Ramadan from a non-Muslim perspective

We're 1 week into Ramadan, and 3 weeks to go. This is my 3rd Ramadan (well, 2.5th I suppose, as I moved to Qatar about 1 week into Ramadan), so I've had a bit of time to observe and learn. So what's it really like for a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country-- more specifically, a Gulf State-- during Ramadan?

I was careful to say a Gulf State because it seems that Ramadan is observed in ways which differ greatly from other parts of the world. Ramadan, from my understanding, is a month where complete fasting during the day means a general reduction of food and water intake over the month-- not a long period of non-eating and drinking to be followed by a gluttonous orgy of overeating at Iftar (sunset) and Suhoor (sunrise) and all in between. My colleague, who is Muslim and grew up in the US, told me that the eating pattern here at Iftar is distinctly different, and she has a hard time following it because she ends up sick. Her usual custom, which is the way recommended by health professionals, is to break the fast slowly, with dates and water, to be followed by a bit of soup and then a meal a bit later. However, the custom here is to break the fast with dates and water, followed almost immediately by a huge meal.

In Qatar, eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is forbidden during Ramadan. Restaurants and coffee shops are closed, with the exception of a few restaurants in hotels who serve food behind closed doors, and open around Iftar (this year's Iftar is approximately 6pm). Those who are not fasting become, yes, closet drinkers-- crowding elbow-to-elbow in pantries with newspapered windows to sip cups of tea and drink water. In my particular workplace building, food is still served, but the food locations are well publicized prior to the start of Ramadan, and signs are posted in the hallways leading to the food place advertising that food is being served in the area. Technically, we're not supposed to have drinks at our desks, but many of us stretch the rule and keep our bottles of water in the drawer or at our feet, turning away towards the wall and drinking discretely.

One nice thing about Qatar is that the mandated workday is only 6 hours. I am conscientious about eating lunch as my big meal, but during Ramadan I adjust and make breakfast my biggest meal. This way if I am working in the morning I eat lunch when I get home, which is around 2 or 2.30. If I am working from 9.30 until 3.30 I may take a piece of fruit to work, but otherwise I eat enough breakfast and then an early tea. During the 3-9pm, though, I take my tea and eat after sunset.

When it isn't Ramadan, I usually have 2-3 cups of tea a day-- one at breakfast, one at 7.30 when it is brought to me, and then a 3rd at 10.00. However, as we aren't being served tea, I have 2 cups of tea at breakfast and there has only been one day where I engaged in closet drinking at work.

Shop timings, naturally, change during Ramadan. This year is tough with Iftar being around 6pm, as shops will have evening hours starting from 7.30 or 8pm. I am a morning person, so by 8pm I am getting tired as I get up by 5.30 am to go to work. It's hard to want to go back out after I've gotten home and been there for a while. Some shops have morning hours and then evening hours, and some shops are only open at night. The hypermarts, though, have virtually the same hours-- perhaps opening 1 hour later in the morning, closing for about 1 hour or 1.5 hours for Iftar, and then opening back up until 1am. (They usually shut at midnight) So food shopping activities aren't affected terribly. Remember, people still have to prepare their lavish table-groaning Iftar feasts.

Driving is a challenge here under usual circumstances, but during Ramadan it becomes even more interesting to dodge the other traffic. What I find here is that many people essentially flip their day and night-- moving through the day lethargic, or even sleeping through the afternoon, and then staying up all hours of the night. So when people are driving around during the day, they have a harder time concentrating on what they are doing, and there are some horrendus accidents as a result. It gets worse as the month goes on too. The issue, though, is not fasting-- the issue is that people are tired from staying up all night. There was a study done somewhere which showed that driving while tired is worse than drink driving. So imagine a road chockers with drink drivers, and you'll get the general idea. I suspect that as Ramadan moves into the summer months, and people go on holiday, it will be marginally safer to drive here.

Although Ramadan is the Muslim holy month, don't imagine a solemn, silent funeral environment-- think more of the Christmas season in the West, with the carnival-like atmosphere in shopping malls and shops, family entertainment, special foods, and emphasis on charity and giving. Zakat, the obligatory alms tax calculated on income given by Muslims each year, is often paid at this time, although some people choose to spread Zakat over the year. (There is even a Zakat payment option on Hukoomi, Qatar's e-government website)

Overall, Ramadan is really quite a fun time of the year, and a good occasion to see cultural performances. As life slows down during Ramadan because shop timings and work hours change, so not as much can get done, it's only natural to also slow down individual lifestyles and take a bit of time out to enjoy the day. In some ways, then, Ramadan is also a healthy break.