Ramadan is a bit different than it used to be a couple years back. Back when the heat wasn't deadly, when late night meals were fun, when the day was much shorter. My Ramadan this year goes a little like this:

It all starts at 3 a.m. My alarm goes off, I get up to have my breakfast. Yes breakfast, otherwise known as suhoor in Ramadan jargon.

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After I eat, I get ready to chug about a liter of water in less than five minutes, thinking it would help quench my thirst for the next 16 hours.

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I sleep, or try to sleep before dawn, before I really can't eat or drink anymore. I check my clock, and luckily I still have two minutes before cut-off period.

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I wake up at 6 a.m. to get rid of all that water I drank 3 hours earlier. There goes my storage.

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A couple hours later, my alarm goes off for work. My energy levels are usually pretty high, considering I sleep at like 11 p.m.

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Except on the weekends. Where I turn into a bat. For the most part.

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Then comes the exercise. Yes, there is no cutting it out just because it's Ramadan. Who needs water?

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Till I realize I do. I start to rethink my smiling strategy considering my mouth is way too dry for a symmetrical smile.

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But then I get home, shower, and head over to my grandma's house because just like every year, the entire family gathers up for iftar there. Lots of kids just waiting for the adhan.

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I always have something to look forward to, my date! I have a date every night, but not the fancy kind you're thinking of.

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Then comes the food and water! The lentil soup and fattouch are probably my favorite part, after the water that is. But then, the main dish comes along, and there goes my stomach.

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Lastly, there's the Turkish coffee with my grandma. Not that I am a big fan of Turkish coffee, but I drink it during this month for one reason only. So I can hear my grandma tell me my future by reading it in a cup.

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I say "good night" while everybody else is just starting theirs. My 3 a.m. alarm awaits.

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