Ramadan 101 for Expatriates

From Wikipedia

Ramadan (Arabic:; رمضان) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which Muslims believe the Quran was revealed.Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset.

Ramadan officially started today, 10 July 2013. In observance of Ramadan, it is mandatory for UAE and other Muslim Countries to lessen the working hours. Non Muslim Expatriate like me is quiet delightful with this because it means extra hours of rest and sleep, we can do movie marathon with family and friends, spare time for household activities cleaning, re-arranging things at home. But please bear in mind that it is also a best time for spiritual reflection and prayer. Even Non-Muslim like us can also participate by giving things you don’t need (clothes, books, toys etc) to charity or by just respecting our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Below are the do’s and dont’s during the Holy month of Ramadan.

1. Refrain from eating or drinking in public places 

Please respect those people in fasting, avoid eating, drinking or even chew gum in public. We expatriate are allowed to eat but do it in private and with discretion.

2. Avoid playing loud music

Please observe silence. People are usually pray from time to time so please respect them by not playing loud music.

3. Dress appropriately

I know Ramadan falls on Summer season but please don’t use your revealing clothes in public.

4. Do not get angry or curse in public

Many of us is not in a mood specially when outdoor because of scorching heat. Please be  cool specially when driving, I’ve seen a lot of  drivers who are irritated in the road please be more patience with them.

5. Do not engage in public display of affection

It is a law in the UAE not only  this Ramadan , please avoid showing affection by holding hands and kissing in public.

6. Exchange Ramadan Greetings

Greet our Muslim friends and colleague by saying Ramadan Kareem or Eid Mubarak during Eid Celebration.

7. Accepts Invitation

Attend  their gatherings if invited. Our boss usually invite us for Iftar and I’m happy to join them to meet and greet each ones family.

These are the things that we need to observe during Ramadan, if I miss any just please make a comment below.

Wishing you all a blissful Ramadan.

Sale

One of the perks of being expat here in UAE is a chance to own your fave gadget or signature items for a much cheaper price. People are accustomed into buying commodities that would be too costly in their home country due to custom tariffs. You can buy your fave stuff here in the price that you can’t imagine 70% off, buy one get one, Best buys, Freebies, etc.

Aside from the usual Week-end  Sale they have the following festival over the year:

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) – a month long event usually scheduled during the 1st quarter of the year. Dubai Shopping Festival is basically a shopping paradise. Dubai is known around the world as such a paradise throughout the year, but they really lay out the red carpet during shopping festival month, with over 2,300 retails outlets participating, that offer everything imaginable from gold, perfume, haute couture, cars, electronics to handicrafts and textiles.

Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) – DSS just like DFS consists of numerous exciting activities that include entertainment, shopping, and winning, DSS has today become the ideal getaway for Family Holidays during the summer months. This year DSS scheduled from June 17 – August 7, 2010.

GITEX – If you are a techy person this event is definitely for you. GITEX is an annual consumer computer and electronics trade show which takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Recognised as the region’s largest and most popular technology retail event, GITEX Shopper attracts the biggest names in the retail sector, with unique launches and special offers across the best in technology, communication and entertainment products. This year’s GITEX is scheduled on October 17-21, 2010

Ramadan / Eid Sale – Ramadan is a month when the Muslim faith amplifies the act of giving offerings to the poor so a lot of buying occurs. It’s also a season when all retailers hold promotions and sales, so even the non-Muslim population sees it as a good time to buy.” Eid on the other hand is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. It’s a great time to shop during this season, there’s a lot of Sale everywhere particularly in basic commodities like food and clothing. Home furnishing is selling as a hotcake too because most of the locals want a new look on their house so they end up buying new furniture, home decors and dispatched the old one. Some is enjoy buying slightly used furniture (almost new) in a very very low price while some get it for free.

I also benefited from this Great Sale.

Just recently during DSS, I bought Blackberry Curve 8520 for AED 899 with Free Canon A940 digital camera worth AED 399, 2 GB SD Card, & Camera Case. It’s bundle with Du Eliteplan with Free 6 months Dataplan subscription.

This HP laptop I bought in a GITEX Offer last October 2008. It comes with Free Fujifilm Digicam 2GB SD Card, Targus laptop mouse.

I got these nice Zara blouses for a 70% discount during the weekend Sale last July.

Looking forward for more sale /offer this month of Ramadan

Happy Eid!

Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr‎), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fiṭr means “to break fast”; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal.

Ngayong araw ginugunita ng mga kapatid natin Muslim ang unang araw ng Eid. Sa aming mga Non Muslim naman ito ang unang Araw ng Lakwatsa… Holiday Vacation, more sleeps, more rest, more gala to come.

Road Trip to Al Ain with my bro. and friends sort of Road Test na rin para sa bagong nyang sasakyan.

Location: Al Ain, UAE

Ist Destination: Al Ain Zoo

2nd Destination : Al Ain Museum

3rd Destination : Jebel Hafeet

We enjoy the Trip yun nga lang dahil Ramadan hindi kame nakapasok sa Al Ain Zoo and Museum iba kse ang timing nila pag Ramadan…. Kamusta naman ang 9:00 PM – 2:00 am na bukas ng Zoo aba eh puyat na puyat na mga hayop nya eh, kaya picture taking na lang sa labas ng Zoo ang nangyari.

Sa Jebel Hafeet naman sobrang ganda ng view sa taas, tamang tama lng ang pag akyat namin kase papalubog na ang araw. Grabe…  ang gagaling ng mga friends naming paparazzi ganda ng mga shots.

Sana may sunod na gala pa… looking forward for Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque… ganda daw mag photo shoot dito eh and Emirates Palace.  Sana walang lakad si kuya Inshalla!