+ Faith | Fasting Starts

Family portrait in Traditional Malay Dressing on Eid Fitri 2004

With the calling of evening prayer at 6:57pm today, marks the successful first day of Puasa or fasting for the Muslims in this part of the world.

The whole of Asia and Oman start today, 5 October and will end by 2 November 2005 when we celebrate Eid Fitri. Most parts of Middle East started the day before.

Waking at about 4:00am in the morning for our meal. Fasting from any water or food intake from 5:38am this morning to the evening prayer, the first day went well for my wife and I, except our son.

I was called by the school a quarter to noon today, asking me to fetch him home from the school's General Office because he was not feeling well. I had to take urgent half day for that. Thank goodness I have an understanding boss.

In fact, I had to take an urgent day off work on Friday, 30 September. He was having a blocked nose the night before that he could not have a proper sleep. Took him to Dr. Yoong at Tampines Street 32, his doctor since he was a baby, the next morning.

He skipped school with an MC for that day and I had to stay home to look after him. My wife had to open her kiosk, else risking a penalty payment if the kiosk is not opened for business.

At the doctors, he was the one talking, describing to the doctor his symptoms as I watched on. He is a confident boy and I was proud of him with the consultation that went on.

Today, his blocked nose symptom recurred just before his release from his morning session. The blocked nose caused him to have a blunt headache right in the middle of his forehead and the cause for the mild sore throat. Just as what the doctor had diagnosed earlier.

He insisted that he continue with the fasting, so I let him to sleep once we reached home. I was proud of him again for his great will to fast.

He woke up feeling much better after 3:oopm. Played a few rounds of online interactive PC games and talked online with a Singaporean gamer for a while over MSN Messenger, and went to do his homework.

Breaking fast this evening was a very different experience for me personally, as my wife is not with us to break fast together. She was on her way back from her kiosk. We set a place for her at the table while we eat dinner.

Gave him his medication - Dewndine for his blocked nose and Napan for his headache and tucked him to bed.

It has always been her and our son waiting for me to come home from work. Guess this is how is is going to be from now on for the whole of this fasting month, leading the Hari Raya Puasa or Eid Fitri.

I will make a point to leave the office latest by 5:45pm, enough time to buy dinner for all of us, while she will do the same by 6:00pm from her kiosk. Together we will try to break our fast together like we have done all these years.

We are fortunate to have Ramadan in peace amidst these terrible events that have been plaguing our neighbouring countries.

World peace to all. Hope we receive blessings from Allah in this cleansing month of Ramadan.