MY FIRST TRIP OVERSEAS

I WAS 14 YEARS OLD WHEN I TRAVELED TO SAUDI ARABIA.I FOLLOWED MY PARENTS AND AUNTIES AND GRANDAUNT TO PERFORMED UMRA AT MAKKAH AND MADINAH FOR 10 DAYS. IT TAKES 7 HOURS TO JEDDAH AND TRANSIT AT DUBAI AIRPORT.WE SLEEPOVER AT DUBAI HOTEL NEARBY AIRPORT FOR FEW HOURS BEFORE COULD CONTINUE JOURNEY TO JEDDAH.I COULD REMEMBER THAT WE WENT THERE A WEEK BEFORE RAMADHAN AND BACK TO MALAYSIA A WEEK OF RAMADHAN.



WE STAYED AT MADINAH FOR FEW DAYS BEFORE GOING TO MAKKAH BY VAN. WE WITH FEW OTHERS JEMAAH IN ONE GROUP LEAD BY ONE USTAZ WHO ALSO BROUGHT HIS FAMILY .FASTING IN MAKKAH NOT SAME WHEN FASTING IN MALAYSIA.IN MAKKAH,WE BREAKFAST ON 5PM,WHICH IS MAGHRIB TIME.WE JUST ATE KURMA AND DRANK HOLY WATER BEFORE PRAY MAGHRIB PRAYER.AFTER THAT,WE COULD CONTINUE OUR MEAL BEFORE PERFORM ISYAK PRAYER AND TERAWIKH PRAYER.

THAT TIME,THE WEATHER SO HOT. OUR SAHOOR TIME IS ON 3 AM .WE ALSO PERFOMED TERAWIKH PRAYER FOR 20 RAKAAT BUT WITH LONG AL QURAN RECITAL BY MAKKAH IMAM.I CAN SEE A LOT IF FOREIGNERS ALSO PERFORM THEIR UMRA BUT IN DIFFERENT ATTIRE AND WAY.I COULD REMEMBER MY AUNT LOVES TO SALAM PEOPLE.SO,WE FOLLOWED HER WAY AND BY THE TIME I SHAKE HAND ONE OF ARABIC LADY,SHE SUDDENTLY HUGGED ME.I LOOKED LIKE ARAB GIRL.MY FATHER 'S GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS FROM MAKKAH.SO,HIS SIDE OF FAMILY MOSTLY LOOK LIKE ARAB PEOPLE BUT MY FACE REALLY OBVIOUS MORE ON ARAB LOOK.

WHEN WE WERE AT MAKKAH,IT WAS ON MY BIRTHDAY.I CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY ON RAMADHAN TIME AND AT HOLY PLACE.

WE BACK TO MALAYSIA ON THE DAY OUR LATE SULTAN SELANGOR/YANG DIPERTUAN AGONG PASSED AWAY.IT WAS HIS FUNERAL DAY.I WAS NOT READY TO WEAR HIJAB AFTER THAT.I WORE HIJAB AT SCHOOL BUT ,OUTSIDE,I WAS FREE HAIR.I WAS FREE HAIR FROM YOUNG AGE TILL 15 YEARS OLD. THEN,MY AUNT ASKING ME WHERE IS MY HIJAB WHEN I WENT HER HOUSE.SINCE THEN,I TRIED TO WEAR FULLY HIJAB.