An Early Wake Up Call

Today marks the second day of the Muslim religious month-long fast called Ramadan. All around Muslims of many appearances are beginning this month of observing one of the pillars of Islam with fasting. They fast from sunrise to sunset from eating, drinking, and smoking. There is a calendar on my table that marks the exact time of the call each day that signals to the fasters that they may eat at this time. The time changes every day as the sun changes in it's setting. They break the fast with a traditional meal called 'Iftar' that from what I know consists of several courses but initially they break with dates and water. I hope I get invited to some big feasts at my friends' houses! Then they wake up before sunrise to eat again before they fast during the day. Some offer a service in my city--which I actually read in the paper today that is illegal because of noise pollution, but this law has clearly not been enforced yet in my neighborhood--that woke me up this morning much earlier than my alarm was set. A man made his rounds around our neighborhood banging a drum to wake everyone up and signal to them that they should rise and eat before the day begins and they must fast. I am told that he will do this every morning and then at the end of the month, he will come around to collect for his fine service. So, as you can tell, things in my city are taking a different look this month as I'm learning many things and seeing things through new eyes during this month long fast for the Muslims in my city.
Tomorrow; however, I will not be awakened by the drums...I'll probably already be awake on a bus! I'm taking a mid-night bus with a new friend to Ankara for the weekend. She has a scholarship interview and I'm going to be some moral support and then we're going to do a bit of sight-seeing! I've never been to Ankara...and I surely have never gotten on a bus at midnight to arrive at my destination the next morning! We'll see how this goes. We'll again, get on a bus at midnight Sunday night to come on home and be home early Monday morning. I've had the song, 'I'm leaving on that Midnight Train to Georgia' in my head all week, I've just been modifying the words for my roommates listening pleasure. Look for some pictures of the capitol next week!