We Are A Close Knit Community

Last weekend we engrave a new page of history for the place where I am staying. We are a small community made up of staffs of our department comprising all levels of positions. From officers to general worker but the cooperation is just like one big family. Even though there's sour grapes among the vines but that doesn't deter our motivation to put our hands together and make an event a success.

Organising a feast or any community events is one of the important activity to bind the harmony of a community. The process of organising itself is a showcase how ready members of the community are willing to come together and work for a common cause. Modern lifestyle is slowly shredding the integration of the neighbourhood. Going out in the wee hour of the morning and coming back late at night robs away the precious time that can mend the closeness of a community. The attitude of mind your own business is something that is a thorn in a piece of meat.

It was a marriage ceremony for one of the staffs next of kin and it was a first organised solely by the community. It is very difficult nowadays, what more in a city community to see such cooperation that is diminishing in the rural areas too. From the drawing board to the finish product it was all done boy ourselves in the community. I can consider it as a close knit community and maybe its due to all of us works in the same office. Even spouses of our staff put their hands together without feeling displaced, making the feast a success.

We took about two weeks preparing for the historical day and forming a working committee and I am proud to be a member. At least I can commit my effort and energy for some good deed for the sake of the community.

It was actually not a first activity that involves the community as a whole since we have been organising yearly korban (sacrifce) during the Idul Adha and the best thing it was recorded and aired on TV especially during the sports section of the prime time news. However the activity last week was a marriage feast or "kenduri kahwin".

The cooking was done by our own chef, preparing the spices and ingredients for the cooking, serving and taking care of cleanliness, all done by us. Scenes like this was usually found in the kampongs a few years back when youth migrating and the exodus to towns and cities were not that intense. Nowadays its hard to find the young generation staying in the rural areas because due to better education, these young boys are better educated and to level up with they achieved in education, they have to find jobs in towns and cities.

The cooking starts in the morning.

Men are still the best cook.

Entertainment is a must to wash away the tiredness. Who else were the ones who enjoyed most if not for the kids. Hey....!! its a karaoke session to entertain the helpers at the "kitchen area".


The feast was not planned to be at a great intensity but the outcome was unexpected. What was planned to be a small feast turned out to be very grand. However we did not burst the budget.

The main table ready for the King of the day (the bride and bridegroom)

......and the day came. Guests trickling in despite the light drizzle.

A small scale planning turn out to be grand.

The highlight of the day came and everything goes as planned with a glitch that the bride and bridegroom parties arrived a bit late. The rain too, does not dampen our high spirit. Here comes the bride and bridegroom with the pulsating beat of the kompang group from Pantai Dalam.