"Ramadan kareem" is one of several greetings that people here use during Ramadan, and it means "Ramadan is generous." Indeed, Ramadan is a time of being kind and generous to others. Even though it is a time of fasting, charity to the poor is increased, guests are fed large and delicious meals at 'ifTaar and hospitality is more lavish in general, and there is even a special expression that is used here during this month of fasting that is used when someone makes you angry during Ramadan that basically means: "it's Ramadan, so I won't say what I'm really thinking." It has been a great opportunity to be here during this special month and experience how an entire city can essentially operate at 75% of its usual capacity for an entire month, and to experience the festivities and the decorations.
However, this begins to wear on a person after about 10 days. I am not actually fasting, of course, but I am on a limited diet at the moment. I barely eat during the day because almost no where will serve food during the day and there are only so many times I can eat cheese and chips or grimy kebab for lunch. Also, I can't study in a cafe during the day, because they are all closed, and at night it's family time anyway.
All of this is not to say that I haven't loved this experience; there's nothing comparable to experiencing first hand something you've read about in your studies. That is reason enough to have loved this last month. I'm just hungry. I have been daydreaming about falafel sandwiches in a city where they are usually within easy reach.
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