When four generations get together..!

I had a very busy Christmas weekend as you can see below. I just love my family and the get together was a great way to end 2011. Story below courtesy of the New Straits Times :)

BATU KIKIR: If you have ever been to a sleepy hollow called Batu Kikir in Negri Sembilan in the 70s, you might have visited a shop belonging to the late Haji Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Ismail.

 

At this shop he made a variety of songkok to be used daily by his customers or even for special occasions. If not for the songkok, you might have visited his shop to post letters or packages for he was the postal service representative before there was an offical Post Office in town. Of Minang blood, the quiet and slim man was also know as Cikgu Hamid to some for before he opened up his songkok business, he was a religious teacher to many.

To commemorate his passing 30 years ago, 200 of his descendants met up in Batu Kikir over the weekend for the inaugural get-together of family members.

Initiated through a formal discussion in facebook by his grandchildren, the get-together took three months of planning and preparataion which culminated in the gathering of four generations - eight remaining sons and daughters of 10 who Haji Abdul Hamid fathered, their children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

The eldest is Haji Baharuddin who turned 78 on Saturday while the youngest is a 2-month old baby - the latest grandchild of the late Haji Abd Aziz, Haji Abdul Hamid's second child.

The two-day event kicked off with a tahlil and a "cukur jambul" ceremony on Saturday and a telematch on Sunday.

The chairman of the family day, Haji Ramli Haji Abdul Hamid - the fourth child of Haji Abdul Hamid - said he was grateful and happy that family members made the effort to attend especially the younger generation.

"I hope this will be a start for them to get to know each other better and forge closer ties. It will be great if they could share stories and inspire each other," he said.

He proudly pointed out that among Haji Abdul Hamid's descendants, there are teachers, businessmen, lawyers and engineers. In fact, they are especially proud of Dr Ezani Monoto Md Monoto - the daughter of Haji Abdul Hamid's third daughter - who is vying to be the first winner of cooking competition Masterchef Malaysia.

Haji Ramli hopes to organise another family day next year.

Read more: 4 generations meet up in Batu Kikir - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/4-generations-meet-up-in-batu-kikir-1.24372##ixzz1hj5LO7aK