Ramadan's Journal #4

Many travel guides advise against travelling during Ramadan. Lonely Planet Guide explains: "During the Muslim month of fasting, many Cafés and restaurants are closed during daylight hours, while sights and offices are open for reduced and erratic hours". That is absolutely right to those backpacking or going for the first time to a place they have never been. For those who live in the countries where the majority is fasting, it's a good option to...

...be on the road. Since people should dedicate themselves to prayer, it isn't a time to go on holidays, and, therefore, the pricesor accomodation become very accecible. ;-)

If you have an all inclusive packet, the new moon will be the only remanbrance that Ramadan has started.

The Sufi Dance will be out of place. It's incredible how much mastery the dancer has, but at this time of the year, it's a mere turistic thing. (Why? Read about Sufi Dance HERE or wait until I write someday about Sufism).

Well, for us who aren't taking part, let's enjoy and dance:

Folk Dance - People of the Desert

Folk Dance - Sea people;

Folk Dance - Whatever.

Ramadan's Journal #3

As the Olympic Games approaches, I was wondering how Muslim athletes would cope with fasting. Al Jazeera's article came at the right time:

So, it seems that they have the choice, to a certain extent, to add extra days after the official season or to do it in another occasion (for moderate minds), as it applies to expectant women or sick people . One think I thought interesting, was Maher Abu Rmeileh, the Palestinian judokka pointing out that  Ramadan isn't just fasting, but also dedication to prayer. So, it doesn't make much sense to stop eating and drinking, but keep practising.

Ramadan's Journal #2

The main advice people gave for the Ramadan's season was to not eat or drink in the public spaces, during fasting time. Even though, many of us are not fasting, it's a sign of respect for those who are.

Yesterday, it wasn't very hard, because I left home in the morning to meet a friend. Then, she gave me lift back home. Then I left again for a game's evening in the neighbourhood and came back home. I could easily avoid drinking water during my public appearances.

But today I wanted to backpack in the city, that is, to have a map in a hand and lot of curiosity to visit non-touristic places. Without water that was hard. And I was getting hungry, hungry... finally I end up in an until now unknown haven - an amazing bookshop, probably the best in town - and they had a clean toillet (very much like in Brazil, that's rare)! So I could refresh myself. And they had a garden, as well. So, I confess, I went to the garden to sneak some food I had brought from home.

If it's Ramadan, you end up fasting with everybody else - involuntarily. =) 

Ramadan's Journal - #1

Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting. You may ask why, if I'm not a Muslim, I am writing a Ramadan's Journal. It's because Ramadan isn't something you do if you feel like doing it. It's not like Lent, in Western countries, that you think you can even choose what are you living without for the season of fasting (like, eating meat, but not eating chocolate, because you are chocoholic and it's going to be much more difficult to live without cocoa in your veins than without meat - that's at least the excuse commonly given, if any is given). Ramadan is mandatory. Therefore, starting from today, the world have a large part of  its population, who is fasting. It may influence more our life than you and I ever thought of it. ;-)

Now, since I'm living in MENA, it is obviously going to influence, change and challenge my life in a daily basis - after all a whole country is fasting. Do you have any idea of what this means? I still don't, but I'm about to discover. And since the purpose of this blog is to share my everyday experiences, I thought it would be interesting to share with friends some insights, surprises, curiosities and whatever else happens. I will try to blog everyday for the next 30 days, so stay tuned.

If you got interested on the theme, you can read a quick article in Al Jazeera website. If you want some more information, try the Wikipedia entry for Ramadan.

To make it absolutely clear, it is not my aim either to attack or to promote Ramadan. Let's keep an open mind & heart and be open to dialogue & tolerance. =)

Have a nice weekend!

You're arriving at home after a long day exhausted, thirsty and hungry - and what is your reward for all that?

This... 

 

Enjoy your weekend! (No, it isn't wrong. Weekend here is Friday. People work from Saturday to Thursday, so my weekend is indeed tomorrow. =P) 

Days like this

It was Van Morrison who sang first:

When noone steps on my dreams

there'll be days like this

When people understand what I mean

there'll be days like this

When you bring out the changes

of how everything is

Well my momma told me

there'll be days like this. 

Days like this:

- you wake up late and starving of hunger, but you can remember all the verbs in the present and in the past in your Arabic class' quiz;
- you need to walk, to take a taxi, metro line 1, metro line 2, another taxi to get to lovely people who are going away. You arrive there and can't stop mixing German and Arabic, but leave energized. Now, it's time to come back all the way: taxi-metro-metro-taxi-walking and no taxi driver tries to cheat you; \O/
- you have just seated in the metro, but a mom with a baby comes in. You give your sit to her, people get moved (they always do, it's so sweet) and take your backpack while you stand. The baby has an eldest sister, the sister tries to talk to you and doesn't care about your "survival" Arabic (highlight of the day!). You buy nice biscuits for 50 cents (less than 0.10 USD) of the vendor who comes in your wagon and people even remember you, the station you want is the next... (at this point I was already daydreaming).

So, there are days like this. Sing along!!!

¡Viva La España!

Just to make sure, that I'm updated with things in the outside world. For instance:

CLUBE ATLÉTICO MINEIRO (the football team I support in Brazil) is now in the FIRST place in the National Championship. \O/ Gaaaallloooooo!!!!

Spain has won Euro 2012 and defeated Italy. Everything was special:


- Italy is a traditional opponent of the Brazilian football team; 
- Italy had defeated Germany, which I was supporting firstly; 
- they won the Azuris 4 - 0;
- I can celebrate with Taiana & Rober who are now in Spain and share of their happiness.

So, this is to recall the song I sang in their wedding's party (it's in French, but it's all about how Spanish mood is sooo cool) ;-)