Bulan Puasa

This month or at least this September 13^th to October 13^th is Bulan Puasa or Ramadan. This is the Muslim holy month celebrating Allah’s revelation of the Quran to Mohammad. During this month Muslims all over the world fast from ‘true’ sunrise to ‘true’ sundown. Here that means from 5:45AM to 7:15PM (when the call to prayer for Mahgrib is heard) or about 14 hours of fasting. Since the month follows the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan begins about 10 days earlier each year so in some places like North America, the length of the fasting period can vary quite a bit. When Ramadan comes early the day is long and so is the fast, but on the lucky years, when Ramadan is in a month like November the fasting period can be quite short. In Malaysia, which is close to the equator, there is little variation in the length of the day throughout the year so around 14 hours is the norm, which I suppose isn’t all bad, at least everyone knows what to expect.

In Malaysia, Bulan Puasa is eagerly anticipated. One might expect this anticipation to be linked to the fact that Ramadan is followed by Hari Raya Aidilfitri, three days of celebration, which today, at least for the Malays, is treated much like Christmas. There are decorations, gifts of money for children, millions of cards sent in the mail, and ‘open houses’ for family, friends and neighbors to get together and feast on all sorts of special Malaysian treats. But it seems that Malays actually get excited for the fasting month itself. It makes little sense to me, maybe its about the spiritual reward of reaffirming one’s faith or more cynically, all the indulgent food available and consumed during the month or as it is for Asmara, a good excuse to starve yourself and lose some extra weight. I don’t know but starving yourself hardly seems fun. If I am to trust TV dramas though, fasting is all sorts of fun. Seriously, on one episode of a locally produced TV show, I witnessed children cheering and hugging each other with joy when they heard the official announcement that the fasting month would begin the next day. Oh, what joy, tomorrow we get to wake up at 5AM so we can eat our only meal of the day! Doesn’t really compare to Christmas does it. Gifts under the tree = something to eagerly wake up early for. No food for 14 hours a day for a whole month = hooray?!? Of course, this is a TV show and I am not sure any child actually can’t wait to fast the same way they can’t wait for Santa to arrive but hey, you never know.

One things for sure though, Malays definitely are committed to their fulfillment of this Islamic obligation (it is actually one of the ‘five pillars’ of the faith). Whether the person is serious about their religion the rest of the year or not, when it comes to Bulan Puasa, Malays are extremely serious. I have witnessed heavy chain smokers cease smoking during fasting hours without batting an eye and those who do not profess to be a practicing Muslim, at least attempt to fast during the month. Also, although fasting is proscribed for only those who have reached puberty, most children are introduced to fasting at a young age beginning with half day attempts and by 10 most are waking up for sahur (the early morning meal) with their parents and suffering until Mahgrib before they eat again. Others who, according to the Quran, are exempt from fasting include the sick, elderly, travelers, menstruating women, and pregnant women but Malays seem to believe that these are silly rules and all should fast regardless of the circumstances (with the exception of menstruating women). I have read newspaper articles about 95 year olds and their will to fast, about the safe ways to fast while pregnant, how to introduce fasting to your child, and have witnessed people encourage Ben to fast though he is recovering from a stroke. Malays seem to believe that despite all medical or scientific evidence to the contrary or even proscriptions in the Quran itself, that fasting is blessed by Allah so no harm can come to those who do. In fact, all will be rewarded, the pregnant woman’s child will be blessed, the sick person will recover more quickly, and the elderly will find renewed strength and vigor. In other words, fasting will do more for you than any amount of sleep, medicine and healthy diet could ever do. I don’t know though, I mean fasting while pregnant seems dangerous and a growing child, they need a lot of food. Its strange sometimes how faith works, the Quran says don’t but in their religious fervor Malays do. I wonder if the same is found elsewhere in the Muslim world.

Matching this passion for fasting is an increasingly festive commercialization of the month, which actually might explain a little of the excitement surrounding Bulan Puasa. Advertisements for everything from nutritional supplements to constipation medicine to McDonald’s exploits the fasting theme. In one local newspaper, KFC is actually the daily sponsor of the column that lists the day’s berbuka puasa (breaking fast) and imsak times (10 minutes before sunrise, the recommended time to begin the day’s fast). You cannot go anywhere without witnessing some catchy way of using the Bulan Puasa and Hari Raya Aidilfitri theme to sell a product. But it is not just advertising. Every hotel in Kuala Lumpur offers huge berbuka puasa buffets. They are not cheap so I imagine they are pretty exclusive but judging from their advertisements and the way people talk about them, they have become an accepted custom during Bulan Puasa. Same goes for the Ramadan Markets found throughout the city and most of the peninsula. Set up at about 3PM and dismantled by 6:30, these markets consist of sometimes over a hundred vendors selling all kinds of foods. The food is reputedly extremely inexpensive, all of it cooked by individuals seeking to make some extra money during the season or just eager to be at the center of all the excitement.

I love the Ramadan Markets. The crowds are crazy, the food is incredible (though I am unfamiliar with half), and it is a great way to kill time in those crucial hours before breaking fast. They are busiest between the 5 and 6PM as everyone stops by on their way home from work to buy a few goodies for the evening’s feast. At some, none I have had the opportunity to visit, all kinds of items are sold from clothes, cheap shoes, handbags, and fireworks. These bazaars are tempting zones of gluttony for just about everyone in Malaysia not just the Malays. The abundance of Pasar Ramadan throughout the country would make one think that they are a long-standing tradition here in Malaysia but according to one friend, they are only about 5 years old.

Finally, there are the firecrackers, sparklers, and colorful strings of lights. I do not know how old this tradition is but every night after Mahgrib, kids head outdoors to play with the ‘bunga api’, which their mothers procure for them in sometimes devious ways. Yes, according to the papers here, it is housewives who make up the majority of Malaysians who cross the border into Thailand to buy all sorts of illegal fireworks. In Kuala Lumpur, the ‘bunga api’ appear to be quite tame, at least in our condominium complex, but still during the hours when all Muslims are to attend the special evening prayers at the mosque, many are celebrating with ‘Happy Boom/ Pop-pop’.

As for the colorful strings of lights, they line the streets, the interiors of most public buildings, and in the last ten days of the month many Malay homes. I think this is a long-standing tradition, though it used to be lanterns and torches. For a person, who naturally associates colorful lights and lots of indulgent food with a festive season, I can’t help but be swayed a little. Maybe Bulan Puasa is fun after all!

So how have Ben and I been relating to Bulan Puasa. Well, the ever sympathetic and cultural relativist Ben says, and I quote, ‘Fasting is stupid, Islam has too many rules, this country is dumb, I can’t wait for Ramadan to be over with and oh yeah, your stupid!’ I am a little less dismissive of the whole thing. In fact, I have been fasting all month. I have no intention of becoming a Muslim anytime soon but hey, I am here to learn about the culture and participate so why not. The not drinking anything all day is tough but I am finding the hardest part of the experience has been the waking up at 5AM everyday to eat. I have been struggling between staying awake and returning to sleep. The obvious choice is to return to sleep especially since I have no need to wake up early, no job, no responsibility, I can sleep until 9AM everyday if I want but I find that sleeping with a full stomach sucks. It is hard to sleep, I have incredibly strange and vivid nightmarish dreams, and it is not easy to wake up when the alarm goes off an hour and a half later. So I try to stay awake but at 5:30 that is a tough decision to make. Other than that though, fasting has proved easier than I expected and I have tried to derive some lessons from the experience though I am not sure they will stick.

Being more mobile than Ben and interested in how people relate their diet to health and the role religion plays in shaping these beliefs, I really have tried to experience as much of Bulan Puasa as I can. This has meant mostly visiting various Pasar Ramadan and buying all kinds of unknown goodies to break fast with. I have also broken fast out at a few different restaurants, noting the way, despite claims to the contrary, people hover over tables full of food, waiting for the evening Azan (call to prayer). At least in these restaurants, there is none of the prescribed breaking fast slowly with a few dates and warm water, it is a gorge fest right out of the gates.

I had a great experience a couple of weeks ago, when I went with Asmara, and his two friends Amin and Aswan to break fast at the ‘best’ chicken rice place in the city. The place was packed with nice, wholesome looking Muslim families and then we the unlikeliest of foursomes arrive: me, the white non-Muslim woman, Asmara, the most flamboyant gay man I know, Amin, (the one that loves Ben) he is not a transsexual but is taking hormones so he has slight breasts, and Azwan, the full-on transsexual wearing a low cut shirt exposing serious cleavage and the tightest jeans one could imagine. While everyone waited quietly, my companions talked loudly about everything from designer clothes to blow jobs and when the call to prayer was heard, the three of them had to be reminded that there was a prayer to be said before digging in. They made some effort at appearing like they were praying but only briefly and then they were set on eating. Mind you these three, who seem to exemplify the meaning of non-practicing Muslims (with the exception of Amin maybe who I sense takes his religion pretty seriously) had fasted all day, even refraining from smoking though two of them are heavy smokers. Of course, I know that to make this story actually interesting there should be more to it than me eating out with friends whoever they maybe and whatever our surroundings but sadly, it seems that the whole spectacle was evident only to me. To be honest, I did not notice one side-long glance, no one stared or said a word. I am not sure if that is because characters like us are par for the course in KL or if Malays are just that good at hiding their horror. Or maybe, since Bulan Puasa is also supposed to be about hearing, seeing, and doing no evil, everyone was just on their best behavior.

I have also had the occasion to join a Malay family for breaking fast at home. Last week, I joined my friend Hamidon and her family for a berbuka and birthday celebration. I went to her house early and helped her cook (or more accurately admiringly watched her cook) and then joined her, her 6 children, and her neighbors for a huge feast. It was great fun, although I have to admit that I am still in the dark half the time when it comes to my Malay. The food was delicious though and the company was easy going and friendly. And man, can Malays eat. I was told that during this month many Malays actually gain weight because of the binging they do every evening after breaking fast but to witness it is something else. Of course, this was a special occasion and I do not think that Hamidon and her children eat like this every evening but what I don’t doubt is that when food is placed in front of them, Malays are hard pressed to say no and there is no shyness about taking seconds, thirds, even fourths. I managed two meals myself but that was nothing.

What amazed me the most was the disappearance of the giant several layer chocolate cake. After everyone taking seconds, the cake was slowly disappeared as everyone, one after another, continued to steal sliver after sliver. I wholeheartedly applaud their gusto. Especially, the two college students who really were starving themselves this month because in true teenage fashion, they could not be bothered to wake up at 5AM. So when it came to breaking fast the small, slender young women were in a league of their own.

I guess considering it all, Bulan Puasa has its moments. Admittedly, I was hoping for more, at least in relation to my research, but what I have experienced has been enjoyable and I am looking forward to what Hari Raya Aidilfitri has in store for us. Unfortunately, our big plans to balik kampung (return to the village) with Asmara, fell through and we are on our own in a city that will be, for all intents and purposes, empty this weekend. Don’t worry though, we will make the most of it and find some excuse to wear the beautiful new baju kurung and Melayu we had made for the holidays and there will be pictures to prove it.