Ramadan again (already??!)

Ramadan has once again returned to Dubai. Time for my annual food and water binge sessions in the privacy of my own home during daylight hours (since eating and drinking in public during 'the holy month of Ramadan' is strictly prohibited [read, illegal] in the UAE). Definitively not the best time of the year for people with normal eating and sleeping patterns, but perhaps perfect for individuals with disordered eating and sleeping habits (starve yourself and sleep all day and then binge eat all night long, obviously a super healthy choice). Ah well, gotta look on the bright side. I do love Iftars!

Dubai Cola! A new novelty soft drink that we discovered this year to honor Ramadan. Jared was actually quite infatuated, since it is a date-flavored soda. The American equivalent would be the Coca Cola marketed at Christmas-time with Santa on the cans...

Ramadan Kareem!

A wall of these signs covered the entry-ways into the Dubai Mall Food Court to really hammer in the point that eating and drinking is illegal during the day.

This year the Dubai Municipality seemed to really crack down on enforcing the Ramadan fasting restrictions. Last year they seemed to be easing up a bit with allowing non-Muslims a bit more flexibility during daylight hours (ie, the Dubai Mall Food Court had a cordoned off section for non-Muslims who wanted to eat at the mall during the day, however, this year that policy was strictly prohibited, by law, as indicated in the sign above). The only restaurants that could serve eat-in dining options this year were in the free-zones. Not exactly convenient. Oh well, the unpleasantness and horror of Ramadan just makes me appreciate openly eating and drinking during the day that much more the other 11 months of the year... Only another week and then I will have successfully survived my 3rd Ramadan without incident or incarceration...