10 on 10 June

As I am typing this, my son, Khaled was singing in the background. An old favorite tune that is so popular here. The name of the song is “Balik Kampung” pronounced “Going back to my hometown” sung by the late Dato Sudirman Haji Arshad. He kept repeating the chorus Oh ooh ooh Balik kampung! Balik kampung! and was really enjoying himself while playing with his toys. The weather here has been nice since it rained almost every day in the evening. I love to listen to the raindrops and just be quiet. How about you?

It’s true when they say the best things in life are free. I think about the time spent with my family during the Hari Raya celebration recently. My sister flew back from China to be with us and it was a very joyful celebration indeed. My daughters helped my mother with cooking the traditional beef rendang (not crispy!) and the whole house smelt really incredible! We bought glutinous rice cooked in bamboo (so hard to make it yourself) from our usual supplier every year. You have to use your hand to eat this sort of nice food. Dip the glutinous rice in the spicy gravy of the mouth-watering beef rendang and feel the exquisite taste of the spices in your mouth. Feels like heaven!

We went back to Melaka, my mother’s hometown on the second day of Hari Raya to visit some of our relatives and close friends. It was definitely very nostalgic going back to those places where it reminds you of your childhood memories. Here’s my ten on ten for the month of June celebrating Hari Raya while in Melaka. I hope your month has been blessed just like mine did. Please continue the circle to my friend who lives on the other side of the world, Charlotte Kitchenside from Three Flowers Photography. Enjoy!