Second Day of Ramadan: Traffic and Iftar

Yesterday, I was on the bus, (actually, for the most part, waiting for the bus). Today I went out walking.

There is much more traffic at 4:00 p.m. than usual, as businesses and schools adjust their schedules so that people can be home before iftar. Traffic is also going much faster than usual.

By 5:30, most of the traffic is gone, but what’s left is going even faster.

By 6:00, with only 16 minutes until iftar, of the very few cars still on the roads, the red cars are looking blue from the relativistic colour shift. The drivers are hoping (with good reason) that time dilation will get them home in time for iftar.

The medium scale and upscale iftars in Dubai have increased in price quite a bit since I’ve been here. Five years ago, there were many €5 iftar buffets; this year, I saw a typical iftar in Dhiyafa for €20.

While iftar is recommended to be just three dates and some water, followed by the evening prayer, followed by a light dinner, these iftars are massive buffets, usually available for just 30 to 45 minutes, so everyone races to eat before the iftar is removed.

However, for the people who wish to dine at home with their families, there are small cafeterias with take-away for iftar. While the newspapers advise against fried foods for iftar, almost everything was fried, rather like a spicy tempura.

There was a ball of potatoes and onions, battered and fried. Also battered and fried were a whole chilli, and a couple of things I couldn’t identify. The only non-fried item was something baked inside a banana leaf, rather like a South American tamale, but with different spices and more cocoanut.

And all for much less than €1.