Gigi usually teaches five to six classes a day and has short breaks in between classes.
Sharjah - 'A lot more people fast here, so there is a feeling of oneness.'
Published: Sat 26 May 2018, 8:17 PM
Thirty-eight-year-old computer science teacher Gigi Anil Abdul Kader has been teaching in Sharjah for 12 years. But not once has the demands of her job deterred the senior school teacher from not fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
"I started fasting at a young age. But honestly, I don't look at fasting and working as a challenge. Everyone, especially students become a lot more understanding during Ramadan," she said. "Unlike my experiences back home in Kerala, fasting is a spiritual experience in the UAE. There is a lot more focus, and I spend several hours praying," she added.
Gigi has been teaching computer science to Grade 9 and ten students at Our Own English High School Sharjah 12 years ago. She is a mother of two children who are in Grades 9 and six respectively. "I've always worked and fasted at the same time. There was never a time I didn't. It is a little challenging now since I have children of my own, but otherwise I am happy to do it," Gigi said.
The main difficulty Gigi faces is that her mouth becomes very dry when she speaks during lectures. "There are times when we have back-to-back classes, but that is not something that happens often. I can also spend time in the staff room on the days when I don't have too many classes," she said.
A teacher's routine
As any school teacher, Gigi's day starts very early in the morning, and Ramadan does not change that routine. "I wake up at 3am and have Suhoor, after which we do prayers together as a family. My children head back to sleep, but I spend some time reciting the Holy Quran," she said.
At 5.30am she readies her children for school and husband for work and goes to school herself. "I don't cook in the mornings during Ramadan. Once I reach school, I am swamped and don't usually have time to relax or take things easy," she said. "During Ramadan, school timings are shorter, and I come back home before 2pm," she added.
Gigi usually teaches five to six classes a day and has short breaks in between classes. "When we have back-to-back classes, teaching becomes slightly harder because I get a bit tired." Once back home, Gigi finishes her afternoon prayers and rests for a few hours before helping her children with their school work.
"I sit with them for some time, and after an hour or two, I start cooking for Iftar and Suhoor at the same time, so that I can spend more time praying in the nights." Gigi and her family break their fast and then go for Taraweeh prayers.
Since she has completed most of her work by then, she said she has more time to recite the Holy Quran. "I even try and finish school work in the school so that we have more time for prayers," she added.
Gigi said that routines during examinations are a bit more challenging, as she needs to focus on training her children to score well. "During exams, there are a lot of challenges we face. I need to focus on helping my children prepare for their tests."
Speaking about the first time she took fast as a teacher, Gigi said: "I didn't have much stress at that time because I didn't have my children then. Also, I began working only after I came to the UAE, so the climate was a bit different, and that is when I realised there is a big difference in the way Ramadan is observed in Kerala, and here in Dubai."
She added: "A lot more people fast here, so there is a feeling of oneness. In India, we cook a lot more. Iftar is an elaborate celebration. Here, there is more time for prayers. The spirit of Ramadan in the UAE is much nicer. The experience is a lot more spiritual."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
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