2004-11-24 - 9:01 p.m.

Excerpt from my diary dated Nov. 8th, 2004:

I woke up in the heart of the night with a comforting feeling when I heard the raindrops hit my tinroof...

It reminded me of the cold autumn/winter days in Europe and the US when I could cuddle up in the comfort of my home and stare at the cold world passing by outside...

I fell right back to sleep but woke up again pretty early to find out that the rain had not stopped yet. I got my daily ration of water, then made myself a warm cup of instant coffee and indulged in bread with jam while listening to music, sitting on my breezy veranda and staring at the gray clouds.

I really am a "water" creature: it regenerates me, makes me feel pleasantly aware and alive!

The temperature has been cooling down in the past week or so making it a lot easier to have restful nights and to work during the day. It's also been easier for the people who are fasting for Ramadan, finding solace in a comfortable break from the scorching dry heat of Maghta Lahjar.

I tried fasting twice this month just to try and find out for myself what my fellow Mauritanians are experiencing.
I could see why people really do enjoy Ramadan, especially those who take it, as it should be, as a spiritual challenge focusing on God's words as their only "fuel" to then rejoice and regenerate with friends and family each night when breaking fast together... I can also see why nobody seems interested in working during the month of Ramadan: it is virtually impossible to move in this heat with no food and more importantly no water throughout the entire day!!!!

I've been having interesting "culture/development" conversations with some of the local professors and NGO workers, discovering a lot of untold social realities and layers underlying the Mauritanian society, often representing obstacles to "change" - to begin with the various social castes within the different Mauritanian ethnic groups and their evolution over time... I am trying to find a book that apparently explains this subject in depth... don't know the name of it at the moment nor any of the other details, just know that it exists!

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