Goodbye Ramadan
Ah finally it's over. The month of Ramadan was anything but what it is normally claimed. Yes, people in hoards filled the mosques but in a month when devout Maldivians refrain from food and water during the day there was bound to be some really disgusting side-effects. As it happens, irony is part and parcel of the Maldivian way of life.
Among them was the noticeable increase in the amount of thick, dehydrated saliva and phlegm spat on the road. This was so rampant and so commonplace that few noticed the constant raucous throat-clearing, subsequent collecting of phlegm at the tip of the tongue and eventual "pftoot" when the gross projectile is ejected from the mouth to land with a "chis" on the targeted pedestrian walk or road. This was done everywhere. In mosques, outside grocery shops, sometimes thrown out of ferry windows, car windows, room windows and from motorcycles.
Oh the disgust! I became so aware of these little blobs of yellow-green goo on the road that I actually started walking with my head lowered to the ground constantly scanning and on the alert for the impending gross-outs.
I think a lot of us are still of the impression that one must not even swallow his own spit as God is vigilantly analyzing every molecule passing through the esophagus ready to call the foul. Yes, such stupidity is still alive and well.
The other thing, and this was equally disgusting, was the amount of rotting, maggot infested rubbish in plastic bags casually left on roadsides by, who I have no doubt are, lethargic and tired, fasting Maldivians too lazy to take their own lavish excesses of breakfast foods to the garbage dump.
Indeed, such a spiritually purifying month it was that we couldn't care less about hygiene and the common decency and manners in public. So, yes, I am happily looking forward to the days of roads clear of rotting food and gooey phlegm, better manners and, more important, energised Maldivians now that the month is behind us.
I hope that in the coming months, as the country's political landscape transforms we too go through a personal transformation towards civility.
kafir | October 1, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply
good riddance to bad breath (which to Allah is like musk. to each his own i guess), post-breakfast belches laced with hedhikaa-smells and stinky body odours in the mosque.
Dhivehi Resistance | October 1, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply
Simon and kafir,
Goodbye and good riddance?
Come back next year?
M | October 1, 2008 9:18 PM | Reply
why so negative? why did u miss to mention the lavish feasts everyday at sundown right after fasting (as to remember the starving kids of africa), followed up pub-crawl style tharaavees house hopping for more food? it's all in the good spirit of the month. at least u can't say that the food was bad. u just chose to see the negative side only.
Shihab | October 2, 2008 8:54 PM | Reply
Simon, I thought that this "phlegm spat on the road" phenomena is not so visible anymore. But you must have seen it to be so disgusted about it. I still can't understand your stand on Islam.
Shihab,
Regarding the stuff on the road; I write about what I see and as I said in the post few notice these things because we're so used to it.
Clindamycin | October 3, 2008 3:37 AM | Reply
Simon, which verse from Quran or hadheeth tells Muslims to spit on the road and to leave garbage around? Don't blame Islam for the actions of people who don't know how to live or don't have good manners.
M, if you Google you can find that majority of Americans are obese. Can't they give away some of the extra food away to poor African children and be more healthy. If you look around a bit, you could find Prophet Muhammad did not advice Muslims to have feasts and waste food while breaking fast. He himself ate only a few dates for breaking his fast. Good sarcasm, but bad timing and wrong place. Cheers
kafir | October 4, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply
clindamycin
if you look at heaven you'll find that there are a lot of grapes, poultry, wine and sofas. why can't Allahrika spare some of that for us poor folk?