Ramadan Kareem

[Lachlan09]

As the local footballers in the office e-mailed yesterday "Football practice at 9.45pm".

That's dedication after a day's fasting !

[Celyn]

Yeah, but you are allowed to a heck of a lot after sundown.

[Lachlan09]

Well, we're nearly 2 weeks into Ramadama-ding-dong and I prepared for it early. I bought a month's worth of drinks supply before the off-licence shut for the duration.

Driving to work during this time is a treat as the roads are nearly empty as the locals are allowed to get up and work later (aka appearance money). Lunchtime on roads isn't too bad and the locals all bugger off at 2pm so they can go home for a sleep (the poor tired diddums). So going home is a treat too, as the roads are empty, so are the supermarkets. The locals only come out at about 9pm till 3am or so. It's nice to see the place without them spoiling it with their presence.

The downside is a) the crazy driving by those locals who are on the road and see the empty roads a chance to race and snake across the lanes at speed and b) getting anything done for a month eg A/C repair when the locals are unavailable because they're sleeping.

If anyone wants to nick Saudi Arabia's oil, do it during Ramadan when they're all sleeping and lazier than usual.

[Lachlan09]

A Saudi woman* is going to the wheelie bins carrying 2 filled black bin liners, one in each hand.

An old cleric is walking past and says "Ah Fatma, it's nice to see you out with your 2 daughters".**



* Clearly fiction, as a Saudi woman would never demean herself by expending effort to carry anything.

** Fiction again - a Saudi woman would get her maid(s) to take the kids.

[Scottish_Republican]

Stewart Lee tells a story of being out with his very young son and seeing a woman with a burqa and the son says, "is that a ghost?"

[Lachlan09]

Heh heh ! That reminds me of back in Indonesia 1995-98 when I worked near Bandar Lampung, Sumatera then later nr Surabaya, Jawa Timur. At our rented house in Bandar Lampung, we had a pembantu (helper/maid/woman) working for us and she had her room and bathroom in a corner of the walled courtyard behind the bungalow. One really dark night I was out in the wee back garden and was walking on the path round to the side of the house when round the corner I was faced with this totally unexpected white-clad vision floating toward me. No kidding, I nearly shat myself !!!

It turned out it was our Muslim pembantu who had finished her prayers, nipped into the house for some water and was going back to her room to change out of her all-white full-length praying goonie and headress !

[Scottish_Republican]