It's day 3 in Abu Dhabi with Ramadan in full swing. So what does this mean? If you're Muslim then nothing must pass your lips from before sun up and Iftar (after sun down). If you're an expat then you can't do that in public. That means no restaurants are open until late - 7pm-ish. A lot of shops are open from 6pm. until 3am - grocery seems to be excluded. I'm glad our luxurious hotel suite has a kitchenette included and, oh, we can eat in the hotel restaurant. Which reminds me of our first phopah. Bob and I had brunch the first morning and were curtly reprimanded when the curtain by our table that I had opened was quickly closed by the head waiter. He quietly said, “It’s Ramadan, no windows open.” like we should have known better than expose our disrespectful behavior on the busy street below. Apparently us foreigners are allowed to eat but must do so in abject secrecy.
Bob's workday is from 8am to 2:30 but only during Ramadan. Back to regular hours after the next new moon. He's happy as a lark about the early dismissal and that the golf courses aren't closed for the big "R".