Having worked as a cabin crew member for the past eight years, Amira Rahmat is no stranger to spending long hours in the air and crossing time zones.
But as a Muslim, the 32-year-old Singaporean faces challenges during Ramadan — fasting on the job, often with odd hours and in foreign cities.
“I’ve been fasting since young. But when it comes to work and being in the service line, it’s very different, especially when I have to fast longer hours and cross time zones,” Amira, who is also a content creator, told AsiaOne in a recent interview.
On certain flight routes, the fasting hours could extend to as long as 17 hours, making interactions with hundreds of passengers on the plane tiring.
“I get thirsty and hungry but at the same time, I have to be patient because it’s my job,” said Amira, who clarified that fasting wasn’t an excuse for subpar service.
Another challenge is navigating time zones for iftar (the meal to break fast).
“It can be tricky, because sometimes I’m not sure which time to follow,” she told us.
But as the years pass, Amira has since grown accustomed to observing Ramadan onboard the plane and overseas — mainly with the help of her Muslim colleagues and seniors, from whom she seeks advice whenever she’s unsure of how to go about certain things — such as when to break fast.
The air stewardess, who declined to share which airline she works for, also adapted by adjusting her mindset.
“I see it as a privilege that I get to travel during Ramadan,” Amira said. “When I have my layovers overseas, I always look forward to it because I can visit the mosques there, meet other local communities who are also observing Ramadan.
Ramadan abroad
One of Amira’s routines for Ramadan when she’s in another city for work is to look for the largest mosque in the area to break fast.
According to her, one of her most memorable experiences of observing Ramadan overseas was visiting a mosque in a small town in China.
“The mosque looked like a temple, but there were Arabic scriptures. It was very majestic and something that I don’t get to see every day,” Amira shared.
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There, she interacted with the locals, who were welcoming and enthusiastic to offer her something to break fast with. As Amira understands some Mandarin, she made conversation with them while breaking fast over a variety of local foods, including a Chinese soup with mutton and vegetables, as well as barley soup.
