Moon, I wait for you tonight
Eid Mubarak!
We were ready for Eid, but the moon did not appear. So Bri and I went in to work, and worked for the whole day. That evening we went out to enjoy the atmosphere of expectation. Has the moon appeared?
We passed the parliament building all lit up, and walked into the memorial park. As we walked over the bridge, some young men called out "Eid Mubarak." As we passed one young man detached from the group and followed us. "What is your country?" We ignored him. "Excuse me, what is your country?" "It is not appropriate for me to speak with strange young men in Bangladesh." "I have made a bet with my friends, please just tell me your country." "Canada."
Later we sat on a bench, chatted with the little begger girls, and then with some young women. As we chatted a curious crowd gathered. We had come to tour their park, and ended up as the main attraction. It was a friendly crowd, and we had to turn down insistent invitations to eat Eid from one couple with whom we had chatted.
The national moon-sighting committee finally saw the new moon, and we celebrated Eid-al-Fitur. Eid is celebrated by going to people's houses and eating. On the first day of Eid we went to my housekeeper Sheuli's for Eid lunch- pulou (spiced and oiled rice), beef, noodles, shemai and rice pudding. On the second day we went to a staff member's house to enjoy their hospitality- 2 kinds of Pulou, 2 kinds of chicken, beef, vegetables, kababs, rice pudding, shemai, and apples. At both houses if we did not eat enough of the delicious, but heavy and rather oily food we ran the risk of offending the host. So we ate, and ate, and ate. On the third day we went to the American club.
Foreigners who work more in the field than I do, might go to 4-5 meals for each of the 3 days of Eid. Locals will visit everyone they know: 10-20 houses a day. They however do not get/have to eat at every house they visit.
We were ready for Eid, but the moon did not appear. So Bri and I went in to work, and worked for the whole day. That evening we went out to enjoy the atmosphere of expectation. Has the moon appeared?
We passed the parliament building all lit up, and walked into the memorial park. As we walked over the bridge, some young men called out "Eid Mubarak." As we passed one young man detached from the group and followed us. "What is your country?" We ignored him. "Excuse me, what is your country?" "It is not appropriate for me to speak with strange young men in Bangladesh." "I have made a bet with my friends, please just tell me your country." "Canada."Later we sat on a bench, chatted with the little begger girls, and then with some young women. As we chatted a curious crowd gathered. We had come to tour their park, and ended up as the main attraction. It was a friendly crowd, and we had to turn down insistent invitations to eat Eid from one couple with whom we had chatted.
The national moon-sighting committee finally saw the new moon, and we celebrated Eid-al-Fitur. Eid is celebrated by going to people's houses and eating. On the first day of Eid we went to my housekeeper Sheuli's for Eid lunch- pulou (spiced and oiled rice), beef, noodles, shemai and rice pudding. On the second day we went to a staff member's house to enjoy their hospitality- 2 kinds of Pulou, 2 kinds of chicken, beef, vegetables, kababs, rice pudding, shemai, and apples. At both houses if we did not eat enough of the delicious, but heavy and rather oily food we ran the risk of offending the host. So we ate, and ate, and ate. On the third day we went to the American club.
Foreigners who work more in the field than I do, might go to 4-5 meals for each of the 3 days of Eid. Locals will visit everyone they know: 10-20 houses a day. They however do not get/have to eat at every house they visit.
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