Dubai Post 85: Leaving Right Before Ramadan

In some ways it is good that I am leaving now.  Ramadan is starting tomorrow which will change the lifestyle of all Dubians for a month.  There will be no music played at bars, some restaurants will not serve food during the day and it will get extremely slow at work.  Needless to say many people do not go out and house parties are very common during this time.

A lot of people say I am pretty lucky to leave right before it starts.  Since I am not Muslim I of course do not have to fast (they fast from sunrise to sunset) but I would have to be conscious of where I eat and drink while the sun is up.  Also, the bars and clubs would be pretty much empty. Knowing this, I would say it is pretty lucky that I am leaving as it starts.  However, part of me would have liked to see what it was like, even just for a week.  I got a small glimpse of the effects as I walked to lunch today.  Restaurants were putting up curtains so they could still operate during the day without offending locals.

Many of the restaurants in the DIFC will put up curtains. 

Speaking of lunch, I had my last Arabic meal today.  It was actually at the first place I ever ate when I came to Dubai.  I am truly going to miss the food when I return home.  I know they have Arabic/Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago but they are no where near the same.

The meal consisted of all your staple Arabic foods: hommous, mixed grill
fattoush salad, breads and halloumi cheese.