However, the entire trip had a flip side too. I had to travel out of home from AlKhobar on almost the last day of Ramadan. While people back home were looking forward, preparing for the Eid festivities to begin, I was on the way to Toronto, via London, on board a BA flight across the Gulf in Bahrain.
And to be fair, this was to be my first Eid, ever, in a predominantly non-Muslim society. And this is different. All my life, I have celebrated eid in known settings and in familiar environment. This time it was to be different. On Eid day I was to be part of a minority. And I could see the impact. Eid celebrations here are to a great extent tied to weekends — not like in Saudi Arabia — where one could expect the entire week off.
And the mosque on Eid day was also not full to capacity. I was not expecting that also. I was told even during the taraweeh prayers, there used to be many more people attending the prayers, yet with Eid falling on a Friday — a working day — a large number of people had to be in the offices on the Eid day and the festivities were put off to the weekend. Life indeed adapts itself with an uncanny speed.
When Ramadan began in North America, I am told, some began alongside Saudi Arabia, without relying on local lunar sighting, yet there were others, who began a day later, as per the sighting of the crescent somewhere nearby.
But as is said, as man proposes, God disposes. With a master stroke, nature ensured that the entire Ummah here in North America celebrated Eid, at least this time, on the same day. When Saudi Arabia announced Eid on Friday, it provided a window of opportunity. And when on Thursday those insisting on crescent sighting, sat down to take a decision, credible evidences were received. And Eid was thus celebrated throughout the continent on Friday and not on separate days — as is generally common in these parts of the world with no central authority.
And immediately post Eid, I was to rush to ‘Canada’s Cultural Capital,’ — Montreal. But even before I could be here, I already had a taste of what was to be expected. The five hours plus train journey from Guildwood in Scarborough, Ontario to Montreal, was in some senses a tutorial. Montreal is ‘unique, for its especial blend of urban modernity and discreet charm — inspired by the cultural distinctiveness’ of the French speaking and French influenced Quebec. Montreleans are simply in love with the city. They simply adore it. They are proud of it and they are easy going, lovely, smiling and friendly — to sum it all.
Across me on the train ride was a young, expecting lady accompanied by a four-year-old, rather naughty, Rania, the princess. And when the lady started to speak to her hubby in Mississauga, what a pleasant surprise that was! She was speaking in Urdu. And then as it turned out to be, she hailed from Lahore, having moved to Montreal, some nine years ago, to study law at the famous McGill University and fell in love with the city.
Now that a few months ago she had to move to Mississauga, when she spoke of Montreal, it was with a touch of romance and nostalgia. And then in front of the lady were sitting a music duo — who kept exchanging notes — throughout the ride. Montreal was their home city too — and they appeared relaxed, going back home. They definitely missed Montreal — stressing Toronto was more a city of cement and steel. That may be unfair to Toronto — yet the Montreleans felt that way, stressing again and again — whosoever came to Montreal fell in love with the city. Let’s see when I do — I have not yet roamed around in the city.
Later in the day, on Sunday as the 21st World Energy Congress got officially under way, there was flamboyance in the air. After the inaugural, formal speeches, a splendid acrobatics show went on display. And that was interesting!
Yet Dennis Trudeau, the master of the ceremony for the conference, despite being proud of the show, insisted on clarifying that Montreleans are ‘all not clowns.’ After the impressive show that is on at this very hour, one indeed cannot contest that.
This is Montreal!
