Dates and fireworks

Adults buy dates during Ramadhan because that's what Muhammad ate to break his fast. Kids buy firecrackers during Ramadhan because they make a hell of a racket.

This woman has a convenient, one-stop kiosk near Palmerah Market.


We were warned that the firecrackers are used to wake up the neighborhood for the pre-dawn meal, but in our area they seem to get set off randomly anytime after dark.

Those are surely two reasons why kids get excited about the fasting month - the thrill of amateur explosives and the privilege of being up during the wee hours. When I was eight, there was nothing as cool as being awake during those mysterious, grownup times of the night.