Happy New Year!

A very belated but sincere wish that you have a very happy New Year!

Please forgive the extended absence; we were overtaken by a number of unexpected events that made putting up regular posts of the standard we like to produce very difficult. We hope to rectify this as 2011 kicks of.

Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Ramadan Mubarak!

The National Mosque, Independence Avenue, Abuja, FCT Nigeria.

Muslims across West Africa and the world began observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan this week, (most on the 11th of August 2010). Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of fasting during which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, (smoking and sexual activities!) between dawn and sunset. There are some exceptions including children below a certain age, travellers and the infirm. The day begins with a declaration to fast and a recommended light, pre-dawn meal , suhoor, and any consumption of food or drink should end at least five to ten minutes before the onset of dawn. At sunset, iftar, a light snack consisting of dates or desserts, along with liquids, such as water, juice or milk is taken, breaking the fast.


The fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality, and is a time during which more prayer is offered to Allah. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint including refraining from using angry words and indulging in selfish behaviour and charitable acts like giving to the poor. Common greetings for the start of Ramadan include - "Ramadan Kareem!" (Noble or Generous Ramadan!) and "Ramadan Mubarak!" (Blessed Ramadan!). 


As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary depending on the moon and the beginning is determined by observing the stages of the moon. Traditionally, the beginning of Ramadan is declared when the slight crescent moon (hilal) marking the beginning of the month is sighted. If the hilal is seen at night, the next day is the first day of Ramadan and thus the first day of fasting. At the end of the month, when the community sights the hilal again, Ramadan is at an end. Using the traditional method can result in varying start dates as different parts of the globe may sight hilal on different days so in some communities astronomical calculations are used instead.

Photo source

At the end of the month of fasting, Muslims observe a 3 day holiday called Eid al-Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking) during which time common greetings are "Eid Mubarak!" (Blessed Eid!) and "Eid Saeed!" (Happy Eid!) This year, Ramadan will end on or around September 10, 2010. 

I believe Ramadan is also an opportunity for non Muslims (and anyone interested in learning from other cultures) to practice tolerance and consideration for others by being aware of the constrains participants are under and behaving appropriately. We could all do with being a bit less self indulgent a bit more charitable in our everyday dealings with those we encounter!


Ramadan Kareem!

Some information garnered from Wikipedia and About.com. Pictures - top, ITK West Africa, bottom, see link below.

Are you a Regular?

You may have noticed that we have a Social Calender page under construction at the moment. We are still building it but have decided to share in a regular post so you don't miss a thing. We'll do an 'Are You A Regular?' post every so often so that you do not miss new entries on the calender. Please let us know if there are any you think we should definitely include and be sure to drop a comment to let us know how events you attended went.


Here are the first few entries:

Lagos
Saturday

The BookJam @ Silverbird *
is a monthly event that consists of book readings, discussions, musical performances, poetry recitals, book signings and a raffle draw. Admission is free.

When: Last Saturday of every month
Where: Silverbird Lifestyle Bookstore, Silverbird Galleria, Ahmadu Bello Street, Victoria Island

Contact: auggustmedia@gmail.com or 07061141232

Farafina Book Review @ Terra *
is an avenue for book lovers to share their experiences, meet writers one on one and learn more about writing. Admission is free.

When: Monthly, (the next event is Saturday August 7th, 2010)
Where: TerraKulture, Tiamiyu Savage Str, Victoria Island.

For updates and more info:
Web: www.kachifo.com
Facebook: Farafina Books
Blog: farafinabooks.wordpress.com
Twitter: @farafinabooks

Contact: 253 Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos. Tel: +234 1 740 6741; +234 807 736 4217. E-mail: info@kachifo.com


Sunday

Le Petite Marché *
(French for 'the small market') or LPM for short, is a monthly indoor mini market for everything from clothing to home essentials and has featured over 125 vendors to date.

When: every last Sunday of the month.
Where: GET Arena, Oniru estate, VI.

For updates and more info:
Facebook - Le Petit Marché
Twitter - @LePetitMarcheNG
Blog - www.lpmpaper.blogspot.com

Contact: lpmnigeria@gmail.com

We'll be bringing you more as soon as we have it.
Don't forget to comment with your recommendations and observations below...

What do you think?

The Black Stars

We are still reeling from the huge injustice suffered by the Black Stars, Ghana's national team and Africa's last hope in the 2010 World Cup. That this was not a defeat is clear; a loss yes, we will not be advancing but Uruguay did not win either - they stole Ghana's opportunity and rightful place in the semi finals. The details have been shared and dissected over and over - the deliberate interference with the ball destined for the goal by Uruguay's Luis Suarez, the penalty taken by Asamoah Gyan that hit the bar, the penalty shoot out and the devastation on the Ghanaian players' faces when they realized their loss.
The fact remains that this battle is over but we trust that they will only see it as a rung on the ladder to success. We look forward to The Olympics in 2012 and the next World Cup in 2014. If the continue as they have started they are sure to reap the rewards.


We will be watching Uruguay face Holland this evening and I am sure we are not alone in quietly hoping they are unequivocally beaten. We will now be supporting Germany (and Boateng, whose brother plays for the Black Stars) to lift the Cup.