Ramadan

We are in the middle of Ramadan, a one-month religious period of fasting and prayer for Muslims and it's taking its toll on our Christian sensibilities.

For starters, it is illegal to be seen in public consuming anything, including water, chewing gum, tobacco and any form of food between sunrise (around 6:10) and sunset (round 6:30). This might not be so bad if it weren't still over 100 degrees most days. And though it does not apply to children (or pregnant women), most people put their kids on a kiddie fast, which means nothing between meals. For us, this means being very discrete about carrying water with us for the kids. If we are seen to be breaking the rules ourselves, the fine can be upwards of $300. On top of this, most shops are closed from 1pm till 8 or so, so taking care of any business or errands during this month, especially if you are a working person, is almost impossible. At work, hotels and even some of the western shopping centers, there are dedicated govt. approved cafes (tucked out of view) where non-muslims can legally eat lunch and drink water, but they're generally not convenient. So pretty much every other day at work, since the special cafe is two buildings away, my co-workers and I suffer headaches and loss of concentration due to dehydration. Fun huh?

On the flipside, because of shortened school and work schedules, people end up spending a lot more quality time at home, with their families, than they do during the rest of the year. It also means that if you do venture out after your kids' bed time, the streets are bustling, the shopping centers have special booths with decorations and Ramadan sweets and tents are set up for late community buffet meals. We've gone to a couple of these Ramadan dinners, called Iftar, and the food is wonderful, with traditional flat breads, spreads made with eggplant, beans and cream, roasted lamb and a local fish called Hamour, and a great variety of desserts made with dates, pistachios and honey. Philanthropic groups take advantage of the period to collect money since people are concerned about the community. The locals are very proud of their maintenance of this tradition, and if you ask them whether fasting is harmful to their bodies and dispositions, they'll tell you that Allah would not do any of his people permanent harm.

At work, though the students do go home early and supposedly get naps, they are all quite tired. Their family responsibilities during Ramadan during the dark hours are important. They eat together, visit the mosque, go out about town with their parents, and therefore they are not only dehydrated, cranky and hungry, but sleep-deprived too. This combination of teachers with headaches and sleepy students makes it very hard for us to accomplish our goals for the month. The cultural experience is definitely what I was after when I took the job, but it will take the whole month to get the hang of the tradition of Ramadan.