Ramadan Kareem!

[DubaiSis]

Today is the first day of Ramadan, and living in the Middle East it is a very interesting time. First, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day for a month and that includes drinking of any kind. The work day is generally shorter (my husband's hours are 9-3 instead of 8-5), and although non-Muslims are allowed to eat and drink, you're not allowed to be SEEN doing so. There are restaurants open, but they will very much look closed.

The good part of Ramadan, even for a non-Muslim and in fact non-religious person, is that it is a time of introspection. People are more generous, like Christmas time in the western world. Giving food to the poor is a very important part of what happens during this month. Then there's Iftar. Iftar is the breaking of the fast, which will be at approximately 7 PM. There is a religious ritual that happens right on the dot, but then after is DINNER. Every restaurant in town will be serving an Iftar buffet which will have a wide array of foods. And as a non-Muslim, we will be sitting there waiting for the prayer to finish so that we can dig in. You are NOT allowed to start until the appointed time. But then the party starts, and continues on until the wee hours of the morning, every day for a month! Although Muslims fast all day, this is a time of weight gain because they party so much during this time. No, they don't drink alcohol, but with all the food and fruit juices, along with the late nights and diminished exercise (who can think about exercise when you're hungry and tired?), it's a calorie bonanza. Our first year here we went to several Iftars, much to the distress of my waistline. This year we will go to a work/family Iftar and probably one or two others.

The bad part of Ramadan? The worst part is that people are CRANKY, and justifiably so. Especially during the first few days of Ramadan it is best to limit your driving. There is a lot of road rage, and the effect of the fatigue and dehydration is like being drunk so people do really stupid stuff on the road, which of course feeds the road rage. Another annoyance is that everything is just thrown off. I generally meet with girlfriends a couple times a week for coffee or lunch. There will be places open for these things, but only limited places will get licenses to be open during the day, so figuring out where you can go takes some work.

And let's not forget that it's HOT here in the desert, but the outdoor workers do have to continue working. The rule is they are supposed to try to go as long as they can before giving in and getting water. It's not my place to try to fix this policy/behavior, but I find it very frustrating that people risk their health in the name of religion. Yes, people die from participating in Ramadan and that's a crying shame. This year and the next several are going to continue to be beastly through the entirety of Ramadan, which is 10 days earlier every year.

Ramadan Kareem is the greeting people say to each other, as well as Ramadan Mubarak. They more or less mean Happy Ramadan or Blessed Ramadan.

Although I'm not a Muslim, I have worked for a cultural center here so if you have any questions about Ramadan, I'm glad to answer. I will do my best to find you the answers if they reach beyond my knowledge.