Today is the first day of Eid. "Eid Mubarak" to you all. Loosely translated Happy Eid which is similar to our Christmas. We have a three day holiday so I won't be writing a cruise blog entry today. You will just have to wait another day...
I was amazed to see early this morning, around 6.30am, all the men at the work camp below my window going to prayer. Normally they are at work well before then.
From my lofty viewing point I noticed that they were all wearing their traditional clothing, mostly white or pale blue. Most appeared to also be wearing small prayer caps. This traditional clothing that I mention is not the Emirate dress of a long white Kandora for the men. No, this is the Indian/Pakistan dress of loose cotton pants and a long top in the same colour, appearing from the distance as a one piece suit. And these weren't the normal work day wear, these were clean and new looking. All done up in their best clothes.
After prayers many men left the compound and headed into town, either in taxis or the numerous vans that miraculously appear to pick them up. As I've mentioned before, catching one of these rides seems to be a secret society in itself.
I was unsure if town was open after watching this obviously unusual departure from the normal daily routine of the working man. But I wanted to get a jigsaw puzzle to keep myself occupied so I headed downstairs to find a taxi. Luckily one arrived as I opened the outside door, to be assailed by the normal instant steaming up of my sunnies! Coupled with the inability to breath that accompanies such high humidity.
Earlier that morning I'd opened my bedroom window to air out the room only to find the windowsill was dripping within a minute and the window itself was completely fogged up. That's how high the humidity is. Often I feel as if the air is being sucked from me when I step outside.
The taxi driver greeted me with Eid Mubarak and explained all about it. He, being a Phillipino, had lots to say, most of it tongue in cheek. To cut a long story short, Ramadan has ended. So now we can all eat and drink in public.
As we arrive at the mall it is crowed with hundreds of Phillipino men. Obviously there was no work for them today! Many Pakistani men in their traditional dress were walking to the mall and they were dripping wet from the heat. I entered and quickly did my shopping. As the two shops I needed were either side of two money exchange bureaus I had to 'run the gauntlet' so to speak to get through the crowds of men milling around, all sending their hard earned cash home.
Men were buying gifts, some expensive jewellery, as this holiday is like Christmas so the expectation is that you give gifts. Some cheeky guy at touch last week had suggested that I buy my son some new shoes for Eid! Which I did online today.
All the coffee and food shops were opening and the mall was packed. Mostly with men just hanging around doing nothing. So business would be booming today. No Emirates out at that time though, 10am.
Once home I started my new jigsaw which is incredibly difficult. I've stopped now as the lighting isn't good enough. I'd dragged my work table over to the window last week when I did a lovely horse puzzle which I've kept made up on the coffee table.
I also have to do some work as I'm taking an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and it has a time limit on it. This additional qualification will allow me to teach in many countries, especially Saudi Arabia, where it is a necessary qualification. I notice places like China often don't need a teaching certificate, just a TEFL or similar qualification.
The 'workers' have been swarming around all day, wandering over to the grass outside our building, only to get shooed away by security. They've even had a game of cricket down on a sandy building site. Hundreds have wandered into town or lined the road waiting for a ride. It still astounds me how so many men of different cultures can live in one place so peacefully. There is a lesson there for us.
I'm off downstairs to sit in the jacuzzi for a while and maybe swim, depending on how hot it is. Tomorrow night we have a shared meal to celebrate Eid downstairs for the tenants of our buildings. I haven't decided what I'll take yet but will make something tomorrow.
Did I mention that I discovered a 'secret door' in the supermarket for 'Non-Muslims Only'. Behind this secret door lies a world of pork products, another mini supermarket of them. Oh the joy in our house when this was discovered! Bacon and eggs for breakie today.
Eid Mubarak to you and your whanau.
I was amazed to see early this morning, around 6.30am, all the men at the work camp below my window going to prayer. Normally they are at work well before then.
From my lofty viewing point I noticed that they were all wearing their traditional clothing, mostly white or pale blue. Most appeared to also be wearing small prayer caps. This traditional clothing that I mention is not the Emirate dress of a long white Kandora for the men. No, this is the Indian/Pakistan dress of loose cotton pants and a long top in the same colour, appearing from the distance as a one piece suit. And these weren't the normal work day wear, these were clean and new looking. All done up in their best clothes.
After prayers many men left the compound and headed into town, either in taxis or the numerous vans that miraculously appear to pick them up. As I've mentioned before, catching one of these rides seems to be a secret society in itself.
I was unsure if town was open after watching this obviously unusual departure from the normal daily routine of the working man. But I wanted to get a jigsaw puzzle to keep myself occupied so I headed downstairs to find a taxi. Luckily one arrived as I opened the outside door, to be assailed by the normal instant steaming up of my sunnies! Coupled with the inability to breath that accompanies such high humidity.
Earlier that morning I'd opened my bedroom window to air out the room only to find the windowsill was dripping within a minute and the window itself was completely fogged up. That's how high the humidity is. Often I feel as if the air is being sucked from me when I step outside.
The taxi driver greeted me with Eid Mubarak and explained all about it. He, being a Phillipino, had lots to say, most of it tongue in cheek. To cut a long story short, Ramadan has ended. So now we can all eat and drink in public.
As we arrive at the mall it is crowed with hundreds of Phillipino men. Obviously there was no work for them today! Many Pakistani men in their traditional dress were walking to the mall and they were dripping wet from the heat. I entered and quickly did my shopping. As the two shops I needed were either side of two money exchange bureaus I had to 'run the gauntlet' so to speak to get through the crowds of men milling around, all sending their hard earned cash home.
Men were buying gifts, some expensive jewellery, as this holiday is like Christmas so the expectation is that you give gifts. Some cheeky guy at touch last week had suggested that I buy my son some new shoes for Eid! Which I did online today.
All the coffee and food shops were opening and the mall was packed. Mostly with men just hanging around doing nothing. So business would be booming today. No Emirates out at that time though, 10am.
Once home I started my new jigsaw which is incredibly difficult. I've stopped now as the lighting isn't good enough. I'd dragged my work table over to the window last week when I did a lovely horse puzzle which I've kept made up on the coffee table.
I also have to do some work as I'm taking an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and it has a time limit on it. This additional qualification will allow me to teach in many countries, especially Saudi Arabia, where it is a necessary qualification. I notice places like China often don't need a teaching certificate, just a TEFL or similar qualification.
The 'workers' have been swarming around all day, wandering over to the grass outside our building, only to get shooed away by security. They've even had a game of cricket down on a sandy building site. Hundreds have wandered into town or lined the road waiting for a ride. It still astounds me how so many men of different cultures can live in one place so peacefully. There is a lesson there for us.
I'm off downstairs to sit in the jacuzzi for a while and maybe swim, depending on how hot it is. Tomorrow night we have a shared meal to celebrate Eid downstairs for the tenants of our buildings. I haven't decided what I'll take yet but will make something tomorrow.
Did I mention that I discovered a 'secret door' in the supermarket for 'Non-Muslims Only'. Behind this secret door lies a world of pork products, another mini supermarket of them. Oh the joy in our house when this was discovered! Bacon and eggs for breakie today.
Eid Mubarak to you and your whanau.
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