Today I...wish you all Ramadan Kareem

To which you are meant to reply "Allah akrem"

Which, loosely translated into English means "Teri is getting just a touch grumpy and cannot concentrate because she has been essentially fasting for Ramadan for the past four days and has not had more than a few pieces of fruit between sunrise and sunset and has not had her morning latte since Wednesday!"

So, even though I am clearly not of the Muslim faith, I have been trying to show respect to all of my Muslim colleagues here in Cairo by not eating or drinking in front of them. And perhaps there is something to this Ramadan thing because it has definitely made me think about self-indulgence, what I really need as opposed to what I want, and again about the mystery of why one is born when and where they are as opposed to in a different time and place. My sister sent me this quote the other day and I love it. It completely reflects what I have been contemplating seeing the life of women in the middle east and the poverty that so many people live in here.

"The woeful fright in the coal-smutted face made her suddenly so sorry that she could scarcely bear it. One of her queer thoughts rushed into her mind. She put her hand against Becky's cheek.'Why,' Sara said, 'we are just the same ~ I am only a little girl like you. It's just an accident that I am not you, and you are not me!'"~ A Little Princess, F.H. Burnett ~

So...I shall continue to do my best not to offend but I think I am over the lack of a morning latte already. I just finished my 8th day of work in a row with no opportunity to go out and explore the amazing city I am in. So I figure it is worth a latte to ensure my sanity until I can get some pool and pyramid time hooked up.

Oh...and for those who are curious...Ramadan Kareem means "Ramadan is generous to all" - and it truly is. It is like Christmas for a month. People may be fasting all day but they get to leave work at 3 PM and promptly crash hard when they get home because once the sun goes down it is just one giant feast and a party. The response Allah Akrem means "Allah's generosity is even greater." That one I am not so sure about. He seems like a pretty exacting and unforgiving dude but perhaps my friends here will educate me and I'll come to see him in a different way.