Ramadan

I finally got wireless internet to work (for now, of course) on my computer so I'm taking advantage of it and I thought I should do another blog today. The other one seemed too brief since I was in an internet café with a couple of other girls.

Today was my first official day of experiencing Ramadan that started August 22nd and goes until September 22nd. So I arrived in the beginning of the yearly event. In a nutshell, it's basically a time for Muslims to fast (sawn) from dawn until dusk in order to focus on their faith. They don't eat, drink, nor smoke in public. Along with prayer chants that are announced throughout the city to remind people to pray as part of their pilgrimage. It's a happy time of year for families to reflect and to spend time with each other, especially during Iftaar after a long day of no eating nor drinking. Okay, okay...so I cheated a little. Several people and I bought some water and snacks to eat privately in our room so we didn't disrespect those who were fasting. Actually, all I had today was drink water and eat a couple of Pringles. I think that study abroad jitters in my stomach helped me not feel hungry. To pass the day away, we sat in the hotel lounge to greet students who were arriving at various times. In all, there is 80 of us. To get some fresh air and exercise, several of us walked around to find banks, internet cafés, and good places to take pictures. It was a very relaxful day for me to soak in the reason why I'm studying here. Then at 7PM, we had Iftaar, which is the evening meal long awaited for after fasting. So dinner was my first Middle Eastern cuisine and it was amazing.

Well, that was basically the highlight of my day. Learning about Ramadan and experiencing Iftaar. Tomorrow, we're going to the Dead Sea where people just bob in the water since the salt content is ridiculously high. But Dead Sea salt and mud does wonders to the skin. Anybody want some? lol. Hopefully, I'll have internet connection again, tomorrow, but if not, you'll know why.