I tought I had lost it

... no, not my mind but my thumbdrive! At around 2.55pm today, I went to the cybercafe to chat with my sisters and mum and left around 4.55pm and had LEFT my thumb drive at the computer. (I didn't even realize as I was in a hurry to get ready and go to my step-dad's house for Iftar.

Then I came back and was looking for my thumb drive as it was not on the table (where I usually put it) and started looking for it, frantically, but to no avail. As I was trying to remember where I placed it last, it came to me that I left it at the cybercafe!! *panicking..thinking: "damn!! its lost" but still hoping that it will still be there**

I straight away got changed and went down to the cybercafe. I tought I had lost it.. Then I saw it!! hahaha... *I forgot that I changed PC**

huhuh... Alhamdulillah nobody took it, perhaps no one saw it, if someone did they would have took it OR perhaps because it is in Ramadhan so, they don't feel like taking it..haha.. Anyways, I am really glad that it is not lost!!.. (I left it for around 3-4hours)

Ramdhan 2009 in Yemen - Part 3 (Lifestyle)

Salam.

In my previous posts I had posted about I had shared about my experience of having Iftar and Terawih prayers here in Yemen. Today I will share with you about the lifestyle in Yemen during the fasting month, Ramadhan.

In Malaysia, our lifestyle doesn't change except for some:

1. We would rush home in order to be able to have Iftar with our family or have iftar together at a diner.
2. There would be tons of food bazaar that has an "infinite" amount of food, desserts and drinks which we will usually stop by on the way home and most of the time over-buy.
3. After having our dinner, we would go to the mosque for Isya' and Terawih prayers, have Moreh and return home. That would be around 10.00pm the earliest if you prayer only 8 rakaats of Terawih then go and enjoy whatever that is served for moreh.
   

But in Yemen, it's a totally different story!

1. Even if you go out at around at 12pm (which is almost time for Zuhr prayers), you can hardly see anyone or any vehicle on the street - really troubling especially if you need to get a bus to go somewhere. And Fridays certainly doesn't feel like a Friday. Waking up late and then you still see everyone sleeping, no one on the road walking to the mosque, making me doubt myself whether "Is this the right day? Is it really almost time for prayers??", wondering about it until I reach the mosque.
2. Night turns into day and day turns into night, example:

• Shops will be closed from after Subh prayers until Zuhr prayers and then again about 10 minutes from time of Iftar till Isya' prayers.

• Roads are empty in the morning. You can hardly find a bus or cab if you want to go anywhere in the mornings.
  

• Working hours are changed - starting at around 11am or after Zuhr and ends at around 5pm and will continue at 9.30pm until 1.30am. *depends on the companies though*

I guess that's it.. Bye bye.

Lastly, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OF YOU:
HAVE A NICE AND JOYFUL EID MUBARAK.

Ramadhan 2009 in Yemen - Part 2 (Terawih)

Salam.

Previously, in part 1 I have shared with you about having iftar here. Today, for part 2 I shall write about the differences of Terawih prayers between Yemen and Malaysia.

In Malaysia:

1. We would be at the mosque for Terawih on time.
2. We don't usually leave until we have prayed at least 8 rakaat of Terawih.
   
3. There is moreh (supper) after Terawih. - the most important part .. lol
   

In Yemen:

1. Most of the mosques do only 8 rakaats of Terawih, not many mosques that does it up to 20 rakaat because there is not many who are willing to do it until 20 at that time as they are all too eager to get their Qat into their mouth. =.=''
   
2. There is NO MOREH (supper) - THE MOST IMPORTANT "PART" OF TERAWIH!!! (for me..lol).
   
3. After every 4 rakaat there will be a short tazkirah or quiz session.
4. We finish Terawih prayers at around 8.40pm
   

Qat, also known as khat. Since they can't chew Qat during the day so they are in a hurry to chew it right after Terawih. Some even chew it till it's time for Sahoor.

~~~~~~~~~~
That is all for today. Next up will be Ramdhan in Yemen - Part 3 (lifestyle during Ramadhan).

Ramadhan 2009 in Yemen - Part 1 (Iftar)

Salam. In part 1 I shall write about the Iftar here.

Having Iftar at home.

The time for Iftar here is at 6.24pm Yemen time. So, for Iftar I would go to my step-dad's house, at around 5pm I would get ready to go to his house and by 6.10pm I would be able to reach his house if the traffic is not heavy, there was once when I arrived just on time for Iftar as the traffic were quite heavy as everyone is rushing home for Iftar - his house is quite far from my hostel.

In Yemen, the Iftar "style" is different from Malaysia. Here, we would have light foods such as samossa, dates, juices. Then we would go to the mosque and pray Maghrib. After our prayers we would immediately head home to have dinner.

Of course, dinner during Ramadhan is different from having dinner on other days.
For appetizers we have shufuud (in the pic below - in the bowl) and soup.

1st dishl: rice/macaroni

Main dish: aseed/hareesh, cheese macaroni, macaroni baked with milk and egg, and any kind of gravy to be eaten with bread.

last of all:

• fruits - grapes/pomegrenate
• pudding/jelly/cakes/custards
• bint-sahn with honey
  

During Ramadhan the mosque is always full during Maghrib and Fajr prayers!!!

Iftar in mosques.

In Malaysia, mosques would serve Iftar so anyone can just come and have Iftar at the mosque. But in Yemen it's different. Instead of people having Iftar together at mosques, they have this "Project Iftar Jama'ee (jama'ee technically means congregational)", it is mainly concentrated on giving Iftar for the poor.

So, people would donate some money to the mosque and from that money, the mosque willuse it to cook food and send it directly to the houses of those who are faqeer (poor) in that particular area! Amazing isn't it?? In my opinion it IS a very good project. (Don't ask me how they know where the houses of those poor people are and how they know that they are really poor people or not - I DON'T KNOW the answer .. hehe.. They must have set some system though)

This is all written based on the info I was able to collect from some people.
re-edited on Wednesday, 2nd September 2009.

Next post : Ramadhan in Yemen part 2 - Terawih prayers/Lifestyle(still indecisive)

Thank you. That is all for now.