End of Ramadhan and Shawwal 1444

It is time for me to update my blog since we are now past one week of Shawwal 1444. Let me track back to our final days of Ramadhan 1444. As I have mentioned earlier, the fasting fatigue set in earlier this year, perhaps due to our earlier umrah trip just before Ramadhan. I was hoping to get some form of spiritual uplifting and enlightenment by the end of Ramadhan, but I'm just my own old self in a way looking forward to celebrate the forthcoming 'Eid. The improvements I made this time is perhaps my Qur'an reading, though actually I have targeted much more (some of this, I am implementing now with breaks, of course). My tarawih prayers are mostly at home, in congregation with my other half. During the first few nights we were at the mosque until some other people in the congregation noticed her dripping nose. She also had to break her fast many times as she was getting headaches and imbalances. I hope we do get the chance to observe Ramadhan again next year.

In fact for 'Eid, I preferred to have stayed home and let her get as much rest. However she wanted to spend her 'Eid with her sister in Segamat. So on Friday, we travelled to Segamat. Normally, I would have stayed at Station Inn Hotel (avoiding crowdedness at the Bukit Siput house) but this time round, all the favourite hotels are fully booked. Instead I was at Ching Hua hotel situated near the intersection leading to Bukit Siput home. It was quite unique. As I opened the door to the hotel room, it led me to small stairs up to a 'wooden' platform where the beds are and 'chairs' are replaced by 'cushions' on the floor, likened to a Japanese setting.

On the 'Eid morning, we were at Bukit Siput. We went for 'Eid prayers at the local Surau Abu Bakar Al-Kherid. Thereafter, we had the usual ceremonial seeking forgiveness from each other and of course family group photo. Unfortunately, our second son Ihsan, could not be with us as he has taken up most of his leaves during umrah and was working that day. So here is our group photo (with two daughters of our niece)

Here are some other photos including Izzuddin supervising his nieces playing fireworks.

We went back to Seremban on the second day of 'Eid, after my other half got to see her elder sisters who visited Segamat that day. On Monday, my son Izhar went back to his place in Seri Kembangan for work the next day. On Wednesday, we went to visit my sisters-in-law in Kepong, wives to my late elder brothers.

On Thursday, we send back our youngest son Izzuddin back to college in UiTM Jasin. Since Izzuddin will not be with us when my other half undergoes surgery next week, I decided to take some photos as well.

I sensed a little of his sadness then but God willing, things will go well. Ihsan and Izhar will be with us during the surgical procedure. We will be staying in the same Z Hotel as before, perhaps taking turn to be in the hospital, taking care of my other half.