Daily Jots @ d2zone.netMy jots and almost everything else under the sun

Watching local dramas on TV sometimes bores me to death. This is because most of the local TV dramas are not up to standard where I can express my appreciation for a job well done. However, one new local drama caught my attention.

“Kami” went on air on since 5th September 2007, and I never miss any of it. Kami caught the local TV by storm and gained popularity since the first episode. I fell in love with it too. To me, it is “the” best local drama so far. In another word, Kami rocks!… big time!

Kami is an eight episode TV series where the 8th episode will be halted abruptly and left “hanging” without an ending. Kami The Movie will be released in cinemas sometime in 2008 to complete the story. I think it’s a good gimmick to gained popularity through the silver screen, leaving it hanging and then to finish it as a film. Well, I know I will not miss the movie.

The TV series in starred by 5 young and talented youngsters, Liyana Jasmay as Lyn, Syarul Ezani as Ali, Juliana Sophie Johari Evans as Sophie, Nas Muammar Zar @ Nas-T as Abu and Ani Zayanah Ibrahim as Adii.

The show is about the youngsters dealing with the challenges of living in the suburb, as they strive to discover their identity and talents. Kampung girl Lyn, played by Liyana Jasmay is a talented young writer who goes under a pseudonym Teka-Teki, produces her own “comic publication” called Kami, which also happens to be the name of the series.

Then comes Ali played by Ezani who loves the Kami comic books and recently got out of rehab due to stress and family problems. His parents then decided to transfer him from a private school to an all boy school. There he met Abu and they become best friends after they got involved in a fight with each other.

Adii is Ali’s cousin and happens to be Sophie’s best friend. Ali went to Adii’s house one day and there he met Sophie and the two fell in love. They dated a while until one day Ali fails to let Sophie know of his past life as a “user” but due to miscommunication between the two, they broke up but remained as close friends.

The story unravels as the episode goes. You will notice the relations as well as how the 5 youngsters became friends and how their daily lives inter-connected with each other.

Weird isn’t it? A 31-year-old guy loves this kind of TV dramas that in actual fact targeted for teens. This clearly shows that I’m still young at heart. Heh heh. Okay, that’s not the point. Point is, Kami sets a new standard of local TV dramas.

If the crescent moon is sighted on Friday, then Aidilfitri will be on Saturday. Then it is confirmed that it’s only 3 days to go till Raya. *sigh*

Have anyone noticed that Raya comes early this year? It felt like it was only last week when we all started the fasting month. How time flies. In a few days time, it’s Raya and after that it’s back to normal.

Times was so much different when I was a kid. Going through a month of fasting felt like eternity, waiting anxiously for Raya days to come. But it was so much fun then. I remember Raya as really Rayaing, celebrating it like a mad person. Maybe because at that time I was still eligible for ang-pows or in this case, cheng-pows (coz it’s green in colour). Yeah, I was really looking forward to that. Now Raya felt like any other day. It’s just another Saturday kinda thing.

Maybe it’s a feeling everyone is starting to feel, or maybe it’s just me.

I guess celebrating Raya in Kampungs are much more fun. When I say kampung, I really meant real kampungs.

I had a discussion with my colleague early on and he said that Raya is boring nowadays, except those who celebrates it in the kampung, a real kampung. A traditional Malay kampung house overlooking a huge padi field with close relatives living nearby. Then the night before Raya they would all get together at the grandparent’s house and all of them would catch up on old times. The pakciks would sit outside and bakar the lemang or kacau the dodol. Then the makciks would be in the kitchen cooking up rendangs, make ketupats and meals for Raya. Kids would run around the compound playing with bunga api and light up the pelita around the house. THAT is the kind of feeling I would love to have. THAT is the real Raya for us Malaysians. It WAS like that when I was a kid, and I miss those days…

*sigh*

Well, still. I wish all my muslim friends out there… Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin.