Saturday, August 22, 2009

Ramadan bits - The starting block habit













I remember..

When I was a kid of 5 or 6 years old at buka time I got this habit, I am sure most have seen it, I called it the starting block habit.

The few seconds countdown to buka time was like being on the starting block of a world championship blue ribband 100 metre dash event. I would have gone past the 'get set', 'ready' stage, my hand would be holding a big koleh of air sirap biji selasih - a mandatory thirst quencher in my family buka time, close to my lips anticipating our kampung mosque muazzin's bang! - rhyme with abang, the call for maghrib prayer that signals buka time.

The picosecond, yes picosecond folks! the muazzin's bang! went - as a comparison Usain 'Insane' Bolt reaction to the starting gun bang! - sounds similar to bank, is in the milliseconds, a slight tilt upwards on the koleh would send the ice-cold sirap biji selasih rushing past my parched lips, into my mouth, down my throat and all the way through the rest of my alimentary canal like water rushing through a bursting dam, giving my bodily system a blissful shock as I bottoms-up the big koleh of ais sirap biji selasih in rapid successions of revenous gulps.

That was the first liquid of the day folks! a big koleh full of ais sirap biji selasih and it taste like kids heaven and the dash to the finish was accompanied by a long satisfied aaaaahhhhhhh..!

Later I was told by my father to buka according to the Rasullulah PBUH way, to have a bite on the dates first, but the starting block habit didn't go away. Now at the 'starting-block' my hand would be holding a date close to my lips instead a of a big koleh of ais sirap biji selasih in anticipation of the muazzin's bang! Hey! I was a kid ok.

I tell you folks..! it might look silly but it was no ordinary feat. As for liquids being bottoms-up goes.. I am sure Ronnie Liu or his chip of the old Gee Hins and Hai Sans ancestor block samsengs cannot 'take beer' and yamseng as quick as I bottoms-up my big koleh of ais sirap biji selasih at buka time.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Selamat berpuasa folks!





The month of fasting has come,
the Emperor’s banner has arrived,
withhold your hand from food,
the spirit’s table
has arrived.

- Rumi