1st terawih

It semi-feels like I'm out on some camping trip right now. It's the smell of the outdoors - that earthy sandy grassy and slightly damp smell of tarp sheets. But I'm not; it's the night before the month of Ramadhan begins and mama has shipped us out to an open field where a prayers-cum-lecture session will take place (at least that's what I gathered; mama doesn't say much, esp. when she thinks we might back out) which explains why I'm dressed in a telekong (prayer garment) instead of t-shirt and fbts singing campfire songs / telling lame jokes.

Anyway, I'm pretty relieved it was held outdoors rather than indoors. I didn't know what to expect at first, and was already imagining sitting warm and restless in an enclosed area with bad ventilation. But the mild claustrophobia was put to partial ease when we spotted the mats rolled out on the earth in front of the building. 'Partial' because the nature of group prayers is such that you've to stand really close to people on both sides of you anyway.

The first :O came when we arrived and they presented us with a big round tray heaped with rice, meat, veg (tray diameter was about shoulder width). And no utensils. It appeared that a few of us were supposed to share one tray, and eat with our hands. I haven't eaten with my hand (like, hard core the entire meal including rice type) for months, haven't done in public even longer, and done it at a communal tray even longer than that. But there was no way to avoid it without being a complete prick. So communal tray dinner, check.

The call to prayer came towards the end of our meal. I was very surprised to hear a female voice making the call; it's quite uncommon and I've probably heard that only once or twice in my lifetime. The session went: prayer - break - prayer - 1st terawih of the month.