50 City Walks in Seattle: Golden Gardens Park

Today was Eid Al Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast). We celebrate this occasion on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which is the 10th month in the Islamic calendar.

My husband and I thought we'd spend the day together since it is Eid and his birthday as well, to experience something new in Seattle. So the Golden Gardens was the perfect choice!

As we do not have a car, we had to take 2 buses 72 and 48, which at the time seemed so easy but apparently we were wrong. The trip was too long and more than 40 stops in total. We arrived at 11am and this was the first thing we saw there:

160 steps!

Going down was extremely easy and we were so excited to see the beach so we did not feel how long it was. The view and the weather were so lovely. The water was ice cold but I felt so refreshed when the waves hit my feet.

We followed the same trail that was on the map. We saw many parents with their children building sand castles and playing frisbee. Couples were taking long walks or people were walking their dogs. We had so much fun seeing all different kinds of people.

We stayed for an hour or more. When we decided to go home we faced our worst nightmare: yes, the long steps!

We barely reached the top. It was the most exhausting thing I did in months! It made us almost forget all the fun we had, we just wanted to get home. We had a cold drink in Cafe Fiore and we waited for the bus to go home.

Update: Now that I am recalling what happened during this day, I have already forgotten how exhausted we were. I only remember the joyful things we experienced there. I would love to go again but of course with a car not a bus!

Ahlan Ramadan!

What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. In this month, Muslims are obliged to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking from sunrise to sunset.

Why do muslims fast?
Fasting, as well as all other acts of worshipping Allah, has physical and spiritual benefits for Muslims. Fasting has proven to be a way of cleansing the body of toxins, and it also increases one's energy level. There is a lot of medical research about fasting as a cure to certain illnesses. On the other hand, spiritually, fasting teaches Muslims patience, discipline and self-control. It also encourages Muslims to do good things during the month as a way of training them to apply these good deeds throughout the year.

So, how do we spend Ramadan in Saudi Arabia?
Ramadan is a magical month in Saudi Arabia and in all Muslim countries; Muslims celebrate it as other countries celebrate Christmas. Streets are decorated with lights, stores are decorated with a special red fabric that has beautiful Islamic patterns. But what we love the most is the echoing sound of the night prayers that come out of the mosque speakers and spread all over town.

(The fabric that is used to decorate stores and restaurants)

(Visitors in the old downtown in Jeddah are watching one of the World Cup games)

Ramadan represents generosity and charity, so most of the meals are feasts! Some families open their houses to host the poor who are welcomed to eat as guests everyday of that month. Most of the mosques offer Iftar (which is the breakfast meal at sunset) for free.

(Thousands attend the daily Iftar at the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah)

Ramadan is also about family. I will show you an ad from a Kuwaiti telecom company but it really represents the spirit of Ramadan in every house.

This is another ad from Egypt; it also shows the spirit of Ramadan. The main characters in this ad are from previous Ramadan shows that we loved to watch when we were children. Ramadan makes us feel very nostalgic!

What is my family's tradition in Ramadan?

On the first day, we all gather at my Grandmother's house for breakfast around 6 or 7 pm. Each one of my aunts contributes with a dish or two. At 8 or 9 pm we either pray "Taraweeh" which is a special night prayer in Ramadan or we just gather and watch TV. After prayer around 10:30 pm, it is time for coffee and sweets. We stay together until 12 or 1 am and we either have "Suhoor" which is another meal before we start fasting, or we just go home and eat there.

During the day while we are fasting, we go to work or school for shorter hours than the regular working days, we read Qura'an, the holy book, we start cooking and preparing food and desserts. In my previous work, we used to gather in the atrium after Duhur prayer, the mid-day prayer, and share a lesson about Islam.

Is there a special holiday or occasion that you enjoy in your country? Tell me about it :)

My Seattle

When I was planning to pursue my studies in the US, I had to choose between 3 cities: Boston, Seattle and San Francisco. I finally chose Seattle for many reasons such as its convenient weather, public transportation system and the ranking of the University of Washington.

I had a different idea about Seattle before I came here. I was a big fan of the TV show, "Grey's Anatomy", which took place in Seattle. Because of what I saw, I have always been under the impression that Seattle is as loud and crowded as New York or Los Angeles. I was surprised when I arrived here. Seattle is very quite and calm!

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It is the "firsts" that made me fall in love with Seattle. The first time I travel to the US, the first house that my husband and I live in after getting married, the first time to witness the gloomy winter nourishing a beautiful spring, the first time to see cherry blossom trees in reality ... and much more.

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My favorite spot in Seattle is a small local cafe called "Jewel Box Cafe" next to Regal Cinemas in Northgate. This place has the best Nutella Crepe I have ever tried in my life. It also has delicious coffee, great ambiance and very friendly staff.

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I love walking downtown. The streets are full of surprises: great music, funny performances and lots of places to visit.

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The view from my window is always a sight for sore eyes. The variety of trees amazes me, not only in my neighborhood but in the whole city. You can never see the same trees standing next to each other!

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So this is where I am creating new memories .. Now tell me about yours.