Ramadan

This morning I awoke to unfamiliar noises around 4:30 a.m. Usually I sleep through Sehri, the last food and water that fasting Muslims have until the sun goes down around 6 p.m. Perhaps there was more excitement to wake everyone up on a Friday, the day of prayer. I got out of my mosquito net, and walked outside onto my balcony where I could hears various sirens, loudspeakers, and banging. I wasn't awake enough to fully understand what they were saying, but apparently they were saying to hurry up and finish eating, because a few minutes later the first azjan (call to prayer) of the day sounded.

What do most people eat to face of day of fasting? Rice, yogurt, and banana with lots of water is common, but some people just have a glass of milk and go back to sleep.

When I went to Agailjhara last Sunday, all the shops along the road had temporary curtains (lungis and sharis) to hide the food. I participated in 8 hours of semi-fasting as I was traveling on public bus and it would have been rude to eat in front of people who are fasting.