They say getting all of us together is as rare as a solar eclipse. With six siblings in total, four sisters and two brothers, aligning our schedules is a mission in itself! But this year, the stars aligned, and the full crew reunited at our eldest brother’s house in Bangi. We didn't just show up for the selfies, we showed up with a plan to make this the most legendary Raya ever for our parents.
Forget a simple home-cooked meal, we turned our brother's kitchen into a full-blown food festival! Our head chef sister was a woman possessed. The star of the show was a massive spread of Kuey Teow Th’ng. We’re talking 20kg of silky noodles served with a broth that tasted like a warm hug.
But it was the toppings that really stole the show, tender shredded chicken, juicy shrimp, and perfectly prepared squid. And the secret weapon? The garlic oil. My sister actually cooked up fresh batches of that fragrant, golden garlic oil four separate times throughout the day to make sure every single bowl was perfect. Of course, we still had the Raya classics like ketupat and rendang on the side, because you can’t have Syawal without the essentials!
Then there was my station. I was the official beverage manager, and I wasn't playing around. I had a giant 10-liter pot bubbling on the stove, brewing that perfect, creamy teh tarik. It was served piping hot, and let me tell you, it disappeared faster than I could brew it! I ended up preparing that massive 10-liter pot twice, making it a grand total of 20 liters of tea! There’s nothing like a hot, sweet cup of tea to keep the Raya energy going.
While the tea was flowing and the noodles were steaming, our organizing queen was the glue holding us together, making sure the condiments were topped up and the tables were cleared. Our youngest sister was the designated paparazzi, documenting every laugh, every bite and every heartfelt hug for the family archives.
And we can’t forget the brothers! Our eldest brother and his wife was the ultimate host, opening his home in Bangi to the whole chaotic crew, while our other brother was right there in the mix, helping us keep the momentum going by being on standby for last-minute shopping trips every time we realized we were running low on something. Seeing all six of us working together like a well-oiled machine (with plenty of teasing in between) was the real highlight.
The best part of the day wasn't the 20kg of noodles or the 20 liters of tea, it was the look on our parents' faces. Seeing their six children all under one roof, laughing and cooperating to make them happy, was the best Raya gift we could give. Our brother’s house was buzzing with the kind of noisy, happy energy that only a big family can create.
We might not get to do this every day, but this first day of Syawal reminded me that no matter how much time passes, we’ll always have each other's backs, and we definitely know how to feed a small army. 😎
No comments:
Post a Comment