A different Ramadan experience

"Overseas posting" is such a glamorous word kan? I mean, when you tell someone that you got an overseas posting in some country (outside your home country), people will just say "waaahhh.. bestnya..". After all, isn't it glamorous to be called "an expatriate"?

And then there's this perception that you're earning so so so much more.. sebab expatriates are supposed to have all their hardship and living allowances kan?

Overseas posting = more money?

But the truth is... that while you do earn slightly more, you manage to save more because you don't spend as much.

Take Ramadan, for instance. Kalau kat KL, I would be breaking fast at all the fancy places with friends. Alasan? It's usually so hard to meet friends in KL (because everyone's busy working and Ramadan is the only time when we can leave the office by 4.30pm latest), so we would use Ramadan as a chance to catch up with friends.

Bangsar Village, KLCC and Mid Valley are favorite places to meet friends. Cuz it's convenient kan? Ada fancy restaurants (somehow during Ramadan, you just crave for fancy food like spare ribs at Tony Romas or streamed fish and mieng kam at Basil) and senang parking.

In all honesty, when I was in KL, I hardly buka puasa di rumah with my parents. In fact, I think I only buka puasa di rumah during weekends.

But I am single kan.. and I have so many single friends too.. so meeting up for buka puasa seems so natural. And terawih? Errr... hardly lah kan. I mean, after a good meal at Bangsar Village, we usually head over to Chawan or Starbucks for coffee. (Heh. Good coffee is like a must after a good meal kan?)

So yeah.. I would be spending at least RM80-RM100 a night, if not more.. sebab occasionally, we would also check out the fancy buka puasa spread at some hotel.

Such was my life.

And now that I'm in Sudan, things are so different. Because I'm usually so tired after a whole day in the office, I don't cook for buka puasa. Instead, I will head to the surau sebab ada free food. (We collect money amongst us and got the Malaysian students in Khartoum to cook for us.)

Buka puasa di surau means simple packed food. It was rice + a slice of orange + boiled egg + kari daging (for the first day) and rice + slice of orange + some cabbage + kari ayam (second day). Simple stuff.

Buka puasa Day #1

And after the simple buka puasa, we would semayang Maghrib berjemaah. While waiting for Isya', some would stay back to baca Quran and some would go home to rest for a bit. And then we will do our Isya' and terawih beramai-ramai.

I go back right after terawih (and witir) but some would stay back for tadarus Quran.

But it has been such a humbling experience. Humbling because I see intelligent people - engineers, planners, geologists and such - pakai kain pelikat and makan the same packed food as me. Even more humbling to see them, successful in their career.. attend meetings with the other partners (Chinese, Indians and Sudanese) and yet, masih boleh baca Quran dengan lancar. Alhamdulillah, kan?

And that is the beauty of Islam. Regardless how pandai you are, or how much you have in your bank account, when it comes to ibadah, kita semua sama. Pakai selipar and kain pelikat / telekung. Nothing fancy. And berdiri di saf tanpa mengira pangkat.

Humbling indeed.

Makan ramai-ramai tanpa kira pangkat

Bertadarus lepas terawih

Some of the Company's decision makers sedang dengar tazkirah during terawih

And suddenly, I am feeling so small. I used to see Ramadan as a time to catch up with friends at fancy restaurants. Padahal, Ramadan tu bulan penuh nikmat. Imam Syafiee apparently khatam Quran 60 times in the month of Ramadan. And me? Bertuah lah kalau dapat baca satu page pun.. :(

So yeah, since Ramadan, I've not spent a single cent. And that is why, we expatriates, could save more.

That's not to say that I don't miss my Ramadan outing with friends, sebab I do. I especially miss my Ratu Associates buka puasa, where we go to the Bangsar Pasar Ramadan and cari food, and then head over to Syah's house for buka puasa ramai-ramai.

Cuma, I think, when I'm back in Malaysia (insya Allah), I also want to try and berterawih more. I finally understood 'nikmat' Ramadan. It is a special month. Terawih only happens in Ramadan. The Quran (and all the other kitab - Injil, Taurat and Zabur) diturunkan di bulan Ramadan.

And I realize that if you don't over-eat, you do have the energy to do your terawih prayers. Amazing. I don't think science can explain that.. because scientifically speaking, when you eat, you have the energy kan? Tapi sebenarnya, walaupun kita lapar giler during the day, all we need is a few kurma and water and we are all set to do our prayers.

So yes, I'm blessed to be given the opportunity to work in Sudan. Sudan has humbled me in so many ways.

I do hope that this energy will continue when I'm back in KL. I hope that even if I go out with friends for buka puasa, I would still find time to berterawih after that. Why use Ramadan to gossip lama lama when I have all the other months to do it?

Anyway, Ramadan Kareem everyone!

xoxo

ps./ "Ramadan Kareem" loosely means "blessed Ramadan". Sebab Kareem means generosity.. yang melimpah ruah.. So when you say "Ramadan Kareem", it means blessings in Ramadan sebab yang miskin pun dapat zakat and God is even more generous by granting us special nights and ampunkan dosa-dosa kecil. Which is why, the response to Ramadan Kareem is "Allahu Akram", which means that Allah is more generous. So when someone says "Ramadan Kareem" to you, reply with "Allahu Akram".. :) 

pss./ This is my second Ramadan in Khartoum, but last year, I tak terasa sangat.. sebab my parents were around to cook for me and fuss over me. This year, however, I'm all alone.. :(