I admit, I was warned before I left the United States that I was entering a Middle Eastern country during Ramadan and that it was going to be difficult. Hiding in a bathroom stall at the mall to drink water – difficult, is not the word I would use to describe that!
I always believed mono was the ‘best diet ever’, I was mistaken. Ramadan is the best diet ever! From sun up to sun down, there is absolutely no consuming of food or drink in public. Even chewing gum is frowned upon. And, when I say frowned upon, I mean the cab driver shoots you a dirty look in the rear view mirror like you just tossed a puppy out the window.
The highlight last week, that many of us were talking about, was going to a furniture store that offered us water and soda in the middle of the day. The gentlemen pointed us to a fridge and said, “help yourselves”. I thought it was a trap. For certain, we would pop the top and men would repel down from the ceiling and cuff us and take us away! Okay, so I might be slightly exaggerating, but after three weeks of not being allowed to drink water in public, it felt very strange that he was offering us drinks. Don’t get me wrong, we all took them. I actually had two bottles of water while I was there, but it still felt…unnatural.
In the weeks leading up to the end of Ramadan, people I met told me that once it was over, the city would be completely different. I had no idea that it would change this much. Last week, going to the mall was quite the ordeal. First, you had to be there between 10am and 2pm, because that’s the only time the stores were opened during the day – if they were open at all. Or, you could go back at 8pm until 1 or 2 in the morning (because the stores were open then). Either way, the amount of people in the stores could be counted on one hand. However, this week, it is completely different. A friend of mine waited 2 hours to catch a taxi from the mall; a wait that last week was less than 5 minutes. I went earlier this week to pick up a few things and I was being bumped into left and right. It was like going to the state fair; packed, sweaty bodies everywhere!
Even the drive to the mall was a transformation. There were actually people outside, everywhere. I even saw a couple of people running, in the middle of the day in this 180 billion degree weather!
This city actually comes to life. It has awoken from it’s slumber and it’s amazing to see the metamorphoses that has taken place everywhere I look. I ate a sandwich today, in a cafe, at the grocery store, in public, at three in the afternoon! Last week, the store wasn’t even open at that time.
As a westerner learning a new culture and struggling to understand the people I am surrounded by, I am in awe at the dedication an entire nation has to a religion. Yes, in the US we have holidays that are recognized by the government and the government offices shut down. But, we have nothing to this extent…grocery stores, banks, diners – everything closed, because it’s time to celebrate! It’s a pretty fantastic experience to be a part of!…and even better, I can now carry my water bottle in my hand, I no longer have to hide it from the world!
Room to Whistle 