Michelle May

Happy end of Ramadan to all my friends who are Muslim, and Happy Rosh Hashanah to all my Jewish pals.  I hope you have ALL had amazing holidays.  I started Ramadan out in Egypt- on a foluca on the Nile River (above).  At the time i could not fathom how any individual- moreless a whole society (& in reality, many societies around the world) all go through a month of fasting together.  It would be great to try something like that in America- the whole of society participating in it.  No matter, I truly commend you for what you have done.  I know many of my friends look forward to Ramadan as a time of reflection & getting back to basics of what is important in life.  In a way i have had to have my own mini version of that coming back to the US.  It was a rocky return but in all i now feel focused, positive & ready for all the work & good deeds to come.  Happy New Year & Eid Mubarek my pretties!

Tags: Cairo, Ramadan.

I began the Ramadan season in Cairo Egypt with my friends, a sweet Egyptian Family. I am familiar with the concept of fasting-  but was again reminded that the period of fasting that goes on during Ramadan is a bit different from what i am used to.  First and most staggering to me is that people do not even drink water during Ramadan fasting.  When they fast they actually refrain from putting *anything* in their body- food, and drink- including water- which to me is the most difficult to give up.  Add to that, most Egyptians I met smoke- so not only do they give up food, drink and water cold turkey, they also give up smoking, which is quite something…. Another diffreence b/t Ramadan fasting & the fasting I’ve done is that once the sun goes down you can eat/drink/smoke.  Based on conversations i had with friends there & media reports I read (see: comics since i do not read Arabic), it seems like an entire society slows down during this period- becoming a bit nocturnal and not very productive- in western terms.  that said, many are productive in their faith, self exploration and doing good deeds for others; all things encouraged during this time. 

I have gone without drink & food for 15 days before- i did this in the US & faced so much opposition for it from friends & passers by, so it was really something special to see an entire society fasting toegther- supporting one another- and even the government and businesses supporting this slowing down in order to reflect, think of others & appreciate.  Most Muslims i spoke to about Ramadan said that the purpose of it is to really feel and remember what those less fortunate go through- they do not have things such as food, or drink or smoke- and many do not even have access to clean water (b/c you know I *kept* asking about that aspect of the fast).  I actually think that our society could gain so much if we all stopped and started to apprecaite the very basic things that we do have- including water.   Maybe then we would focus less about the luxuries we think we don’t have, but want? 

Tags: Cairo, Egypt, Ramadan.