Boeka Blog 2011.4½ an Inopportune Guest?

#2.33.1 ‘A Glimpse of Humour’ 30 August 2011

A Muslim woman prays at the Istiqlal mosque on the first day of Ramadan in Jakarta on August 22, 2009. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty)

We have come to the end of the Holy Wrap month of Ramadaan 2011. ~ Rap -~ to talk., conversation. Did you take advantage of this sacred ~ a piece of thin, flat bread that can contain time? Did you reap the benefits? Fill anything eaten as a sandwich. your larder for your soul with the ~ Signaling the end (ie of a week) numerous bounties? Did you jump start

your flagging spirit for another year? ~ Under wraps – secret.

Or did you leave Ramadaan in the lounge by the TV watching Islam Channel like Boeka Blog 2011.4½ an inopportune guest?

I hope you took advantage because you Die boud is ge-marinade. will have to wait (365-28-10) days Die soutvleis is in ge-lê.

before Ramadaan comes visiting again. Die tong kook. My labarang taub is ge-stryk. We know for a fact he will come next My labarang koefeya is afge-stof. year but can we guarantee that we will

My toon naels is ge-knip, be there to welcome him?

My hake is ges-krop. But, it is finish now. Galaas. My hare is ge-trim. Al my hare. Ek is ge-shampoo, ge-was, ge-spray, ge- Here is hoping we will be blessed with blowdry, ge-gel, ge-delice, ge-lip-ice another Ramadaan where we will try even

harder. en ge-attar.

That we promise.

Indonesian men attend Friday prayer at Istiqlal mosque, the biggest in Southeast Asia, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Irwin Fedriansyah) #

Cape Town Shake that will never die. I hope.

One of the most unusual things here in On a platter

Cape Town is the amount of hand My wife was fretting about her platter shakings that goes on. In other South she forgot at a friend’s house some African cities hand shaking is not so time ago. We had to hear how much she prevalent. Here in Cape Town every time missed it, how much it means to her, two guys meet they will shake hands and how she yearns for it, how she must go greet. Young and old, everybody does and fetch it. Two weeks later she the thumb/hand shake, not the limp finally fetched it when she got the wristed finger shake some Jo’burgers do chance. She was very happy and when she but the firm man-to-man shake. And to got home, she dropped the platter. Is see the teenagers greeting each other there anybody out there who requires a in this way is a complement to our second-hand platter? A broken second- steadfastness to our religion here in hand platter? Cape Town. Even the young children do it and babies are taught from an early Sweet Most nights on my way to Mosque I suck age to give a CT handshake. on Halls after carefully peeling it and After prayers too, it is almost putting the wrapper in my pocket. When mandatory to shake the hand of the we get to Mosque I carefully take out person on either side of you. And you the half-eaten sweet and wrap it back must shake the hand and smile and not in the wrapper and put it on the shake the hand and look away. Shake the console of the car. Later, on our way hand, make eye contact and smile. home, I carefully unwrap the half-eaten I do it no matter where I am. It sweet and re-eat (re-eat?) it. Much to confuses the hell out of the person the dismay of my son, ‘Why don’t Dad next to me sometimes but, but what the just throw it away? Why? It is a hell, it puts a smile on my face. perfectly good half-eaten sweet. Why

It is not an Islamic thing; it is a must I throw it away? Cape Town thing. That is one tradition

A Muslim woman reads the Koran at the Istiqlal mosque during the second day of Ramadan in Jakarta, Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, on September 2, 2008. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

Lift. Heels.

Walked to Mosque one stormy night as my In prayer, in Mosque, there can be lot son was very late. The mosque is just of bumping. Either you bump the guy up the next road but quite far if the ahead of you against his bum or heels Athaan is already finished. Walked or the guy behind you bump you in the around the corner into the next road same way. Sometimes your koefiyah gets where there are plenty of cars on their bumped off. The good guys avoid way to Mosque. standing on it but the bad guys just stand on it and your koefiyah smells No cars, wondering if someone will like old socks for the rest of the actually stop. Suddenly a big 4X4 flies night. past. Whoosh! Before I can even form an opinion about fancy people in their It reminds me of the Pakistani/ Indian/ fancy 4X4, brakes, reverse. Whoom! (is Bangladeshi pilgrims in Saudi who have that the sound a car makes when it deep, deep cracks in their heels. We called it Pakistani Heels. No amount of reverses?) Nivea or Camphor Cream will rescue And they pull up beside me. No, ‘Do you those cracks. It needs a week of want a lift’, or ‘Can we give you scrubbing just to get clean. A grinder lift.’ No! The driver, an older Joburg will half the time though. guy with a long beard, (Why are there so many of them in our area?) rolls So if you stand behind one of them you (rolls?) down his electric window and must most definitely, positively not just says, ‘Jump in!’ 4 seconds flat we bump your head against their heels. You are at the Mosque. From being very late will most definitely, positively do yourself some major injury. I was very early. And my faith in humanity is restored. I gave myself a Policemen at your door kick as to doubting my belief. This is for all the menfolk. A warning. This time of Ramadaan, wives get a disease called ‘Labarang Fever’. There

A Bangladeshi vendor sells traditional sweet meats for breaking the Ramadan fast, at the Chalk bazaar in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman) # is so many things they want done table. It takes about a day. Clever

before Labarang it drives them me, né.

crazy. They want to wash all the Don’t sit by the computer ‘I’m windows, all the curtains, the Archiving my photos, lovey’ or TV passage needs painting, all the ‘I’m cleaning out the PVR, my cupboards in the kitchen needs re- angel’. It does not work. You arranging, all the lampshades needs qualify as someone who is not doing to be taken off and washed. It is as anything. if ‘Labarang Diener’ will be coming to inspect the picture rails for And sitting on the roof with a dust. (Do houses still have picture scrubbing brush in Ramadaan is not a rails?). It’s madness. And if you pleasant thing. Though scrubbing the sit still they will create something roof is more pleasant than to bear for you to do. ‘Clean the yard’, the wrath of a wife frothing at the mouth with ‘Labarang Fever’. At ‘Scrub the roof’ etc. least you get to wave to all the So if you are clever you get busy other husbands in the neighbourhood before they catch you doing nothing. sitting on their roofs with a Wash the car, pack your tools right scrubbing brush. in your toolbox, re-arrange your I hope you have a blessed Eid and book/CD/DVD/toothbrush collection. the day is good and you were blessed Or better still tell her you have to with good food and with all your go to the hardware store. Tell her family. Don’t forget to go and say you have to go and buy some 2X4 Slamat to all your brothers and galvanized periwinkles or 6 inch sisters. Remember to visit all your PVA; anything. She stopped listening aunties and uncles too. when she heard ‘hardware store’. In Anyway. Nuff said. that way you can go off for a couple

of hours without much trouble. Eid Mubarak!

What I normally do is clean out my Have a lekker Lebaran. corner by the bed and my bedside (It’s the Malaysian spelling,Anwar.)

Al-Zaim family of Duxbury, Massachusetts sits, gathered together for their dinner after 7pm on September 14th, 2008, to break their Fast. (Justine Hunt/Globe Staff Photo) #

Remember you are the architect of your Ray of Hope life. Every problem has (n+1) solutions,

where n is the number of solutions that you have tried and 1 is that you have not EEnnjjooyy lliiffee!!!! tried.

Heavy rains remind us of challenges in That’s life. ‘Search a beautiful heart, not life. Rather than ask for a lighter rain, a beautiful face,’ because beautiful things seek a better umbrella. won’t last forever, and a golden heart does always. That is attitude. It’s not important to hold all the good When flood comes, fish eat ants and cards in life. But it’s important how well when flood recedes, ants eat fish. you play with the cards which you hold.

Only time matters, just hold on, the Often when we lose all hope and think Divine gives opportunity to everyone! this is the end, the Divine whispers, ‘Relax dear, it’s just a bend, not the end. Have Life is not about finding the right Faith and have a successful life.’ person, but creating the right relationship. It's not about how we care One of the basic differences between the in the beginning, but how much we grow Divine and human is, the Divine gives, gives, and nourish one another in a gives and forgives. But humans gets, gets, relationship. gets and forgets.

Some people always throw stones in your Be thankful in life. path. It depends on you what you make with them - wall or bridge? Enjoy life!!

A muslim woman takes in the sunrise at the side of a mass prayer in the desert at Parangkusumo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (© Margit Haider) #

Baklava

Make a sacrifice (Turkey and nearby) this Ramadan, and God will listen to your prayers with utmost attention! http://www.theeid.com/ramadan/ramadan-quotes.html

15 Incredible Desserts…

By: Eileen Smith Whether you come by your sweet tooth naturally, suddenly find your pants Baklava is a sweet’s lover’s kind of slipping southward from too much food. It’s a buttery, flaky, honey- road grub, or just can’t face drenched triangle or diamond, made another plate of mystery meat, of layers of paper-thin phyllo dough desserts on the road are a great way brushed with melted butter. The to get to know a country’s culinary filling of chopped, spiced nuts culture. Whether fussy, sticky, (usually walnuts, but sometimes squishy, crunchy or altogether pistachios, sesame or poppy seeds) unexpected, a trip down to the local might mean you can convince konditory, patisserie or sweets shop yourself that this sugar coma on a will have you smacking your lips and plate is vaguely good for you. You reaching for your toothbrush. know, because of the protein. Where Here are some must-try sweets from to find: Turkey, Greece, Iran or around the world. So get out there your local middle-eastern grocery or and get tasting. sweets shop.

Alfajores insides scooped out and (Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, other Latin traditionally stuffed with the American countries, via Spain) filling, milk, and almond paste and topped with whipped cream, but which have recently been popping up (at least in one friend’s kitchen) in chocolate and mocha varieties.

Sfogliatelle/Cannoli (Italy)

Alfajores in their many varieties can be found in South and Central America, and also still in Spain. Etymology suggests that they’re from the Arab world, though most now consider these to be squarely (roundly?) Latin American. They’re shortbread or cakey cookies pressed together over a filling of dulce de leche, or milk caramel. Sometimes The sfogiatelle’s better known they’re rolled in shredded coconut cannoli cousin is going to have to or covered in dark or white step to the side for just a moment. chocolate, or coated in meringue. This clamshell-shaped layered dough Pictured here are triple-deckers, (think of a thicker phyllo) is for your munching pleasure. These baked, split open and stuffed with are found at bakeries and mass- cream or a ricotta-based lemon or produced in convenience stores and orange-infused filling for a newsstands. delectable treat that’s probably not Semla on your doctor’s list of recommended (Sweden and similar in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia) snacks. Luckily your doctor didn’t come on vacation with you. A mangiare!

Taiyaki (Japan)

Swedes are famous for fika, or an afternoon break at which coffee and pastries are served. If you time your visit to Sweden just right, you’ll be there to sample the famous A little waffle-like fish-shaped semla, available in bakeries between pastry filled with a sweet red bean Christmas and Easter. These are bun- paste can take the chill out on a like pastries, which have their cold day, or keep the munchies at bay until you find the perfect place for lunch while walking the populated streets of any street festival or market. Watching taiyaki be freshly made in cast-iron griddles can take up the better part of your nibble time, which means you’ll be able to plunk down some more yen to buy a second one. If you can’t find the “baked sea bream” (as taiyaki means in Japanese) console yourself with imagawayaki, a round cake made in different molds, but which tastes the same. because they’re selling picarones Churros instead. These are sweet fried rings (Latin America, Spain) of a similar dough, which sometimes has a yellow squash incorporated into it (not that you’d notice). If you do the math you’ll see that picarones have more surface area to soak up the sauce. We’re just saying.

Galub Jamun (South East Asia)

For their loopy shape and crunchy hangover-curing texture, a plate of churros lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar and served with a thick hot chocolate (which is meant to be dipped in) is the cure for the morning lull while traveling in Spain. Have a plate of these near Madrid’s Plaza Mayor and you won’t This dessert popular in the Indian care if you never make it to the subcontinent take about two bites to Prado that day. You’ll have had devour, and many miles of walking to enough cultura for the day. These burn off. The spheres are made of a are also available in Portugal, and dough of flour and condensed milk all over Latin America, sometimes that has been fried and dipped in a filled with milk caramel. sugar syrup flavored with cardamom,

Sopaipillas/Picarones rosewater or saffron. They’re (Chile, Peru) especially common at celebrations such as weddings and Diwali. There The antidote to a rainy day in Chile are many varieties, including one or Peruis is sopaipillas pasadas, a that is very dark in color due to fried disk of dough plunged into a the sugar in the dough caramelizing. warm molassesy sauce made of The good news is that they’re small, chancaca, a solid brown sugar so you can go on a tasting spree derived from sugar cane. If you without filling up too much. can’t find sopaipillas, it may be

Koeksisters Suspiro Limeño (South Africa via Cape Malay) (Peru)

The Peruvian dessert of suspiro Koeksister/Koeksuster/Cooksisters limeño/suspiro limeño/surpiro de are a South African after-school limeña might just make you sigh, as snack, which can look like bowties, the name suggests (suspiro means braids (plaits in local parlance) or sigh in Spanish). This slow-cooked in sloppy hands, little blobs. concoction of evaporated milk, They’re fried and plunged into a condensed milk, egg yolks and sugar cold simple syrup, which keeps them is as smooth as butter, and will from getting mushy. They’re sticky make you hate every pudding you’ve and addictive, and if you’re lucky, ever tasted before. It’s topped off slightly ginger-flavored. with meringue for a total sweet overload. There’s a reason it’s Tres Leches Cake usually served in a relatively small (Mexico, other countries in Central and South America) dish.

Sernik (Poland)

A good piece of Mexican tres leches In Poland, if you haven’t come cake (so named for the three ways across a good babka, that marbley that milk is incorporated into the bready coffee cake of Seinfeld fame recipe, condensed, evaporated and as or the jam-filled cookies called cream) is neither dry nor mushy. It kolaches (thumbprint cookies on your shouldn’t have a pool of condensed Christmas cookie-exchange), then you milk below it, and should be tall might opt to stop for a slice of enough so that the milk hasn’t sernik, a tasty Polish version of percolated all the way up. It tastes cheesecake, made with twarag cheese, mainly of yellow cake and milk, and and occasionally potatoes. It’s tends to be very sweet. It’s perfect covered with a latticed top, and accompaniment to a strong cup of makes a great afternoon snack. coffee and a long walk afterwards.

Tangyuan/ Yuanxiao They’re also sold in pastry shops (China, Taiwan) and on the street, so if you haven’t been invited to a birthday party, you’re not out of luck.

Khao Niaw Ma Muang (mango and sticky rice) (Thailand)

Don’t go to China in search of fortune cookies, these having been invented in the west. Finish up your meal here, particularly during the As a meal-ender for the complex lantern festival, with pastel- flavors of Thai food, this can’t be colored tangyaun or yuanxiao (from beat. The rice is simmered in the various parts of China), a coconut milk until it is soft and little starchy sweet dumpling made glutinous, and served beside or from a dough of glutinous rice flour beneath fresh mango. And since it and hot water, filled with sesame has fruit, you can include it in paste, adzuki bean paste or other your five-a-day for fruits and sweet fillings. This is served in a veggies. small bowl along with some of the Enjoy! water in which it was cooked. Read about author Eileen Smith and check out her Brigadeiro other BootsnAll articles.

(Brazil) Eid Celebrations around the World One of the most joyous Muslim occasions, Eid-ul-Fitr is widely celebrated in all those nations wherever there is a presence of a Muslim community.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Eid-ul-Fitr being a Muslim festival, it is predominantly celebrated in the Islamic countries.

UAE In the UAE, it is observed with the No Brazilian child’s aniversario greatest fanfare. (birthday celebration) would be During the holiday, adult men as complete without the delectable and well as young boys dress themselves gooey brigadeiro, little balls of up in traditional white dresses fudgey caramel, rolled in chocolate complete with the long white sprinkles, and served in a tiny traditional thoub and the "Ogal", fluted paper cup. Brigadeiro- which is a check patterned scarf inspired cakes and ice cream have attached with a black ring like sprung up, but if your teeth don’t turban, and offer prayers in the ache, you haven’t had the real deal. mosque.

All over the country, special After the strict Ramadan time with festive fairs are organised that are all its austerities, Eid-ul-Fitr is thronged by excited celebrants along a time for grand feasts and with their dear ones. Women have a celebrations. merry time painting their hands with Meat is enjoyed during this time and traditional "henna". It is a highly often a young lamb or calf is entertaining time for children as sacrificed for the occasion, a they enjoy the performances of custom known as "Qurbani" which is clowns and jugglers. Gift-giving is practiced mainly in affluent an insperable tradition of Eid. households. But the festive mood in no way overshadows the religious While adults gift new clothes, spirit, which is kept alive through sweets and other gift items to one charitable acts. Traditionally, each another, children also receive small Muslim family gives food to needy sums of money (known as "Eidi") from persons during this time. The their elders. payment of "fitrah" or "fetriye" is Iran obligatory for each Muslim. In Iran, Eid is better known as "Eyde Fetr". Most of the Iran Turkey population happen to be Shiaites and Here Eid-ul-Fitr is known as Seker hence, the festival is celebrated in Bayrami ("Bayram of Sweets") or each household in a much personal Ramazan Bayrami ("Ramadan Bayram") way. and is observed as a public holiday. Educational institutions and But public observances are of government offices are generally course, very much there. The closed during the entire time of the occasion witnesses prayer services celebrations. being held in every mosque in the country and even in public places.

In the whole of Turkey, people dress India up in "Bayramlik" (clothes specially With around 16 percent of the Indian bought for the Eid festivities) and population constituting of Muslims, attend prayer services, visit their it is natural that India celebrates friends, relatives and loved ones the festival with great enthusiasm. and proceed to cemeteries to pay In India, Eid is considered as a their respects to the departed national holiday. souls.

An important Eid custom is kissing The centre of the celebrations is the right hand of elderly citizens undoubtedly the great mosque Jama and placing it on one's forehead Masjid in New Delhi which is while expressing wishes like thronged by thousands of Muslims "Bayraminiz Kutlu Olsun" ("May Your during Eid-ul-Fitr, all eager to Bayram Be Celebrated"), "Mutlu offer their prayers. Bayramlar" ("Happy Bayram"), or "Bayraminiz Mubarek Olsun" (May Your Various sweets and special Bayram Be Holy"). delicacies, particularly the special Eid dish 'Siwaiyaan'(a dish of fine, This is done as a mark of respect toasted sweet vermicelli noodles towards old age. The occasion sees with milk & dried fruit), are little kids going from house to available in different forms and house and wishing everyone a happy colors in markets, especially those festive time in return for which in the Muslim areas, to make Eid they are presented with small sums sweeter for its celebrants. of money or little treats like All the Ramadaan photos are from the Boston Globe’s ‘Big Picture’ chocolates, candies or traditional Collection (2009-2011) with some contribution from their readers. sweets such as "Baklava" and http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/ramadan_2010.h tml "Turkish Delight".