As you might know already, we have been celebrating the holy month of Ramadan in the UAE since April for about 30 days now. Due to the current situation with Corona virus, the celebration has been kinda subdued and there are restrictions towards what can be done, as well.
A little bit about Ramadan 2020
Here is a little about Ramadan that I, as a non Muslim and UAE expat, have come to learn in the past few years.
Ramadan usually begins with the moon sighting to mark the beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan 2020 started on April 23rd.
During this holy month, millions of Muslims will undergo fasting between dawn to dusk with family and friends. But, of course, this year due to the Corona virus lock down, breaking of the fast (iftar) ritual has been restricted to close family only.
As per practice, there are five things that Muslims are usually encouraged to during the month of Ramadan.
Fast between dawn to dusk
Pray five times at their mosques
Donate to charity
Spend time with family and strengthen their faith
Take a pilgrimmage to Meccah, Saudi Arabia
Non Muslims are expected to be mindful about these rules. Usually there are no music or entertainment in the public and refrain from eating or drinking in front of those who are fasting. Usually the non fasting people eat at cordoned areas in the workplaces.
Some of those rules are changing for the current year, like the pilgrimage or praying at the mosques, which have been shut down for now.
A committee meets to officially mark the beginning of the tenth month based on the moon. This year, the moon sighting committee met virtually on Saturday to announce that the new month begins today!
We are on extended holidays for the Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan 2020/ end of breaking the fast) which started from Friday till Monday
Whoa that went longer than I expected it to be. Let me know if it were too much!
What I read this week
This has been an average reading week for me.
I finished reading two books this week. But I had started reading them weeks ago. Hence no so great actually
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Flateshare, The by Beth O’Leary
What I watched this week
I watched Scooby Doo and it was nostalgic. We had a namesake dog when I was young and I kept sending pictures of Scooby to my mom, who was overjoyed.
On my blog
In case you missed any of the posts this week, here is a recap!
Marie tells us it is okay for book bloggers to not be on every social platform. She talks about that and about other ways book blogging has changed in her post.
Did you learn anything new about Ramadan here? Do you know anyone who celebrates the month of Ramadan? What are you watching/reading these days? Let us talk.
Did anyone see that twist coming on How to get away with murder?
Are you happy with the ending? I can’t believe that happened to them both. TBH I didn’t want anything to happen to that guy but it had to, right?
I hate it when my head tries to reason out my feels, like I know it had to happen but can I have a heart break for a fictional character, for a minute in here?
Not spoiler-ing How to get away with murder
Sigh. Also talking about How to get away with murder without spoiling it for the rest of the world is difficult!
Oh by the way, my laptop stopped making that weird noise out of nowhere in the last two days. I still do not know what I did right, but I would like to think I solved it somehow. I tried most of your suggestions, as soon as I got them last Sunday (because I was desperate for a solution).
Thank you so much, guys especially Michelle @ Because Reading for your elaborate explanation about the issue.
What I read this week
I am reading two books currently. And I will finish both of them probably today.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
What I watched this week
I am currently watching Dead to me S2. I am watching 3 or 4th episode and I am enjoying it at all.
On the other hand, I am rewatching Brooklyn Nine Nine from season 1. And it is freaking fabulous, as we know it to be.
As I was saying I watched the last two episodes of How to get away with murder, yesterday and I dunno how people waited for one whole week to see the next part.
I am not able to do that for even Masterchef Australia or other reality shows. Also whom are you rooting for?
On my blog
In case you missed this week’s posts on my blog, here is a brief recap.
Happy Mother’s day to everyone out there! Show your mom extra love from my behalf. I am gonna call her, just after posting this one!
It is another Sunday and it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Everyday has been similar to the previous and the lock down period is going to be a valid example for people who say that time is just a social construct.
A few weeks before the lock down started (oh seems to far away now) I got a HP laptop and it seemed to be working so well, until now. Since last week, it has been making a loud whirring noise every time I moved it, so loud that it startles everyone in the house without fail.
So currently I am using the laptop like a desktop, and I don’t think I can find the customer team to help me out. And that is totally bugging me out.
What I read this week
Oh so my reading finally improved and I finished Yes no maybe by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed eventually last week.
I finished reading Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller too and it has been a really long time since I read a non fiction. So that is a yay!
I am currently reading
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
What I watched this week
I have been so excited to mention about Broadchurch.
It has been a while since I liked a thriller as much as I did Broadchurch and it was so perfect, especially the 3rd season. I loved that I couldn’t guess the culprit until the end (trust me, usually I can find them a mile away – fictional ones obviously). And David Tennant was so perfect for the grumpy detective!
I am rewatching BROOKLYN NINE NINE. I love the series and am loving it even more the third time.
Credits: Tenor
On my blog
I have not been so active last on my blog, due to the irritable laptop noise syndrome.
There goes another month in 2020 and time to take stock of whatever resemblance of normalcy we have left. Let us see how my April 2020 turned out to be.
I am not even going to attempt to write a long serious updates, because I dont have any. Most of us don’t!
Quick April 2020 updates
I stayed in and never stepped out unless for essentials. Oh my birthday just passed and we had cake.
Dubai has reduced the restrictions, so we are allowed to go for a walk or exercise on the yard finally.
The desert summer has started. While the sky looks so beautiful it is horrible during the day and it can only go worse from here. Not looking forward to July and August.
Was your month any better? Please say yes and say more. It has been awfully dull here!
What I read this month:
I was so swamped by work and the new routines that I could not find time to read. This was the first time in a long time that I was not able to sneak in a quick read into my day.
So I read just two books in April 2020 and I read them during the first week, before things got hectic.
Finally Dubai has started reducing its lock down restrictions this week. From a complete lock down where we need permits to even go to buy groceries, we are finally allowed to go out of the houses from 6 AM to 10 PM. And that also means we can visit close family, take a walk, exercise (with not more 3 people) and go shopping, provided all these maximum 2 hours per day!
The malls and shopping centers would be open but operate at 30% capacity. Hotels, restaurants and other F & B would operate as well. So would offices and other non essential work places. But wherever possible people are advised to work from home. Trains, buses and taxis would be running as well from tomorrow.
We are still required to have our temperatures taken every time we enter any shop, even groceries. Wear masks and gloves when we step outside. And follow physical distancing of 2m at all times outside our house.
And to be honest, Dubai and Dubai-tes went on a non-official quarantine/lock down quite early, in the middle of March itself and that paid I guess. That and the extensive testing. The UAE is at the top 3-5 places in terms of number of testing per million of its population.
So basically there is a light at the tunnel. Let us not lose hope. Stay in and stay safe.
On the other news, the holy month of Ramadan is here. So I guess Ramadan Kareem, which means Have a good Ramadan. More on the month of Ramadan, in next week’s Sunday Musings.
What I read this week
My reading has been terrible this week. But my highly productive week has to be blamed, not me.
I am currently reading The Time Traveller’s wife and Yes no maybe, which I have been reading on and off for 2 weeks now. Sigh.
But I will catch up!
What I watched this week
I have been watching the Fall, a British serial killer mystery and it has been underwhelming despite the raving reviews.
Also watched Stranger things again, with the family. Well, there is only so much things to watch guys, we get to repeat watch some stuff.
If you are interested in watching Indian movies that are not Bollywood’s cheesy musicals I would love to make some recommendations.
Ayyapanum Khoshyum – Malayalam – Prime
Varane Avashyamund – Malayalam – Netflix
Sillu karupatti – Tamil – Netflix
And for the sake of cheesy Bollywood movies, watch Shbubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan on Prime
Let me know if you do watch any of these!
On my blog
In case you missed any of the posts this week, here is a recap!
