HAIL TO THE VICTORS

Now Playing: Santana, Live at the Fillmore 1968

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I must confess that this Ramadan has been supremely challenging for me, both physically and mentally.  With temperatures frequently exceeding 120°F, my motivation levels and higher brain activity have been at an all-time low.  Also, because this is my last Ramadan here, I’ve spent most of my nights with other families, fending off small children who want to shower with me* and sleeping in only relatively-familiar locations.

In fact, I can’t seem to read, write, watch a movie or enjoy a podcast without falling asleep these days.  My waking hours consist of deciding what form of media to nap to (I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will not finish a chapter or a movie), debating where I should break my fast, entertaining fantasies about what life will look like once I return to the real world Stateside, and striving to figure out why I am suffering so much while my community seems merely as uncomfortable as last year.

Simply put, I wasn’t raised in this climate, and am struggling at a physiological level to bear this heat on only three liters of water a day.  Oh yes, that’s right: I drink three liters of water at night to prepare for the following day… and it’s not enough.

At my weakest moments, I try to remind myself that even my most painful hours of fasting are mild in comparison to what our brothers and sisters are experiencing in Pakistan, Niger, Haiti and other drought/famine/poverty/disaster-ridden nations around the world.

I’m thankful for how humbling this time of year is, and for the daily reminder of just how much I have – and how much I take for granted – in my life.  But with Eid Saghir right around the corner, the phrase hail the to victors has taken on an entirely new meaning for me.

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*There’s nothing sexual about showering in this culture, so this is just more of an annoyance than anything to, well, raise concern over.  This particular small child likes to spend time with me regardless of activity, whether it be while I’m washing dishes, reading a book, working on the computer or bathing.