Saturday, October 16th, 2004

I forgot to mention, yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. This holiday happens once a year and is a time of fasting and abstaining from all sorts of things. The days work like this: at 5 am or so everyone gets up and prepares a breakfast. You eat and are merry. Closer to six, the imam does the first call to prayer. From then on, no one may eat, or drink, or smoke, or have sex, or really anything else that might be a pleasure for your body. This lasts for about 12 hours, until the evening call to prayer once it is dark. Dinner is prepared to be ready to eat after the prayer. Once it is called, everyone feasts!

The fasting is considered a gift to God, to show that you will sacrifice bodily urges for spiritual fulfillment. Many say it’s also a good way to understand what it is like to not to have enough food, water, etc. For me, it’s also a great way to understand a bit more about Islam. I have been fasting for the first two days. It’s interesting. I’ve been much more tired, a bit more irritable, and incredibly thirsty. I’m talking parched!!!! I hate to imagine what the serious smokers feel like, as they must go without ciggies each day for 12 hours!

After my first day of fasting, I went to Selo’s house for dinner. It was very nice: soup, bread, salad, garlicy spinach stuff, eggplant with minced meat, and pudding. After such a meal I couldn’t help but pass out. I woke up at 10 pm, stayed and drank tea for an hour, then went home. Partied out. This could be a problem; I’m so tired anyway that fasting just kicks my butt. I might have to alternate days, or take a rest every three days, or something like that. I need to make sure I stay healthy.