Day 12: Celebrating Ramadan, Away from Home

Guest blogger: Tuba ZahraA few days ago I noticed that a lot of people were reading this blog in Japan. Usually there are just 1 or 2, but now there were 249! I was thrilled, but curious, since I hadn’t shared the blog with anyone in Japan. Then I got this email from Tokyo: “Dear Salma, I happened to read your blog “30 deeds 30 traditions” via a post from my friend Lubna Salim in Calcutta. I ended up reading the entire blog -- 30 deeds/gratitudes/duas/traditions, all of it – overnight!”  She shared it with friends, and it seems to have spread.Most of the time we can rely on tried and tested traditions to make us feel at home; sometimes, we have to venture out and start new traditions to forge a sense of community away from home. My new friend Tuba is a doctoral student in Tokyo; this is her first time away from home during Ramadan. Here’s her story:Having overcome the challenge of finding a halal shop and adjusting myself with the language and culture of Tokyo, which was going to be home for the next three years, I was beaming with enthusiasm learning and exploring all that I could. Soon, days turned into weeks and weeks to months. I was eagerly awaiting my first Ramadan in Japan, a nation with a small Muslim population. When I first spoke about it to my Japanese friends, they were taken aback and couldn't believe how I could survive my daily schedule at the lab without eating. I often heard them exclaim, “And you don't even drink water?” to their utter disbelief. Even today, a friend asked me why was I doing this. She couldn't imagine why it was 30 days long and not for a day or two. My face lit up and I replied it is a month for the cleansing of the mind, the body and the soul. A month of prayers when at least one wish is fulfilled. A month of good deeds, of sharing and caring.At the University of Tokyo all the Muslim students formed the Tokyo University Islamic Cultural Society. It has members from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, and many other countries. Every year during Ramadan, TUICS organizes a cross-cultural Iftaar get-together that is open for all students on campus. This way we get to experience food from different places and exchange the way we break fasts in our own countries.Last year, one of my Japanese friends who is pursuing a PhD on mosques in Islamic culture shared how she came to know and appreciate Islamic culture. She organized an Iftaar party for Muslim friends and I was lucky to be invited. There I made new friends who taught me this recipe for Basbousa, an Eastern Mediterranean sweet dish prepared with semolina.Basbousa2 cups of semolina (sooji)1 cup of dried coconut (you can add fresh coconut threads for a better taste)1 cup sugar1/2 cup all purpose flour200gms yoghurt200gms unsalted butter1 tsp vanilla extractBlanched and sliced Almonds, pistachios and cashews for garnish.Milk if neededSyrup (boil all ingredients below in a separate pan until the sugar melts, but do not overdo as the sugar crystallizes and turns hard)1.5 cups of sugar1 cup water1tsp lemon juice1 tsp rose water (can be omitted or replaced with 1or 2 saffron strands)Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar, flour, melted butter and vanilla in bowl to a nice paste. If the paste is too thick milk can be used to make it fairly stiff in consistency. Line a baking tray with butter paper / line the tray with butter and put the paste in it. Preheat the oven for 190°C. After transferring the paste on the baking tray, take a knife and cut across the paste like diamonds (barfi shapes). Garnish each diamond with almonds/pistachios/cashews. Bake for 30-40mins.Pour the syrup over the baked Basbousa when hot. Cool in a refrigerator and serve.Day 12, Tradition 12: Forging New Traditions