Brunei's Local News - Brudirect.com

Bandar Seri Begawan - Hari Raya greeting cards may be on their way to becoming obsolete, hut for some, nothing beats sending or receiving actual cards.

A 24-year-old technical assistant from the Brunei Shell Petroleum Company sees Raya greeting cards as old-fashioned, but she appreciates them for their sentimental value.

"Emails and SMS or MMS (multimedia messaging service) are unique where you can send graphical greeting cards with sounds. However, we

can't just banish the traditional way of sending Hari Raya greeting cards even though we are living in a world full of advanced technology," she said.

Aki, 26, from Tasek Meradun said, "I'm a classic. So I'd prefer the hard copies of greeting cards

and use the postal service. "I've always believed that if you've written on a physical card, you also leave `a touch' on it. Therefore, it brings out the message and it also shows to what extent your efforts are in delivering the message," he added.

Fadz, a 21-year-old undergraduate from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, said sending Raya greeting cards is a must for his loved ones.

"Hari Raya cards with our own handwriting look more sincere (in conveying our messages) than SMS or email. In addition, I can keep the Hari Raya cards I received longer. We can only keep SMS in our phone inbox for a while and when our inbox is full we have to delete some messages whether we like it or not," he said.

He said he found Hari Raya cards more valuable and appreciates the sentimentality behind the cards compared with SMS messages.

"I do not send Hari Raya cards anymore. I send and receive SMS for Hari Raya greetings now. However, I'd be so grateful if I receive Hari Raya cards as it is a very rare thing that occurs nowadays," he said.

Nurakidah, a student from Sayyidina Ali Kuala Belait, prefers using SMS and email to send her Raya greetings.

"Before the SMS became popular, sending Hari Raya cards was the main choice to convey our Hari Raya messages. Now, I prefer to use the SMS because it is more convenient and my friends and family can receive my messages instantly."

However, she still thinks that the conventional way of sending hard copies of Raya cards may be more appreciated by the receiver.

"During my primary school years, receiving Hari Raya cards from friends and relatives were the most anticipated moments during the fasting month. Besides it was really fun towards the Hari Raya celebration; my sisters and I got to decorate our living room by putting the cards on the wall." -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times