It's been exactly one week since Kris and I returned from our vacation and we're just now getting adjusted and settled back into Doha. At the end of July we boarded our flights for our long awaited trip back to our home in PA for one week and then off to Scotland for another 10 days. In the days leading up to our trip I started coming down with a chest cold. Between the sweltering heat outside and constant transition in and out of air conditioning, it's inevitable that most people will suffer from at least one sickness during the summer months. Kris and I had managed to stay healthy and avoid getting sick our entire stay in Doha... up until this point. Unfortunately we had to push through our long travel time with one stop in Saudi Arabia and a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. By the time we reached Philly, my chest cold had turned into pneumonia. I spent the majority of my time at home resting up and recovering with Kris taking care of me. The rest of the time I attempted to participate in the few events I could manage in a complete zombie-like state. We definitely still enjoyed every moment we could with family and friends, and made a completely jet-lagged and pneumonia ridden appearance at the long awaited Seeker/DiObilda wedding (which probably set me back a bit, but I wouldn't have missed for the world)!!!
The beautiful bride, Aimee, and beautiful Mother of the bride, Aunt Patrice.
After what felt like a very short stay at home, we once again boarded our flight to head for Kris's motherland. This was my first trip to Scotland and I wouldn't let a little pneumonia keep me down. By this time I was feeling much better. Kris had been waiting to get back home for almost 4 years now, so a little sickness couldn't stifle the excitement between the two of us. In addition to all the family and friends in Scotland, we also have a new nephew (Kole Alexander George Taylor - born July 7, 2011) awaiting our arrival. We couldn't wait to get our hands on our gorgeous new nephew! Since I'll be dedicating a whole blog post to our Scotland trip, I'll refrain from adding too many details at this point. But I will say that we had an incredibly memorable trip spending quality time with family and touring through the most beautiful countryside that I've ever seen.
Sneak preview of Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
Consistent with every vacation ever taken, flying back into Doha left us with the post vacation blues and wishing for more time away! Not helping the situation, we were greeted by the presence of a few unwanted creepy crawler house guests that had not previously been inhabiting our villa before we left. That's life in the desert for ya!
The next couple days we spent reacquainting ourselves to the desert heat and the little Middle Eastern nuances that we had escaped for the past 3 weeks. On top of the "usuals" (conservative dress, no public display of affection, limited alcohol...etc), we've been thrown smack into the middle of the Islamic holiday Ramadan. Kris was in Doha last year to experience this event, but I'm a complete newbie and therefore had to do a little reading up to educate myself on the significance of the holiday.
Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān,Persian: Ramazan IPA: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn];variations Turkish: Ramazan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual intimacy with their partners[1] during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Muslims fast for the sake of God (Arabic: الله, trans: Allah) and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
There are some very specific dos and don'ts (mostly don'ts) associated with Ramadan which have been published in one of the local magazines, Time Out Doha. I've shared them with you below:
DON'T smoke, drink, chew gum or eat in public during daylight hours. It's offensive, and flaunting of the rules could also get you a warning from the police or even result in you spending the rest of the month in jail. Public places also include your office or workplace, elevators, hallways and even your car.
(If I got used to carrying around that bottle of water to help me beat the 120 degree heat, I better think again. Water if off limits in public. This also means that all restaurants are closed until sunset.)
DON'T dance or sing in public at any time. Not that you should have many opportunities - there will be no live music gigs and only background music will be allowed.
(Does this include my jam out sessions in the car? I better not take any risks! Our windows aren't tinted.)
DO enjoy the traditional music on offer, though. Many venues will have Arabic oud players and whirling dervish dancers to entertain you, so while it's not a DJ at a club, it's still a fascinating experience.
(Doesn't this contradict the previous "DON'T"? We often find that Qatari law loves to contradict itself, which makes abiding them slightly tricky.)
DON'T expect to have the kind of blow-out clubbing weekends you might be used to. All bars and nightclubs will be closed for the duration of the month. Also, outlets will refrain from serving alcohol, including restaurants, hotels, and QDC (QDC is the only place in Doha to purchase alcohol for consumption at home and you must have a license). In addition, transporting alcohol or being intoxicated in public during Ramadan is a no-no, and carries even steeper penalties than usual if caught.
(I'm not sure who's having these blow-out clubbing weekends... surely not us. But it's a good thing Ken and Kate are seasoned professionals and did the yearly "stock up before Ramadan" trip to QDC!)
DON'T play loud music at any time in your car, around town or even at home. Ramadan is a contemplative time, and if it's audible it may offend.
(I guess this answers my question about jamming out in the car.)
DO be a good neighbor both at home and at work. If you're not fasting, be respectful and patient with those that are - whether it's being quiet or putting off cooking up that pungent curry lunch in the office microwave.
(I don't believe we have any Muslim neighbors, so we're free to BBQ on the patio. Literally... on the patio. At this point in the summer we probably wouldn't need a grill, we could just throw a streak on the tiles and it would cook thoroughly!)
Those are the basics of the holiday. I also found a few other facts which I found interesting.
Muslims believe that the month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an. It's customary to finish the Qur'an cover to cover, at least one time during the holiday. Some people finish it two or three times. It's over 600 pages. Although reading the Qur'an is not an obligation, the only obligation is fasting.
Charity is a very important part of Ramadan. People openly give during the month. There are also charitable obligations to pay out a money duty to the poor in the community.
There are two meals each day during Ramadan, Suhoor and Iftar. Suhoor is a meal taken just before the sunrise, before the day of fasting starts. Iftar is the meal to break the fast after sunset. Typically, people will eat traditional small foods like dates, dried apricots and Ramadan juices, before heading to evening prayer. After that, large meals are the norm, usually with family and friends. Traditional foods in Qatar include biryiani rice, and whole roasted animals like lamb. Big spreads of Lebanese mezze and international dishes are also popular, with many hotels offering sprawling buffets.
If you're planning on leaving your house around sunset, it's probably not the best idea. During the day the streets are more quiet than usual, but you still have to look out for the occasional lane drifter who hasn't had anything to eat or drink in hours and probably shouldn't be behind the wheel. If you're a nervous driver to begin with (as I am in Doha), I wouldn't recommend driving at night. The roads are packed with anxious and hungry people trying to get to prayer or Iftar. The restaurants and malls are packed and parking is a nightmare!
Eid Al Fitr translates as the 'festival of breaking the fast' and happens immediately after Ramadan, with day-time feasts. Family and friends gather in their best clothes, and go visiting baring gifts. You can expect traffic to increase in the days leading up to this, as people hurry to get new clothes, haircuts, henna, and procure all the sweets and ingredients for their feasts. Some even buy new furniture for the occasion.
Muslims consider Ramadan to be a month of training themselves to be more patient. So if people succeed in the month like this, they can continue it for the rest of the year. Patience is the main take-away that I'll focus on during this month of Ramadan. Patience in not being able to eat or drink whenever I want, patience with the drivers on the streets, and patience for a culture very foreign to our own, that has allowed us to make Qatar our temporary home.
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