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| Lutfiana (third from right) is celebrating Eid al-Fitr in an Arab country (Photo: By courtesy) |
Various unique and interesting stories came from several academicians of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) who celebrated their Eid abroad. Some say that the Sheikh Zayed mosque of the United Arab Emirates is crowded during Eid prayers, some are hunting for Indonesian food in Uncle Sam's country. There are even foreign students who have to be willing to not pray with their families in Egypt as usual. Even so, they still enjoy it and consider it an unforgettable experience.
One of the White Campus academicians is Bayu Darmala. According to him, the atmosphere of Ramadan in the United States is quite different from that in his hometown. In America, the culture of mutual forgiveness, greetings or greetings is not very visible.
“After the Eid prayer, I did not see people shaking hands like what is in Indonesia. At the house of one of the seniors, no one was seen carrying out the sungkeman procession," he said.
Bayu said that he and eight other friends performed Eid prayers at the Tucson Convention Centre. The place is usually used for concerts, parties, and others.
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They also could not visit the nearest consulate general because it was quite far from Arizona. His location is in Los Angeles which takes at least ten hours from his residence, Arizona.
Bayu also felt lucky because one of the mothers from Indonesia invited him to come to the house. Not only Bayu, but also other Indonesians who also celebrate Eid. Various foods have been served such as satay, rendang, lontong to opor.
"Thank God, I was able to come to Mrs. Fatimah's house. Usually, we call him bu lurah. Lots of food, lots of experience stories that make the atmosphere here feel like home," said the White Campus staff.
Flying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is Lutfiana Sausan who is also studying and gaining knowledge. Although he and his friends left for the mosque at 05.00 in the morning, in fact, the gates of the Sheikh Zayed mosque were closed. Even already filled by hundreds of worshipers. Even though the Eid prayer will only start at 07.00 am.
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“So we have to be willing to worship outside the fence. I'm a little disappointed, but this has been an interesting foreign experience for me," he said.
After the prayer, Lutfi, as he was called, did not go to the embassy. Incidentally, he was invited to eat Eid specialties at one of his friends' relatives not far from the prayer location. Chicken Opor and lontong are certainly the targets of the food he immediately eats because Lutfi rarely eats Indonesian food which is rich in spices.
Unfortunately, he did not have time to mingle with other Muslim foreign students. That's because most of them prefer to visit the mall after prayer, while he prefers to visit his friends' relatives. "Even so, we still exchange messages to congratulate each other on Eid as fellow Muslim brothers," he explained.
Lutfi also did not forget to contact his family in the country. Interestingly, he can't use Whatsapp to make video calls. There is a special application called BOTIM that must be used. That way he can only see the face and condition of the person being called.
"I certainly pray that my friends who dream of studying in other countries can continue to maintain hope. There will be complaints, but believe me, there will be a bright ending at the end of the road," said Lutfi.
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| Baby (second from right) with friends celebrating Eid in America (Photo: Courtesy) |
There is also Ahda Mutiari Hifdhi who is undergoing a student exchange program in Thailand. He considered that the Eid prayers there were not as busy and early as in Indonesia. Many empty places are available, Eid prayer also starts at eight in the morning. In contrast to Indonesia, which usually starts at seven or even six in the morning.
“I prayed at the Songkla Central Mosque. It doesn't feel like a holiday because it's rare to hear takbir. It doesn't even sound like it. But Alhamdulillah, the euphoria of Eid al-Fitr began to be felt when he arrived at the mosque's yard," he explained.
As for Ahda, as she is affectionately known, she got the opportunity to study in Thailand's White Elephant Country thanks to the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awars (IISMA) scholarship from the government. He will study at one of the overseas campuses for one semester. Precisely at Songkla University Hat Yai Campus. Previously, a number of UMM students had also left for several countries. Some flew to England, Scotland, and even Italy.
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Back in Indonesia, there is Rania Hamdi Ramadan Elsayed, an Egyptian foreign student who is busy completing her master's degree in management at the White Campus. If many people like chicken opor, then not with Rania. In fact, he prefers Malang meatballs, which have become his favorite menu since he set foot in Malang.
“When I'm sad, I usually go straight to looking for Malang meatballs so I can be happy again. Likewise, when I have to live my fourth Eid away from my family as it is now," he wrote.
Even so, he admitted that he was happy and happy to be able to celebrate Eid in Indonesia. The main reason is that Indonesian people are kind, friendly, and smiley. Even some of his neighbors provide food to eat after the Eid prayer.
“I am very grateful that I am still surrounded by other Muslim friends. So it's still crowded. There are also some foreign student friends who gather to eat together," concluded Rania. (wil)
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