My second Raya card!

Yeah!!! I received my second Raya card today. It came from a dear friend of mine - Wadi. He has been sending me cards without fail since Aidilfitri 2005. Terima kasih daun keladi. I really, really appreciate it. But I really need to apologise to you that I have no Raya card to reply to you. Seriously, I feel so awful.

Man, I should have bring some greeting cards from home before coming here. Argh....!




Talking about Raya cards, I received an email from an old friend of mine a last week, if I am not mistaken three days before Eid Mubarak. It was a typical email from someone who you have not heard for two or three years - how's your life over there; are you married; do you hear anything from other friends; bla... bla... bla...

After he found out where I am now, in his reply, he told me now he know why he has yet to receive a Raya card from me. He said he has been expecting my card this year, similar to previous years, because I have been sending him Raya card every year without fail since 1998! Wow, I, myself quite surprised with this fact!

Then, when I think about it again, yeah... I think I did that!

Well, I did not realise how a Raya card can mean something to someone, until I read (1) my friend's email last week; and (2) Wadi's card just now (I found his card under my room's door after came back from class).

Both are making my day in their own ways. The former convinces me that my gesture is welcomed and called for (syok sendiri: ya atau tidak?) while the latter shows how good it is to be surprised by a friend. Why I say surprise, when it is a common sense to expect to receive Raya cards from family and friends? Simply because I did not give my address to him. That is so sweet of him to find out what my address is and to jot down personal message, that make it double sweet!

And I am so glad to read what my friend wrote on that card, I did not realise that I reread the card until the third time. I guess it is because you are so used to receive "official" Raya cards where they come with nothing but signatures. And you should consider yourself lucky if the card was signed off with ink from a pen, not a rubber stamp!

I do not know about you guys, but I will definitely treat this Raya card thingy differently in the future. It is not just a card!