Ramadan

The Ramadan month happened to be begin during my volunteering period here in Aceh. I decided that I want to try fasting together with other people. Praying is an important part of Ramadan, people pray more and longer sessions during Ramadan. I am of course not taking part in that, but I am trying to fast with them. Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory for every healthy, grown-up Muslim. Kids, pregnant women and sick people don't have to fast. And girls having their period are not fasting at the time, but they will replace the missed days during the following year.

The little knowledge I thought I had about Muslims's fasting period has been very little and partly mistaken. I thought they would really not be eating at all or that the variety of food you would be allowed to eat during night would be very small. However, as it now appears to me after lots of asking and listening, they can actually eat what they want. The only thing is that eating and drinking is only allowed after about 7pm and before about 5am. I use the word 'about' because actually the call for praying from the Mosque defines the time, but it is approximately around those times.

So I found out that during Ramadan people actually eat and drink at 7pm, a little more between praying and sleeping around midnight, and then they wake up after 4am to eat "Sahur", a meal to prepare them for fasting during the day. Then because they don't eat during the day, they spend their time mostly at home, sleeping, watching TV, or relaxing in some other way, avoiding any physical activity that would make them hungry or thirsty. Of course during working days people will work, but at least in some places I heard they work only half a day during Ramadan. Here in the school students have only religion classes and the days are shorter than normally.

The weekend before Ramadan, people go out on trips with their family and friends. During Ramadan they don't do such things, because it would make them hungry/thursty. All this is very confusing to me. As for eating it sounds like they turn their day and night around. Still 2-3 meals, but during the night. And I really do not understand why drinking water is not allowed during fasting. There is no nutrition value in water, is there? No calories, it just keeps you alive and keeps the dehydration away. No wonder people spend their time inside if water is not allowed, the heat would kill them.

Also, I thought before that fasting means literally being without food. With more knowledge I can say they might actually eat the same amount or almost the same, but just on different time of the 24 hours available.

At first I also thought that it sounds weird to fast if it makes you spend your time just inside, sleep and rest because you don't have energy for more. I thought, what's the point if you miss one whole month of nice activitites you could do with the people you love? After some processing I started to realize that the point might just be in giving up something of the fun, terrestrial and material habits that we have. To concentrate more on the religion, on being good to other people and develop one's mental strengths. It is kind of downshifting for one month, to concentrate on the real important things in life.

Now I have successfully completed four days of fasting. My own dear guardian angel here, Mukhlisa, did her best to keep me from fasting. She was worried about me and she is doing her everything to keep me safe and feeling good here. But I stubbornly denied to break the fast before the correct time to break it, and after two days she understood she cannot change my mind :D So, four days I have been fasting like them, waking up for Sahur at 4.15 and then keeping mind strong until 7pm, when we have eaten a big dinner. For me, as morning-sleepy as I am, the crazy early wakeup is the hardest part of fasting maybe. But somehow, even though getting up so early is tough for me, I smile just at the thought of it. I do think it is crazy and the people here are crazy to do it for one whole month, but then - I like a little crazy people. And there is definately something fascinating about it, how strong is the power that combines all these people and gets them year after year to repeat these bizarre traditions. There is something really powerful and amazing in that.

For me, out of the four days I have fasted, second and third were the most difficult days. The first day was holiday, so we were mostly inside resting and spending time with students in the dormitory. Inside it's cooler, thanks to air conditioning. On the fourth day we had so many activities all day through, that there was not so much time to about being hungry or thirsty. On the other hand during the second and the third day there was not so much activities, which gives the brain time to think about food and how many hours is left before breaking the fast. Time goes slowly when you are waiting.

After eating too much at the dinner, we have spend a good time with my teacher friends lying on the floor, being too full to move, chatting, teaching each other our languages and just having fun. I really like it, and I am so happy to have become closer to these awesome teachers friends. We are having so much fun together! Saya sangat senang.