Introducing Ramadhan

Ramadhan is the 9th month in the Muslim calendar, and to roughly 1.2 billion people, it's a very special and holy month. During this time, they devote themselves to abstinence, prayer and helping the community.

Why? Muslims fast for 3 reasons: (1) To commemorate Moses' and Jesus' 40 days of fasting as an act of cleansing in preparation for receiving the word of God (Source: http://sunatullah.com/puasa/asal-mula-puasasaum.html). (2) To cultivate compassion for others by undergoing the hardship of the poor. During the month, Muslims are encouraged to give and share generously with the community, including donating food for the poor. (3) To encourage patience and abstinence.

How? For Muslims, fasting isn't just about abstaining from food and drink. While fasting, Muslims must be patient and not lose their temper, abstain from intercourse, must not allow any object to enter any orifice of the body (activities for health reasons are exempted, e.g. brushing teeth, visiting the dentist, etc) and are encouraged to perform extra prayers. In doing so, Muslims devote themselves to each other and to God for a month and cleanse themselves of impurities.

Except Muslims are exempted from fasting for various reasons, the first and foremost is health. If, for any reason, fasting will affect your health, then you are forbidden from fasting. For example, pregnant women are not encouraged to fast as it may affect the health of the child. Muslims are also exempted from fasting during travel - as during this time they cannot follow the movements of the sun - and if their occupation is physically laborious. In these events, they will have to replace the days missed at any time before the next Ramadhan.

Effect Physically, psychologically and physiologically, people tend to feel better after fasting. Here's why: http://www.ediscoverislam.com/About-Islam/The-religion-of-Islam/why-do-muslims-fast. Personally, I find that after fasting, I feel much more cleansed and it takes much less to satisfy hunger. I feel lighter, healthier and better able to control my own body and myself. It is both a sense of achievement and a better understanding of myself that comes from more prayer, partial abstinence and patience during trying times.

Others Who Fast Fasting is not restricted to Muslims. Jews fast for 25 hours, and while Christians don't specifically have to fast, they must still abstain from something for 40 days during Lent. The Baha'is have a similar ritual of fasting for 28 days a year. Fasting is also an integral part of the Hindu religion, especially during religious festivals. In all mentioned religions, the aim of the exercise is similar: to commemorate the acts of their religious predecessors, and to purify themselves.

Tired feels different

when you're a kid.

Weekend Epiphany

I had an epiphany over the weekend. Yes, I'm only typing out the entry now because, well, I've just been that tied up.

The epiphany was that anything worth having will take some hardship getting. I.e. I may be going through a whole lot of shit right now (and the past oh, I don't know, 2 years?) but whatever is waiting for me at the end is going to be worth it.

I've always thought that anything worth having is worth fighting for, and that those people who say, "If it's meant to be, it'll happen" are idiots. Do you really think that things happen for a reason? That those kids starving in Africa are starving for a reason? The reason is because people think "things that are meant to be will be". I think it's easier for people to say, "If it's meant to be, it'll be" because then no one will expect them to actually grow a pair and fight for what they want.

But I digress. My point was that I'm not having the best time of my life right now, but that's alright because something better is meant to happen. I can't lose myself in this, and I can't depend on anyone else because obviously that didn't work out very well. Just wish whatever it is would hurry up already.

Drowning In Mediocrity

Has anyone ever wondered what happens to the average and the mediocre? Think about it: movies, songs, books, stories are told about those who are the incredible, the outstanding. The bards spin stories of heroes and seemingly average people who go above and beyond expectations, overcome all odds and achieve their goals. They even tell stories of those who are outstanding because they're so deviant - those who murder in seemingly inhumane ways, those who are cunning in their arts.

What about the average? Those people who may never be considered anything other than "well read". Those who, rather than being "detail-oriented" are "absent-minded" or "careless". Those who, while not lazy, aren't driven enough to be called "married to their job". What about those who live their lives in the middle class, who never date anyone extraordinary and end up marrying another average person, who pop out a couple of kids and live in an average sized family home in an average neighborhood driving average cars? What about those who only go on holidays in average places on average tour packages, those who dream of becoming a millionaire by age 30 but in reality never come close, those who never make it past middle management?

The average and the mediocre will never make headlines. They will never be exceptionally popular. They're never really good enough at anything to be called "great at xxx" and they'll never be too outside of the norm that people will say, "(s)he's so xxx".

When they die, their graves will be frequented every so often - probably once a year - by those who love them. But there will never be too many. Over the years, probably in less than ten, people will stop visiting and bit by bit nature will reclaim the grave, growing weeds in the place of artificially cut and placed flowers, leaving no trace of them but their names in high school yearbooks or in somewhat visited websites on the internet where their comments on articles blend in with hundreds of others.

Egad, it's no wonder so many people commit suicide.

OMG-Fact?

Found at OMG-Facts:

Lactose tolerance is a mutation. Lactose intolerance is the original form of the gene.

Scientists have looked into the human genome to find the precise genetic mutation that causes lactose tolerance. Lactose tolerance in humans always come from the same genetic mutation, regardless of whether they are of European, Asian, and African descent.

Most people in the world are lactose intolerant. People do not naturally have the ability to digest milk beyond infancy. The sugar, lactose, that is present in high levels in milk causes nausea and bloating in most adults. Europeans and Americans are much more likely to have the genetic mutation that allow them to digest lactose. Lactose intolerance is present in only 5% of Northern Europeans but nearly 100% of Southeast Asians.

Emailed to OMG-Facts:

OMG-Fact #2835:

Lactose tolerance is a mutation. Lactose intolerance is the original form of the gene.

Scientists have looked into the human genome to find the precise genetic mutation that causes lactose tolerance. Lactose tolerance in humans always come from the same genetic mutation, regardless of whether they are of European, Asian, and African descent.

Most people in the world are lactose intolerant. People do not naturally have the ability to digest milk beyond infancy. The sugar, lactose, that is present in high levels in milk causes nausea and bloating in most adults. Europeans and Americans are much more likely to have the genetic mutation that allow them to digest lactose. Lactose intolerance is present in only 5% of Northern Europeans but nearly 100% of Southeast Asians.

It's not true. I'm from Malaysia, i.e. Southeast Asia, and I can state for a fact that less than 1% of the people I know are lactose intolerant. Very few people I've met are lactose intolerant. Local food in this region frequently contains some dairy, such as curries and other types of food.

There is no source quoted in this so-called "fact". I request that either a source is quoted or the "fact" is taken down. It is in your best interests to maintain the credibility of your website.

Nuff said.