The end of an era

No, I'm not leaving yet. It's the end of an era in two other respects, though. Number one, it's almost the month of Ramadan, during which all Muslims are told to fast by the Koran from sunrise to sunset for an entire month. This can be a good and a bad thing. It's a good thing because Iftar, i.e. breaking the fast, means that there are lots of fun feasts and mini-parties in the evenings. It's a bad thing because things slow down since people are fasting all day, so business can be a little out of whack.

The other era coming to an end is that of everyone being on month-long vacations. Soon, everyone of all colors and creeds will once again return, back to school, back to work, back to traffic everywhere, the office humming, and, as everyone might surmise about me--a lot more people who might, possibly, on occasion, get on my nerves. But only because it is not appropriate to eat, drink, smoke, etc. during the day in front of people who are observing Ramadan--so more to come on how it will be to live, work, experience through it.

Also, sidenote, I created an 'America' playlist on my iTunes. I never struck myself as someone who would do that, especially given how I feel about our country under the tutelage of George W. At this point, it doesn't matter. I think the more prone you are to representing your country in a place where Americans are few and far between, the more proud you become of your roots, even if you're not always happy with it or in awe of it, or pleased with how it deals with its own problems and those of the rest of the world. Sounds kind of like how people sometimes feel about their parents?