As is usually the case, supposed "free time" fills up very rapidly. I have spent most of this past month of Ramadan studying independently (listening to old lesson recordings and improving my reading & writing), exploring the art of making jams and scones (yum!), practicing instruments, spending a lot more time in prayer both with others and by myself, and occasionally participating in iftar (the meal breaking the fast) with a couple of my closest Muslim friends and their families. All in all, it's been a lovely month, but I will be happy to resume my normal schedule after next week.
Perhaps one of the most memorable nights of Ramadan for me was a trip to the capitol to experience "Citadel Nights", a celebration held after iftar next to some ancient ruins. (Have I mentioned yet how much I love living in a country where you can see ancient history side by side with modernity?) After a brief walk around the ruins (they were closing the gate and were only just let in to explore for '10 minutes') we then sat down to eat some snacks and watch the city come alive after iftar. Special Ramadan lights (with crescent moons and stars) lit up several windows reminding me of Christmas lights. Then we entered into the actual celebration.
Oh, it was definitely touristy but the number of Arabic speakers certainly outweighed us foreigners. There were numerous booths with crafts and food lining the walkway that made its circuit around the whole festival. We paused to examine mosaics, hand-embroidered scarves and clutches, and jewelry. There were two stages and on the smaller stage my ethnomusicologist heart was delighted to hear the rabab (a one or two stringed instrument) played live while the musician sang folk tunes. But the best for me was yet to come. At 10 p.m. the big stage opened for the main entertainment. In preparation for the professional group to play, the two hosts asked members from the crowd to come up and either sing or tell a story. This was my favorite part. Though glamorized, it reminded me of a time when perhaps it was commonplace for people to sit around in a tent telling stories and singing songs to one another. I have to admit, some of the voices weren't so great, but even that was amusing as the hosts tried desperately to get them to finish and get off the stage. However, there were also some amazing voices that were a pleasure to hear. You could always tell which ones the sound engineer enjoyed because he would add an echo to the microphone to make them sound even more professional. The group that capped off the night's festivities was led by a female vocalist and supported by an electric violin, piano, bass & electric guitars, drum set and tabla. I had fun watching the pianist and the violinist play off each other in a mixture of parallel ornamentation and some improvisation. My fingers itched to learn to play some more Arabic music.
Perhaps the most beautiful sight of the night though were the floating lanterns. Two or three paper lanterns were set off into the sky, their lights getting smaller and smaller until you couldn't distinguish them from the stars.
*For those unfamiliar with Ramadan here's the brief overview: Once a year Muslims set aside a whole month for fasting and prayer. They fast from early in the morning to when the sun goes down. This fasting includes not only food but also liquids as well. After the sun goes down then they are allowed to eat and drink. Many people stay up late at night and then rise later the next morning if they don't have work. At the finish of Ramadan there is a four day eid or festival.
Very cool! I like that there are special Ramadan lights.
ReplyDeleteMe too! They were an unexpected surprise and it made everything seem very festive at night.
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