we eat together, we stay together

We're already halfway through the fasting month, and in about two weeks, we'll be celebrating eid?!!!! How time flies! I just can't say it enough, I love Ramadhan so much. Everything about it, from that feeling of accomplishment/satisfaction you get when you've successfully completed a whole day of fasting and that sweet sweet feeling of your first gulp of water after hours and hours of fasting, hehe, to being able to perform terawih prayers later in the night, everything gives me this inner contentment that I just can't seem to find in other months. This is a month we replace everything bad with the good and discover what we are truly capable of. With shaytan's absence in this month, it's all up to us, everything is made easier without the evil influence. Islam, after all encourages improvements.  One of the many things I loooove about this month is the connection we make with people around us. Muslim or non-Muslim, this month makes our relationship with others stronger and more purified. Be it the sunnahs, obligations, or traditions, I believe they all can benefit us positively. 


This is the month I usually ought to lose weigth but the amount of iftar invitations/ dates there are leads to me gaining more weight instead T.T Adios, eid body, lol. Nevertheless, it is something I treasure.

On Friday, my family and I had our iftar at the Malaysian Trade Centre with the rest of the Malaysian population (close, so many people were there!!!) residing here, in the UAE. The event was hosted by MYUAE in collaboration with Petronas staff members. We prayed Maghrib together, and then had our actual iftar food fest and ended the night with a little moreh after performing our Terawih prayers. Talking about moreh, I still remember how me and my sister often insisted on performing our terawih prayers in the mosque in KLCC, just because they had one of the best moreh(s) ever, HAHAHA. Baby steps, okay :P

SEEEEEE, SO MANY PEOPLE.

Some of the dessert selections (Photo credits to Puan Latifah Abdul Manap)

There were a huge variety of food that I somehow felt like I was in a bazar Ramadan. When I say huge, I mean huuuuuuuugeeeeeee. Like hello???? Macam mana nak diet ni T.T There were rice (cause we're Asians, okay. Rice is essential), kuih apam, roti jala, kuih keria, kole kacang, kuih kaswi, pulut panggang, sirap bandung, you name it. 

Being surrounded by people you know you have something in common with (in this case, culture, nationality, belief, etc) makes that feeling of homesick go flush itself in a toilet. Though we are thousands of miles away from home and our families, the atmosphere and vibe still felt like we were home. It's really nice to have gatherings like this once in a while, makes me soooo proud to be Malaysian, and they're definitely one of the things I'll miss.

Gosh, ignore that girl at the back who thinks that this picture is about her :P

On Saturday, my friends and I had our iftar in Mall of Emirates and surprisingly, it was not as packed as it always is considering that it was a weekend. Ayman and his friends too, were in the same mall on the same day so before we left, he warned me about not wanting us to be in the same restaurant during buka blablabla. Little did he know that I didn't want to see him either, and fortunately I didn't till mummy and daddy picked us up :P 

As usual, the day was filled with loads of laughter and whatnot, us making fun of each other. It's days like this that I appreciate, i don't know if all of this is still possible after these two weeks with most of us going into our separate ways:'( But y'know, enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Last but not least on my 3-days iftar series (MUAHAHA), was last night. This year, Petronas held their iftar event at Movenpink Hotel in Oud Metha. We were welcomed into the ballroom with Petronas Hari Raya ads (what's better than a good ol' Petronas Hari Raya ad, right?) and I must say, I got a little excited when I saw Hafidz (leading character in the ad) on like 15 or so projectors covering each corner of the room. Then they played this video dedicated to all their staff present or not present in that room and it made me so motivated. Motivated to achieve what I want to be as an adult. There are so less female in the oil & gas field as a whole and I feel like it's just not right. Insyaallah, one day I'll contribute by being one of those very few females in the field by graduating and being employed as a petroleum engineer (and be able to buy Louboutins with my very own hard-earned money, hehe). Aminnnn.

One sided love with any pair of heels I own because I love them but they don't feel the same. They choose to hurt me instead</3

I like iftar events because I take them as a chance to dress up in traditional clothes and reveal my nationalist side. I find our traditional prints like batik and songket very classy and versatile, hence they can be a very useful item in all of our closets. Aside from that, last night also made me realize that maigosh, my parents when they're with their friends, are more of a teenager than I am -___- And of course, I on the other hand had to be my mom's FOC photographer #canpaymewithmakeuporclothesalsothanks //flips hair//

At the end of the day though, it's not only about the food, it's about the bonds we are able to form or strengthen. There are waaaaayyyy too many things we can learn from this holy month of Ramadhan to mention, that covers various aspects of our lives. So far this year, I've been ending my fasts marked by the Maghrib azan with those I love everyday, thank you Allah ❤


So that was a little of my Ramadhan days summed up. Hope everyone's is going well too!