Friday, August 28, 2009

Air raid?

I woke up early Sunday morning around 4:45AM thinking there must be an air raid or a natural disaster or something terrible happening as a whirring alarm-like noise was echoing outside. I had no idea what it could be. Monday morning, about the same time, I was awakened again.

Monday night, I was invited to an Iftar dinner (breaking the fast in Ramzan, aka Ramadan) hosted by the only Muslim employee in our section. Around 6:45, I heard the siren again -- and turned to a coworker asking what it was. He said it's the sign that the sun has set and the fast may be broken.

Suddenly it all became clear. Sunday was the first day of Ramzan in HYD. Sunday the siren started - and since then, I've also heard it faintly at night at our house, though with the din of other noises it's not as noticeable as at 4:45AM. Now that I know why I'm hearing it, I can roll over and rest another hour and a half before I have to wake up. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to bother William one bit.

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