Excess baggage

When people come back from performing hajj or umrah,they will bring a lot of gift for family and friends. The gifts usually ketayap, tasbih or minyak atar for man and scarves ,celak or henna for ladies. To the loved ones or close friends they might give bigger things like sejadah or jubah. I remember those days we used to get all these things from relatives and friends.

So, when our turn came to perform hajj, we find it so difficult to buy things for souveniors. We have to count every relatives and friends and buy things that suit them. One of my sister in law is very clever to choose the gifts for all of us. She will bring back things for all her brothers and sisters and their spouses plus all their children. Not to mention for those who come to visit her. Somehow she will have enough of things for everybody.

I wonder how some people can bring so many things back home. Once this was the topic of conversations between me and my friends. Finally I got to know one secret. They told me ( I was in Kedah at that time ), usually when they come back from Makkah they will go to Pekan Rabu Alor Setar to buy extra ketayap, minyak atar ,sejadah or tasbih. Now I understand why some people have endless things to give each and everyone who came visiting.

I was very attracted to handmade carpets sold by Iranian people during hajj time those days in the 80's. I was really tempted to buy them,but my husband warned me , if we had excess baggage I had to choose, either the carpet or me got to stay back. But now things become so easy, one can buy anything without worrying about baggage, they can post right from there to their hometown.