6:00 AM – Wake up to pee.
6:20 AM – Pee again.
7:00 AM – Pee…
7:40 AM – Take a guess
8:30 AM – Wake up sweating while realizing the electricity
has gone out. Swear to myself but then remember that I need to get up for the
day anyway.
9:00 AM – Meeting at mayor’s office. Naturally sit and wait
for the entire group to arrive. Watch mayor drinking water in front of me (he’s
catholic meaning no Ramadan) with an abnormal amount of loathing.
9:20 AM – Meeting still hasn’t started. Feeling a slight
rumbling in my stomach. Thoughts of the long day that looms ahead of me are
running rampant.
10:00 AM – Meeting is in full swing but I am falling asleep
because I am tired and thirsty and I also do not understand the languages being spoken around me. Dehydration
headache is blooming.
11:20 AM – Back home with a book, journal, cell
phone, and computer to distract me for the next 8 hours. Too hot to nap so don't even suggest it.
At this point, some of you might ask, why are you doing this
and also, what in the hell is going on? I am wondering that myself at this
point. It seemed like such a good idea yesterday. Two of my other Peace Corps
friends were doing it so I figured that we’d have each other to call and whine to. We decided
to fast for one day of Ramadan. Just one day. During the entire month of
Ramadan, I am asked by my Muslim friends and family here why I am not fasting.
Typically I just respond with, I am not Muslim, it’s not part of my religion.
This year, though, I wanted to try it. I was interested in seeing what they
went through for a month. I wanted to see why this was important to them.
Mostly, I wanted to show solidarity with the culture that I have been living in
for over a year, even if it was only for one day.
For those of you that don't know, Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement, increased devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam meaning it is an essential component of the religion. The fast begins at dawn (hence my 5 AM chow fest) and ends at sunset (which ended up being around 7:30 PM). In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims also increase restraint, such as abstaining from sexual relations and generally sinful speech and behavior. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity, zakat. (Washington Post, not sure if I have to site stuff in a private blog…)
For some Muslims, fasting may instill a sense of fraternity and unity, as they believe they are feeling and experiencing what their needy and hungry brothers and sisters are feeling. Those who are already poor and hungry are often considered exempt from fasting, as their condition renders them effectively fasting all the time; however, many still refrain from eating during the day. The fast is intended to teach Muslims patience and self-control, and to remind them of the less fortunate in the world. I especially appreciate this part as I think this is something those of us who are more fortunate often forget. Faithful observance of the fast is believed to atone for personal faults and misdeeds, at least in part, and to help earn a place in paradise. It is also believed to be beneficial for personal conduct, that is, to help control impulses, passions and temper. The fast is also meant to provide time for meditation and to strengthen one's faith (ramadan.co.uk).
Before I decided to take a day to fast, I saw Ramadan very differently.
To most PCV’s, me included, Ramadan can be somewhat of an annoyance. People
tend to be quite irritable and tired (no kidding, eh, after not eating or
drinking and being in oppressive heat all day). You often have to rethink your
traveling as taking public transportation in the late afternoon can be quite
dangerous with people rushing home to break fast. Around this time people are obviously even
more tired and irritable considering that the end of their long day is finally
approaching. During Ramadan, whether you live with a Senegalese family or not, eating
can be more difficult. I have a friend whose town doesn’t even make bread
during the month. Many restaurants are closed down or are open for very odd
hours and often boutiques are sold out of staple cooking items. As selfish as
it may be, many of us only think about how Ramadan is going to affect our day
to day. I am so glad that I took a step back and truly realized the
importance of this month and the difficulty those fasting are really experiencing. At the end of the day, after many more hours of boredom and hunger
pains, I broke fast with a Senegalese family that I often share meals with
here. Their gratitude and delight at the fact that I had fasted all day was
well worth the few hours of difficulty. I’m not saying that I want to do it
again anytime soon but now, I feel like I get it a little better, and I respect
it greatly.
Another aspect in which Ramadan affects us volunteers is
through our work. Most of my projects have been halted right now because people
are simply too tired to really engage in anything new. I now feel that I understand the
importance of Ramadan to Muslims a little more and I have decided to take this month to
reflect, meditate and work on what I truly want to accomplish in the next year.
I would like for my language to become better. I get
along fine with my French and the basic conversations I can have in the local
languages but I know that I can improve. I’m sure that you have all seen the photos
of the scholarship program I have been posting and I am happy to say that we
were able to complete funding! This will be delivered to the girls through me
this fall and I can’t wait to take them out to get all that they will need for
their next year of school. In this next year, I want to further develop my relationship
with those girls. Along those lines, I want to execute a successful leadership
camp for them this September. I would like to start a dance club at one of the
middle schools. I used to dance way back in the day and I really miss it. It
would be fun to start up something that I love and could share with the kids here. I am planning on starting an entrepreneurship course at the high school
that will tie in with an internship program matching high school students with
a specialist in a field they are potentially interested in. I want to continue the
work I have started with my various women’s groups as well as form a network
for them to work together easier. I would like for the waste management and
sensitization project my site mate and I are doing to be wrapped up successfully.
A final work-related goal I have is to continue with my English teaching
projects and also facilitate an effective series of English Camps between PCV’s
and the US Embassy.
On the more personal side I would like to use my bike more. This
basically means getting over my fear that kids might attack me on it. I want to
learn how to cook a proper Senegalese meal from start to finish. I want to work
on my fitness. That’s right, I said it like that! I need to continue working on
my patience. Living here has helped more than I could have ever imagined but I
still can progress further. I am going to study for and take the GRE while here
in Senegal. I’m going to continue pushing myself to get out in the community,
even on the days where I’d prefer to hole up in my room and watch one movie
after another (yes, those days still happen even after a year). As my time
begins to wind down, I am hoping to either have started applying for jobs or being
decided on a graduate program. Finally, I want to have at least 365 more
adventures.
Until the next adventure then,
xx
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