Thursday 2 August 2012

14. London 2012 and Ramadhan update :)

Hello everyone, it's the Mancunian sheep here! Sorry for not posting for 2 weeks, I've been fairly busy and wanted something good to write about instead of a long, boring post. Well, it's almost 2 weeks into Ramadhan (today is the 13th fast) and they are going very well. Fortunately, I haven't missed a single fast or prayer, I suppose being anaemic does have its advantages ;) Despite a lot of my Muslim friends and I being quite frightened of no food/water for approximately 17 hours during the middle of summer, it doesn't even feel like I'm fasting. The first couple were quite difficult because not only were they the longest, but also because it takes some time adjusting to a new routine. My stomach used to rumble as I cooked or served my Mum meals because unfortunately, she cannot fast due to her critical, regular medication for her Parkinson's. As the fast opens at 9pm-ish (this is called Iftar, it's when you're allowed to eat at sunset), it's difficult to eat a lot when closing the fast (this is called Sehri, it's when you have a meal before sunrise and then cannot eat until Iftar). For Sehri, I've been eating little fruit pots recommended by my friend and sometimes I have a small carton of Ribena. For Iftar, I've been eating a fruit salad usually consisting of 4 dates, an apple, a banana, 2 clementines and a nectarine. I also have some curry with a chappati/ naan or pizza but have been trying to eat more protein such as grilled chicken with salad at Iftar so I'm not bloated for the special Ramadhan night prayers called Taraveeh or Sehri. 
Ramadhan isn't the only big event on at the moment, it's the Olympics! YAY :D Team GB had a really successful day yesterday by winning 5 medals and today, Andy Murray has just gotten through to the semi finals! I feel like a proud Mother at a sports day! Special congratulations to Bradley Wiggins who has had an incredible 2012 so far- not only is he the first British cyclist to win the Tour De France, he's also won a gold medal AND is now the most successful British athlete and Olympic cyclist of all time! :D As well as the cycling and tennis, I've also enjoyed watching the gymnastics, swimming and rowing. We've done incredibly well in the rowing :) As well as the sports events being brilliant, who can forget the fantastic Olympic opening ceremony?! Did any of you see that massive Voldemort, that actually completed my life :') Several other personal highlights of mine were the digital house which celebrated 50 years of amazing British music, the performances by the Arctic Monkeys and Emeli Sande, when HRH Queen Elizabeth said "Good evening Mr Bond" to Daniel Craig and was in a helicopter with him, the SHEEP in the agricultural scene at the beginning and finally, the lighting of the cauldron. Two things which baffled me were why on earth a tribute was paid to the NHS :| For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you probably already know how much I'm anticipating the day I can afford private healthcare. The other thing which grated on my nerves was how people said Beijing's Olympic ceremony was better than ours. I'm sorry but you're all a big fat bunch of liars, how can any of you even remember it so well when it was 4 years ago? Also, London pulled out all the stops from David Beckham on a speed boat to Rowan Atkinson playing the piano with his middle finger. People also need to realise that the London 2012 ceremony cost £27 million compard to Beijing's approximately £64 million. Also, did we use a child singer who lip synced because the vocalist was "too ugly" to perform? No. I'm proud of our opening ceremony and the 10,000 volunteers who made it possible. I'm looking forward to both the closing ceremony and watching team GB win many more medals during the second week of the Olympics. Hopefully, you will all also enjoy the Olympic coverage and have fun whatever you're doing!

Take care,

Mancunian Sheep

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