I went over to my favorite Pakistani place for lunch today. I wasn’t even sure they’d be open since Ramadan had started. For those of you not in the know, Ramadan is a month long holiday that involves fasting during the day. They were open, too many white folks to feed apparently…
Anyway, I was talking to the waitress and mentioned that I almost felt bad eating in front of them (although clearly not bad enough to not eat). When she asked why, I said because of Ramadan. She waved away my worry and said, “I’m not fasting right now either.” I started, thinking that she had just told me she was menstruating. It’s not the kind of thing you expect to hear from your waitress… You see, menstruating women, the sick, children, and (everyone’s favorite modern day loophole) travelers are exempt from fasting.
She continued on and explained that she is working three jobs and simply can’t keep up with the fasting. Luckily, I don’t think she caught on that I know enough about Ramadan for her to be embarrassed. Yay for narrowly avoided awkward religious moments!