Ramadan in the UAE and the Dubai Mall

Hello again everyone.

Yet again I'm experiencing something I never thought I would experience.

During Ramadan, which officially started on Saturday and ends in one month, no one is allowed to eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public. Also no physical horseplay (if you know what I mean), but that goes without saying.

To do so is not only considered inconsiderate to the fasters, but also punishable by the law. This includes tourists and yes, me. In accords I can't drink water in public during the day, which means I can't quench my massive thirst during the three hours that I teach on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday morning. Thankfully there are breaks when I can go grab a drink in a private room. But it is quite an experience to treat food and water like they're crack and weed. During the day you can hide them, but you can't let anyone see you consuming them.

I think the single biggest piece of Ramadan that bothers me is the lengthy call to prayer every night around 9 pm. Not only do they "call" everyone to prayer over a very loud speaker, but they also pray over the loud speaker. This lasts about 30 minutes. It's like having someone standing outside your window with a bull horn shouting words at you that you can't understand. That said, it seems the locals here enjoy it and treasure it. So I must endure.

On Friday evening I went to the Dubai Mall with several people from the university. I must admit it's quite a fascinating mall. Supposedly it's the biggest in the world, although I've heard somewhere that there's a mall in China that is bigger. We walked by a skating rink and, once again, the "world's largest" indoor aquarium. We also walked through a souk. These are located all over the place and are supposed to be modeled after the markets of old. The souk in the Dubai Mall is something that clueless men like me would get lost in, but mall veterans I'm sure could find their way around.

I look forward to posting some pictures on here. I think my cargo and camera will be arriving soon. Then hopefully I can rent a car and take some pictures.

Ben