Yesterday the last day of the fasting month proved the hardest for me and I almost gave in and had me a good drink of cold water from the cooler at the MGTF kitchenete,but I hung in there by taking a short nap instead. Hunger was not the issue so much as the thirst and the migraine headache was. Paid my 'zakat' or the Muslim equivalent of the income tax for the year for the year which was very little indeed compared to the regular government's chew of your income. Hence by doing these two precepts, the fasting as well as the zakat one has automatically fulfilled two of the five main precepts of Islam. Off course the first has already been covered as soon as one professes the faith or better known as the Shahadah which states that "There is no God, only Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." The second which is the five times a day performance of 'solat' or prayer Iam having a tough time with I am ashame to admit but I still try and no doubt I envy those who do. The last is the performance of the Hajj that is going
on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Two of my elder brothers passed away without the ability to fulfill this precept and me, I still owe my car payment among other costs of living, Mecca is a wish full dream. 
However one never knows Allah's Will, with the All Mighty anything is possible: He did gave me an Emerates Airline Pilot for a son! Then again its His cosmic joke for me to perhaps ponder upon as my is not a Muslim and his priority I highly doubt covers his father's trip to the Holy Land at present.
Perhaps I am not ready to be forgiven for my myriads of transgressions as a Muslim or maybe Allah does see me fit to visit His Holy land just as my two dead brothers before me, who knows His Will or His scheme of things and not every good Muslim gets to go to Mekah even when they pray night and day for this to happen in their lifetime. Then there are those who visits the Holy Land every chance they get as they can afford it, its like a vacation-land for them and you can see it their eyes all bright and bushy tailed from the 'Holy Experience'. The Airlines and the travel agents makes a killing while the Saudi Government roll in the Rials as the price for visiting God's Holy Land keeps on increasing every year. How fortunate it is that only Muslims are allowed to enter the Holy Cities otherwise most of the farmers and fishermen who spent lifetime saving for this event in their life would still not be able to afford it. God works in mysterious ways indeed!
I visited a few of my cousins homes with my son and daughter ate lots of good cooking and renewed bonding with many good friends and relatives. It is an odd feeling to be among the oldest in the gatherings as you are greeted by toddlers who calls you grandpa or grand uncle. At my age I have to play a whole new role of appearing and presenting myself like a respectable elderly gentleman while in my heart and mind I am still struggling with...Who Am I?? When I look at the others of my age around me I wonder how easy and natural it seems for them.
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