Ramadhan Karim

one of the pictures from the website

I got this website from someone I know on Facebook, which has these beautiful pictures of Muslims around the world observing Ramadhan. During Ramadhan, we abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity from dusk to dawn. This abstinence teaches us patience, sacrifice, humility, self-restraint, and to be thankful for what we have. I think it's a great idea because these are wonderful values to have in life and often it's so easy to forget.

This is my favourite: a man taking a nap in a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan

We have to remember to be grateful for what we have!

During this holiest month of the Muslim calendar, Muslims are encouraged to read the Quran, pray for guidance, and perform good deeds. I have to say that I'm not a strict follower of religion, but I appreciate the values that religion instills in people.

My typical day involves getting up at 4am for a feed, and then going back to bed at about 4.30am. I usually prepare my food from the night before because I'm too cold and too groggy to actually whip up a feast :p So into the microwave, my food goes!

Ideally, I would wake up again at 6am and go for a run, but I've been lazy the last few days. Haha... so instead, I get up again at 7am and get ready and go to work. I really must try to fit in a run in the mornings because I don't go to the gym in the evening as usual because it clashes with with iftar, which is the evening meal when breaking the fast. The fasting has left me a little sluggish and my energy levels are really low, so perhaps a morning run might help. I wouldn't think to do an afternoon run because I'm usually ready to drop right around 4pm... Hahaha... I'm soft.

So far (and it's only been 6 days, 4 for me) I've been having my iftar at home by myself. It's meant to be done as a community or as a group, but I just do this by myself because firstly, I don't have many Muslim friends here in Brisbane. Secondly, few of my friends would want to have dinner at 5.30pm (too early!), and finally, I am quite socially-lazy anyway! I was all sad and depressed about this last year, but I haven't gone all moody yet this year, which is good :p I think I was mostly just looking forward to Ramadhan as I saw it as an opportunity for self-reflection, and seeking guidance for the future.

This year, I am less fussed and less depressed (haha). I think I may be more zen. But I am also alarmingly more weak this year. I'm low on energy, I feel sluggish, and I'm finding it hard to concentrate when I'm trying to work on my thesis! Well, another 3 hours to go from here. Might grab a bubble tea on the way home. Fasting always teaches me newfound appreciation for bubble tea!