Ramadan Rolling

Muslim's month of fasting (Ramadan) is rolling! 15.5 hours of staying hungry and thirsty does something funny to the brain. Sara is persistently suggesting the fasts are smaller than last year. Hmm ... should be, because the longest day of summer was during Ramadan last year. But that doesn't qualify as reassurance because I am famished at the end of the day, fatigue is at its worst, and I am in zombie mode. The days and nights are pretty different from the usual, of course. I enjoy them. But then half of me is terrified of the pain, fatigue, and non-productive vibe taking its toll. 

There was extreme panic during pre-Ramadan weeks. Why??? --- Oh, because I was being the chauffeur, housemaid, and chef all at the same time. Mostly, it was the chauffeur bit. A trip had to be made to the Halal store to stock up chicken meat TWICE in order to cook and freeze meals (heavy duty curries) for Sehri (pre-fast meal). Oh, and to pick up Rooh Afza - the sweet red syrup (being handled by Capt. Jack Sparrow) - It makes a delish drink traditional of India and Pakistan. Come to think of it, I should've gotten two bottles because this one is half gone! Yikes! I didn't estimate I have Mannee (the niece) drinking with me! 

A trip had to be made to the beloved Costco also to grab 6 cans of Canola oil (because fried foods are a daily thing!), Medjool dates (consumed by everybody! daily!), cleaning supplies (because nobody is going back warehouse style shopping on an empty stomach), and giant cans of chickpeas (because Channa Chat is a daily thing as well!). Quick cleaning was going on upon returning home from these grocery missions. I did not succeed in cleaning all nooks and crannies of the house but I tackled some impossible areas (my mother's room) that would have become a biological hazard. 

In the last two days before Ramadan I managed to make the countdown goody bags. They're full of a variety of chocolates (Twix, Musketeers, KitKats, Snickers). I managed to dig out the Ramadan decor from my study. And now my study looks like a post-apocalypse scene!  --- and I am so dead now during fasting hours that there's no human way possible that I could attempt to straighten it. 

I have an Iftar dinner party to attend. I'll come back with stories, promise! 

 

Time for an Iftar party! Buffet style!