well, first of all..Eid mubarak everyone! ^_^
kinda late..
anyhow, i know you're all dying to know how i spent my Eid
(right... lol)weeeell! i spent it in a hotel room with my family.
it was a life changing experience, or so i want to believe.
it all started right before fajr prayer on the day of Eid..
my parents alarm woke me up. and being the lazy bum i am, i took a little while before i managed to convince myself to get off the bed.
I got out of the room and saw mom praying in the living room. prayed..and i was feeling so fresh and decided to take a look out the window.
a really cool breeze brushed my face and along with it, in came a familiar sound. something I'd be listening to about that same time at home. the only difference is that instead of listening and watching it on T.v, this was live and absolutely amazing! it's like I'm in Mecca. (
here) this is exactly what i was hearing, but it was more of a chorus.
people were coming from all around the hotel and heading for the Masjid close by, by that time my sisters were waking up one at a time. we couldn't see the Masjid from our room. but it was quite fascinating how people never stopped coming. like they're all tied together with an endless rope. more people pulling on even more people.
it's weird how the sight was so new yet familiar, so weird yet gave me a very warm feeling. honestly? I'd rather see this every Eid than have the little Eid rituals.
so anyway,
dad was still getting ready for Eid prayer. mom called him to come look out the window. by that time people were already standing in rows, ready for prayer on the street! apparently there wasn't enough space for people in the Masjid nor the area around it. the roundabout nearby was completely covered with people.
he stood there looking outside for a couple of seconds. apparently just as amazed as we all were. then almost like he shook his head, he hurried out. we looked at each other giggling, turned back and continued to watch.
a bull started running with the crowd, which was really funny..kinda like Spain 'cept it was just one bull. i guess he broke loose from a house nearby.
(hope they caught him before he hurt anyone or well, wandered off too far. I'm assuming they wanted to slaughter him for Eid, it'll be such a waste if they couldn't. considering how livestock prices shot up this Eid.)dad decided not to go by car, since the road was closing with the many people standing outside. and the fact that the Masjid was just around the corner. and as he was walking to the Masjid, he turned back and waved at us. then disappeared from sight.
by the time they started praying, the rows formed were all the way from the Masjid
(which wasn't in our sight) to the front entrance of the hotel we were staying in.
i haven't been to Umrah nor Hajj so this sight was absolutely breathtaking! mom promised we'd go next summer inshallah.
(not the coming summer! NEXT summer..as in Summer 2009) hmm..i might be a teacher by then *day dreams*
this was the most spiritual Eid I've had in my life. made me think of how shallow Eid was to me until that moment.
phew.. this is a very long post! and even though I've just mentioned the first few hours of the first day of a 3 days unforgettable holiday, and i haven't even got to the funny and exciting little details of this Eid holiday! xD
but i think i better stop.
.....well, ok! I'm gonna point out that i went to 'Umm al-Quwain' and 'Ras al-khaimah' for the first time in my life.
the parts I've been to were so much like Oman. i loved them! ^_^
oh! and i saw some parachuters land, and some very beautiful scenery mashallah.
if only i had a cam. i'd share some of the stunning beach views with you.
the clouds were so close to the ground that day. not to mention the chilliness..but i like the cold. ^-^
there were also some thin wide patches of water scattered close to the beach..the reflection of the clouds on that water was just divine! so amazing..
oh well..
laters!