Throwback: Kenduri at the In-Laws (Bangi)

Kenduri is a feast or banquet usually held celebrating a birth or marriage, remembrance, circumcision, give thanks and in our case was seeking blessing for the upcoming Madam's assignment.

All arrangements were done by Madam's parents, dad an Air Force Maj. (Rtd) Tuan Hj Hassim Hassan and mom Hjh Rosnah Abd. Rahman. Dad will do the marketing and mom, the cooking. They're the boss and naturally I bow to their wishes. Better not get in their way...

Can you spot the spent artillery shell? Madam's dad or Ayah as we call him is on my right. Bismarck model in the glass casing. Took me 6 months to build one, Tamiya brand btw.

There will be a canopy in front of the house a day before the kenduri. Since it will be in the afternoon after Zuhur prayer, we laid the table and chairs in the morning. Cooking started a day earlier, usually with the arrival of the CEO, Madam's grandma. The keeper of recipes and official food taster.

My dad or abah, Hj Sahid Mohamed Yasin

It was totally a community effort. Relatives, friends and neighbours lending their hands helping mom with the cooking. Some of them brought dishes and kueh (traditional cakes?) for the kenduri. 

Ibu (literally means mother, in red tudung), mom's sister was around to assist. She runs a big stall in Rembau, their hometown in Negri Sembilan

Grilled fish

Aunty Ruby (our neighbour) with a makeshift dapur (stove) to fry the Ayam Berempah (spicy chicken)

The dish washing crew. Calm before the storm...

Izzat, the bestest helper in kenduris. Non-stop from the beginning till end

Siti, Madam's cousin. Eldest daughter of Pak Cik
(mom's only brother). Ben and Fay's nanny in JB

Pak Cik, Siti's dad

Kak Ara, kueh businesswoman

Kak Ara or Sarah Abdul Kasim is on fb. Always updating on her kueh. Can order from her, but I doubt any will arrive Lagos...hahahaha

Seri, brother in-law's daughter. The other grandchild

My mom and mak andak (Madam's aunt, always in red)

Uncle's 3 stooges

This is the 'Uncle'. One of Ayah's brother

New addition to the family, abah's wife. Aunty Lin.
My step-mother

Hafez and Shazuan from the agency came early, didn't have any pictures taken with them. After all, we were busy eating.

Usop and Karim brought the whole family. Will miss them for sure.

My boss, Nasrul Sapri
with Azral (MF0) and Naha (SB2) 

As usual, the kenduri would last until after Asar. We would then start to do the least favourite item on the list...the washing and cleaning the house, and rearranging the furnitures. 

Ayah would arrange all the washed pots and plates, forks and spoons in orderly fashion. Everything in place, a place for everything. Still, after all that eating and entertaining guests and eating again, there were still some space left for food...supper. 

The children asleep, we would start to pack our bags and go thru the list of things to do before the trip. Also, there would be another kenduri for my batchmates in Ampang (my mom's place). One last makan-makan (eating) before D-day.

Nomnomnomnom