The Hardest Ramadan So Far

My Eid dress

I have another Ramadan in Germany this year (2013). This time Ramadan starts on early July and ends in early August. And yes, it is during summer time where the day is so long. The fasting time is around 19 hours daily!

I have to do my early eating (sahur) at around 03.00 AM and break my fasting at around 10.00 PM. The first adaptation that I have to do is: my working hour. Fortunately, I have flexible working hours. I have targets to deliver. So as long as the targets are achieved on time, nothing matters.

My adapted working hours start at 01.00 PM to 08.00 PM. With this schedule, I can have enough sleep after my sahur and go home right on time for preparing my breakfast.

The hardest thing in my fasting this year, it’s not the long hour. It is the heat that makes it hard. In the dry climate of Germany, the sweat is easily evaporated and we get dehydrated. This is the condition that I want to avoid. So I have to wear long sleeve shirt and pants to keep my body temperature. Of course it looks weird, during hot summer day, I opt to wear long clothes!

Another difficult situation, or perhaps my biggest temptation is seeing people eating ice cream in a hot summer day. For me, this is really hard. The colors of ice cream and the coldness effect are very tempting. But of course I have to be strong. The stronger the temptation, the more proud I become in overcoming it.

Although it seems hard to do fasting during summer, it takes less than a week to get use to it. And I feel surprised that in general I don’t have any significant problem in doing it. I even enjoy it especially during weekends, there is always invitations for breakfast. Or in weekdays, me and my friends use to go to Islamic Centre to have breakfast. And all of these are for free! So I could eat good foods for free for almost the whole month. Who doesn’t want that??!!!

The Eid

Some of the foods.

After having a month of Ramadan, it’s time for celebration. In Bremen, there is an Indonesian Islamic group that has a praying place (musholla). The celebration for Indonesian community is centered there. And again I am so surprised to find that there are lots of foods!!! It seems that every housewives bring their homemade meals. They are a lot!!!

Empek-empek, my favorite dish.

I think this is the first time that I miss leaving the month of Ramadan. The closeness and solidarity among Indonesians and Muslims have made this Ramadan so special to me. I really enjoy it. Eid Mubarak everyone!

Celebrating Eid with Indonesian community.

Christmas Parties

This year I am lucky enough to have three Christmas parties, two in Germany and one in Denmark.

Christmas Party with my Research Department

The first party I attended was with people in my research department. We celebrated it in a restaurant near our institution. Before the party, we agreed to play ‘Secret Santa’. Our names were written in a place, and then each person withdraws a name. The person who withdraws must give a gift to the person whose name is written. The maximum price for the gift is €10.

X Mas party with my research department

So during the party, we exchanged gifts. I got a nice pillow from Nicola. While my gift went to Dani, a six-pack of Indonesian instant noodles ‘Indomie’. We drank for a while there then we went to bigger Christmas party at the institution.

I got pillow

With Nicola, my secret Santa

My gift goes to Dani

Christmas Party at my Institution

On December 18^th my research institution organized a Christmas party. All the researchers gathered together to eat, drink, and chat in Christmas spirit. The foods were self-provided and we had to collect some money to buy the drinks. The party was so nice, I ate a lot that made my stomach almost exploded…

X Mas at my institution

Christmas Party in Aalborg, Denmark

On December 28^th I went to Denmark for a vacation. The first stop was Aalborg. I went there to visit my friend who I knew around two years before, when he surfed my couch in Berau.

My friend lives in a shared apartment with five other people. These people were just back from their own hometowns to celebrate Christmas. So when I came, it was time to celebrate Christmas among them.

I was so glad that I could be part of it. I can experience the Danish Christmas dinner, which consisted of a lot of fish! I felt like in heaven already! To honor my hosts, I cooked spicy fish soup for them.

Fish and bread, Danish X Mas dinner

Spicy fish soup, my contribution to the party

Danish X Mas dinner

What a nice experiences!

My First Biggest Challenge

I flew to Germany on July 31^st 2012.  At that time it was also the fasting month or Ramadan for the Muslims.  So I have to spend two-third of my Ramadan in Germany.

I know I had been doing this during my Masters study, but I never done it in summer time.  The fasting time begins from dawn to dusk, and during summer this period is the longest in a day.  My experience in fasting in Europe was during autumn time where the fasting period is more or less the same than in Indonesia (+ 14 hours).  But now I have to do it for around 18 hours!!!  In addition, the weather is drier than in Indonesia, so the level of thirstiness is greater.  Even before I flew, I already worried to face it.  Am I going to survive?  Of course I could also choose not to fast at all.  But hey, I don’t want to quit before it started.  The idea of challenging myself is more interesting than just quitting.  And of course in religious term, I could get more berkah (like good karma) by sticking to my faith.

In my first day of fasting, the weather was very nice.  The sun was full and hot.  So, it was even harder.  First I had to survive the time and second the weather.  The four-hour jump from my regular fasting time was surely difficult.  Suddenly I have to hold my fasting longer.  It would be better if I add my fasting time gradually, like adding 30 minutes each day.  In this case my body will adapt easily.  But I didn’t have this option… 

The hot and dry weather had made it worst.  My mouth and skin became dry but I had to overcome it.  My strategy was to wear normal clothes (shirt, long pants, sneakers and not shirt, short, sandals) to avoid over excess heat loss.  It’s not humid anyway, so I didn’t have to be afraid of getting sweaty. 

Another strategy is picking on the meal.  My sister is practicing food combining, she said that vegetables can hold our hunger longer than rice.  So I took salad for my early meal before start fasting.  Somehow it worked, I didn’t feel so hungry.

My main meal during fasting time

Of course I still had to do my normal activity like going to the course.  But I also kept looking at my watch, like a little kid that can’t wait to have the fasting break.  I didn’t have problem with looking to people’s eating.  In this case, even in Jakarta, people that don’t fast can eat openly in public.  So it wasn’t a big deal for me.  It’s the time that killed me.  In the end I survived my first day.  I kept drinking until I slept because I felt my thirstiness had not over…

Today is my sixth day of fasting.  My body has better adapted.  Beside, the weather had become cloudy and windy, so I am getting better in having fasting during summer.  My sleep time is changing because I have to eat around 9 PM and having early meal around 2 AM, but it’s normal.  I sleep whenever I got a chance.  If I got morning class, I sleep in the afternoon.  And if I have a class in the afternoon, I sleep in the morning.  I think so far, I have survived it J

My First (Hopefully, Not Only) Real Idul Fitri Celebration in Germany

OK, the title is too long, I admit. But don’t worry, I’ll explain it.

Idul Fitri is the celebration after the fasting month or Ramadan is over. When I came to Germany in 2007, I have my fasting month in Germany so does the Idul Fitri. However, the Idul Fitri day is on the weekdays which means normal class day in Germany. So, I couldn’t celebrate it as I used to have in Indonesia.

It was a funny feeling because I never experienced in having Idul Fitri far from my family. I wasn’t happy, of course, but I wasn’t sad either because I know in the next year (2008) I’ll have my Idul Fitri in Indonesia with my family.

And yes, that’s what had happened. In 2008, the Ramadan and Idul Fitri were in the period of my research work in Indonesia. So I didn’t miss anything.

In this year, I am back in Germany. This time, I don’t have any class anymore. So I can just sleep the whole fasting time. But of course I didn’t do that. I even travel out of town on the first and second day of Ramadan. I go to Köln to visit friends. Although the weather is pretty hot and dry but I don’t break my fast before the time. In the first day, my friend takes me for a long walk along the river and the city. Yes, this is during the fasting time, not after the breaking time. While in the second day, other friends take me for a cruise along the river during the day. It sounds an easy thing to do. But as I mentioned before, the weather is hot and sunny. I am cooked directly under the sun!

Another thing during this year’s Ramadan, my thesis defense is during the fasting time. Actually nothing special about this, but my supervisors think it’s something special. They couldn’t imagine standing for an hour and talking while fasting.

Anyway, in the end I can celebrate the Idul Fitri like normal celebration. I can join the praying and gathering with Indonesian and Malaysian people. This year’s Idul Fitri is on the weekend which makes many people from Bremen and around can come to gather. Even people from other religion also come to join.

I think this is perfect cause in the end of my study period, I can have a real Idul Fitri celebration. Since I still hoping that I could come back to Germany in the future, I hope I could have another real Idul Fitri celebration.

My 2nd Ramadan

This year I am experiencing the fasting month in Germany. My first one was in 2007 when I just came to Germany. At that time, I had the fasting month during my language class and the beginning of my study.

Last year, I had the fasting month in Indonesia because I had to do my research. Surely it is nicer to have it home as the environment is very favorable. Most people are fasting so you won’t feel alone; and the foods sold during this time are special – they are sweet and fresh for regaining the energy loss during fasting.

But hey, then the point of doing fasting might get wiped away. Fasting is about being decent and modest. The higher the temptation is, the more advanced one become. Advanced in controlling yourself.

So, to do fasting in Europe is a nice challenge. First of all, the fasting time is longer. In Indonesia the fasting time is fixed the whole time. It’s always around 14 hours. In here, of course it’s depending on what season the Ramadan falls. If it’s during winter then the fasting time is very short (less than 10 hours); but during summer that could be killing (around 20 hours!). This year it’ll be around 16 hours. Of course, practices make perfect. One has to train oneself to be able to do the long fasting time.

For me, I like to challenge myself. So no matter where, I’ll try to do my fasting. The thought of being able to control myself sounds so cool to me. Well, welcome Ramadan!

Christmas Time

In the 24th, people are still everywhere filling up the streets and stores. But after 2 PM, they become disappear. The stores are closed and people start to fade away from the streets. Only few stores are still open like in the central station or non-Christian shops like Turkish or Asian shops.

I experience this in Munich. My friend even feels surprise to find out for the first time that Munich looks like a ghost town. However when we go to Nymphenburg Schloss/ Palace, many people are visiting there for skating or taking a walk.

In the 25th, no stores are open except the ones in the central station and airport. Well at least, that’s what I saw. The streets are still relatively empty. Not many people there.

I experience this in Munich and Stuttgart. In both places, the public transportation operates rarely than usual.

In the 26th, although most of the stores are still closed but people start appear in the street. Few temporary food stands are open in the city center. Places like city centre and opened tourism objects are full with people.

I experience this in Stuttgart. Again, I remember the situation in tourism places in Indonesia during Idul Fitri. See, it’s not so different…

Christmas Craze

Again, I found the situation is just the same as Idul Fitri in Indonesia. Toward Christmas, every stores offer tons of discounts. And of course, stores are full with people. Really full. Long queuing in front of the cashier becomes regular thing to see. People with big shopping bags are also common to see in the streets. Surely, it’s just the same everywhere, no matter what kind of celebration that you have.

And just like in Idul Fitri, people also going home to celebrate Christmas with their family. Trains and flights are fully booked. What makes it different, people here don’t have to enter the train from the window to get a place.

Christmas Market

This is a temporary market that presents starting early December to the 24th. Things sold in here are mostly foods and beverages. In food section, many kinds of sweets, chocolates, peanuts, and cookies are waiting to shake your taste bud in your tongue. They are incredibly yummy!!! In beverages section there’s a typical drink for Christmas, it’s a special wine called the gluhwein. Other things that sold in here are Christmas decoration and winter accessories.

I think this temporary market is just the same like in Indonesia. Weeks before Idul Fitri, temporary markets are appearing everywhere. Mostly they sell clothes, but F&B is also flooding.

Christmas in Germany

As a citizen from the biggest Moslem country in the world, of course it’s a new thing for me to experience Christmas in a country that has strong Christian background. However, I found out that the situation is more or less the same as Idul Fitri celebration in Indonesia.

Idul Fitri in Germany

In Indonesia, this is the most waited day during Ramadan. The day when the fasting month is over. A big celebration is waiting.

This year I have to celebrate this day in Germany, so nothing special happened. The day is just like usual day especially I have a class to attend. I know there’s praying and celebration in some mosques around but the time is just don’t fit with my class so me and Ari didn’t go. But somehow I managed to get typical cookies from home send by my family through my friend who travels there. So I still can have a taste of Idul Fitri a bit ;)

Fasting in Germany

As a Moslem, doing fasting during Ramadan month is part of the challenging obligation. This time I have to take the challenge during autumn. In Indonesia, where the sun is shining constantly the whole year, the fasting time is + 14 hours daily. While in the four seasons countries, that isn’t the case.

The Ramadan starts at the transition from summer to autumn so in the beginning the fasting time is a bit longer, more than 15 hours. But as it enters autumn, the fasting time become shorter and shorter. In the last week of Ramadan, the fasting time even only for about 12 hours!

Yes, of course it supposes to be easier as the fasting hour is less but somehow it’s not that easy. During autumn, the weather is getting colder and colder and this is the trigger to make you easier to get hungry. So somehow it’s so challenging as your body need something to be burned but you have to hold it. But hey, that’s the fun part of it: testing yourself into a new challenge. In the end, this tropical species can be proud that she overcomes the challenge ;)