HARI Raya is not quite the same if you don’t celebrate the day with loved ones. But what do you do if you live thousands of kilometres away?
Fortunately, communications technology and social media have become so advanced that families in different parts of the world may feel they are celebrating it together with their loved ones.
If the highways are busy with balik kampung traffic, the Internet traffic is expected to be even busier the first few days of Hari Raya as people click on their smartphones and tablets, and upload millions of pictures and videos on social media sites like Facebook,
VIDEO CALLS AND FACEBOOK
For Herlena Shee Herman Shee, family members want to be together for Hari Raya.
But she lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the only way she and family (husband Al Ala Fil Abdul Rajab, daughter El Eva Hemelia Al Ala Fil and mother-in-law Kamaliah Harun) can connect with their family in Malaysia is through technology.
“We miss the atmosphere and family gatherings the most, especially the preparation for Hari Raya which starts two weeks before the big day. We bake Raya cookies, clean up anddecorate the house and get new clothes. Raya songs will fill the air to get us into the Raya mood,” she says.
Herlena, a solutions architect at a telecommunications company in Buenos Aires, is grateful for the advancement in communications technology and the Internet.
“Years ago, we bought IDD cards to call home, and it was limited to phone calls. It was very troublesome that we could only speak to one person at one time. With current technologies, we can make video calls with the entire family. We can even re-create the family session to ask for forgivenessfrom one other,” she adds.
With new technologies, people can even message and call their friends and extended family through WhatsApp and Skype.
“Communication is more interactive, not just limited to email like the old days,” she says, adding that she can share pictures of the celebration with friends and family on Facebook.
“This then gives them some relief that we are doing fine even witha small celebration abroad,” says Herlena, whose families are in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan and Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
This Hari Raya, Herlena will use WhatsApp and Skype to communicate with family at home.
“On Hari Raya, we make video calls through Skype that is projected on TV for a clearer image. We make appointments in advance through WhatsApp, so that both parties are ready for the video call,” she says.
“This Raya will be special for us as we will make video calls with mydaughter who will be able to interact with the family in her baju Raya. She knows how to say hello, bye and blow kisses now. We even teach her to shake and kiss the hand, and hopefully she can demonstrate this to the family in Malaysia this Raya.”
CONNECTING VIA WHATSAPP
Rashdan Fitri Mohd Rashid works as a program manager at Nokia UK. He and family have been living in Finland and UK since 2006.
Currently residing in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire with his wife Safiawati Yasin, and daughterNurin Sabrina, Rashdan says he misses the Ramadan bazaar and Raya open house, and his family in Malaysia during this festive time.
“Both our families are spread out in Malaysia from Kedah to Johor. Since we have a big network of families, social media apps are the life lineof our virtual communication world,” he says. Apart from Hari Raya, he says the Internet and social media are great for catching up with the family on births, engagements, weddings, sickness and emergencies.
Rashdan uses WhatsApp mostly for group chat and group photo-sharing. “We can make free VoIP calls, groups chats and video calls which were costly in the past. Time zones andcosts are no longer the reason for not keeping in touch,”he says.
To get into the mood, the family downloads Raya songs via YouTube, while sites like Tonton allow them to catch up with Malaysian dramas and movies.
“We watch the Raya programmes in the UK via this online channel. Malaysian radio stations’ mobile apps and Astro On The Go UK keep the Raya spirit in the air while abroad,” says Rashdan.
Technology is a great tool for bringing families together despite the distance, he adds.
In the Scottish Perthshire countryside, Roslina Shahari Brown and her family live in a small town called Blairgowrie.
Having lived in Scotland for20 years now, Roslina, her husband Duncan Brown, who is an environmentalist and horticulturist consultant, and children Soraya and Johann, always miss their family Hari Raya gathering in Batu Tiga, Shah Alam.
“I miss a lot of things such as kissing my mum’s hands and asking for forgiveness on the morning of Hari Raya and ketupat rendang and festive kuih like dodol and rempeyek. I miss visiting my father’s and rel atives’ graves after Raya prayers and visiting family members and catching up,” says Roslina.
Although the distance between Roslina and her family in Malaysia is great, the Internet has brought them closer.
“With Facebook and WhatsApp, we can communicate and get in touch. Although it is not the same as being with the family during Raya, at leastwe can hear their voices on the phone, see photos on Facebook and chat via WhatApps,” she says.
FASTER COMMUNICATION
Daniel Ideris and his Hungarian wife, who have been living in Budapest, Hungary for the past year, miss the family gatherings and Raya fare. Currently work ing as a content monitoring representative at Ustream,
Daniel says communications technology has brought distant families together.
“All we need is a 3G line or WiFi spot and we are set to go. Generally, communication is getting better since the technologies connect us not only in audio mode but video too,” he says.
Daniel uses Whatsapp to communicate with his family, and Facebook and Skype to talk to his friends.
“Most of them live in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. I always speak with cousin and my brother, we are close,” he says.
“This Hari Raya, we will make video calls to my family and friends inMalaysia and we will upload photos on Facebook to show how we celebrate Hari Raya abroad.”
BREAKING GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES
Doha-based Zuraidah Aziz, husband Rizaudin Nong Chik (who works in the oil and gas shipping industry) and their children have been living in Doha for five years now.
While they are getting used to celebrating Hari Raya there, they miss the family activities leading up to Hari Raya in Malaysia.
“We miss the family chats, cooking together and taking photos,” says Zuraidah.
She also misses listening to Rayasongs in the malls, and attending open houses.
However, through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, Zuraidah manages to see what’s going on in Malaysia and vice versa.
“Rather than typing everythingdown, it’s faster and easier with pictures as my family can see what goes on in Doha. They can reply at their convenience due to the different time zones,”she says.
“One picture or a video can sum my day in 10 minutes.”
Social media like Facebook allows her to connect with family members and make keeping in touch easier.
“The focus is on updating on our children and our personal lives so they know we are all right,” she says. “This Hari Raya, we will be doing the same stuff everyone else is doing online like sending wishes, posting
pictures of us in our Raya outfits and sharing home and table decor pictures.
“With technology, everything seems so close.”