Out for a while

I am out of the country on R&R right now. I really don't want to PO my hosts so lets just say that it is a VERY different mind set and way of life from what I am used to and that includes Iraq and Kuwait!

You have to make a lot of adjustments. A big one is the constant monitoring of the prayer time clock. Businesses shut down during the 5 prayer times every day and they are at different times every day. I have a link on my web browser that gives me the prayer times every day for the Eastern Province.

If you want to go to a restaurant you have to be inside before prayer time starts or else you are hanging around outside waiting for them to re-open. If you are inside you just keep eating and pretend nothing is going on. They roll down some window shades and turn off the interior lights. They keep working the kitchen but you can't order anything else during the alloted time.

If you are at a grocery store you can still keep picking items from shelves but no one will help you at the meat and cheese counter or will check you out. You just have to wait.

It usually only takes 20-30 minutes (30 on Fridays) so it is not as bad as it sounds. It makes it an interesting time keeping exercise but one that I have adjusted to. I don't get as irritated as some of the others, I just adjust to it.