Since 1995, I've been an ESL tutor for the
Literacy Council of Northern Virgina. I work with the Afghan refugee community here in the DC 'burbs. Teaching is hard during Ramadan. My students are tired, hungry and distracted, while unfailingly hospitable, offering me sweets and nuts while they are in the middle of their own fasts.
There is a crew over at
Muslim Wake Up who are keeping on-line journals of their Ramadan.
Riverbend has some reflections on her family's observance of the holy month. I wrote to her last night and asked for recipes. I know what Afghans cook to break their fast, but Iraqi food is foreign to me. There are a bunch of Iranian and Afghan restaurants near me, but no Iraqi that I know of.
Whether you like it or not, religion has great power to shape the imagination and worldview of its practitioners. I tried to fast in the Muslim fashion for one day. It was hard. I can't imagine doing it for a month. A commentor in the string below mentioned trying it when living in Morroco. I concur, the thirst is the hardest part.