Welcoming Ramadhan

We are days away from Ramadhan. And with the pandemic still here, Ramadhan 2020 is going to be a challenging one.

COVID-19 Update in Japan

As of today, the number of confirmed patients are 11512, with 232 critical and 281 deaths. This graph is showing an increase with slight drops in a few prefectures. The cases in big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya are still increasing.

My husband started working from home since Monday. Alhamdulillah.

Although having him at home is more assuring, our cat has inclined towards him more nowadays. He’s probably curious why this man hasn’t gone out for days, so my husband decided to work in our extra room. Still, Tommy jumps and meows persistently. Trying to reach the doorknob

which he tried operating since the day he got here.

Both of us are homebodies now. The last time I got out was to the nearest clinic to get some meds. Honestly, I thought my husband would be bored being at home. But thankfully he seems okay, I think.

We don’t know when will the pandemic subside in Japan

but I guess we’ll spend whole Ramadhan together this year. Meaning I have a sous chef now. How convenient :p

Ramadhan Preparations

Can’t believe it’s already my 4th Ramadhan in Japan, Alhamdulillah. So grateful I returned home last year and able to spend Ramadhan and Eid with my family. As the holy month is arriving, I made some preparations in making this month more memorable and filled with goodness. Preparing beforehand always save me from last minute panicking or cluttered mind.

Ramadhan Planner

Every year, I must have a Ramadhan journal where I jot down my progress, track my goals and record anything, like a journal. Usually I’d look for printable templates or just write it down in my notebook. You can search up Ramadhan Planner Printables and find many designs to choose from.

The main key points on my planner are Goals, Checklist and Ibadah tracker.

This year, I dedicated some time making my own mini journal. The process was fun, because I was able to design the pages however I wanted to my preferences. We printed it out in plain paper and it looks like this

I love how simple and straightforward it is, although the border wasn’t cut into perfection, I’m happy with the result. Now let’s pray for consistency.

Clean/Decorate House

This is not a must as weekly cleaning is compulsory even before Ramadhan, however we decided to amp up the surrounding by hanging some pictures on the wall. We bought some frames from Daiso, printed pictures and BAM! It’s amazing how much colors they add.

Then I bought some flowers which only cost 200 yen ($2) to replace our long dead and dried flowers.

I even went a bit crazy and hang pictures in the kitchen. I find myself spending more time there so why not, kan? :p

Listen to Islamic Lecture

If one of your Ramadhan goals is listening to ceramah more, now is the perfect time to start. There are plenty of short lectures on Youtube on wide range of topics. I watched Mufti Menk’s lecture the other day on Youtube about entering Ramadhan and here’s a quick note to share what I gained. You can watch the talk here.

tip: Playing a podcast on the background while doing house chores is also an excellent way if you get sleepy easily.

Contact Your Loved Ones

If you are spending Ramadhan alone this year, contact your family and friends to keep in touch. My family Whatsapp group is surely going to be filled with pictures of delicious food all the way in Malaysia. I know I’d be contacting my mom to ask recipes from time to time.

I understand that spending Ramadhan by yourself could be lonesome, especially when you’re thousand miles away from your family. But believe me, time will pass. InshaAllah.

How’s your preparations so far?

Thank You for reading

Stay safe, Xx