Happily (and not by chance), we have planned a ten-day family trip out of the country for right smack in the middle of Ramadan, which means we will get to miss out on some of the crazy days here in the UAE. I mean no disrespect for the holiday - I speak only of the relief I feel at having ten days where I will not have to battle famished, irritable drivers on the already treacherous roads here. (Though I confess that it will also be nice to be able to eat and drink in public.)
Even though I knew on paper that Ramadan starts on August 1st, I should have also been able to feel it coming. Everywhere you go, there's a bit more energy than usual, probably because people are rushing around to get stuff done (like me) or because they're preparing for the month-long holiday. It's exciting, in a way - like Thanksgiving every day for four weeks, if you can imagine. I'm no stranger to fasting, but I've never fasted for days on end like observers do during Ramadan. I'll be wishing them well even as I do not participate, despite the urgings of my 7-year-old Egyptian neighbor.
For now, I'm taking a look at my to-do list and orchestrating tomorrow's errand schedule in my head. How did Ramadan sneak up on me like this? I'll have to do better next year.