A blush spreads across the trees. Gremlins, ghouls and freshmen anticipate All Hallows’ Eve and pumpkin spice lattes. It is autumn in England! As a Pakistani who grew up in Multan’s desert heat, autumn was always a briefly snatched season, with the trees barely changing colour before winter arrived. In Exeter, autumn paints trees and vines red and yellow and burns them orange, in a brief little cheer before winter. Drawing on from how I spent a day recently, here’s a guide to an autumn’s day in Exeter. (more…)
Aleeha October 19th, 2018 Food and eating, International, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Miscellaneous, Postgraduate, The city of Exeter
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Lunar calendar. The start of Ramadan marks a month-long period of fasting. Each fast lasts from daybreak to sundown, and during the fast one abstains from food and drink – but the purpose of fasting runs much deeper. It is meant to be a symbolic reminder of the fleeting nature of material goods, an exercise in patience and empathy, and to inspire gratitude for what one has while understanding how people with less favourable circumstances may feel. The end of Ramadan brings the biggest festival in Islam, Eid (which I like to describe as the Muslim equivalent of Christmas), replete with enough feasting to make up for a month’s fasts. (more…)
Aleeha May 17th, 2018 International, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Miscellaneous