Ramadan is upon us...
Experiencing Ramadan, or Ramzaan, in a Muslim country is completely out of our definition of ordinary. Sehri and Iftar times are available in the daily newspapers. There are twinkling (“Christmas”) lights everywhere lighting up large shopping centres and small shops to attract customers and add to the festivities. Because of this extravagant use of electricity, there are extra power failures during the day and they last longer; they call it load shedding, when the government shuts down the power in different parts of the city at different times to economise. The majority of the population is fasting and thus everyone is constantly tired and hungry and work ends at 3:30 instead of 5 to make up for the missed lunch and for the women to go home to prepare Iftari. Those two factors combined with the lack of constant electricity makes me wonder how any work gets done during Ramadan.
Iftar time is amazing, all of the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life comes to a standstill. The previously chaotic traffic virtually disappears as rickshaw wallahs pull over and everyone outside gathers around different tea stalls and in small diners to break their fast with delicious (deep fried) foods. All the small diners and restaurants have Iftari displays outside selling an array of samosas, pakoras, vegetable rolls, bhajias, kababs, jalebi followed by chicken or mutton haleem, khir and dates. At home, families spend Iftar together, traditionally on the floor along with the servants if any. A couple of times we were at internet cafes during Iftar. They stay open but the doors of the actual plaza close so you’re sort of trapped inside for a bit. The men who run the cafe will sit around the front desk and have their Iftari together. Everyone is suddenly so much more religious than usual, everywhere you see men wearing kurtas and topis and most people observe their prayers more frequently than usual. The other day on our way out of an internet cafe at around 8 pm, 20-25 men were seated in the hallway right outside doing namaz on mats as the imam recited the prayers from a nearby mosque on a loudspeaker. We quickly covered our heads with our dupattas and inched away pressed up against the walls so as not to bother them as they gestured and bowed in prayer.
One thing that’s frustrating on the days we’re not fasting is not finding any open food stores before 3:30 pm which is when they start selling Iftari. Out of politeness we sometimes skip lunch, or we’ll eat in one of the offices hidden away in a corner as though we were committing a seriously reprehensible act....
Prices have gone up for produce as well as for salwar kameez and saris for the upcoming Eid festivities. We will get a few days off but we’re not sure when exactly yet because it all depends on the moon. We’re not sure yet but we hope to spend Eid with a family on the first night and then spend the next night or two at the infamous Cox’s Bazaar, home of the longest beach in the world (i haven’t verified that yet but everyone beams with pride when they tell us) which is around 4 hours south of Chittagong.
People are kinder than usual, and smile more despite their hunger as they speak of Eid celebrations. All the women excitedly ask us if we have our bought our Eid outfits yet... I guess we better get on that, seeing as it’s quite an eventful time here.
Ramadan Mubarak!
More photos for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=190i8ygb.18j97143&x=0&y=-h7mop5
Iftar time is amazing, all of the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life comes to a standstill. The previously chaotic traffic virtually disappears as rickshaw wallahs pull over and everyone outside gathers around different tea stalls and in small diners to break their fast with delicious (deep fried) foods. All the small diners and restaurants have Iftari displays outside selling an array of samosas, pakoras, vegetable rolls, bhajias, kababs, jalebi followed by chicken or mutton haleem, khir and dates. At home, families spend Iftar together, traditionally on the floor along with the servants if any. A couple of times we were at internet cafes during Iftar. They stay open but the doors of the actual plaza close so you’re sort of trapped inside for a bit. The men who run the cafe will sit around the front desk and have their Iftari together. Everyone is suddenly so much more religious than usual, everywhere you see men wearing kurtas and topis and most people observe their prayers more frequently than usual. The other day on our way out of an internet cafe at around 8 pm, 20-25 men were seated in the hallway right outside doing namaz on mats as the imam recited the prayers from a nearby mosque on a loudspeaker. We quickly covered our heads with our dupattas and inched away pressed up against the walls so as not to bother them as they gestured and bowed in prayer.
One thing that’s frustrating on the days we’re not fasting is not finding any open food stores before 3:30 pm which is when they start selling Iftari. Out of politeness we sometimes skip lunch, or we’ll eat in one of the offices hidden away in a corner as though we were committing a seriously reprehensible act....
Prices have gone up for produce as well as for salwar kameez and saris for the upcoming Eid festivities. We will get a few days off but we’re not sure when exactly yet because it all depends on the moon. We’re not sure yet but we hope to spend Eid with a family on the first night and then spend the next night or two at the infamous Cox’s Bazaar, home of the longest beach in the world (i haven’t verified that yet but everyone beams with pride when they tell us) which is around 4 hours south of Chittagong.
People are kinder than usual, and smile more despite their hunger as they speak of Eid celebrations. All the women excitedly ask us if we have our bought our Eid outfits yet... I guess we better get on that, seeing as it’s quite an eventful time here.
Ramadan Mubarak!
More photos for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=190i8ygb.18j97143&x=0&y=-h7mop5
posted by Salima :) at 12:37 a.m.
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