4.25am: I open my eyes, stunned that I can have energy at this time of the morning. Geni, my roommate is already in the kitchen, eating her pre-prepared breakfast of rice and fried chicken. I am still full from the night before, but I eat my usual yogurt, oatmeal and fruit. We down a few glasses of water and soon the horn from the mosques start to sound - the fast for the day has begun. She goes off to pray, I go back to bed. 7am: My alarm rips me out of a dream for the second time of the morning. For a moment, I am resentful of this sadistic tradition which robs me of sleep and food for a whole month. I meditate for 30 minutes and feel renewed. I dress in my muslim-appropriate
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