Hari Raya!

From Tuesday to Sunday of this past week I stayed with a Malay family to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri or as it is more commonly known throughout the world Eid al-Fitr. Hari Raya is the Feast of Breaking of the Fast, celebrating the end of Ramadan. During the ninth month of the Islamic calender Muslims worldwide observe a month of fasting, which is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, known as Ramadan.

In Malaysia, it is customary for Malays to go back to their hometowns and celebrate with their families, this is known as Balik Kampung- which roughly translates to 'homecoming'. During this time people will ask for forgiveness from their parents, in-laws or other elders. In many kampungs (hometowns/villages) people also decorate the outside of their houses with oil lamps, usually in bamboo ,think tiki torches, and as you drive through the country side and see the houses the sights are beautiful. 

On Tuesday afternoon I met my Malay host family. Well I met Mama, my host sister (Sya) and Abang (host brother) because the rest of the family had already gone back to their hometown. That same evening I broke fast with them and was asked if I wanted to try to fast the next day. Fasting (puasa) was something I wanted to try so I readily said yes! Fasting was from sunup (~5:30AM) to sundown (~7:30PM) so you had to be up earlier than 5:30AM to be able to have a big breakfast and drink as much water as possible! This is known as sahur, or a pre-dawn meal. On Wednesday morning I was woken up around 5AM and had a filling breakfast, I am not used to eating such heavy meals early in the morning but I made my best to finish my plate as Mama recommended and drank glass after glass of water. After my host family finished some last details we all piled up in abang's car and drove up north to Perak. I was very happy to have been able to make it the whole day without eating or drinking water, I can actually say it was one of my proudest moments thus far. 

Since we were still en route to the village, we stopped to buy some snacks to break fast, we had to wait until we reached the village to have our proper meal. After all, it was the last day of fasting. After reaching Aya's (my host dad) village later that night, I met the rest of the family. Two older sisters, a younger sister, and a few younger cousins. 

Waking up the next day (Aug 8th) was special for me. Not only was it Hari Raya but also my 18th birthday, and Aya said "You have a big celebration, think of it this way, all the Muslims around the world are celebrating your birthday too!" which made me laugh. It is customary for Malays to wear traditional clothes for Hari Raya, this means the baju kurung and tudung (long skirt and a head scarf) for women and the baju melayu for the men (silk shirt worn with a sarong), usually families wear a color and we all wore pink, except the men they didn't like the idea of pink. After taking many pictures we all set out to visit relatives! (Pictures are coming soon. I'm kind of horrible at taking them so I have to ask my host sis to send them to me. But I promise they will be up as soon as I get them!) 

To put it simply wherever you are in Malaysia you will eat! Every house we visited, we were offered food and well I simply could not refuse! During those three days we were at the village I must have eaten nonstop. I did try some Malay food which is quite spicy but delicious, I am thankful my taste buds can handle all the spicy! From all the food I ate I can say my favorite was lemang and ketupat! Both are nasi (rice) and that is all you eat here! Nasi for breakfast, nasi for lunch and nasi for dinner! Anyways, lemang is a glutenous rice cooked inside a bamboo which is pretty nifty if you ask me. Usually lemang is served with redang which is a type of spicy meat with lots and lots of spices. After these past few days with my Malay family and the weeks I have spent with my other host family I can say for certain that food is the center of all Malaysian culture, but how could it not be with all the variety and deliciousness?! 

When you greet other Malay's you need to salaam (did I spell this correctly?) them, which is a special greeting where you take a person's right hand and bow low and place their hand to your forehead and then since it was Hari Raya you said 'Selamat Hari Raya' which is roughly 'Happy Hari Raya.' This greeting shows respect to that person.

There is also another tradition known as Duit Raya is where people give money to children and sometimes unmarried people. Oh! And there are the open houses where it literally is an open house, you go to someone's house and eat! You might not know the person and they are also very welcoming of non-Muslims attending. 

These past few days were an experience for me. It was overwhelming at first trying to adjust to a lifestyle that was completely new to me and to have been welcomed to a family who was eager to show their traditions and the importance of Raya with me. Although Malay was all that was spoken the last few days and my Malay is honestly non-existent it was an adventure trying to communicate with the children- although the only person I understood was a 3 year old child.  

During this last week I learned so much about Malay culture simply by living and observing, it was a very different way of life that proved to be rewarding in the end. I am grateful that I was able to experience a few days of Hari Raya with my Malay host family, since the celebration lasts for about a month. A month of fasting and a month of eating as Ayah and Mama rightly said. 

Lemang! 

Noodles or Rice?

Noodles or rice. Rice or noodles, that has been the first question my host family asks me every time we are about to go eat lunch or dinner. And that really answers what type of food you will end up eating- well sort of…most of the time. It has now become a joke of sorts, isn't that awesome? Anyways as of today I have tried- Malay, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese food! And all of them have been incredibly satisfying, new and well delicious!

I think I have surprised my host family as to how much I love spicy food and how easily I can eat it. I keep telling them it is because I’m Mexican and I love cilli’s and spicy stuff,and they said I was making it easier for them to take me out and try new foods since they didn't really have to worry about the spiciness. I LOVE spicy food so I think I have landed in a very accommodating place.

I have also learned how to properly eat using both a spoon and fork and my right hand. Although I can’t use chopsticks yet, it takes so much coordination and I’m sad to say I get hand cramps! But I will make it a goal to learn how to eat with them by maybe the end of next month…hopefully.

My host family finally discovered when I really don’t like something I have tried, I usually say rather bluntly when I love something or it is good but when I don’t I say “It’s different" or “It has a different taste." Now they have associated me saying it’s different to me not liking something- although I still clarify when I mean different in a good way or not.

So my two favorite dishes so far?

Char kway teow and Nasi lemak (although I had this at an organic shoppe and they tell me it isn't as good as normal one)

They also laugh because every time we order something the first thing that comes out of my mouth is "What is that? What is it called?" and the sad thing is I never remember!

Char kway teow

Nasi lemak 

5 Days

Im finally in Malaysia! After a long day of travel we (8 other participants from the US) arrived in Kuala Lumpuron Thursday the 18th. The climate, the smells, and the sights were and continue to be so surprising and overwhelming. Yet they are part of this new country and I hope that it wont be long until I am used to it all. Since we were one of the few groups that arrived early we were given the chance to rest for an hour and shower and go out to the city center for a few hours until everyone else arrived. Walking down the street was a feat on its own, the humidity makes you feel really sticky and gross, they dont lie when they say you will want to shower often! Surprisingly the humidity is very easy to get used to.

Anyways, I feel like I am rambling on...these past four days have been full of orientations. I feel like we have covered almost every corner there is. From our National PDO to conference calls to the gateway to our arrival orientation. At our arrival orientation we met students from all over- Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Iceland, Greenland, Costa Rica, Argentina, BiH, Czech Republic, France, Italy, etc. it was really good to get to know the people we will be sharing this experience with.

Sunday was our last day of orientation and we met our chapter leaders and well the other people going to the same chapter. Then we had the handing over ceremony where we met our host families for the first time. I met my host father and host sister and then we drove to my new home were I met my host mother and host grandfather. It is very hard to explain all the emotions and feelings but I know that anyone who has gone through an exchange or similar experience understands. I know this is not a very helpful post but I just wanted to say I am finally here and well.

P.S I dont have many pictures yet because I always forgot to take some. But I will post them soon! Hopefully.

Goodbye Chicago!

Well the time has finally come! I will be departing for my gateway orientation in Los Angeles tomorrow morning and then after two days I will be on my way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! I am excited and terrified and that is okay. Those are normal feelings and it seems they have been balancing each other because right now I am in a relaxed mind set. I cannot begin to list all the things I will miss but my family and my friends are always going to be at the top of that list.

Well, this is a goodbye to Chicago-I'll see you in 10 months!

P.S- I will try to update before my departure Tuesday but I am not promising anything. Also, I hope to have access to WiFi once I am in Malaysia but that is not a guarantee so I have to see how that plays out.

3 Days

Where did my time go? I still haven't fully processed the fact that this was my last week in Chicago. I still feel like it is April and I barely found out about my finalist standing. I apologize for not writing about the PDO which was pretty fun and interesting. I kind of flew back to Chicago and was in a frenzy to tie some loose ends. Lately I have been spending time with my friends, it took me a while to realize how much I do rely on them for the smallest of things- be it going out to eat with one of them to have one of them walk with me to the corner store.

Anyways, I have three days until I fly out to Los Angeles for my gateway orientation! Then we arrive in Kuala Lumpur July 18th! I think, I tend to mix up dates. I received an email from my temporary host mom Wednesday. I will be living with my host parents, host grandparents, and a host sister who is relatively close in age! I am pretty excited, although a bit bummed out that it is only a welcome family. Either way, I will enjoy my experience. Oh, I will be living in Shah Alam with a few other AFS exchange students (not from the US) and that's about 40 minutes from KL.

I still haven't finalized my packing. I don't know how to pack for four days, now imagine me trying to pack for 10 months? I need to figure that out as soon as possible!

3 days until I am on my way to Malaysia. 3 days until I become part of someone else's family. 3 days till my next adventure begins.

When A Door Closes, A Window Opens

These past four years have flown right by. I still remember my first day of high school, being so scared and excited and just having this naive view of my world- well the world in general. If four years fly by I cannot imagine how fast a year will pass by. Last Friday (the 14th) I graduated high school! I am finally done with school for one whole year (and by done I mean I do not have to stress about grades). I don't know how to feel about having graduated...relieved? Happy? Sad? I don't think I have processed the thought that I won't ever see so many of the people who I encountered daily. It is a bit scary but refreshing, that just means I will meet so many more people. It means that a chapter, door, or whatever you will, in my life has closed but a plenty of windows have opened. I am done with high school but I'm just starting to do what I love and what I have always wanted. High school is over but Malaysia is just starting. And when Malaysia ends, college will start. Life keeps on moving, and so far I have been blessed with amazing opportunities.

I will miss seeing my friends every day. I will miss being stupid with them. I will miss seeing some people. I will miss my teachers and staff (Specially everyone who I bothered with recommendations for YES Abroad, CBYX and NSLIY) . But if they were meant to stay in my life, I won't have to miss them for long.

   

So now that I have graduated...that means I have about 28 days left in Chicago! I leave to Los Angeles on July 15th and the following day we the Malaysian crew departs to Malaysia! Like I mentioned before, time flies. Tempo Fugit, as a friend of mine said. I remember thinking I had months left and now I have less than a month left! 

In 9 days all 65 of us will be back in Washington D.C for our National PDO. After receiving a draft of the schedule all I can say is....I will sleep in once I come back to Chicago. It is jam packed with activities and it is going to be interesting to say the least. 

And I'm still waiting for my host family! I think I can manage to wait a few more weeks. 

Details Details

Yesterday night we all received more information about the National PDO and the gateway orientation! So all 65 of us finalists will be flying out to D.C again this coming June from the 26th to the 29th that just leaves me about 27/28 more days until I get to see all my friends again (Shanaya (Oman), Miranda (Thailand), Mallory(Indonesia), Christian (Turkey), and Emily(Indonesia)...I'm talking about you guys). I also need to reschedule some events because they interfere with the conference calls that we have to make- which are really really useful because it answers a lot of the questions that seem to bubble as time passes. We are also staying at the 4H Center again! And now that we actually know how to get around the place it's going to be more fun...

Malaysia is the second group to head out. India and Thailand are leaving right after the PDO, they stay in D.C for their orientation and then leave on July 1st. Then comes us. We fly out to Los Angeles and then our international departure is on July 17th. Which is about 48 days from now. But like I said...who is counting right? (Plus we are the cool ones- LA > NYC ; for now of course)