The Culture Blog: Ramadan Kareem!
When you started reading this blog, I'll bet you expected a little more from me than pictures of food, descriptions of malls, and complaints about not being able to walk across the street to get to the mall to buy food. (Okay, there's also been a little bit of dragon boating and kite boarding thrown in there for good measure.)
But this is probably what you've all been thinking: Nancy seems to be kind of stuck on the bottom rung of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and needs to climb that ladder and get to something more interesting, a bit more … cultural?
Here we go, then!
Yes, of course, the culture here is quite different than it is at home. I tend to be wary of the term "culture shock," however, and neither Glenn nor I has found it really difficult or disconcerting to adjust to life in Qatar. Of course, we live in a compound with other expats, and we're not too restricted in our "behavior" within the compound: for example, we wear our bathing suits to the pool and don't worry much about the way we dress or comport ourselves at home. We have to be more careful (or at least I do) when we go outside the compound. For example, I never wear shorts outside the compound (Glenn does) and I always cover my arms when I'm out and about or at work. (By the way, every man who works at the college wears a suit and tie to work every day, even the Process Engineering instructors, unless they're wearing protective smocks in labs. I've never worked in an environment in which men dress better than women every single day.)
Glenn and I are in some ways aware of and reminded every day that we're visitors to this country and not native, but in that sense we are not in a minority: there are 2.7 million people in this country, and only about 250,000-300,000 of those people are Qataris. The rest of the population is made up of expats, many from the Gulf region, but others from all over the world. The workers in our compound are all from Kerala, India, for example. Our Uber drivers are typically from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, north Africa--mostly India, though. We haven't felt the impact of Islamic culture on our day to day life, though, other than being quite careful about dress (me) and about PDAs (Personal Displays of Affection--us!). We've enjoyed our interactions with Muslim friends and colleagues, and have come to appreciate and expect that many of the conversations we have with them about future plans end in the words "Insha Allah." In fact, we will likely find ourselves using that very handy and appropriate phrase when we return to Canada. I had already developed over the years a bad habit of ending such conversations with the phrase "God willing and the crick don't rise." Same difference, don't you think? The future is always uncertain.
But things did change quite a bit for us when Ramadan started in mid-May (it lasts until this coming Thursday, when Eid begins). During the Holy Month of Ramadan in Qatar (as in most Gulf Countries) it is illegal to eat or drink anything in public during the daylight hours of fasting prescribed by religious decree. That includes water. That includes eating or drinking outside our own home in the compound; that includes eating or drinking outside of a few designated areas at the college; that includes having a sip of water while driving in a vehicle. It is also illegal for most restaurants, including all of the restaurants and cafeterias at the college, to open during those proscribed hours. Because most Muslims are fasting during the holy month, official work hours are 9-2, rather than 7:30-3. Stores and malls are closed for most of the day.
I have to say that I was quite anxious heading into the month of Ramadan. My concerns were around not being able to drink water while dragon boating or working out at the gym and of not being able to eat at my desk, but mostly I was afraid that I would accidentally forget about the restrictions and inadvertently break the law and feel like an insensitive idiot or, worse, find myself in prison or paying a huge fine.
But here is what I've learned from living in a Muslim country during Ramadan:
But this is probably what you've all been thinking: Nancy seems to be kind of stuck on the bottom rung of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and needs to climb that ladder and get to something more interesting, a bit more … cultural?
Here we go, then!
Yes, of course, the culture here is quite different than it is at home. I tend to be wary of the term "culture shock," however, and neither Glenn nor I has found it really difficult or disconcerting to adjust to life in Qatar. Of course, we live in a compound with other expats, and we're not too restricted in our "behavior" within the compound: for example, we wear our bathing suits to the pool and don't worry much about the way we dress or comport ourselves at home. We have to be more careful (or at least I do) when we go outside the compound. For example, I never wear shorts outside the compound (Glenn does) and I always cover my arms when I'm out and about or at work. (By the way, every man who works at the college wears a suit and tie to work every day, even the Process Engineering instructors, unless they're wearing protective smocks in labs. I've never worked in an environment in which men dress better than women every single day.)
Glenn and I are in some ways aware of and reminded every day that we're visitors to this country and not native, but in that sense we are not in a minority: there are 2.7 million people in this country, and only about 250,000-300,000 of those people are Qataris. The rest of the population is made up of expats, many from the Gulf region, but others from all over the world. The workers in our compound are all from Kerala, India, for example. Our Uber drivers are typically from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, north Africa--mostly India, though. We haven't felt the impact of Islamic culture on our day to day life, though, other than being quite careful about dress (me) and about PDAs (Personal Displays of Affection--us!). We've enjoyed our interactions with Muslim friends and colleagues, and have come to appreciate and expect that many of the conversations we have with them about future plans end in the words "Insha Allah." In fact, we will likely find ourselves using that very handy and appropriate phrase when we return to Canada. I had already developed over the years a bad habit of ending such conversations with the phrase "God willing and the crick don't rise." Same difference, don't you think? The future is always uncertain.
But things did change quite a bit for us when Ramadan started in mid-May (it lasts until this coming Thursday, when Eid begins). During the Holy Month of Ramadan in Qatar (as in most Gulf Countries) it is illegal to eat or drink anything in public during the daylight hours of fasting prescribed by religious decree. That includes water. That includes eating or drinking outside our own home in the compound; that includes eating or drinking outside of a few designated areas at the college; that includes having a sip of water while driving in a vehicle. It is also illegal for most restaurants, including all of the restaurants and cafeterias at the college, to open during those proscribed hours. Because most Muslims are fasting during the holy month, official work hours are 9-2, rather than 7:30-3. Stores and malls are closed for most of the day.
I have to say that I was quite anxious heading into the month of Ramadan. My concerns were around not being able to drink water while dragon boating or working out at the gym and of not being able to eat at my desk, but mostly I was afraid that I would accidentally forget about the restrictions and inadvertently break the law and feel like an insensitive idiot or, worse, find myself in prison or paying a huge fine.
But here is what I've learned from living in a Muslim country during Ramadan:
- Ramadan is a time of sacrifice, yes, but also a time for introspection and communion. My Muslim friends and colleagues are tired and hungry during the day, but they look forward to breaking fast and celebrating their faith with family when they go home.
- The breaking of fast (called Iftar) is a time of celebration, sharing, and charity. The city comes alive at night during and after Iftar, as we found out at Festival City Mall last night. We went with friends to see a movie (the new Han Solo movie), but wanted to have dinner at the mall first. In spite of the fact that there are literally a dozen or more restaurants at the mall, we were barely able to find a seat at a restaurant (wound up at Five Guys Burgers, of all places). By the way, all of the kissing scenes were cut from the film, so I think we missed some important plot points--such as there are important plot points in a Star Wars movie.
- Iftar is an inclusive event: many hotel restaurants offer elaborate Iftar buffets. Last Sunday, Glenn and I attended an Iftar buffet organized by the Wireless Warrior dragon boating team. It was delicious and we had fun. Ate too much, of course: it is so difficult to resist those Middle Eastern dishes!
- Not eating at my desk has resulted in making new friends in the lunch room at the college. My non-Muslim colleagues congregate and share food that they've bought or made. One of them even brought in his cappuccino machine for us to use. I've learned that taking a break during the day is a good thing. I hope I can keep that in mind after Eid.
- Glenn has learned--or is learning, he insists--to bake and cook, although that has very little to do with Ramadan. However, we did hold our own Iftar last Friday and invited our friends Mike and Stephanie to join us for Glenn's home-made spaghetti and cherry cheesecake, which were both big hits. I've included a picture of a dish that we served that Glenn didn't make--a spicy olive salad that we bought from a local restaurant that we love, and not just because we can walk there!
- We've both learned that during this month, the temperatures outside have been rising, and we have to slow down during the day and avoid most outdoor activities. We are certainly appreciative of the air conditioning in our home, at work, and in the malls. Yesterday, the temperature climbed to at least 46 degrees. And summer is just beginning.
- Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan.The college closes for a week over Eid, so Glenn and I are heading for cooler climes: India, to be precise. Bangalore, India, to be even more precise. We'll be staying in a lovely hotel and will really appreciate the lushness and greenery of that beautiful garden city. The visit will also give me a chance to reconnect with friends in Bangalore. It will be Glenn's first trip--hope he enjoys it as much as I have.
That is probably about enough for one blog. And, again, it seems that I've only written about food--eating it, not eating it, eating too much of it. And all of my pictures are of either malls or food. So much for climbing Maslow's ladder. Oh, well, Ramadan Kareem, everyone.
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