My kind of Raya open house

Feeling hungry as I reached the first few villages, I decided to stop at the sundry shop in this Orang Asli village. I bought a pack of instant noodles and chatted with the "lady boss." Apparently, there were a few open houses today. "There is one just down the road," she told me. Without hesitation, I invited myself there.

​I saw some people gathering at a house on a small hill and asked them if there was any food. They kindly invited me in. Although they were already finishing and washing up, they still managed to prepare a plate for me, chicken, rice, and vegetables. Later, a man came over with rice wrapped in a leaf, which he said was padi bukit cooked in bamboo. The grains were larger and the texture was less starchy.

​I later found out it was a wedding celebration. I managed to congratulate the groom, who was 25 years old. I didn’t get a chance to meet the bride, as she had gone into town. Jeff, the homeowner sitting in front of me, came over to chat. He used to work in the city but moved back because he didn't like the environment. He mentioned his previous employer had cheated him out of his salary.

​The next day, I explored another part of the village and reached the end of the road. As I was making a U-turn, I saw padi bukit drying on the ground in front of a bamboo shack. I asked the lady of the house if she had any rice for sale. She said no, but suggested I might find some further down the road. She was wearing a sarong and a T-shirt. Though she looked young, her teeth showed signs of decay. As we talked, more people gathered, including a chatty woman named Wadina. Her teeth also showed decay, and she was smoking tobacco rolled in a leaf. When I asked to take her photo, she laughed and ducked away. I settled for a photo of her cigarette instead. I promised her that if I visited again, I would bring her a pack of Dunhill. She is a mother of two who married at 17, and she was walking barefoot. I asked another man if they plant ketum plant. He has never heard of that plant before. 

​Heading back to the main road, I came across a dewan (community hall) that looked like a coffee shop from a distance. A woman inside explained they were celebrating Raya, and it was an open house for the villagers. She invited me to eat. It was a feast! There was fried rice, fried noodles, chicken, various vegetables, and even patin fish, along with pulut wrapped in leaves and even iced cordial drink.

​A man named Bex chatted with me, asking how I found the place. He shared some interesting facts. They are followers of the Bahá'í faith, and their "Raya" happened to fall on the same date as Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year. They also fast, but for 19 days, because their calendar consists of 19 months with 19 days each.

​They have three bamboo chalets for rent and a flat camping ground. Bex mentioned that not many people know about the place. Looking at the surroundings, the river was heavenly, but I told him honestly that the bridge's inability to accommodate cars was a drawback. He agreed, and I promised to help promote the place where I could.

​As we were leaving, a group of women invited us for a swim in the river. It was a tough choice, the water was so inviting, but we had a long journey back. Another man on a motorcycle invited us to yet another open house, but we had to politely decline as we were already full. 

​The Semai are the majority tribe in the heartland of Pahang.