Ramadan is once again upon us. To the Khaleejesque Team, Ramadan is not just a month where we starve ourselves from Dawn to Dusk and stuff ourselves to the rims after the sun is down; on the contrary it’s much more. It’s a month of prayer, meditation and getting to see those far throng relatives that you only get to see on such occasions. It’s a month of contemplation, a month of where we look back at all the things we’ve done, and try to do as much good as possible to correct our wrongs. It’s a month where we are at peace with the world and ourselves, a month where we free our schedules up to prayer, to relaxation, to visiting relatives and just enjoying this holy month, which in our opinion is an Islamic Holiday Season. It is something that resembles the West’s Christmas Season sans all the presents you have to buy.
We’ve compiled a whole list of our favorite things in Ramadan. We can’t wait to:
* Quench our thirst after the sun is down with Vimto- an all time traditional (it seems) drink in Ramadan.
* Be glued to our TV’s 24/7 watching the Ramadan sitcom line-up that every TV Channel in the region has set. We can’t wait to laugh at so called actresses dressed up to their nines with make-up as they attempt to make us believe they are lounging at home, endless drama and crying, a lot of slaps, and stupid get-ups that seem to get us hooked; which in the end make their way as jokes to all our conversations, BBM broadcasts and text messages.
* Be apart of the whole see-and-be-seen gatherings that we go to and alter our schedules around in which we see people we only see once a year in this month of ghabgas (Ramadan gatherings after sun’s down).
* Sleep all day and lounge around, on the excuse that fasting makes us lethargic, and there’s nothing to do here that does not involve food.
* The race to pack as much food as possible into our mouths in preparation for the next day’s fast.
* Blame our road rage on the "lack of nutrition."
* Live in Jalabiyas, Dara’aas and Dishdashas throughout the holy month, only to find that we’ve gained a couple of pounds post Ramadan when we attempt to fit into our jeans.
* Be on the edge of our seat for the Ramadan canon to shoot pre-prayer- a signal for prayer and time to eat.
* To write off our "lethargy" as something that "has to happen" in Ramadan, and it is expected that if you are trying to get anything done in Ramadan, it won't happen… "Wait till after Ramadan."
* Be served with multiple hot and cold beverages, if you're not a coffee or tea drinker, you can bet your kaftan you will be during this month.
* Witness the parade of the different styles, shapes and colors of Dara’as and Jalabeyas.
* To get our hands on the different arrays of Ramadan sweets and food that only seem to pop up in Ramadan.
We’ve got a whole line up here for you about Ramadan on Khaleejesque, with almost every issue this month dedicated to the holy month. As usual, we’ll keep you well-informed; we’ll bring you all the things you need to know about this holy month, keep you clued in on what’s happening around the Gulf, how everyone’s spending their Ramadan, and much more.
We wish you a divine holy month, an easy fast, and forever entertaining reads on Khaleejesque.
– The Khaleejesque Team
