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Ramadan diaries: We are setting our priorities straight during this Ramadan, says Dubai-based Egyptian expat

'It took a virus to make us notice the blessings we had taken for granted'

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Ramadan in the time of coronavirus is definitely a new experience for everyone and this Egyptian expat's family is no exception. "We are trying our best to adjust to the Covid-19 situation," Egyptian resident Waleed El Sayed told Khaleej Times, referring to his wife and two children. He has been in Dubai for more than 20 years.
El Sayed is a training manager in the hospitality industry while his wife works in the field of event management. "I have a son in Grade 12 and a daughter in Grade 7. We miss the spirit of Ramadan, the spiritual feelings of Taraweeh prayers, the gatherings for charity and breaking fast as a group. It took a virus to make us notice and realise the many blessings we had always taken for granted."
'We revived old memories'
It is time, however, to think deeply how we can benefit the most from the current circumstances, El Sayed said. "We were so much distracted with the fast rhythm of life that we missed out on the real matters. Now we have time to slow down, pause and discover gaps in our life, our family relations and social ties. We only have time now to cherish the valuable moments, something we just did not do during our race with time."
"While we stick to the Stayhome rule, we are still able to be productive and at the same time, enjoy our time with our loved ones."
This pandemic gave his family the chance to rethink and set their priorities straight in life and focus more to have better objectives for the future, El Sayed averred.
"I am trying to get closer to my kids and it is a great time to make sure that our traditions are deeply instilled in them. We are praying together at home and live the peace of the holy month. We had the opportunity to play old video tapes dating back to 20 years and relive old memories while watching them. My kids even saw their grandparents -- who they had never seen before -- talking in front of them for the first time."
'We miss the freedom to move, go on outings'
"We miss our freedom to move freely without restrictions. We miss outings for leisure and entertainment. However, I feel it is good to miss something to realise its importance in our life," El Sayed said.
"I hope in this month, our stress will be relieved and we will have another chance very soon to go back to our normal lives."
"The family has been arranging get-together meetings on Zoom with relatives back home to share the lovely and quality moments with them.. We make sure to include the whole family the same way we used to do when we visited each other during Ramadan season over the last years."

Koshari (Egyptian popular dish)

Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt, pepper, coriander
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Cooking oil
1 ½ cup of brown lentils
1 ½ cup of rice
1 can of chickpeas
2 cups of pasta
Tomato sauce
Method:
After cooking the lentils and rice separately, drain them from water. Then mix them and season with a little salt and cook in the saucepan over medium heat with 1 tbsp of cooking oil, salt, pepper and coriander. Add 3 cups of water.
Then add the separately cooked pasta.
To serve, fluff the rice and lentils with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the pasta and ½ of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas and finally ½ of the crispy onions for garnish.
Serve, pass the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.
mary@khaleejtimes.com