As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, I've had a chance to reflect upon the month's hardships and blessings.
Last Ramadan, I was lucky enough to have a summer vacation, which eased fasting and worshipping. I would stay up all night to pray, read the Quran, and feel the spirituality of the month. I would sleep after I had prayed Fajr and then wake up late in the afternoon to get house chores done.
This year, I am a working woman, so last year's routine could not be repeated. The first week of Ramadan was a huge transition for me, I would sleep after the sun rose and wake up short hours later to head to work. The lack of sleep did affect me and my productivity in the beginning, but I soon got used to the feeling.
The truth is, the only hardship I've had this year is the inability to drink coffee. Working in the newsroom, I have become very used to drinking four to five cups a day. I have been fully dependent on my coffee and not having any gave me a migraine for weeks. After iftar though, my deprived system would get a caffeine rush due to the number of lattes and Arabic coffees that I would enjoy.
This year's responsibilities have been different for me. I have worked in the morning, got some cooking and chores done in the afternoon, and continued my spiritual worshipping of the holy month at night. I would sometimes sneak a one hour 'power nap' after work, but that just makes me more tired and drains me of the little energy I have left. Instead, I've resorted to getting creative in the kitchen. My family enjoys the treats and I prevent myself from going into hibernation mode.
A big part of Ramadan is the continuous gathering of family and friends for iftar and sometimes long into the night. This requires my participation and proper social skills. These have been, of course, lost amidst the zombie effect I've been experiencing due to the lack of sleep. Nonetheless, I've taken part in almost all the visiting as it is always a happy time to be surrounded by close ones who share the joy and spirituality of the month.
Many people think fasting in Ramadan is difficult, and that we lose our energy throughout the day. It is true that we might feel tired especially in July's summer heat and scorching sun, but Allah provides us with enough strength to be able to continue with our day. And thankfully, the month has passed with enough will from us to maintain our daily fast.
The true meaning of Ramadan is to feel sympathetic towards others who do not have the blessings that we do, and in this holy month it is our duty as Muslims to try and give to others. Food is always distributed in the month of Ramadan between family members but more importantly to those who are less fortunate, and it gives us a sense of fulfillment to be able to provide help to those in need. Throughout the month, money and clothes are also given out to the needy, almost on a daily basis, as there is nothing like making someone happy in the holy month.
As this month has progressed, I've realised this Ramadan has been a time for me to give instead of get like in the previous years, and that truly showed me how much more I need to concentrate on doing good deeds as well as my spirituality and connection with Allah.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
more from Janine di Giovanni
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.