Ramadan in Kenya

So I wrote this entry last October 2009…but I wanted to publish now anyway because this was such a cool experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just got back from visiting my boyfriend in Kenya for the second time, and happened to be there during Ramadan.  My boyfriend had been fasting since the beginning of Ramadan (only cheating slightly by drinking liquids during the day).  When I got there I also joined him in the fasting for the last ten days of Ramadan. What a wonderful experience!

I have to say that he was better than I was, as it was a little difficult for me to adapt to no food during the day, particularly during the weekends when we stayed at beautiful resorts with delicious food all around us.  We managed to survive though, just fine and I am so thankful for his wonderful community who allowed us to break fast with them.  Every night we would come together under the stars, and sit on mats on the ground.  Together with students and a few teachers, we would eat big plates of beans, coconut rice, beef stew, chapati and what I can only describe as delicious sugar dough balls–all washed down with hot Chai tea.  Since I only eat seafood, sometimes these meals were a bit carb heavy, but it was still a really incredible experience to share that with his neighbors. The way they welcomed us completely into their community for this ritual was humbling.