraternity, and of which I am the secretary, have met AlHabib Sheikh Ali previously and obtained permission from him and also the proper Authorities in Malaysia, to organize Tazkirah sessions, religious talks and gatherings for AlHabib to lead during the four days that he was in Malaysia. Hence I was indirectly involved in the various functions. The gatherings were held at various times and venues, some in the mornings, after the dawn prayers, some during the day, and some after the dusk prayers. He also delivered a Friday sermon at the IIUM mosque. The sessions were full of religious and intellectual activities. All these gatherings were well attended. It was satisfying to see the big crowd wherever the functions were held. We were tired and yet were very satisfied. Again these functions were almost always followed by food, glorious food. On two occasions food were sponsored by people who served Middle Eastern styled briani rice with lamb and lamb happens to be my favourite…….. I continue to succumb…… and I lament a lame excuse that I cannot help it, ‘its my favourite’...... just so I can indulge….…..

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