Hari Raya away from home
FOR international students in Malaysia, celebrating festivals in Malaysia is a unique experience, one that differs from how festivals are celebrated back home. Tanzanian-born student Latifa Hamad Nassoro moved to Malaysia two years ago. Currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration at INTI International College Kuala Lumpur (INTI), Latifa said her Hari Raya experience in Malaysia with her friends differs from her usual experience back home.
For Latifa, since she began living in Malaysia, her friends had become her second family.
“Many international students do not have the opportunity to travel back to our home countries for the holidays, so we have built our own communities here.
“It is really fun to do so because these are the family members we get to choose, and it is a multicultural one due to the different nationalities,” said Latifa.
Being in the country for almost two years, her Hari Raya celebration in Malaysia involved inviting other international students over for a potluck, indulging in cuisines from other countries, engaging in conversations about their culture, and organising dances to music shared by her friends from their respective countries.
“My celebration has become a very international experience because apart from preparing a Tanzanian dish myself, our potluck spread includes a Kazakhstani dish, a Nigerian dish and an Algerian dish.
“I think that my friends and I could easily beat the hotel chefs when it comes to preparing an international feast,” she joked.
Once the feasting was done, they then share stories of their culture and religions.
“We also teach one another our traditional dances,” she added.
Latifa, who is also INTI Student Council (INTIMA) vice-president, tries to get involved in as many campus activities as often as she can to meet other international students from different programmes.
Muhammad Arsalan Mughal, 23, from Pakistan, said he could not help but feel sad that he is not with his family during Hari Raya.
“It is a different experience here. In Malaysia, the Hari Raya routine will be to wake up in the morning for prayer and spending the night on a special dinner with friends.
“Living independently in the country, I have to do everything myself, including preparing food and clothes for the special occasion,” said the diploma in Hotel Management student at Sunway University.
Another Pakistani, Syed Muhammad Saif Rizvi, 20, who is taking his bachelors in culinary management at Sunway University, said this year was his first Hari Raya in Malaysia.
He said the first time he heard Malaysians greeting each other by saying “Eid Mubarak” during Hari Raya was an odd experience, as “Mubarak” in Urdu means congratulations.
Muhammad said celebrating Hari Raya away from his family was a lonely affair, as
Many international students do not have the opportunity to travel back to our home countries for the holidays, so we have built our own communities here.