Ramadan Mubarak

Sunday night was the first night of Tarawih prayers here in Malaysia. By the grace of God, I was able to move into our new house Sunday afternoon, in time to walk to the surau, small mosque, in our new neighborhood for prayers. Now I’ve successfully survived a day of fasting in the tropics. The fasting period is considerably longer here than I’ve been accustomed to in Michigan, not to speak of the hot weather. By the end of a day of unpacking and settling house, I was parched and dizzy.

In Michigan right now, the nights are still longer than the days. Since I converted ten years ago, Ramadan has fallen in the winter months. My first fast was in March. Since the lunar calendar loses about ten days a year against the solar calendar, Ramadan has marched backwards through the months over the years. In December, the fasting interval was only around ten hours long. I think that is a hidden wisdom of the lunar calendar; if Ramadan was fixed to the solar calendar, those living further from the equator would be permanently struggling or having it easy. As it is, over the course of a lifetime, it balances out. So those of my friends laughing in Michigan right now, just wait another eight years till the fast is in July!

Published by bingregory

Official organ of an American Muslim in Malaysian Borneo, featuring plants, pantuns and pictures from the Malay archipelago. Oversharing since 2002.

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5 Comments

  1. salams,
    ramadhan mubarak.
    kul aam wa antum bikhair.

    my name is yusof stevens (10 years old), and my mother and i enjoyed reading ur entries. well, i looked at ur photos and my mom read ur entries. she had a good laugh over some of ur comments. my dad’s an american from iowa, and me mom’s from malaysia.
    keep up the good work, mashaAllah. u and ur family are welcomed to visit us in sharjah, near dubai, anytime.

  2. Ramadhan Mubarak! Selamat Berpuasa.

    Since I’ll be moving to the States soon and I happen to have an American husband…I’ve ben thinking abt having a blog/website where Muslim malaysians overseas can share their experiences on how their lives are, the way they raised their children in a foreign country and at the same time teaching the children abt Malaysia and cultures and not forgetting where to get the ingredient for the food!

    Reckon anyone be interested in this? I seem to find many mix marriages couple who has a website and blog on the internet.

  3. salam alaykum Lin –

    Try http://www.Rantauan.com . It is very well developed and seems to get a lot of use. It is open to Malaysians Indonesians and Singaporeans. I haven’t joined, but I’ve read some of the forums, and it sounds like exactly what you are proposing.

    As far as a personal website goes, I’d recommend it. This has been a great way for me to stay in touch with my friends and family back home. If you need any help getting one started, let me know.

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