Economic downturn?
Sep 15th, 2007 by Clare
Can you see them? Can you hear them? Can you feel their presence?
This place is as quiet as a grave yard ever since the start of Ramadhan. Everyone seems to have gone into hibernation mode. I woke up around noon and found this place isolated. My first thought was people has gone home. Cafes stopped operating i.e. stopped serving lunch for non-Muslims.
Which brings me to this piece of shit news I came across in The Star Online today.
Selected food outlets in UUM remain open for non-Muslim students
Should this move be applause? I don’t know. Only FOUR selected food outlets are opened. 2 in YAB, 1 in Petronas residential colleges and another 1 at the varsity mall, all of them far from my residential college. I don’t understand why they have to keep a food outlet open at Petronas when the residential college is only a stone throw away from the varsity mall. Can’t they just open one near my residential college so that it is accessible for all? Not fair!
Back to the media, the Muslim students just sat passively at one corner this morning during the co-curricular activity, basketball. Even the volleyball coach next to our court sat under the shade doing nothing. Well, at least our coach was pretty active despite having to fast. I salute him. As far as I know, during Ramadhan, Muslims are expected to put more effort into the teachings of Islam and refrain from anger, lust, greed, envy, sarcastic retorts, back-stabbing and gossips. I have no knowledge whatsoever about going into exile during the period.
I have supporting evidence to my claim:
Just because a Muslim is fasting does not mean they can take it easy. Muslims are expected to work just as hard as they would when they are not fasting…
[Khaleej Times Online - Understanding the Real Meaning of Ramadhan]
If you are thinking that I am trying to raise a religious issue here, you are totally wrong! I am trying to understand the teaching of a different religion and the true meaning behind fasting so that I don’t go around drinking and eating in front of my fasting friends and lecturers which is disrespectful.
Fasting opens our eyes to the sufferings of the less fortunate as well as to be thankful to God for the food He bountifully gives - I acknowledge this as a Christian. Those are the purpose of fasting for the Muslims as well.
One thing I love about Ramadhan is the Bazaar Ramadhan where a lot of delicious food are sold for the whole month of Ramadhan. If I were back at home, I’ll frequent the bazaar to get myself some umai (a type of Melanau dish, my favourite), rendang, pulut panggang, local kuehs, Sarawak kek lapis, etc. Yummy!
PS: I’ll be back for Raya!
PSS: Munira, I’ll visit you for sure! Reserve some curry and masak hitam for me 
Oh, and not forgetting the famous Kek Lapis! 
haih… they have to put it on news? si zhai kay see…
Of course kay see lah UUM long time not in the news liao mar…
ok, done your tag edi. hehehe…
Thank you Rimus!
Glad to see you are celebrating Raya. I don’t see any bazaar around my college. I’ll have to walk a long long way before I can see one. Will be settling for mamak halfway.
My uni also don’t have bazaar, not that I know of. So sad!
So many stupid acts committed by UUM already. Other universities swept them under the carpet or it is UUM that is exceptional?
Well, other universities are known existed, some people still don’t know there is such thing called UUM in Kedah. So this uni has to make it to the news/headlines to be put on the map. Wise move. Cheers!
Hi Clare,
It is good to hear that at least they open some food outlets for the non-muslims to eat as usual. No doubt location wise isn’t that really strategic for some (especially Ms. Clare)…but the idea is there. A little walk won’t hurt that much, right Ms. Clare.
Now, talking about going back to Sibu for Hari Raya, kinda sound really interesting for me. However, certain things don’t permit me to do so. Anyway, umai is also my favourite and I miss the taste of it. Gosh… I am drooling here… Darn it… But… don’t try to deviate ok… Kampua is still a must for you and Laksa Sarawak too… Cheers.
It is a good thing that they still remember us and not letting us starve to death. Nah, location wise, well…as long as there is food there is a will to walk…LOL
Umai - one of my favourites after, of course, Kampua and Sarawak Laksa…soaked in lime, marinated with chillis and onions and sambal belacan…I like it cold! Yummmmm…*wipes drool off my keyboard*
there… u can always come up with interesting topic too!
i saw one blog which said… ramadhan is about abstaining… so technically speaking… ramadhan buffet isnt exactly … appropriate? anyway, we have no right to question other religion.
Yeah, it would be a totally different story IF we were of that religion and talking about it…no one would give a damn. In our current situation, hard lah. Later kena OSA-ed! LOL
Clare back for Raya, all Sibu people welcome you at airport, wat? Wrong place, you swim back this time hay! OIC!
How you know I am going to swim?