A Different Tune

Ramadan Reflections I was married barely a couple of months back in 2011 when I experienced my first Ramadan. My husband and I were in the US at the time and I still remember eating cold pizza from the night before for sehri in our hotel room. The first few days were spent there before we returned to Ireland. My husband prayed taraweeh (special night prayers during the month of Ramadan) in the mosque and one day I decided to go with him too. Bad idea. I was not prepared for what taraweeh encompassed! The long prayers of which I could barely understand anything, and the sound of women sobbing during prayers completely overwhelmed me. I have come to realise that Islam is a process; it is a journey personal to a believer and must be undertaken at one's own pace. What baffled me most was that I, an avid foodie who needs to eat and drink very often, managed to fast without feeling very hungry and thirsty and that was accomplishment enough for me. I had only ever read and seen o...