Almost two weeks into this new life and thankfully, Ramadan is just a few days away from conclusion. On Thursday, Eid leave begins at the office and next week everything is closed for three days. So the 1-7pm month-long Ramadan closures are now replaced with all-day closures. The city should empty out for planned vacations to the coast or other spots in the region. Some of the westerners in the office will work through it, including yours truly. I am looking forward to meeting the tea and coffee crew that resume their duties on Sunday the 27th, the first day back after the Eid holiday. One of the Aussies on my end of the western wing swears the weather gets "really nice" in October and will host us for a "barbee"...we may have different views on what "nice" is...
I attended a Ramadan dinner last week hosted by an Iraqi colleague who miraculously presented an extravagant feast after working that day - she's an accomplished Levantine cook and insists I teach her how to make risotto in her kitchen. She had us falling out of our chairs with tales of bureaucratic impasse this summer - she must find new housing and replace her passport as there's an error in her grandfather's name. I met another Iraqi, a painter, at a Ramadan Suhour dinner, who quietly expressed his view that "with Saddam, there was only one." I marvel at the joie de vivre each of these very different people possess.
I quickly snapped this photo during the noon call to prayer last Friday at a cultural center, where the women go to prayer outside of the home while the men go to the mosques. I am still getting used to the local women in the head-to-toe abaya as well as undergoing a transformation of my own work wear. It's not sufficient to be covered to the elbow and knee - - the fabrics cannot be transparent and the fit cannot be too tight. Pushing the envelope on that front places a woman in jeopardy of losing respect and not being invited to meetings, etc. My (American female) boss was not pleased with an outfit I chose last week and let me know it, so now I am semi-paranoid and determining that a good chunk of my clothing may be unsuitable for the office.
Found a great yoga studio in the middle of town owned by a Brit that's been a yogi for 20+ years. She's an excellent instructor and the classes are filled with ex-pats in normal yoga wear. There's no a/c in the studio so it's pseudo-Bikram without the sadist instruction. They are hosting a yoga workshop in Zanzibar over Eid...something to pencil in for next year! One must cover up going in and out despite the ambient heat and the studio conditions as there's a mosque across the street...their web site warns against parking in the Imam's space.
Which brings me to traffic. It's not as dense as NYC but the drivers are out of their minds. There are 3-lane roundabouts all over town to keep movement flowing. This little goodie in the photo above snaps a shot of your car if you're speeding, running a red light, making a traffic menace of yourself, and you are not notified by mail. Good luck leaving the airport on your next flight as license plates are tied to passport, visa, and Resident Permit details and accumulated tickets must be paid, or you are denied boarding. The fines are steep and there's a web site where one can check for infractions/fines. I am still enjoying the privilege of a driver that's at my disposal the first month so these vehicular adjustments are not yet on my plate. I should be memorizing the sequence of the roundabouts and landmarks as we go around town for meetings and other errands but I end up studying and quizzing myself on Arabic numbers on the license plates, which are displayed above the cardinal (thank you, Wiki) numbers on all plates. I can read the numbers on contracts/estimates in Arabic at work now but I still don't know how to get around town very well. Priorities.
I'll look into an Arabic tutor and a sailing class after Eid (everything is "after Eid" these days). In the meantime, it may only be 98 degrees by the weekend.
Food and Falcons to follow...
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