written on September 26...
No excuses. I haven't blogged in way too long. Though I'm sick (with what they call the Kuwaiti crud), tired, and distracted by the lazy life that exists during Ramadan, I have no excuses for my tardiness.
So let me start at the beginning.
Ramadan: It's the time of year that Muslims honor the Qur'an being revealed to the prophet Mohammed. This always occurs during the ninth month (of the Islamic calendar) and is determined by the cycle of the new moon. During Ramadan, Muslims are diligent about praying and fast during the daylight hours. The idea is that fasting will teach people to be patient, cooperation, humility, and sacrifice. It is the job of Muslims to seek forgiveness for past sins and work towards good deeds in the present. What this really means is--life stops for a whole month! Schools and business open late, close early, then open after Iftar and life begins at 8pm.
Our take on Ramadan: Rob and I are so done with Ramadan. By the time we are home from school, stores are closed. You can't get any work done between 3.00 and 7.30 pm. And since our kids are asleep by 8.00, we're in a lot! We can't wait for Eid (the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan) because life should get back to normal. That means, grocery shopping and errands during the day. Drinking water or grabbing a snack during the day is OK. Just three more days!
Gurgiyan: a children's celebration to mark the halfway point of Ramadan. Kids dress up in ethnic costumes (mostly Arabic) and knock on people's door (much like our Halloween). In lieu of "trick-of-treat" children sing a little Arabic tune which earns them sweet treats. In America, "trick-or-treat" earns a couple bite-size Snickers or a set of jelly vampire teeth. Here, a Gurgiyan song earns you a bag full of candy.
Our take on Gurgiyan: With a few girlfriends in toe, we spent the weekend before the big day going Gurgiyan dress shopping. This was harder than we expected because Gurgiyan is really just a kids day. But, when you're a teacher, it's kind of expected that you participate. Xavier's dishdasha (the long, white men's robe that is matched with a variety of scarf-like head dresses, held to the head by a black band) and Anouk's dress (which has a name that I cannot remember) were easy to find.
Gurgiyan is the total opposite of Ramadan. It's full of indulgence and abundance--which all take form as little sweets. Yes, CANDY! Holy crap. I've never seen this much candy in my life. I think our little threesome (Xavier, Anouk, and I--since Rob is part of the high school and they don't celebrate) brought home over 4 lbs. of candy. After unwrapping toys, gifts, treasure boxes, and candy, I kept a stash for the kids and returned copious amounts to our respective classrooms as student rewards after Ramadan.
The one aspect to keep from Gurgiyan is the costuming. Kids dress in ethnic clothing (mostly Arabic) and look adorable. In addition, we adults get to learn a lot about the costuming from different Arab states, so it's a lesson for me too!
Iftar: During Ramadan, iftar is the time of night when a family meets together to break their fast. Iftar occurs after the Maghrib (sunset) prayers (and for us non-Muslims are irrerevrently referred to as the "call to eat" prayers). As the prayers begin, families all over the Arab world break fast with a date (or two) and a drink of water. The families then make their way to the mosque for their Maghrib prayers (the fourth set of prayers for the day). Once this is completed, the iftar begins and families begin their evening feast which often lasts for hours. Because people have not eaten all day, their stomach's cannot handle much food. For this reason, most iftar celebrations include a lavish display of food and is eaten into the wee hours of the morning.
Our take on Iftar: Our school holds a fancy iftar dinner at a hotel every year. We couldn't make it because we were a family full of sickies. So I was incredibly excited when an Arabic and Islamic teacher, at the school, personally invited me to the Religion staff's iftar at our school. As I walked up to the high school canteen area (an area near our school's indoor gym and the school mosque), the ceiling was lined with student-made lanterns (or fanous as they are called in Arabic) and a table was all laid with beautiful colored papers, bowls of dates, and glasses of water. About a hundred students, teachers, and parents milled around this table waiting to hear the Maghrib. As the prayers rang loud from the distance, the mass flocked swiftly to the table to grab a date and a glass of water. I was stunned how gentle everyone was. After two or three dates, the group migrated to the mosque while us non-Muslims quietly waited for the iftar to begin.
About 10 minutes later, the Muslim group returned from the mosque and the iftar began with a decadent display of food. The food was amazing. The most delicious chicken in a mildly spicy gravy with spices I've never heard of or tasted before was my favorite (but since then, I've since forgotten the name of the chicken loveliness). This and about 10 other beautiful meat dishes were complimented with at least 50 sides: from salads to breads, rice dishes to cold vegetable platters-- it was a feast for sure.
The iftar was followed by a lecture, in the school's mosque, by a world-renowned theologian. The lecture was intended to educate people on the holy month of Ramadan but quickly evolved into a comparison between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (with a strong focus on the latter as superior). It was interesting though a little preachy.
The most interesting thing he said, in a way of discussing radicals like Osama bin Laden, was that there is a distinct difference between Arabs and Muslims. He said that most Muslims are just Muslims because their parents are. This theologian called this type of Muslim: an Arab. He said that Islam is a chosen religion and you must believe and practice the religion, which, in it's simplest form is a religion based on love, respect, and cleanliness (of body and soul). He said Arabs fight, are disrespectful to others, and do not keep themselves or their communities clean. He said that when he walks around Kuwait (and even our school) he notices more Arabs than Muslims.
So that's it. That's what we've been up to during the holy month. Not much, but a lot of cultural learning has happened. My next post will be soon... inshallah (god willing). Inshallah is how everything gets done here: "your apartment will be ready soon [pregnant pause], inshallah." "This medicine should make you better [a brief pause], inshallah." "Your civil ID will be here by the end of the week [giggle, giggle], inshallah."
So again... my next post will be soon [with a little grimmace] inshallah.
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