What a Day and Such

When was the last time you mandi in the rain? Three of Lina's cousins doing just that!!!

Tug of war, we lso simply because the other team had Hulk, The Thing and Andre the Giant on their side!!

The venue, you can see the centre circle for netball. This was before the rain....


Not only they dress you in drag, you have to do the catwalk too!! This is Rahmat, a family friend... Family to be kut?

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Lina’s family, mainly mama’s siblings and their children, gathered for our annual family day at Lina’s kampung last Friday and Saturday. All were there except for her Pak Lang and Mak Lang who were away doing Umrah. This family day thing started when one of her aunts passed away, leaving behind four children. The husband remarried and the family was seeing less and less of the children and one of her other aunts decided to have a gathering, spiked with sports and fun activities as an excuse to invite the children over and making it hard for them to say no to.

For the first year or two, the father would just send the children over and then leave. It was probably in the third year he stayed and last year, he brought his new wife along. In her welcoming speech (yes, we have speeches too) then, aruah mama welcomed the uncle (her brother-in-law actually) and his new wife (well, not that new then) just like everyone else. The gathering is held at Lina’s grandma’s house (now one of her aunties is staying there) and the house is one of those built high above the ground where most people would be able to walk under it, except if you are Kareem Abdul Jabbar or someone taller. The area around the house is humongous, enough for the type of events that were lined up.

Last weekend we had treasure hunt, tug of war, futsal, netball, musical chair, throwing and catching water balloons, dress your partner in drag etc. etc. etc. to name a few. Futsal featured only the guys since we tried it co-ed a few gatherings before and the girls thought we guys were too ganas. Actually we were too fast and we squealed a lot less. Now, if you ladies be a bit faster and squeal a lot less too, it might have worked. Tug of war and netball was co-ed. And of course we guys are the GS’s and GA’s (we shoot better) and GK’s (we block better). But the finals on Saturday was decided on penalty throws as the palyers (many of whom are emaks and bapaks) sudah tak larat nak bangun lagi. Playing in the selut really takes your breath away, just like that song.

Then there was the barbecue, the gulai tempoyak and the perkasam. Divine food. We slept under the house for 2 nights, it was a rainy weekend and the nights were cool, thought we need the fans at low speed to take care of the mosquitoes. I woke up Sunday morning with aches all over, as Manickam Appukutty would say it, paining all over. It is still paining all over now, three days later.

As we parted, we spoke the immortal words, see you again next year in kampung. I got a long scratch on my left cheek, courtesy of one of Lina’s cousins (it was a female cousin) playing netball. Shoot, ganas gak…..

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