31December2010 Resolution

[rez-uh-loo-shuh n] -noun - a resolve or determination to do something; the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

1. Spend more time with friends and family.
2. Lose weight or start an exercise regimen. 
3. Stop smoking or drinking.
4. Get out of debt.
5. Improve, start or end a relationship.
6. Get organized.
7. Learn a new skill or talent.
8. Volunteer and help others.

Do any of these look familiar?  In approximately 15 hours, EST, we will embark on a new year, 2011 and millions of people around the globe will make New Years resolutions.  Some will forget their resolution before the Times Square ball drops.  Most won't last more than a week.
Our prayer for '11 is that we will be more determined, more resolved to live out love in the community in which we live to the people we live among.  We hope you'll come along....and last more than 2 weeks.  Happy New Year friends!

28December2010 Quickshot: Lit

Heard about this village last year but never went.  The entire town decorates with Christmas lights.  A real oddity here!  This little taste of home was a real blessing during the holidays!

25December2010 Merry Jingle II

25December2010 Merry Jingle

22December2010 Gift?

We've occupied the last few days passing the stomach flu around the house.  Last week M came home from school feeling a little puny.  Then she woke up in the middle of the night (isn't that when these things always happen) and purged her body of everything she'd eaten since moving here.  Okay, maybe that's overdoing it a bit but from 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock in the morning things are a little hazy. 
Fast forward three days, to D's birthday.  Usually this is a day, well maybe a week, of celebrating the second-most (just barely "second-most") important holiday of the year.  Huge homemade, southern breakfast, cards and presents, balloons, fireworks, ticker tape parades.....you get the idea.  This year it wasn't to be.  2 boys, 1 little boy and 1 grown man, playing the part of a second little boy, were laying on the couch, loveseat, bed and even the floor, with makeshift throw-up buckets standing ready nearby.  Not exactly the festive atmosphere we normally shoot for. 
Alas, today everyone is healthy and happy.  We're building towards the climax of the Christmas season and then planning for next December 18th.  Happy late Birthday D!  And thank you God for the gift of health.

17December2010 Quickshot: How lovely are your branches.

14December2010 Crazy Weather

Whew!  We have had some interesting weather the last few days.  It started on Thursday.  The sun disappeared behind lead-colored clouds as the temperature plummeted and the sky turned yellow.  Winds picked up (30-50 mph) bringing with them sand and dust.  Next was rain.  First it sprinkled, hot chocolate colored drops, and then it poured, in torrential, horizontal sheets.  Finally a thin layer of snow and ice covered the ground.  Check out this AP story about weather across the region.  Basically everything in town shut down.  Schools shuttered their doors and the only stores doing any business were gas stations as people stood in long lines to fuel their cars and purchase kerosene for space heaters.  We're grateful for any precipitation, especially the snow, but the sand sure did has made a MESS!

12December2010 Cookie Monsters

One of our favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas cookies.  D loves to bake, the kids love to decorate and P loves to eat the product.  Below are pictures from our latest cookie making project.

11December2010 Quickshot: Cupcake Bliss

We found a bakery that makes CUPCAKES!  That's right, CUPCAKES!  Score!

9December2010 Quickshot: Seven-Eleven

An early Christmas present:  We recently learned that we will be returning to the States for 6 months beginning the end of July, 2011.   There are lots of things to consider like where we'll live, school choices, which restaurants to eat at first.....

7December2010 Family Bonfire

Kettle full of hot, no HOT, chocolate!

Here are some tips for your next family bonfire:

1. You're gonna need some wood.  Wood is extremely rare here (something to do with not having many trees) but the boys stumbled upon a jackpot of scraps at a recently completed construction site.  Apparently the neighbors had never seen Americans dumpster diving before. 

2.  A nice spot is a must.  We picked a local park on the outskirts of town.  Perched on a small hill, outcroppings of large stones, wind swept cedars, dead kitten laying in the parking lot....

3.  Food!  Our menu consisted of hotdogs, chips, smores and hot chocolate.  D found some cookies (called "biscuits" here....sorry Granny!) that resemble graham crackers but have a thin layer of chocolate on the top.  They were perfect.  Caution - A metal kettle, complete with steel handle, placed next to a roaring fire will remove the finger prints from your digits if you pick it up without a oven mit tor dish towel.  Don't ask how I know this!

4.  You gotta have stuff for the kids to do.  Throwing sticks in the fire, or playing with the previously mentioned dead cat only lasts so long.  We sang campfire songs (Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer is a campfire song, right) and made up silly stories (the best had something to do with a pair of Russian brothers fishing for a fire-breathing, ice cream eating leviathan in the 1930's). 

5.  Enjoy yourself and take some pictures.  Below are some of ours:

2December2010 Quickshot: Vitamin C

A nice haul of limes from the garden this morning! 

28November2010 A Lesson from the Coach.

I read, or maybe heard it, somewhere that sports is a microcosm of life but I'm pretty sure there's nothing "micro" about it.  On the field, court, course, pitch, track, and even in the stands, you see the best and worst of others and sometimes display the best and worst of yourself.

S & Z have been playing in a fall soccer league.  It's been a fun experience, for the most part, and educational for their father.  I'm use to running leagues, having been a recreational director in a previous life, but being on the other side of the fence, at it were, is a whole new.....ballgame (sorry). All games started at least 30 minutes late, the facilities were unkept, the officiating was suspect, coaching was horrific and my kids were losing.....being dismantled!   And this was after just two games.  At the beginning of the third game, I felt the same terrible attitude rising within me and I decided to give the target of my frustration, our coaches, a little piece of my mind.  Fortunately conviction rose at a rate marginally greater than the bile that was getting ready to come out of my mouth.  I'm ashamed that it took that long but grateful it didn't take longer. I bit my tongue and decided to look at the positives, mainly that the boys were having a good time.
Two weeks later, following another loss, we loaded up the family and headed back toward the house.  As we pulled onto the highway, we passed one of our coaches (in red in the photo above) walking beside the road.  I stopped and asked him if he needed a ride.  With a huge grin he jumped into the front seat lickety-split.  We were shocked to learn he was walking home.  The field is a 20-30 minute drive to town, at the minimum a 3 hour walk!  Imagine my shame when we found out he walked to practices and games, when he didn't have a ride or money for a taxi, to volunteer coaching for my boys.  Talk about a kick in a gut.  This same man, who I wanted to fuss at about something so silly as a soccer game, was making this huge investment of time and energy into my children for no reason other than a love for kids and a love of the game.  To say that my attitude has been adjusted and that I am so thankful I did not give full vent to my anger weeks earlier is an understatement.  I learned a lesson from coach that day and its one I won't soon forget!

27November2010 Quickshot: Decoratin'

We put up our tree on Thanksgiving and the kids are completely smitten!

25November2010 Quickshot: D's Magic

Before

After

22November2010 Quickshot: Villain

J recently played the villain in a Greek tragedy.  
He did a great job and his costume was right on!

19November2010 Picnic Pictures

17November2010 Quickshot: Blood

Blood from sheep being slaughtered for Eid Al Adha. 

15November2010 Best Friend

A couple weeks ago I was asking the students in my English class random questions to illicit conversation practice.  Usually I ask stuff like,"What is your favorite family meal? Tell me about your last vacation. What's your greatest fear?"  One of my favorite questions is, "Who is your best friend and why?"  Responses normally reveal a little glimpse into both the respondents and their culture.
Khalel's answer did both.  He thought about it a few seconds and in broken English told me that having a best friend was "impossible." Back in the States this would not have surprised me but here, where family and community are priorities, I was surprised.  I pressed Khalel for an explanation and he said that whenever it was time for hanging out and playing his friends where there but when he needed them they "could not be found." 
Just yesterday I posed the same question about friendship to Yahya while administering a conversation test.  "You know," he said, " it is unfortunate that we find ourselves in a situation that it's not possible for a man to have best friends."  He went on to explain that with the busyness of life, an increasing deficit of time has caused people to lose touch with one another.  However, Yahya did go on to say that he currently had two wives and his second wife was probably his best friend. 
We can say with a large degree of certainty that there is within each of us a desire for deep, meaningful relationships.  Why is it then, that it so so difficult?  Maybe its our priorities?  Life is pretty busy.  Attaining position, making money, pursuing wants, chasing the latest whim or even helping worthy causes can consume immense amount of time and energy.
In Samuel's first book there's a story of a beautiful relationship.  Chapter 20 talks about two men, Jonathan and David, who exemplified friendship.  They were sacrificial and selflessness, sought the best for each other, loved one another is spite of pressure to do otherwise, and they were at the very least dependable. 
We hope that you have relationships in your life like this!  If you do count your blessings.  If you don't seek them out work at them.  Life's too short to go it alone.

14November2010 Quickshot: Mountain Climbers

M and A after a successful climb.

11November2010 Quickshot: Chat

You don't walk by a friend.  You stop and converse with a friend. 

9November2010 Smells

There are very distinct smells here.  Some of our favorites:

• Jasmine - There are huge jasmine bushes growing along roads and beside sidewalks throughout town.  Whenever you walk by one the smell captivates you.
• Coffee  - The smell of beans being ground and grounds being cooked into thick Arabic coffee is very distinct. 
  
• Falafel - Nothing says, "Good morning!" like driving by a stand where fresh falafel is frying.  If they're brewing tea in mint leaves, even better.
  
• Argyle - Water-pipe cafes with their glowing charcoal and fruit-flavored smoke is really nice.
• Perfume - Perfume souqs are located all about town.  You can walk in and pick out a ready-made perfume or cologne or have the shopkeeper create your own custom blend.
• Water Fountains - Yeah it sounds weird but on the other side of town this is a beautiful water fountain in the middle of a traffic circle.  Whenever we ride past it you can smell water. Maybe this is a result of living in the desert but even from 100 yards away water has a very distinct aroma..

Smells have been very important in this neck of the woods for a long time.  Check out the phrases  "pleasing aroma" or "sweet savor" in our favorite Book.  

7November2010 Quickshot: Nose Job

Playing football with your brother and a buddy is fun.

Getting tackled on concrete...not so much.

2November2010 Quickshot: Election

An Iraqi friend's proof that she voted.  She wore it like a badge, unafraid of the consequences.

1November2010 Quickshot: Traffic

Camels moving through the desert.

30October2010 Prayers, Kids & Moses

I love, and to be honest hate at times, the example our children set for us.  Their simple belief is so humbling.  Being childish is easy.  Being child-like...not so much.  Take praying for rain for example.  It is one thing to desire precipitation, pray about it and then move on.  It is a completely different thing however to pray, put on your raincoat, run outside and stare at the sky in anticipation.

I've been reading about the life of Moses lately.  Remember when he was on Mt. Sinai receiving the commandments? After 40 days his people got impatient and made a grievous error involving earrings, Aaron and a golden cow.  The Father was very angry, deciding to wipe them out and start anew.  Moses prayed and begged for Him to relent and then something awesome happened.  God changed His mind! Think your prayer don't matter?  Think again.

PS It started raining this morning.

27October2010 Quickshot: Bakers

Three generations baking in the kitchen.

24October2010 Children's Museum

Pictures from a recent visit to the Children's Museum.

20October2010 Quickshot: Trump

...in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet...

18October2010 Micah's Day

4 years ago God blessed us with a little girl.  Join us today in celebrating her life.

17October2010 Quickshot: Sparkly Things

Colorful display of necklaces from a street vendor downtown.

16October2010 Confession

S (in German soccer uniform) with his dream car (a German beauty).

Driving here takes some getting use to.  Just ask our recent guests, Ed & Cythina or Bill & Suzy.  It took maybe one trip in the van for our visitors to decide riding in the back seat was best.  Whenever any of them yelled out "shotgun"prior to a ride it meant they got to sit in the back row rather than the passenger seat.  (Sorry to our friends but I chuckle just a little inside thinking about it!) 
I admit it can be a little....much.  Buses and taxis everywhere, cars, SUVs and delivery trucks weaving in and out of traffic.  Throw in oblivious pedestrians darting across the road and an occasional donkey or even a flock of sheep and you've got a full blown circus.  The worse part is a toss up between not having any lanes (there are painted lines on the pavement but they are apparently for decoration) and the roundabouts or traffic circles.  There is an art to making it through a circle without ticking off all the other drivers and your vehicle remaining in one piece.
Now comes the confession part.  I like driving here.  That in itself is not bad but the reason for liking it is where forgiveness is needed.  You see I have become very contextual in my driving style, D says a bit TOO contextual.  Things like going too fast or following too closely or creating new lanes at stoplights or liberal use of the horn, etc. seem to occur all too often.   It seems living a life of grace doesn't always apply when I get behind the steering wheel.  So I'm making this confession and asking for you to remember me when you get behind the wheel today.  And don't forget to buckle up!

10October2010 Quickshot: Fall Showers

We've have rain showers the last two days.  It's funny how much more you appreciate things when they rarely happen.

8October2010 Quickshot: Grands

 Jeddah & Tata (Arabic for grandfather & grandmother) are here visiting us.    

6October2010 Quickshot: The spoils of walking.

It seems like every time we go for a walk A ends up with a gift from a neighbor.  Today's haul was this green balloon. 

3October2010 Grand Opening.....Check!

Last night was the Grand Opening of our English center.  Door prizes, good food, gifts and lots and lots of visitors.  It was a great event.  Thank you to our all friends for remembering us and our work here!

1October2010 Body

This morning we got together for our house group.  Usually we have 3 families, with 17 kids, that get together.  But today attendance swelled to 33 thanks to 9 friends from New Mexico and D's parents.  Man, what a great time together.  It is always wonderful when the family gets together whether its in a giant building or in someone's living room.
Note:  The Body is not a building!  Not bricks! Not mortar. It doesn't have a mailing address.  It is a living, breathing organism comprised of many parts working together for a common goal.

29September2010 Banner

"When you're under the flag no one can mess with you.  You are protected and if anyone tries anything it will be very bad for them."  My attention span is short enough but put me in a meeting about office decor and I'm like a 2 year-old.  This statement by a local coworker grabbed my attention.  We were discussing putting the country's flag in the lobby of the English center and he thought it was a good idea since, as he stated about, it symbolized our business being under national security.  Instantly I remembered Solomon's words, "He has taken me to the banquet hall, and His banner over me is love." I also thought of one of my favorite songs:

He brought me to His banqueting table
He brought me to His banqueting table
And His banner over me is love
I am my Beloved's and He is mine
I am my Beloved's and He is mine
And His banner over me is love
Yes, His banner over me is love
And we can feel the love of God in this place
We believe Your goodness, we receive Your grace
We delight ourselves at Your table, O God
You do all things well, just look at our lives
Lyrics by Kevin Prosch

27September2010 Quickshot: Just another pretty face!

Spotted a group of about 50 of these guys in the desert today.  Apparently we showed up during lunch.

24September2010 Quickshot: Duststorm

A thin layer of dust covered everything...

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon as we drove toward the airport to pick up D's parents.  It looked like it was going to rain again.  We'd just had surprise showers this morning.  After stopping to gas up the van, the winds picked up, the skies turned an eerie hue and you could literally taste the air.  Just another storm?

When we arrived at the terminal their flight was delayed so we bought the kids some candy and sat in the waiting area.   After a little while a high pitched noise sounded and emergency lighting flashed on and off throughout the airport.  Something had set off the fire alarms, we suspected someone was smoking in the restroom.  After a minute or two the commotion ended and we resumed our wait.  But that wasn't the end of it.  Ten minutes later the alarms began again but we figured out it wasn't a fire.  A sand storm was blowing through and dust was setting off the smoke detectors.  Even inside people were holding hankerchiefs or tissues over their mouths and noses.  Would the plane be able to land?  Finally "Arrived" appeared next to the flight number and we breathed a sigh of relief.

D's parents' collected their baggage and after making their way through customs we walked out to the van.  The scenery, what you could see through watery eyes, was shocking.  A thin layer of dust covered everything, cars, trees, people....everything and the sky was tinted pink and yellow.  We rushed to get everything and everyone loaded into our vehicle and began the precarious journey back to the house.  

22September2010 Quickshot: Arggggggh

Spirit week at school somehow equates to Dress Like a Pirate day.  Argggggh!

20September2010 Journey: P's Perspective

Over the course of our time here I've learned a lot about myself.  It's funny in hindsight to think about this because prior to moving, and maybe this was naivety, my primary desire was to help our new friends and neighbors, leading them to a new or better relationship with their Father.  It seems Dad, in His wisdom, had other plans.  Don't get me wrong.  I've learned a lot about culture and language and faith and life in general but what's really surprised me thus far has been the revelations about myself.  My personality, my gifts, my tendencies, my abilities, my attitudes, my, my, my.  The surprising part is that so much of what I've learned I don't like.  Could it be because when we are pressed or trodden what's on the inside comes out?  Maybe you're like me in that you thought when someone assumes this "profession" they have reached a certain amount of maturity or possibly attained some lofty level.  The truth is and I don't want to shock anyone here, the truth is that we are still just people.  Raw emotions, heartbreaks, stupid mistakes, errors in judgement....people!  

But, now that we're all depressed, let me get to the good part.  Here it is.  Are you ready?  Dad uses folks just like us!  Isn't it funny how when we read the accounts of the Book over and over again the common and even the illogical choice is His preferred tool.  My encouragement to me and quite possibly to you is, don't wallow in those mistakes.  Don't let an argument with your spouse ruin what He has for you today.  Humble yourself, admit you screwed up and get on with it.  Life is in fact a journey and it's not one we take in reverse.  Keep moving forward.  We're right there with you and so is our Father!

12bf

19September2010 M's 1st Day of School

D delivered M to her very first day of KG1 (they do 2 years of Kindergarten here).  She walked her to the classroom where there were little ones clutching their mommies' legs, screaming and begging not to be left.  M walked looked around, said "Bye Mom! I love you."  bounded to her desk and started coloring.  When asked if she cried when she got to the van D responded, "How can you cry?  She's happy!"

17September2010 Quickshot: Gettin' figgy with it.

Yesterday a neighbor brought us these from their garden.  Beforehand our knowledge of the delicious fruit was limited to Fig Newtons.

15September2010 Quickshot: One Happy Camper

We took the family out to Chili's the other night.  D is still smiling!

12September2010 Ramadan/Eid Notes

It's like the whole city has taken a collective sigh of relief.  Restaurants are all open, during the day, and they are really busy.   Clothing and shoes stores in our community are bustling with activity.

The kids in our neighborhood are all running around playing with new toys.  The hot item is apparently air soft guns.  There are little, yellow bullets laying everywhere. 

10September2010 Ramadan Notes

Ramadan ended today.  Last night we had a friend say "Tomorrow we eat ALL DAY."  During the Eid, the 3-4 day holiday following Ramadan, families and friends visit with one another, eating lavish meals, giving children toys and clothes and giving female family members gifts and money.  People go into tremendous debt to pay for these presents.  Does this sound familiar?

9September2010 "Trial"

"Be at the police station at 9 o'clock in the morning and then you go to court."  It was 11:30 at night yet two police officers and a couple neighbors were standing on our front steps.  Was I dreaming?  Just minutes before I had been dead asleep but the doorbell ringing over and over and over again roused me from my slumber.  They needed D and I to come down to testify about her recent incident.  I agreed and they left taking with them any chance of me falling back asleep.
The next morning, after D dropped the boys off at school and the two little ones off at Aunt R's, we headed to the police station where we sat waiting for two hours, not exactly sure why.  Waiting and confusion as it turned out would be the themes for the day.
Around 11 an officer informed us we were heading to another station.   He wanted to know, one, if we had a car ("Yes.") and, two, if we did could the prisoner ride in it with us ("No!"). We went to the other station where we sat waiting for a couple hours, still not exactly sure why.  
1 o'clock rolled around and our friendly policeman told us rather apologetically that we needed to relocate again.  We drove downtown to the courthouse and sat in the lobby for a while.  A little after 2 we were ushered back to an office, I believe it was a magistrate, and asked to wait in the hallway.  A couple minutes later the magistrate came out and told the officer she was done for the day.  We would have to come back tomorrow.....to a different office. 
As we were walked back to the car I did my best to convince  D that this experience counted as a "date night."  She didn't buy it! 

Note:  One surprising thing that happened was on the way from one station to the other we stopped at a supermarket, the driver ran it and returned with a bag of food.  We couldn't figure this out since it was Ramadan and the city was fasting.  Come to find out the man had been in jail for 6 days and 5 nights and had only been given water to drink.  The driver in kindness stopped and bought him something to eat. 

7September2010 Quickshot: Sky

While visiting with friends, drinking tea on their roof, we looked up in time to see this beauty.  Aren't cell phone cameras great!

6September2010 Ramadan Notes (Insomnia or Insanity)

It is nothing to look out our windows at 1 o'clock in the morning and see children playing out in the street. This seems to be even more prevalent during Ramadan. For example, yesterday we were talking with a neighbor as he lamented an issue that has been occurring with his family over the past month. It seems his children, a 4th grade girl and a 6th grade son, were staying up all night, not just until late but literally ALL night, and then sleeping until 5 or 6 in the evening every day. Although he'd tried to bribe them with trips to the local, public pool - it didn't work and they continued this behavior. P wanted to recommend a trip to the wood shed but apparently this behavior is normal here.

4September2010 Breakdown

How to you outdo yesterday's events?  Luckily we didn't find out today but it wasn't for lack of trying.  

P took Ed & Cynthia to the airport tonight....well he tried anyway.   About a mile from the terminal there is a police/security checkpoint and that's exactly where the van broke down, one mile from the terminal.  Everything was proceeding wonderfully.  The air was cool, traffic was at a minimum and we were ahead of schedule.  We pulled off the highway onto the road leading to the airport.  We went around a curve and the van started hesitating. P checked the fuel gauge, downshifted and tried to give her more gas.  The hesitation became sputtering and he tapped on the fuel gauge (not sure what that accomplishes but it seemed like the right thing to do).  We coasted to the police roadblock and the engine died right in front of the officer.  

The van loaded on the back of a tow truck.

After pushing our disabled vehicle to the side of the road, a taxi was procured, transporting Ed and Cynthia to the airport.  It was difficult being angry because the van croaked in a safe location, a taxi was there 2 minutes after it died and our policeman friend had the number of a tow truck taped to wall of his booth. 30 minutes later P and Z were sitting in the cab of a tow truck, headed back toward the house.  

We're grateful for Zayed, our uniformed buddy, Jamel, our tow truck driver, for an unknown taxi driver that just happened to be driving by at the right time and for a Father that turns bad into good.  

12bf

3September2010 Harami

She screamed "Harami!" over and over while running frantically down the road.  Cars stopped, neighbors peered out of windows, shop owners rushed into the street wondering what in the world was going on.  She looked back to make sure her children were staying on the sidewalk but continued running until she reached the corner.  "HARAMI!" one last time but it was too late.  He was gone with her purse and house keys.  A lady, completely unknown to her, stopped.  "Get in!" she said, "We will go catch him together."  But she couldn't leave her children.  Her children!  She looked back and an elderly neighbor was holding their hands, comforting them, giving them candy.

A shop owner, the man she had just purchased vegetables from, flew past her, taking up the chase.  She was tired, scared, angry, yes, very angry but there was something else....what was it....gratitude.  Kindness in the midst of chaos.  She walked back to the store and collected her children.  A stranger had picked up the bag of vegetables that fallen to the ground when her purse was ripped from her hand.  Her little girl was crying.  Scared of being along, scared of mommy yelling and running after the man, just scared.  The little boy was oblivious, someone had given him a water balloon to play with.

She went to a friends house and used their cell phone to call her husband.  Through gasps of breath and gut wrenching sobs she recanted the events but instantly she felt better.  His voice helped and he was coming.

"Harami" is the arabic word for thief and today D used it fluently when a robber grabbed her purse and ran.  In a flash she experienced a flood of emotions but the one thing that overshadowed them all was Providence.  Yes, she lost the equivalent of $8 and a set of keys to a lock that cost $4 to replace but she gained so much more.  A new appreciation for our community.  For strangers that without hesitation come to the rescue of someone in need.  For neighbors whose first priority was protecting her and her children.  For chilvalrous men indignant at the thought of someone mistreating THEIR guests.  For street cleaners that thought nothing of tackling a thief and calling authorities.  For police that were there in a flash and had the guy handcuffed and in the back of the car.  For a husband who made everything better with just a hug.  For a Father that, through love and supreme wisdom, allowed this all to take place.  The Harami didn't get her money and certainly did not steal her joy.  We are thanking God for that tonight!

2September2010 Ramadan Notes (McIftar)

This sign needs no translation

You don't count calories during Ramadan

A couple days ago we blogged about going out to a nice, local restaurant to break fast, the meal called "Iftar." 

Business is good!

Tonight we decided to switch things up and check out the western version, affectionately deemed "McIftar." 

We arrived at McDonalds at 6:45 and the parking lot was full.  Fortunately there was a spot near the door so we didn't have to use the valet, yes valet.  We got the kids seated and jumped into line.  Maybe there have been more crowded fast food restaurants in the history of the world but its not likely. 

Copious amounts of deep fried goodness were purchased and we joined the kids and began the waiting game.  It's hard to articulate what its like to be in a fast food restaurant where every table is taken and customers have trays loaded with food but no one is eating.  There's really nothing in American culture to compare it to.  Well maybe in NASCAR right before the announcer says "Gentlemen start your engines!"  (Can you tell we're from the south?)

The call to prayer sounded over the intercom and french fries and burgers met their demise at the hands of ravenous patrons.  The once noisy restaurant became deathly quiet as everyone began their meal simultaneously.  The fast was over. McIftar had begun.