Another year in Johannesburg, completion of my second to be exact, but its my third Ramadan here. If people tell me once more that life gets easier remind me to cut them off from my life. Life doesn’t get easier, it gets weirder and at times harder.

Ramadan is one of those difficult times in the year. Times like these you wish you were at home surrounded by family. Mum who somehow even though she is working has food for iftaar ready, and dad who is always there making sure you wake up for sehri.

But truth be told, even though Ramadan is difficult alone, I love the month. It’s a time when I seek myself again. When I try and figure out who I am and where I want to be in the next year.

Ramadan for a person staying away from home always starts at least a few weeks earlier. Especially if they the unmarried ones [yes meaning me].

So what do I mean by weeks earlier. Well the usual preparations may happen at home as per normal, but ours begins with the first phone call from mother dearest. “You want samoosa’s, pies what else must I prepare for you.”

Dearest mum is trying to freezer pack everything she can for me. Which also means that a special trip to Durban would be needed to ensure that I collect everything or hopefully a friend will be able to bring it up.

But I’m the weird kind. I hate putting my mum out of her way so I tell her not to make everything and I will be fine. So I head to Durban over the long weekend for my cousins wedding and sure enough my mum has stuff ready for me. Not as much as the last two Ramadans, but enough that I know for at least 2 weeks I wont need any fries or pies.

Love my mum for doing this but there are also the calls from my aunts and most def my grandmother. Love them all to bits but seriously there is only so much place in my freezer and I share it with 2 other girls.

And the really really bad thing about it is that when I fast and I break fast I need FOOD. Not samoosas and pies but food. Yes I’m that kind of person. I wont need a lot but I will want and need food.

So the long rambling process that I am getting to is that people please check out Ramadan.co.za for full world coverage of this years fast. Get in touch with your spirituality, find some good recipes and live everyone’s experiences and understand the similarities and differences of Muslims from across the world.

Inshallah this year I hope to get a chance to blog from Maputo, Mozambique for the blog. Somehow I always get sent for work around Ramadan. I think it’s a test and I welcome the experience. Last year was Ghana, this year Mozambique…next year who knows.

Remember me in your duas and remember your fellow Muslims across the world.

Ramadan Mubarak!!!

Picture taken on Hajj trip 2005/2006