Entry Four: Reflections and sweets
Time really does fly when you’re having fun, because, sadly, it is officially the last week of Ramadan.
It’s funny to think that a month ago I was on the phone with my mom and sister stressing about how I would make it through 30 days of juggling work and fasting. They suggested meal prepping, which worked for a week but failed after that.
Because now, in the final stretch, I think my month-ago self would be pleasantly surprised to find that there wasn’t anything to worry about. I was able to not only strengthen my spiritual connection but also hone my cooking skills and explore family recipes.
The Ramadan Kitchen Diary: Intuitive cooking at 4 a.m.
Entry Three: New recipes to start the fast
Stuffing my face before the sun has risen is one of the harder things for me during Ramadan. But suhoor (the meal that starts the fast) is also a time I feel spiritually motivated.
Because waking up at 4 a.m. to make food and eat before the
athan (call to prayer) sounds at sunrise takes a lot of discipline and
sabr or patience – especially when you work a full-time job and live alone.
Back home, I had the privilege and joy (though waking up then didn’t seem so) of my mom waking me up on time.
I have always been an intuitive cook and an insatiable eater. Although the combo yields delicious discoveries, the two traits are not the best when fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month-long holiday, especially when you work all day and live by yourself.
Ramadan, which runs from April 13 to May 12, welcomes Muslims to retreat from human and worldly desires and anchors us spiritually. Abstinence from food, drinks (yes, even water) and sexual activity for 16 hours each day for 30 days, all to renew
Iman (faith) in the body and soul.
This Ramadan will be new terrain for me now that I live in a new city and work at my first full-time job