Eid al-Adha.

Hello there.

I was going to post on Friday about how exams were over and about how terribly it went down, but then the Internet connection sort of went down on me and now I've decided to simply put those things in the past. After all, who wants to remember terrible experiences?

Experienced Hari Raya Aidiladha for the first time ever, 'cause we had to go all the way to Sultan Mosque to film some things for our school Deeparaya celebration.

I feel quite bad for thinking it'd be tedious 'cause the weather wasn't very good, 'cause it turned out to be quite fruitful. It's good to learn things.

So like, yeah. I've always sort of been able to appreciate Aidilfitri more because people observe Ramadhan and then invite you over to their houses to celebrate once the fasting month is over, 'cause it's a tangible thing in a sense that it affects me and I see it happening.

But then I've always thought of Aidiladha as 'the other Raya' because it's just not really "put out there", if you know what I mean. I know I shouldn't, but if things don't apply to you you really don't hold it in that high a regard.

But today we saw people giving out free lunches and cooking from gigantic pots and handing out meat to the needy and I thought it was really sweet. I totally did not know any of this happened. Especially 'cause I don't see Singapore as that religious of a place.

I learnt that (oh my goodness I sound like I'm writing a reflection for some school project) sacrifice isn't just about killing some goats or sheep, but it's about sacrifice of things we enjoy for the better of humankind. Like giving to the needy (like paying zakat), donating to charity, going out of our way to be nice, keeping up a smile even though the day's been terrible, little things like that. They don't have to be physical objects or a quantifiable amount, but there are these little gestures that could make someone's day and it's cool to highlight these things.

It is believed that we must give up our earthly desires in order to achieve a higher spiritual level, but hardly anyone is willing to go that far.

Interesting.

All right, I'm going off now.

Night.

P.S. It's funny how Muslims know I'm not a Muslim, and a lot of non-Muslims here think I'm Muslim just because I'm Bruneian. My friends, being Bruneian is a nationality, not a religion.

P.P.S. Bought three books today and I feel quite bad 'cause I had hardly any self-restraint in Kinokuniya earlier today. Just kept grabbing and having to put books back on shelves. Sigh, limitations. (Whoa material greed.)