Play Along at Home

You're invited to participate in International Expat Appreciation month...

Ramadan begins today, representing one of the more intrusive cultural experiences for expats living in Muslim nations. The Holy Month of Ramadan occurs during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (lunar calendar so it shifts each yea), and is a month celebrating the fourth pillar of Islam (fasting), marked by prayer, fasting, charity, and self accountability. More detailed information available online:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

You might be wondering - Brandon, you're not Muslim, how does this religious holiday impact your life? Good question... if you live in a country without a state religion you might not even realize that Ramadan is occurring, since Muslims will be celebrating within their community. But Qatar, along with most other Gulf Countries, upholds Islam as the state religion, so all residents - regardless of religious affiliation - are expected to publicly obey the fasting requirements.

If you'd like to partake in the celebrations we've laid out a few easy steps based on the US Embassy's recent email to citizens in Qatar so you can play along at home:

> Don't eat or drink ANYTHING from sunrise to sundown - to clarify this includes water and gum and includes any setting where you could be seen (office, car, mall)... the only place where it's safe to eat or drink is in the privacy of your own home, with the shades drawn (not necessary since we have shnazzy reflective glass windows on our Villa like those from 90’s Oakleys).

> Don't buy any food or drink from sunrise to sundown - if you want to stock up you'll have to do so amidst crowds that make the day before Thanksgiving look manageable. The alcohol distributor (remember only one shop in town), closes for the entirety of Ramadan, so hopefully you already bought enough liquor to last you through the month. Don't forget to budget for the 60-100% markup.

> Continue working a full day (7 to 5), but let half of your coworkers work reduced hours (7 to noon) in recognition of their religious affiliation and their fast induced weakness. To be fair I have fasted before and it can take a significant physical and emotional toll on you – so I can appreciate the reduced working hours, but if given the option I would give up lunch if it meant leaving at noon (since that’s when we typically leave for lunch anyways).

> To simulate driving home after work during Ramadan, which conveniently corresponds with sundown, wait until there is an accident on your town's major freeway just before dinner (so everyone is hungry and in a hurry), then drive around with your air conditioning off, flipping off everyone around until you're surrounded by a multitude of drivers who have directed the anger from their hunger and terrible traffic towards you. No wonder the embassy recommends you should not drive during the hours before and after sunset, a time when "many accidents occur, some deadly". Likewise we were told to avoid the streets during the new “quitting time” from 11:00-1:00 as most locals are racing home from work.

> It's especially important during Ramadan that everyone observe a radically conservative dress - keeping the majority of skin covered in public settings, so be sure to dust off your jackets and scarves (remember it’s still hitting feels like temps here of around 125F).

> Lastly, for those who are married, it's customary to abstain from sexual relations during the fast - to maintain clarity of mind for prayer and meditation. Some couples may have an easier time than others maintaining this requirement.

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So the first half of this post was written a week ago, in preparation for Ramadan, and I’ve noticed myself progressing through several stages of Ramadan adjustment, laid out below:

1. Denial: “Ramadan won’t effect me, I’m not Muslim”
2. Confusion: “What do you mean I can’t eat, drink, smoke, or have sex in public? (italics indicate a joke)”
3. Anger: “How can a country tell me when and where I can eat / drink / smoke / chew gum?”
*This is the point at which I wrote the first half of the post (and had to revise slightly to avoid being kicked out of the country)*
4. Acceptance: “I can appreciate the sincere motivations of those who are fasting and will adapt my lifestyle in simple ways to express my respect for their religious and cultural beliefs”
5. Subversion: “How can I keep eating and drinking without getting caught and caned (aided by my sarcastic supervisor who is probably still stuck on state #3)”

Despite my sarcastic reaction to being forced to pseudo-participate in Ramadan - there are some positive elements to the event:

> As Qatar enters a month dedicated to religious obedience, I’m inspired to pursue my own religious beliefs more diligently – an activity that would be prohibited in some other countries in the region (certainly something to be thankful for). It is inspiring to see an entire nation embrace religious principles universally… even though I’m not Muslim, I am impressed by the outward devotion I’ve seen in preparation for Ramadan.
> There’s a small sandwich shop and convenience store that stay open during Ramadan, drawing large crowds of non-Muslim lunch-goers, including my supervisor and I today… so for those willing to brave the busy lunchtime streets, there is hope of finding something edible if you know where to go and what password to use. Don’t forget to hide all the goodies in a bag and shuffle back to the car quickly; I’ll admit there was an obvious feeling like we were getting away with something / as if our offices would be raided at any moment, our sandwiches confiscated and our loved ones contacted about our immediate deportation… McDonald’s flavor adding experts could never produce the same endorphins released during a covert Ramadan lunch.
> I used the additional time during lunch to complete a crossword and catch up on the latest news. Did you hear that the Official Kilogram is mysteriously losing mass! – maybe that metric systems isn’t as awesome as everyone thinks it is. Last time I checked the pound still weighed a pound.
> Advertisements have promised much better TV programming during the month of Ramadan (after all those who leave work at noon need something to do) – including a new movie every day on ShowMovies, plenty of sports coverage on OrbitESPN, and new sitcoms / dramatic series on ShowComedy / AmericaPlus...
> I’m leaving for 3 weeks out of the 30 day Ramadan holiday, returning just in time for the best part of Ramadan – the Eid, or breaking of the fast celebration – a three day break from work that we’ll be using to recuperate from our trip back to the States. Finally we start to break even on Holidays after missing out on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.

Here’s to new experiences, well timed vacations, and bakeries willing to play neighborhood “lunch-dealer”.