Being Malaysian for a Night

       Well, it's over now -- Hari Raya (the celebratory period after the fasting month, almost like Christmas, but much longer).  

   The Muslims in Malaysia seem to spend a whole month fasting and then another whole month celebrating the fact that it's all over.   I come from a country where we often wonder whether or not the day after Christmas Day will be a holiday or not (and it usually isn't.)  The idea of visiting folks, eating home-cooked food and just being cheerful for a whole month. . . . well, it boggles the American mind.  But then, the French take a whole month off in August, I've heard, so there you are!  Maybe we Americans really are the workaholics they say we've become. 

The open-air Tari Cafe, where the party was held

     Anyway, we expats got to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri along with a couple of Muslim friends recently.  Those gals organized a party at an open-air cafe that's hugely popular with local folks.  It's called Tari Cafe, and it's famous for delicious local food and their cheap, delicious Penang style hamburgers.  (Well, we foreigners think they'd dirt-cheap at one US dollar apiece, but the locals think that's a bit on the pricy side, truth be told.)

Dancer at Hari Raya Party

   

 The organizers brought in some dancers who entertained throughout the meal.  And then a local lady gave us a wonderful presentation about how the fasting month goes here in Malaysia.  

    The lady, a well-known figure in Penang, appeared in her signature-chic headscarf that’s always a bit different from what others wear. She explained how different people choose to do their fasting and how children are gradually introduced to the practice.  

    (Sorry, but I have misgivings about asking growing, active children to fast all day.  And I wonder how healthy it is to expect people living in hot climates to go without water all day long for a month.)  However, this speaker said that for her, after the first few days, fasting during the daylight hours becomes  almost easy and not as demanding and uncomfortable as one would expect.  She said she finds it very spiritually rewarding and explained that there are other times throughout the year that people may choose to fast and some do.
       
       And she answered a question I’d been wondering about: Why the dates everywhere?  It seems that dates are the optimal food for breaking the fast in the evening and three is the optimal number.  Evidently, the Prophet Muhammad is supposed to have said, "If any one of you is fasting, let me break his fast with dates.  In case he does not have them, then with water."  Medicinally speaking,  dates are the perfect food for breaking the fast, since they quickly supply the body with the energy it needs. Once the evening call to prayer is broadcast, around 7:35 or so, people dig into the plateful of food they've ordered or acquired from the buffet at the restaurant where they're breaking the fast.  Here's my plateful of food.  I wish I had that stuff in front of me right now!  

It would disappear fast!

Dunno quite what it all is, but it was delicious!