Hari Raya in Perth, AUSTRALIA

October 13, 2007

Today is our Hari Raya, Eid Fitri, a glorious end to the fasting month of Ramadan. The family had lemang, nasi himpit, rendang and the usual Hari Raya stuffs for breakfast. Then, everybody except Anas (as usual) dressed up for the morning Eid prayers. It was to be held at Kings Park, a 400 hectare recreational park in the city area.

Me at the prayers congregation

The place was already piling up with arriving Muslims of all nationalities dressed in their traditional costumes. Anas and I proceeded to the front row. The congregation was led by some Arabs. The prayers started slightly after 8am.

Anas, the odd guy in the congregation

The weather in Perth was equally glorious, in the low 20s during the day and teens during the night, just like having prayers in a big air-conditioned place. It was a bit chilly in the early morning; jacket was a must for me. The Imam delivered a very good sermon. The first half was in English with deep Australian accent and the second half in Arabic. The contents of the sermon were more contemporary, unlike in Malaysia which were very much predictable year in year out. He touched on the duties of Muslims living as a minority in a foreign culture.

The family after the prayers

After the prayers, we walked around the park. It was spring and there were some leftover wild flowers still blooming. Perth is also known for its wild flowers.

Mother & Daughter at Kings Park

We dropped by Nina’s place at Farnham Street in Bentley area. The girls treated us to their Hari Raya cookings. Anas and I stayed behind to do our laundry while the girls went out for their house visits. I took a nap.

That was the highlight of our Hari Raya in Perth.

In the evening we decided to drive to Perth Hills to look for more wild flowers. We headed towards Armadale and stopped at Cohunu Koala Park. It was 4pm and the park ranger told us that it took at least an hour and a half to go around the park. We decided to come back some other times. We drove back to Perth since it was a bit late for the local attractions. They closed pretty early.