TAHUKAH ANDA?
- Semalam dua bas telah terbalik di Lebuhraya PLUS berdekatan dengan Simpang Ampat, menyebabkan kehilangan 12 nyawa dan lebih 40 orang lagi cedera. Kemalangan ngeri ini telah menyebabkan gangguan trafik yang bukan kepalang selama berjam-jam lamanya, sehingga menyebabkan polis terpaksa mengambil langkah menutup jalan lebuhraya di kedua-dua arah dan trafik dialihkan ke tol Alor Gajah untuk yang menuju ke utara dan Pedas untuk yang berhaluan ke selatan tanahair. Boleh dikatakan kemalangan sebegini ngeri yang melibatkan dua bas, sebuah van dan tiga kereta ini amat jarang berlaku.
- Perjalanan yang sama melalui lokasi kejadian menjadi bertambah pelik dengan kehadiran sekumpulan lelaki yang menaiki kenderaan Exora bernombor plat XXX YYYY yang berkelakuan sumbang dengan mengganggu keharmonian perjalanan yang sudahpun sedia terganggu dengan cuba menggoda wanita-wanita didalam kenderaan lain dengan pujuk-rayu bodoh dan menunjukkan isyarat-isyarat seolah-olah mahukan nombor telefon bimbit mereka. [Penulis dan enturaj antara yang menjadi mangsa. "Pelik doh, lama dah aku drive tak penah kena cmni"- Miza (bukan nama sebenar].
- Semua ATM yang digunakan penulis sewaktu di Batu Pahat sama ada kehabisan wang atau pun mengalami kerosakan apabila giliran penulis menggunakan mesin tersebut. Yang tambah menghairankan, kedai-kedai yang dikunjungi penulis juga mengalami gangguan teknikal dan tidak dapat memproses transaksi menggunakan kad kredit*.
- Lebih ajaib apabila seorang jejaka yang selama ini selesa berpakaian kasual dan sepanjang hidupnya TIDAK PERNAH memakai baju melayu lengkap dengan samping dan songkok secara TIBA-TIBA berpakaian lengkap, awal pagi ini.
ten ten ten....
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Hahaha. Saje bikin panas. Bikin heboh. Bikin kecoh <-- eh, macam rap plak. Too Phat masih hebat!
Ok. Ok. Let's get to the point:
The above stories are all true (well, almost). The man who actually wears the complete Malay traditional outfit from top-to-toe is my man, Isuzu because he's finally getting married. And guess what? Yeah, you know that already. I'm the -- wait for it -- BEST MAN!!! Whoohoo. It was legendary.
("Lelaki Terbaik", talking about upping your own ego, haha!)
As promised, I will now explain the experience to you; my observations and understanding of the whole wedding ritual. Job scope and some criterias will be added, as well.
[i] Background
I think it's better if I lay out the details of this wedding; it's cultural context, flows and other quirky stuffs and observation. Let's get to the bottom of things:
1. The bride and bride groom's family are very traditional. The former is from Javanese ancestry and has a very profound Java overtones. The latter is from Negri Sembilan and is famous for it's Adat Pepatih.
2. The Malays of Javanese origin are not homonogenous in its cultural observation and as such are not uniform in practice. Yet, they do share some commonalities between, say, the community in Sg. Besar and the ones in Johore. For example, they both still speak the dialect. And some of them do live in a close-knit community; the uncle being just next door, and even second-cousins are all within walking distance from each others' home.
3. Each of the Malay states have their own customs and practices; some are more restrictive than the other, and even then are not exactly observed unanimously. The bride, Dayanah hails from Batu Pahat. Johore, as often understood, stand as the Malay par excellence when it comes to customs, particularly Melayu-Riau traditions: it's accent, religious understanding, cultural practice, etc. However, they have a unique set of customs Marriage-wise and it can only be found here. I will explain more on that later.
To be continued..
P/s: we've been MIA for quite awhile, and we're sorry for that. As you can see from the ticker, the day is almost upon us and preparations are being made as we speak. So, hold on, dear readers. I'll try to come up with a few entry now and then (Sue is busy with her work, pelamin, dowries, and the list goes on. Tuan rumah lah katakan! I, on the other hand, will come to her house leisurely.. jalan melenggang woohoo!)
