Ramadhan Mubarak

It’s already the second day of Ramadhan. But somehow I could not quite feel the magic of this holy month yet. Probably because I’m still in my nifas (what’s nifas in English? I have some trouble explaining to some friends why I haven’t start fasting because I don’t know what nifas is in English), probably because I see people eating everywhere all the time here in Tokyo, probably because there’s no extra traffic flow after 5.00 p.m. to which I’m used to back in KL during Ramadhan (but then again, people are having their iftar at 5.20 p.m. here) and probably because class goes on as usual. Yesterday I actually reminded a colleague to have his iftar during class as he totally forgot that it was already sunset.

I met a probable neighbour-to-be yesterday. I’m now staying in a dorm but in order to bring my family to Tokyo, I have to rent an apartment. I already found a suitable apartment that meets my budget and basic requirements, but I have to wait until early next year before it’s vacated. The apartment is now rented by a Malaysian sempai (senior student) who is going back in March or April next year.

His neighbour is another Malaysian sempai who happens to be doing the same course I’m doing in Waseda Daigaku. We met by chance after class ended and were introduced by a colleague whose house is not far from his. I chatted with my possible neighbour-to-be for a while and then tried to take leave.

It was drizzling and I did not bring an umbrella with me, so he offered a used-100 yen- transparent-plastic umbrella for me to use. “Weh, mana boleh kena hujan aar dalam pantang ni”, he reproached me as I was about to leave our Faculty building. Since it was already dark, and the road a bit quiet, he offered to accompany me to the station. Sensing his sincerity, I gladly allowed him to accompany me.

We talked about this and that and found out that we had quite similar experience. He first left for Tokyo when his first baby was just 18 days old. He’d just returned to Tokyo after spending almost a month of his summer break in Malaysia and still in the process of getting over missing his now 7-month-old son. Having went through the experience of leaving a baby so soon after he was born, he could understand my current situation and feelings better than most.

I ended up following him for his first proper iftar at Restoran Mahathir in Shino-kubo. He offered to buy me dinner, as a sempai as well as possible neighbour-to-be and comrade-in-arms, as we exchanged more stories. Somehow we clicked almost immediately and it was easy talking to each other, almost as if we have known each other for years. Among others, we found out that we were both born in May and married to someone who was born in March. (We came to the untested conclusion that perhaps only strongheaded people born in May with supporting partners born in March would have done crazy things like we did – and yes it was agreed that I was ‘crazier’ than him.)

So, I had a really nice meal of curry, sambal ikan kembong and sayur kailan. Not too bad for the first iftar of Ramadhan, huh? Especially when they are all paid for by someone else, heheheh.

Anyway – here’s wishing all of you a blessed, peaceful and fruitful Ramadhan.
Selamat berpesta ibadah!