I was enjoying a Sushi King buffet in Johor Bahru this week when something unprecedented happened. Around 6.40pm or so, Malay diners began streaming into the restaurant, taking their seats at tables all around us. Families and friends were taking plates of food off the conveyor belt and chatting happily. But no one was eating, except for us. We had entered the restaurant around 6.15pm so there was already a stack of empty plates on our table. Oops. Only at around 7.15pm did the Muslim patrons break their fast. We were the only two Chinese people in the entire restaurant so, being the “minority” for once, we immediately spotted what would usually go unnoticed. And yes, we felt a little embarrassed to be eating while everyone was still waiting to break their fast. And he was so happy when staff of Sushi King made the announcement, and the other patrons started tearing open the plastic wrappers of the complimentary dates which had been handed out to everyone except us. 
I’m guessing that not many of us non-Muslims make the effort (when we should!) to explore and understand the meaning behind Ramadan. According to the good people at isShoe…
“During the holy month, Muslims are to practise the 5 main pillars of the Islamic faith: Fasting , Prayer, Charity, a belief in God and Muhammad as his Prophet, and Pilgrimage. For the Muslim, the practice of fasting is viewed as a way to purify spiritually and physically, detaching themselves from food, smoking and water – things that they usually indulge in, reminding themselves that they are more fortunate than others.”
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As a company offering shoe storage and shoe care solutions, isSHOE Singapore has donated shoe racks to Pertapis Children’s Home and they will also be donating part of their yearly profits to the Home.
(Photo courtesy of isShoe) I like that the children are involved in putting together the shoe racks. So they can learn how the parts fit together, and this might also give them a sense of ownership and cause them to take better care of the shoe racks they helped put together.
Many years ago, I bought a pretty large shoe rack for the sole purpose of filling it with shoes with the help of a shoe sponsor. I suppose I wanted to be an Imelda in training. These days, I own 5 pairs of footwear: slippers, boots, loafers, running shoes and a pair of heels. Because of our climate, it makes no sense to keep a ton of shoes at home (which you wear infrequently) because they’ll start falling apart. When possible, take good care of your shoes by cleaning and protecting them using proper methods, so you don’t have to replace or dispose of them regularly.
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While I was not involved in the donation to Pertapis Children’s Home, I applaud isShoe Singapore’s efforts in making a difference in the way they know best; whether it is by supplying shoe racks or donating part of their sales proceeds to the Home. Find out more about isShoe’s shoe storage and shoe care solutions here.
