Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Buka Puasa Cruise?

"Ramadan cruise and Arabic fare on the lake" - it took awhile for me to digest this headline that greeted my eyes as I flipped through the papers while having breakfast this morning.

I know the madness of buka puasa (breaking of fast) gluttony will soon descend upon us once again, when Ramadan begins on Monday next week, but a cruise? This is truly taking the Ramadan buffet phenomenon to new heights.

Apparently, a company specialising in lake cruises, in tandem with a five-star hotel, have put together a few buka puasa packages, chockful of scrumptious local and Arabic dishes to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

And the piece de resistance is an idyllic cruise around the scenic Putrajaya Lake while gorging oneself after half a day of abstinence. Please excuse my impudence, but I do wonder where Solat Maghrib fit in, into all these.

Ramadan buffet is undeniably a big business in this country. And they don't come cheap either. Some five-star hotels and high-end eateries charge over a hundred ringgit per head; yet that hasn't stopped Malaysians, affluent or otherwise, from turning up in droves to pay for the privilege of stuffing themselves silly in one sitting.

To be fair, I was among those squandering my hard-earned money during the Ramadans of my jahiliah hard-drinking days. My zeal for expensive, table-laden buka puasa buffet was equally matched by my determination to avoid fasting at any cost.

How painful it is, sometimes, to recall the supremely ignorant fool you once were, cheating, lying and conniving your way through the fasting month for a plate of noodles and a glass of Bacardi coke. May Allah (swt) have mercy on remorseful yours truly.

Ramadan is all about patience and restraint, self-discipline and sacrifice, generosity and charity, and identifying with the lot of the poor and the unfortunate.

Let's make this Ramadan a month truly worthy of its status as the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Selamat Berpuasa.


11 comments:

Kak Teh said...

Terawikh on the Eye of Malaysia should complete the day, then.

Puteri, after nearly 30 years here, i can tell you that Ramadan here is so uneventful. It is just like any other day..just without food and drink. We break fast in the tube, on the bus, in the office - with just dates and kitkats (sorry, had to bring this up) and then breaking fast proper is just like the usual dinner. The only thing that makes it special, especially in my household is....BUBUR LAMBOK!!!!
Its bubur lambuk time....yeah!!!

Anonymous said...

I have been your avid fans silently, but today, I felt like surfacing, there are days when you did not update your blog, I truly missed it pray that you are well, I am addicted to your views and outspoken ideas and it came naturally from your heart.

You have been braver than me to undo you grey areas in public. I salute you.

Seri Serodja kata

Anonymous said...

I have been your avid fans silently, but today, I felt like surfacing, there are days when you did not update your blog, I truly missed it pray that you are well, I am addicted to your views and outspoken ideas and it came naturally from your heart.

You have been braver than me to undo you grey areas in public. I salute you.

Seri Serodja kata

Kama At-Tarawis said...

LOL Kak Teh.. that's sooo funny! I am imagining tarawikh on the Eye of Malaysia already..hahahaha..

What you have there, Kak Teh, is truly what it is supposed to be - an uneventful, fuss-free buka puasa. Even our Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) broke fast with just a tamar and then went for solat.

In my household, we break fast with just dates and kuih. Dinner comes after tarawikh. There is no special reason for this, just that the stomach rebels at sudden food intake, that's all.

Oh yes, bubur lambuk! you pandai masak bubur lambuk? Wahh.. I get mine free from masjid...hehehe

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean. Reminiscing back in the older days, we used to stuff ourselves silly come buka puasa time. Table full of food. And we ate and ate and ate until we could not get up anymore. There was never the thought that we should break for Maghrib prayers. At that time it was thought that puasa was all about not eating and drinking all day long. Alhamdulillah I look forward to fasting this month with a lot more prayers and ibadahs in between. Selamat Berpuasa, kak!

A.

Anonymous said...

Mai buka puasa with tom cruise.

Kama At-Tarawis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kama At-Tarawis said...

Dear Seri, we shouldn't be ashamed of our past nor afraid of acknowledging our failings, for we are only human. Only when we accept how woefully imperfect we are, can we find the strength to change.

Allah Maha Mengampuni. Saya berpegang hanya pada yang itu. Not a day passes that I don't thank Him for opening my pintu hati yang dah lama tertutup rapat. There's hope for all of us yet.. :)

Kama At-Tarawis said...

A - betul tu. Somehow those days we seemed to focus on lapar and dahaga and nothing else, causing us to stray from the real meaning of puasa.

laptop - aiseh wakil rakyat kola pergleh! whatever happened to you? your silence was defeaning. still lepiak like Tom Kurus ka? put a bit of isi la, fren. you can have some of mine, I am in a generous mood to sedekah my fat this bulan posa..

MrsNordin said...

I can't help smiling as I read this posting. "... sheer determination to avoid fasting at all costs!" Hee.. hee... We all do that sometimes, don't we?

I always wonder, "Why does the Delifrance sandwich tastes so good during fasting month?" On normal days, tak de lah sedap sangat. I guess, it's the thrill of getting caught eating during ramadhan which makes the sandwich tastes so much nicer!

But like you, I believe God is very forgiving. Amin... Selamat Berpuasa!

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Mrs N, during fastig month.. plain water pun sedap..LOL.. temptations are everywhere kan?