Better Reallyyyy Late than Never? Sorry!
Just a little preface: I’ve had this entry in my computer for FOREVER. Here is a little bit about Ramadan. I’m sorry it took me forever to post. Enjoy!
My sincerest apologies for being such a poor blogger! I really appreciate that people are interested in what I’m doing over here, unfortunately it is difficult sometimes to find the time to write. I’m currently in the process of wrapping up some work I’ve been doing, assisting with the training of new Volunteers (in Thies), and trying to finish up my graduate school applications; and all before I get home for vacation next Wednesday! I’m going to be away from Tamba and my work there for almost a month and want to make sure I haven’t left anything undone. Add into the mix that most of the Senegalese people I’m working with are fasting for Ramadan, as am I on occasion, and you can understand the kind of stress I’m experiencing.
But as promised, I’d like to give you a taste of life during Ramadan for a seasoned Peace Corps Volunteer such as myself. In Senegal, and throughout the world, Muslims fast from sun up to sun down for the holy month of Ramadan, and the Senegalese celebrate Korite, a grand feast, on the last night of the month. This entails waking at around 6am to eat a large breakfast, praying seven times during the day, and abstaining from food or water until 7:10pm, when the sun goes down and everyone drinks kinkileba, mint tea, and juices, and eats dates and a big dinner. Due to the extreme heat, and the lack of water intake, this leaves most Senegalese Muslims, and occasionally me, exhausted and resting most of the day, every day, for the entire month.
As you can imagine, most Senegalese people still need to work in order to provide for their families, so by around noon the majority of people are pretty testy. For this reason, it is recommended that whether or not you are fasting—something that your host family will surely try to guilt/nag you into—you do not eat or drink in public. In addition, my experiences in Senegal have shown that most everyone will ask if you are fasting, why you aren’t fasting, or complain about how tired and hungry they are; feelings I can understand when they haven’t had anything to eat or drink all day.
Conversely, it seems that fasting in Senegal, which in Orthodox Christianity is a sacrifice you make and keep between you and God, is not viewed as such a private practice for the Senegalese Muslims I have encountered. People talk about whether or not other people are fasting, inherently judging them, and complain about the hunger and fatigue they are experiencing due to the independent choice they have made to fast. This environment makes working quite difficult.
I think fasting is great, and these observations clearly do not speak to the behavior of ALL Senegalese Muslims, or Muslims in general, but this is the first time I’ve ever encountered such a unique practice. I joined my host family in fasting for the beginning of Ramadan and to say it was tough is an understatement. It is definitely a challenge and sacrifice that I have a great deal of respect for. On occasion there are people who go to extremes, like fasting while they are pregnant and/or breast feeding, which I do not agree with, but for the most part it is a really special time in Senegal. I just thought these musings would give you an idea of what my life has been like for the past three weeks. Whether or not some people have been especially nasty to me during the past month, there are also people that invite me to join them in breaking the fast. All in all, I am still thankful to be getting this experience and a greater understanding of the Islamic faith.
Anyway, I’m back from my vacation in the States! It was great to see everyone. I’m working on a post for this week. I’m a better blogger starting TODAY.
My sincerest apologies for being such a poor blogger! I really appreciate that people are interested in what I’m doing over here, unfortunately it is difficult sometimes to find the time to write. I’m currently in the process of wrapping up some work I’ve been doing, assisting with the training of new Volunteers (in Thies), and trying to finish up my graduate school applications; and all before I get home for vacation next Wednesday! I’m going to be away from Tamba and my work there for almost a month and want to make sure I haven’t left anything undone. Add into the mix that most of the Senegalese people I’m working with are fasting for Ramadan, as am I on occasion, and you can understand the kind of stress I’m experiencing.
But as promised, I’d like to give you a taste of life during Ramadan for a seasoned Peace Corps Volunteer such as myself. In Senegal, and throughout the world, Muslims fast from sun up to sun down for the holy month of Ramadan, and the Senegalese celebrate Korite, a grand feast, on the last night of the month. This entails waking at around 6am to eat a large breakfast, praying seven times during the day, and abstaining from food or water until 7:10pm, when the sun goes down and everyone drinks kinkileba, mint tea, and juices, and eats dates and a big dinner. Due to the extreme heat, and the lack of water intake, this leaves most Senegalese Muslims, and occasionally me, exhausted and resting most of the day, every day, for the entire month.
As you can imagine, most Senegalese people still need to work in order to provide for their families, so by around noon the majority of people are pretty testy. For this reason, it is recommended that whether or not you are fasting—something that your host family will surely try to guilt/nag you into—you do not eat or drink in public. In addition, my experiences in Senegal have shown that most everyone will ask if you are fasting, why you aren’t fasting, or complain about how tired and hungry they are; feelings I can understand when they haven’t had anything to eat or drink all day.
Conversely, it seems that fasting in Senegal, which in Orthodox Christianity is a sacrifice you make and keep between you and God, is not viewed as such a private practice for the Senegalese Muslims I have encountered. People talk about whether or not other people are fasting, inherently judging them, and complain about the hunger and fatigue they are experiencing due to the independent choice they have made to fast. This environment makes working quite difficult.
I think fasting is great, and these observations clearly do not speak to the behavior of ALL Senegalese Muslims, or Muslims in general, but this is the first time I’ve ever encountered such a unique practice. I joined my host family in fasting for the beginning of Ramadan and to say it was tough is an understatement. It is definitely a challenge and sacrifice that I have a great deal of respect for. On occasion there are people who go to extremes, like fasting while they are pregnant and/or breast feeding, which I do not agree with, but for the most part it is a really special time in Senegal. I just thought these musings would give you an idea of what my life has been like for the past three weeks. Whether or not some people have been especially nasty to me during the past month, there are also people that invite me to join them in breaking the fast. All in all, I am still thankful to be getting this experience and a greater understanding of the Islamic faith.
Anyway, I’m back from my vacation in the States! It was great to see everyone. I’m working on a post for this week. I’m a better blogger starting TODAY.
posted by Ashleigh | 7:32 AM
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