Now, as we have entered the second half of the holy month of Ramadan, I can confirm that this time around fasting is under way in a much better manner than my expectations. The weather is still pleasant and by this time our bodies have gotten used to the long hours of fasting. As the days pass, one stop seeing people as walking food but it is still irritating to see food posts all over instagram when there are five hours left until the iftar time but it’s getting easier anyway.
Last week, I went with the children to the world’s largest cycle race, Tour De France. The second stage of this huge race was planned to pass by Yorkshire and finish at Sheffield. We did not want to miss it and I am glad we did not. The whole city was waiting for the grand race for weeks, advertisements were everywhere and we were informed of road closures weeks before the race, it was organized on a very high level, and although they closed major roads but all the time they were announcing alternative routes for emergency and for people who are not interested in attending the race.
We did not know about the participants and cheered for no particular cyclist but we enjoyed our time. However, we ended up cheering loudly for the Italian cyclist who won that stage of the race.
What really caught my attention was the manner in which the entire event was organized and the security measures. Police patrols were all over Sheffield to ensure public safety. At many points in the city, the race was shown on big TV screens, clean toilets were installed in addition to organized foods outlets. What I also liked was the transparency with which the citizens were informed through the media about the financial gains the city was expected to make by holding the event. I just remembered the very unplanned road closures in Jeddah and chocked on my tears, which luckily does not break your fast.
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@HatoonKad
