Ramadhan Mubarak

Trendy Al-Fayhaa District, where Dar Al-Hekma is situated. This is probably the smallest house in the area. The rest are versions of Michael Jackson's Never-Never-Land. Now, if I can get into one of them and just count the rooms, I'd be happy. I imagine there are at least 14 rooms in this one. At the very least.

Kullu 'amun wa antum bikhair!

Ramadhan 2005:
A chance to start over and maybe fast for the whole month for the first time in my life. I'm saying maybe. InshaAllah. It's not as commercialized this year as it was the past couple of years here in Jeddah, but the spirit is definitely out there. I have to work nights like a horse, but I'm fine with it. At least I get the days off, and I can finally catch Interview With A Vampire on Jeddah's very own HBO - MBC 2. Also, the Ramadhan sale season is just around the corner. That should be fun. The days are short for now, so we don't have to wait that long for iftar.

Ramadhan 2004:
Not even. I spent it with my brothers and Kaka Suge at our Manila townhouse, and it was crazy. I was working the graveyard shift at a call center, and there was a Muslim mohawk-hairstyled character who stalked me all over the office. I prayed Taraweeh at the Capitol Estates Mosque an amazing total of 2 times.

Ramadhan 2003:
Even crazier. Most nights were spent at the apartment that my brother Waleed shared with Dudut and Kaka Archie. I distinctly remember the lovely Oreo shakes Kaka Archie would whip up, the "Tram" card games with Kaka Sunny ["pi!" Sssssiiiinnnnoooonnnnggggg tatay mo, Kaka San-eh?], and sharing a pack of Marlboros with Kaka Omar to break our fast. Shameful. But good times.

Shariah has signed me up to be a member of her circle's book club. I'm pretty excited, because I've never been in a book club before. I'm not sure how it works, but I'm guessing book discussions [no duh]. It might be a little embarrassing once I fess up about my occasional Fabio indulgence. Currently, though, I'm reading Rani Manicka's Touching Earth, which I recommend to fellow book-people. It's a fantastic read on the search for truth, a quest we have all tried to embark on at one point or another.

In other news, my Dar Al-Hekma gig is almost up, and I am marra relieved, like you wouldn't believe. I've had it with bratty freshmen girls. For the record, Bitch, I did flash the middle finger at them, so many times in fact that my students have picked it up [you know how we flash the middle finger inside-out in Jeddah]. And for the finale, I am flunking two of the nastiest sumbitches in my class. Haha. They'll be kicked out of their program because of the F that I WILL give them. Thanks to you and me. I call it "making the world a better place". Sorry, Druggie, I couldn't resist. I wish I coulda been more like you.