It's our first Ramadan overseas. Life is very different during this month.
1. We don't eat or drink in public during the day. At school I have windows lining the wall, and the only blind spot is to sit directly under the window. So, we frequently have lunch pressed up against my wall. We aren't using our balconies at home much, either. Many of the teachers 'suffer' because it's cramping their morning coffee routine!
2. Very few people are out and about during the day. Summer-time Ramadan is difficult because it is very hot, but people can't drink. As a result, the beaches have been vacant, meaning we've had wonderful swimming/snorkeling expeditions where I can freely swim without being watched.
3. Sharing break and lunch time with my friends usually involves reclining in the staff room, with many girls sleeping; we don't talk much. It's a relatively new issue for them to have to work during their month of fasting. The two don't mix very well.
4. School starts half and hour later to acknowledge the fact that local students and staff stay up all night. In fact, during this month they virtually switch their body clocks: sleeping during the day, and waking up to celebrate with big meals and late-night shopping trips.
5. The sunset call to prayer is around 7:30pm - marking the time when they can begin to eat. Around 7pm begins "The Soup Race," so named for the first course of the meal - soup. It is wisest to be off the roads and sidewalks during this time because cars fly by at 100mph in a rush to get home and eat. It is amazing to watch, but also scary!
6. Stores open around 10pm. We took a family out shopping for a piano, leaving at 9:45 and returning home around 1am. Last night we went to a concert of traditional music which began at 10pm and after wading through traffic, we got home again around 1am. These nights are hard to pull off on with school in the morning!
7. Some nights Jared's friends pick him up around 10pm and they cruise around town drinking coffees and eating ice creams until he returns home and falls into bed at 4am. Those 7:50am school staff meetings come early, even if they are half an hour later to 'make up' for Ramadan.
8. But I think the best part of Ramadan for me is the TV. They have special shows produced just for this month - but they also show AFV (America's Funniest Home Videos) EVERY NIGHT! Some of you know how much I enjoy that show. It feels good in my soul to laugh hard, and when this month is over I will miss AFV the most!
Posts
