Ramadan in Cardiff
It had been two Ramadans since I left Cardiff in July 2009. Each and every time I reminisced about fasting away from home, it never failed to bring a smile on my lips.
I still remember the very first time when Ramadan first started in 2005. I was a bit clueless on what day would be the first Ramadan, so I made sure one of my friend, a fellow Muslim and Malaysian to text me when he confirmed the date.
I was happily munching a piece of bread with chocolate spread when a text came, which said, ‘ESOK PUASA!’ – or something along the line, heheh. I don’t remember the exact word.
Straightaway I called my mum and asked,
Just to confirm that my friend was ‘right’. Haha. Then I realised that my mom was on the other side of the world, surely the first day of Ramadan would be different!
Having no other choices (I was in Cardiff for barely a month and I don’t really have friends at that time, so go figures), I decided to believe my friend and started reciting niyaat. Suddenly I got teary eyed, a bit cheerless as I, again realised I had to go through sahur/sehri alone. T__T
But fear not, after the first day, I got used to it and actually was a lot more concerned about my abandoned bed rather than properly eating my food. Heheh.
I remember it was in the middle of autumn 2005 when we started fasting. Sunset came around half past 6 during three quarter of the month. The weather was cool and sometimes freezing so I will only got hungry around 4 p.m.
By the end of Ramadan, GMT started (wheeee!) and I found myself breaking fast with friends in lecture hall around half past 4! Allah had definitely made it easier for me.
Talking about iftar won’t be complete without reminiscing about me running from school to the nearest mosque to break the fast! Haha~
I am a lousy cook and sprinkle that with laziness you’ll get no food cooked even if it was for your own self. So in the month of Ramadan, I became a regular visitor of the mosque for the food. Thinking about it again, I felt ashamed of myself. -_-;;
I remember they usually serve biryani with tandoori with simple but tasty lentil soup. They were YUMMY! Sometimes a few aunties will bring their own food and pass it around for everyone to taste. They made all sort of things, usually fresh salad and unidentifiable yogurt mix (which I won’t be eating at all).
The portion was quite huge for a person so I brought back the leftovers to be consumed during sahur. Hahah. Thinking about it again… I definitely not the usual Malaysian girls living in the UK who would go extra length preparing food for iftar and sahur!
Now, as a married, career woman, I do my best to prepare food for my husband during weekends. T__T Yup. Only during weekends. Not that I’m proud of that embarrassing fact, but to be honest I am still the lousy cook I am in 2005. It took me 40 minutes to prepare a dish and imagine I arrived home around 6 and to cook on weekdays? *shivers*
As this blessed month is coming to an end, I do hope by the next Ramadan, I won’t be relying on bazaar Ramadan for food anymore. Wish me luck!
Cik Atun: Happy Ramadan to every one!
I still remember the very first time when Ramadan first started in 2005. I was a bit clueless on what day would be the first Ramadan, so I made sure one of my friend, a fellow Muslim and Malaysian to text me when he confirmed the date.
I was happily munching a piece of bread with chocolate spread when a text came, which said, ‘ESOK PUASA!’ – or something along the line, heheh. I don’t remember the exact word.
Straightaway I called my mum and asked,
‘Mak, kat Malaysia esok puasa ke?’
Just to confirm that my friend was ‘right’. Haha. Then I realised that my mom was on the other side of the world, surely the first day of Ramadan would be different!
Having no other choices (I was in Cardiff for barely a month and I don’t really have friends at that time, so go figures), I decided to believe my friend and started reciting niyaat. Suddenly I got teary eyed, a bit cheerless as I, again realised I had to go through sahur/sehri alone. T__T
But fear not, after the first day, I got used to it and actually was a lot more concerned about my abandoned bed rather than properly eating my food. Heheh.
I remember it was in the middle of autumn 2005 when we started fasting. Sunset came around half past 6 during three quarter of the month. The weather was cool and sometimes freezing so I will only got hungry around 4 p.m.
By the end of Ramadan, GMT started (wheeee!) and I found myself breaking fast with friends in lecture hall around half past 4! Allah had definitely made it easier for me.
Talking about iftar won’t be complete without reminiscing about me running from school to the nearest mosque to break the fast! Haha~
I am a lousy cook and sprinkle that with laziness you’ll get no food cooked even if it was for your own self. So in the month of Ramadan, I became a regular visitor of the mosque for the food. Thinking about it again, I felt ashamed of myself. -_-;;
I remember they usually serve biryani with tandoori with simple but tasty lentil soup. They were YUMMY! Sometimes a few aunties will bring their own food and pass it around for everyone to taste. They made all sort of things, usually fresh salad and unidentifiable yogurt mix (which I won’t be eating at all).
 |
| Biryani and chickennnnnnnn~ |
The portion was quite huge for a person so I brought back the leftovers to be consumed during sahur. Hahah. Thinking about it again… I definitely not the usual Malaysian girls living in the UK who would go extra length preparing food for iftar and sahur!
Now, as a married, career woman, I do my best to prepare food for my husband during weekends. T__T Yup. Only during weekends. Not that I’m proud of that embarrassing fact, but to be honest I am still the lousy cook I am in 2005. It took me 40 minutes to prepare a dish and imagine I arrived home around 6 and to cook on weekdays? *shivers*
As this blessed month is coming to an end, I do hope by the next Ramadan, I won’t be relying on bazaar Ramadan for food anymore. Wish me luck!
Cik Atun: Happy Ramadan to every one!
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