Job Discussion Forums

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:01 am Post subject:

Well I'm pleased to report that the drums have been silenced in my little corner of Bornova in Izmir after the whole street (well almost) got their alarms ringing every time he came, so , he decided to play with his drum elsewhere .
Lets face it folks most people can't be bothered to fast so a lot of people are being kept awake at night for a month just to suit a few "traditionlists" who are sat at home all day anyway ,the kids I have to face every morning at 8.30 look the way I fell totally wacked 3 weeks later they will be dead on their feet , I fail to see the sense in that .
Join S.T.U.D STOP THE USELESS DRUMMER NOW .

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:14 am Post subject:

"SİGH"

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Adding to ghost, there are some people who seem to observe the fast literally to an extreme point that seems ridiculous, or even differently to what the Koran states, like those who don't eat even when they're ill, who look down on others for using kolonya which they claim is haram, or who don't wear lipstick. Judging by the smell in my classroom, it's apparently a sin to brush your teeth. Which makes me wonder if these people think it's a sin to bite your lips or nails when you're fasting? Or what if you accidentally bite off a small piece from the inside of your cheek? I also know people who make up fast days they weren't able to do for whatever reason...

I don't think the Koran tells them to look down on others. And I'm not sure, but I think that the stress is on the spirit of the fast rather than the letter. At some point it seems to me people are focussing on their own righteousness rather than their devotion to God...

But I still like the drums.

Noureli · Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 17

If you are teaching in a country that is not your own, you could at least respect their religon and tradtions for one. I truly find some of these posts to be ignorant and obnoxious concerning other peolpe's way of doing things. If you do not like the drummers and Ramadan then find a job some where other than Turkey or any other Muslim country.

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:19 am Post subject: oh dear and "sigh"

Seems a few have missed the point totally ,which is , in this day and age do people who WANT to fast do they need a drummer to get them out of bed ?
In Izmir the number of people who do this are in a minority at least in my area as the fast progress others drop out ,still the drummers come for who one wonders ? Does the whole street have to be disturbed because a handful of people want to fast ,its the Turks themselves who ask this question,and I agree with them .

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

And I meant no disrespect with snide comments about if it's a sin to bite your nails while you're fasting. I'm merely expressing my annoyance about righteousness, which isn't really about respect. If you want to fast, power to you, but I'm bored of dirty looks from some of the staff at my school and my butcher who won't bother to get meat out of the downstairs fridge for me, but he'll do it for the housewife preparing for iftar.

It strikes me as foolish to attempt to follow the letter rather than the spirit of religious texts. They are meant to be vague and open people to spirituality, not to be followed word for word in some attempt to brown-nose God...

A little cranky today. Sorry.

Noureli · Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 17

I don't want to get anybody upset and all about the drummers. But living in Casablance for 2 years and having the same system for Ramadan with the Trumpets to wake you up we got used to it and afterwards they stopped them because there were too many foreigners complaining in our neighbourhood. Now that upsets me it's not like it's Canada or the States and they implemented the drums or the trumpets that I understand. Anyways I maybe grouchy because I am a smoker and I'm doing Ramadan and there is 6 more hour to go so maybe I should post after the breaking of the fast.

Golightly · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 5:29 pm Post subject:

one of my favourite ramazan stories from a few years back, and one that seems to confirm all those Temel jokes: Towards the end of the fasting period, the main imam in Trabzon misjudged the time for the end of the daily fast by a few minutes, and let the cannon announcing iftar go off early. As a consequence, the head of Religious Affairs decided that the entire city should undergo an extra day of fasting. This was announced on the main news channels. Later on in the evening of this announcement, there was a phone-in current affairs show type programme, and this issue cropped up. Some guy phones in:
Presenter: And now we have Serdar. Good evening, Serdar Bey, where are you calling from?
Serdar: From Germany.
P: And what's your question?
S: It's concerning Trabzon and the extra day of fasting.
P: OK, go ahead.
S: Well, I live in Germany, but I'm from Trabzon - do I have to do the extra day too?

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

That's a great story. Life imitating Temel.