Ramadan begins the middle of this week. In the days prior it is a time for me to stock up on wine (as the wine shops are usually closed during Ramadan), work out the best way to deal with students who haven't eaten or drunk anything all day and visit restaurants that may close during Ramadan.
Here's how I know Ramadan is approaching:
- there are large boxes of dates at the entrance to the supermarket
- Direct Usine is crowded as people buy new plates, cups and glasses
- the students remind me, not just once but many times
- the medina has many carts, pulled by men, that are packed high with boxes of dates
- in the supermarket people are buying very large containers of honey
- the bottleshop section is full of expats stocking up
- I start to here of shops that will be closed
Ramadan certainly does make life interesting in Morocco! I know it is here when all the coffee shops are closed as I walk to work in the mornings, no tables on the footpaths, and no cups of coffee in sight.
2 comments:
Yes, it must be very noticeable over there. Sometimes I have students who are affected by it too, but they're more of a silent presence, and it's easy to forget. I'll make an appointment in lunch time and, with it, an off-the-cuff unthinking comment like "that will give you time to eat first", and they'll tell me they're not eating. Then I feel awful for having mentioned it and not realised, but I suppose it happens all the time. Doesn't make it right though.
I agree that Ramadan is very important and interesting event in Morocco. I like Morocco, its culture, traditions of people. Morocco brims over with contrast, colour and mystery and all you can do is simply catch your breath in wonder. It has a timeless quality that no longer exists in the modern world.
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