''OBON Festival"...It's Time to Going Home

Agustus 14, 2014

Assalamualaikum my lovely grandchild...

There's a different atmosphere at Kawanabe San's house since yesterday afternoon. When I passed by, I saw a big lantern hanging in front of the door, many shoes at veranda, crowdness appear from living room through the glass wall and the kids cheerfully noisy.

Granny wondering...is there any special celebration? hmmmmmm what it would be? ....hmmm granny remember it!! Soo..last week Kawanabe san did a general cleaning at her house and she told me that Obon will coming soon.

She will start the ritual by visiting her parents grave at Saga city on Monday 11th August. This first activity actually is to call the soul coming back home. Then continue preparing vegetable and fruits at the altar for her family ancestor. Afterward on 13th August all of her family (children and grandchild) will gather.

They are waiting for the ancestor soul coming home on 13th night (mukaebi). Kawanabe San said, the soul will leave on the day of 14th or 15th (okuribi). It means, today perhaps the soul will leave. What a short time visit though :)

During Obon, commonly the Japanese will pay a visit to their home town. Although it's not an official public holiday but many companies/offices are closed on those days. Once in a year their ancestor soul will coming, therefore all the family member should be at home. The hanging lantern and burned incense outside are two important things will guide the soul to find their house easily.

Guyzz...please think twice to visit Japan within this period, it's a peak travel season...many people and of course everything would be much more expensive and competitive.

Since granny also happy to see how enthusiastic Kawanabe san preparing and welcoming her family, I decided to make a simple cake.

It's named terang bulan/ martabak manis or a pancake which I filled with chocolate and peanut. Well...it was my first experience making this cake but I am confident enough that it will be success. Take a look on the picture below, that's the result...what do you think, guyzz?

Terang Bulan Chocolate ;)

When I brought the cake, Kawanabe san was talking with her grand daughter at the living room. She looks so excited and fresh with a light make up on her face. I suddenly remember Eyang, her happy expression when all of us gather...it's similar with Kawanabe san's now.

She's thanking me and asked "What is this? omelet?'' ...I answered ''No, it's a chocolate pancake''...then she asked again while pointing the dark brown part of the pancake layer ''So this brown color is from chocolate?''...I couldn't answer instead of saying ''Please enjoy it with your grandchild"...hahaha what shame, honestly that brown part showing the level of my cooking ability. The pancake is over cooked, dear ;)

Before leaving, I told Kawanabe san that many ripe tomatoes in her garden. She said "Please, pick it all if you like to do so". Yeayyyyy...Alhamdulillah, what a nice landlord...giving jackpot in the morning. Why a jackpot, since 4 months ago granny eager to apply Food Combining, all of vegetables and fruits become my best friends :)

Tomatoes

But guyzz...around 2 pm granny read a grief from Sarah San (a Japanese muslimah) facebook, her grandmother passed away this morning. I met her once only, on Jum'ah pray at Fukuoka Mosque. On her age, around 80, she converted as a moslem last year. It was late of March, when I met her, a kind of warm feeling, so touched...Alhamdulillah that she got hidayah from Allah SWT. May the others non moslem would also get hidayah, aamiin...aamiin, inshaAllah

Obaachan..when I met her at the mosque (pic source Sarah san facebook)

Lately, I saw her pictures through facebook, Sarah San updated her condition during hospitalization. I actually planned to visit her unfortunately till last minutes I didn't make it :( . Sarah San said, Obaachan was staring at Ka'bah direction on her sakaratul moment, she was smiling...then leave. Innalillahiwainnailaihirojiun...May Allah grants her jannah.

The jenazah pray would be held twice, today and tomorrow after Jum'ah pray. Only few people came today, fully hoped there'd be a lot more people come and pray for her tomorrow. Sayonara obaachan...