Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan Kareem Everyone!!!!!!!! I am currently sitting in my flat listening to the friends theme song while the call to pray is resonating throughout my neighborhood...quite contrasting sounds yes. I think their contrast represents in some ways the contrast of an American living in Egypt. Anyways. 85% of the population here is fasting from food, water, smoking, even spitting from sun up to sun down. It is believed to be a time when the gates of hell are shut and the gates of heaven are open. Everyone is therefore on their best behavior...which means men don't harass women AS MUCH in the streets, and women dress more modestly. Evenings are of course a party, because that's when the family and friends gather to eat...eat meals that they normally can't afford to eat, but during Ramadan, they manage to find the money to splurge. In contrast, I am about to visit my Egyptian surrogate family who are Christian. They hate Ramadan, because the food is more expensive. The family that has taken me in as another daughter, is the host family and surrogate family to my other three roommates as well. Their love moves me to tears at times. This family lives off of 100 US dollars a month, yet spiritually I believe they are the richest family I know. I hope I can someday be half the woman that my surrogate mother and sisters are. I will write more soon. I miss all of you who are in America...and I think of you often. You are the reason for me updating my blog. I know I should do it more often...