Ramadan Ends!
Ramadan is over--there will be no more fasting in my village until next April! (Ramadan and other Musilm holidays are determined by the lunar calendar, so the dates move up about 10 days every year. Next year Ramadan will likely start during the last few days of April). I ended with a grand total of 19 days of fasting dawn-to-dusk (I didn't fast while outside my village). I did drink water while fasting, making my 19 days of fasting seem a small feat when compared to the adults all over Senegal who fasted without food or water for 29 days. After some unusual stomach pains I endured during the first five days or so, the fasting became relatively easy. It was even easy to get back into after taking ten days "off" when I went to Mbour. During the last nine days of Ramadan I got into a good routine of going on a short jog just before we broke fast. The sweltering heat subsides a bit after 6:30pm, so I had time to fit this in before eating around 7:30.
As predicted, my family did not eat any special food during Ramadan. We ate moni, a corn or rice porridge, in the early morning before sunrise. To break fast at sunset, we again ate moni. I then usually snuck into my room to eat a mango or some dried fruit before showering. A few hours later, around 10pm, came dinner. Dinner during Ramadan was the same as dinner during other seasons: rice or corn with peanut sauce or leaf sauce.
My two host moms Nyuma and Sohona alternated cooking moni and dinner each day. One day Nyuma would cook moni in the morning and the evening, and Sohona would cook dinner. The next day they would switch roles. This way, neither of them had to wake up in wee hours of the morning every day to make moni for my host dad and I. When Nyuma made moni in the morning, she would usually wake me up between 5am and 5:30an to eat. Sohona was more of a wild card; I was woken up as early as 3:45am one day to eat moni.
I am fairly sure that neither Nyuma nor Sohona has a clock in their hut. This would account for the differing time of breakfast every day. Without an alarm, though, they both must be pretty confident that they will wake before the sun rises to cook. As usual, the men have it easiest--my host dad and I never had to wake up early in the morning to cook. I just had to drag myself out of bed every morning in the dark when I heard tapping on my bamboo fence and "Mamadou, moni." There were a few mornings were the fence-tapping sound entered my dreams and I eventually woke up confused as to what was going on.
I never saw the women eating moni, but they might have after I had finished and gone back to bed. Many people in the village fasting don't like to eat anything in the morning, preferring to simply sleep until after the sun rises. My host moms could have been opting not to eat in the mornings. How terrible it would be to have to wake up in the early of the night to cook something you won't even eat! One of the many demands on Senegalese wives.
Another post about Korite, the end-of-Ramadan holiday, is coming soon!
Note: The answer to Song Lyrics in Jaxanke #2 was "You Never Give Me Your Money" by The Beatles. There were no correct responses this time. #3 is on the way as soon as I come across another fitting song.
As predicted, my family did not eat any special food during Ramadan. We ate moni, a corn or rice porridge, in the early morning before sunrise. To break fast at sunset, we again ate moni. I then usually snuck into my room to eat a mango or some dried fruit before showering. A few hours later, around 10pm, came dinner. Dinner during Ramadan was the same as dinner during other seasons: rice or corn with peanut sauce or leaf sauce.
My two host moms Nyuma and Sohona alternated cooking moni and dinner each day. One day Nyuma would cook moni in the morning and the evening, and Sohona would cook dinner. The next day they would switch roles. This way, neither of them had to wake up in wee hours of the morning every day to make moni for my host dad and I. When Nyuma made moni in the morning, she would usually wake me up between 5am and 5:30an to eat. Sohona was more of a wild card; I was woken up as early as 3:45am one day to eat moni.
I am fairly sure that neither Nyuma nor Sohona has a clock in their hut. This would account for the differing time of breakfast every day. Without an alarm, though, they both must be pretty confident that they will wake before the sun rises to cook. As usual, the men have it easiest--my host dad and I never had to wake up early in the morning to cook. I just had to drag myself out of bed every morning in the dark when I heard tapping on my bamboo fence and "Mamadou, moni." There were a few mornings were the fence-tapping sound entered my dreams and I eventually woke up confused as to what was going on.
I never saw the women eating moni, but they might have after I had finished and gone back to bed. Many people in the village fasting don't like to eat anything in the morning, preferring to simply sleep until after the sun rises. My host moms could have been opting not to eat in the mornings. How terrible it would be to have to wake up in the early of the night to cook something you won't even eat! One of the many demands on Senegalese wives.
Another post about Korite, the end-of-Ramadan holiday, is coming soon!
Note: The answer to Song Lyrics in Jaxanke #2 was "You Never Give Me Your Money" by The Beatles. There were no correct responses this time. #3 is on the way as soon as I come across another fitting song.
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