Since Muslims cannot eat or drink after sunrise, they wake up around 2:30AM to prepare "Suhoor", their morning meal. It is then that they eat and drink all that they can for the day until "Iftar", or the breaking of the fast, around 7:00PM. Typically Muslims alter their days because of this, working less and resting more because they are tired and dehydrated and hungry throughout the day.
It feels as though absolutely everyone is fasting, because it is mostly true. Oman is 99.999999999% Muslim, which is an absolute lie. I have no idea of the real percentage but it's definitely lower than that. Just pretend with me for drama's sake. But really, everyone is fasting, and even if they're not fasting, they've changed their schedules to fit with Ramadan anyway. You can't do anything without Ramadan interfering. (This is beside the point, but the little economist in me cannot stop thinking about the impact of Ramadan on profits for the month).
My experience as a non-Muslim in this country lead by an Islamic Monarch has been quite interesting during Ramadan. But before I delve into that, I must mention this: everything changes during Ramadan. First, all the restaurants are closed during the day until Iftar, and then open up and stay open until late into the night, often until Suhoor. The shops may or may not be closed all day but if they are open it is typically only in the morning hours, between 9-1. The streets are dead in the middle of the day, everyone is home and resting and trying to conserve energy, especially in the heat.
Our school schedule has changed a bit too, we start class a bit earlier and end a bit earlier. Of course I only complain about getting up earlier, as many know (Mom), I am not very pleasant early in the morning. Another difficult part is that we can't drink or snack in our classrooms at all. I only see this as a problem because I'm always drinking water or tea to stay awake and hydrated during the day. Obviously, my complaints aren't worth much, because I'm not actually fasting. I still get to eat breakfast before schoo, lunch at the institute (it's in a separate building), and I can still sneak into the kitchen to grab a sip of water between classes. Other than that, and trying not to bring up food topics in class, my daily school schedule hasn't changed much.
Outside of school, life as a non-faster is a bit inconvenient, but not unbearable. Basically, if we want to go out to dinner, we have to wait until after Iftar and go around 8PM, which means it's always a late night when we go out. If you need to go somewhere by taxi around 7PM, good luck. The roads are almost literally empty because everyone is with their families; even at 7:45PM today it took about 15 minutes to catch a cab. We can still go to the gym we belong to, but we can only drink water in the locker room if no one is watching. Essentially what we've done is changed our schedule so that we "siesta" after school, go to the gym, do a bunch of homework, and then it is almost time for Iftar, so we can go eat, or get some shopping done if necessary. It's not so bad, but we do go to bed later.
We must also dress more conservatively during Ramadan. We cover from ankle to wrist typically, and occasionally, around Omani men, we wear hijabs. This is me and Brooke going to the grocery store before Iftar (making silly faces mostly because Aunt Suz will appreciate them). If we go out at night, we like to wear hijabs, too, because we don't like to stick out so much, especially if we aren't with one of the guys.
I forgot to mention eating and drinking in public is illegal during the hours of fasting during Ramadan and is punishable with jail time!
My personal take on Ramadan is that it is a very beautiful dedication to a very beautiful faith. Am I cut out for fasting? Absolutely not, I get cranky if I don't eat every few hours and everyday in class I am convinced I am dying of thirst. I especially respect the thought of Ramadan as the great equalizer, where the rich understand what it's like to feel the pain of hunger like the poor. I must mention that there are tents (like small festival tents) set up around neighborhoods and people donate food to the poor so they too can have Suhoor and Iftar. Often, restaurants offer a free meal to all those who visit it at Iftar. It is also a beautiful time of gathering, where friends and family meet up and share sacred time together. Muslims try to rid themselves of sin during this time and also try to become themselves in their purest form.
I really admire those who fast, and their dedication to their religion and their own personal faith. It's not for me, but I will try it a few times this Ramadan.... because, you know what they say, "When in Muscat!"
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