Raya Shopping Starts

The past 2 weekends have seen me out of the house, not for outing, but for shopping.

Shopping for the house, in preparations for Hari Raya celebrations. It is when siblings, parents and grandparents, friends and relatives will make time to visit each other.

Aidilfitri, by the Arabic name is the Muslims' festive celebrations in the month of Syawal after Ramadhan or fasting month that will start at the end of August 2009.

Yes, it is a tat early for such shopping, but by Wifey's calendar, the coming final exams that Sonny will be sitting will be during the fasting month.

She wants to concentrate on him totally and not tottering around looking for and worry about the festive preparations.

Wise planning. I should add.

Top of the shopping list were curtains for the living room, master bedroom, her study, my Gym cum den and Sonny's room.

Then there was the carpet for the living room that "should match the fabric sofa covers" we custom-made a year ago to use specially for this year's celebrations.

The master bedroom needs matching bedspread since there will be a dark wood headboard that I will be fixing-up this year. It thus "should go well with the window treatments."

We have the modern zen-like furniture for several years. This year's color scheme will be a simple "off-white and subtle black tones", but overall... Wifey is aiming for a clean and fresh look for the house.


Going back and forth, we looked for the right items and those that had "potential" that would match with this and that. So in between scouting for the right prices and quality, Wifey has dragged me all the way to the west end of the island in Woodlands and back to the eastern part where we live... and everywhere in between.

Geylang Serai is still predominantly the place to shop for Hari Raya things. From household items to clothes, from good Malay food to Raya cookies. It is a one stop place for many Malays and Muslims.

With not less than four trips there between the two weekends, Wifey finally made her mind up to have that "perfect" curtains and bedsheets after much deliberation from all that scouting. Phew!


The simplest of shopping was for the black shaggy carpet at Ikea in Tampines Retail Park is the unanimous "love at first sight" for the both of us. We finally bought it today.

The hard part of the Raya shopping is about done. Now for the flowers... Wifey wants the old faux flowers to be replaced.

Yet the hardest part all them all has not happened.

Our traditional Baju Kurung Melayu or Malay traditional clothes for Raya will have to wait until the Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar is open and matures during the Ramadhan month to get a little more bargain power for a reasonable price to dress all three of us up.


Wifey's clothes will be the hardest to find, but we will survive anyway as we did every year.

There will be so many for her to choose from and with varied price range which will normally create a little headache every year. Once that is done, the clothes for both Sonny and I with matching colors with Wifey's will be a breeze to get.

This weekend, the newly rebuilt Geylang Serai is opened for business. Though it still is partially as the blocks of houses behind the large market building are still being contructed.

Long gone was the cramped, damp and pot-holed wet and dry markets.

In replacement is a clean, airy, modern multi-storey shopping complex that is also elderly and wheelchair-friendly.

I will be taking Dad for his monthly oncologist check-up this Friday, 24 July 2009. After that appointment, I will take both Mom and Dad to the new Geylang Serai. I wish for them to experience the new place.

It will be interesting to know what they will think of the place as they make their early-bird Raya shopping with me end this week.