Geylang was fairly crowded last night, but not extravagantly so. We took the bus, avoiding the hazards of parking, and easily got seats both ways, and there was no traffic jam to speak of. Unfortunately this suggests the traders there might not be doing such great business and I hope it picks up for them this weekend and next.
My zakat was duly paid, at Darul Arqam, the usual choice, and we picked up the girls' outfits for the big day. Our little outing felt distinctly celebratory and this is the odd paradox of Ramadhan - a time of deprivation suddenly becomes one of plenty, almost of carnival. Noi and I have been discussing the degree to which the whole experience can be commercialised. She feels it has been, possibly overly so, but I can't quite share that view. The month has a core of deep resistance to the kind of thing that has sadly cheapened Christmas. The deprivation is too real to be exploited.
And what business is done is a necessary, welcome part of the world. In this respect Islam has always seen trade and the like to be a positive aspect of our time on this earth, assuming its benefits are general for all. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) time as a merchant is worth recalling and in many ways integral to his identity.
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