After a great holiday in Canada for the month of July, and an escape from the heat in Doha, I returned to Qatar on August 1. If I thought it was hot before I left, I now had a whole new understanding of hot weather. Although the 'average' temperature in July and August is 45 degrees C, you don't expect it to be 45 every day ... but it is! Those readings are in the shade ... only there isn't any shade here to speak of.
Not only did I make it back for the hottest days of the year, I made it back in time to experience the full month of Ramadan. The beginning of Ramadan is based upon the Islamic calendar and observing the first waxing crescent moon.
It is the Islamic month of fasting , in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset. No, I am not a participating Muslim, but in Qatar, all residents must recognize Ramadan. Although, non Muslims do not have to go to the prayers five times a day, they are expected to fast in respect for the customs here. Fasting means no food, no smoking, no chewing gum and no water during the daylight hours.
For we Canadians at the college, we have a lunch room where we can go and eat and drink so it wasn't so bad, but don't get caught in your car doing that or you could get arrested. Smoking is another matter ... the only place we could sneak out for a smoke was on the roof. Now if you think it's hot on the ground when the temperatures are 45+, try going on the roof where all the air conditioner vents blow out hot air. You almost don't need a lighter because I'm sure if you stayed on the roof for more than ten minutes, the cigarette would light spontaneously ... probably your hair too.
I really admire the Muslims doing the fasting but it tends to make their bad driving habits even worse ... work all day with no food, no water, and no smokes (and most of them smoke). So after a day like this, they get behind the wheel and try to get home as fast as possible ... well, they do that every day, but imagine now doing it with an edge, in a souped-up Land Cruiser.
One good thing about Ramadan is that the work day is shortened. The Qataris go visiting relatives at night as it is a family festive time ... so they fast all day and kind of pig out at night till all hours. The drive into work in the mornings is easy during Ramadan as the roads have less than half the traffic due to people going in late because they've been up most of the night ... add to that the horde who have left the country during this time, and the roads seem almost empty.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and goes on for a full lunar month. It comes approximately ten days earlier each year. The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. This is definitely one of the perks of Ramadan since it's a week-long holiday.
So it's back to Thailand because one visit just isn't enough.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and goes on for a full lunar month. It comes approximately ten days earlier each year. The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. This is definitely one of the perks of Ramadan since it's a week-long holiday.
