That conversation
The month of fasting is in full swing, and so far the questions haven't slowed down. "Are you fasting?" "Are you able to fast?" "Do you fast?" "Are you fasting Ramadan?" Sometimes I wonder if I attract more questions because of the way I dress. I've always got a scarf over my head and I wear local clothing items. So maybe it seems natural for islanders to wonder if I'm fasting too. Of course, it doesn't help that they ask these same questions of children they meet on the street: "How many days have you fasted?" they like to ask. So then when they ask me, I feel like they're treating me as a child. I find myself wanting to respond, "I'm not a child! I'm fully capable of fasting!" But really, I don't care to talk about fasting. I'd rather talk about the why-- what are they hoping to gain? Do they realize that all their hard work is in vain, and that the hard work has already be...