hajia

Fasting is not exactly my favourite form of worship. But I cherish and always look forward to Ramadan period. Indeed we all eagerly look forward to the Ramadan season. But personally I think this has more to do with the goodies we eat to break the fast than perhaps any religious penchant. Look at the statistics I gathered yesterday: the average family makes it a point to have roasted meat or chicken, potatoes and lots of fresh fruits on the table to break the fast daily. Of course there are those who can not afford a descent meal in the period, I hasten to add. But records from markets indicate that huge sums of money are spent to accommodate the demands of Ramadan fast. More than half of that amount goes to food items.

Incidentally my favourite form of worship is the Hajj. I love to go to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and have been there four of five times. Nigerians love to go on Hajj and perhaps this too is for the little taste of life in the first world and the shopping spree. I like to think that Saudi Arabia is at par with western countries in some respects. Some respects because there are areas they can improve like in sanitation and garbage collection.
But this year the fare is so outrageous I am boycotting the journey completely. Half a million naira is no joke.