I can hardly believe that it’s already an entire week into the holy month of Ramadaan.
Despite the price of food these days, I’m glad that the spirit of giving remains alive and well among our Muslim friends. I am surrounded by Muslim neighbours and the smell of the delicious Malay curries being prepared has been driving me to distraction every night.
This is usually followed by plates of barakat making the rounds in the early evenings.
Some of my friends say that some nights they have up to a dozen plates of snacks from neighbours on their dinner table.
It’s such a wonderful display of generosity and neighbourliness. In my small community, I’m looking forward to a mass boeka tomorrow night.
I am only half ashamed to admit thatf a reputation I’ve gotten a bit o for being a boeber and koeksister gangster.
With short fasting days during winter, I’m also glad to see that the senses of humour are still firing on all cylinders.
The other day, a Muslim friend of mine posted on our neighbourhood group that she had a game of backgammon she wanted to give away.
I fired back that I thought she ought to be ashamed of herself, especially during the month of Ramadaan, because I was sure that gammon is haraam. I received many smiley faces in return!