Dikka Kartika enjoys doing classes, internship and other program activities while fasting during Ramadan

Haeril Halim

 Contributing Writer

Ramadan, the nine month in “Hijri” (Islamic Calendar), is the month in which all Muslims in the world fast during the daytime. Ramadan of 2012 falls in Summer, from the 20th of July till the 18th of August 2012.

 “Here in the U.S. the duration of fasting is longer, about 17 hours, because in Summer the days are longer. While in Indonesia  it is only about 14 hours”, explained Dikka Kartika, an international student from Indonesia.

 Summer quarter is Dikka’s last quarter in Pierce College. She is going back to Indonesia at the end of August. This summer Dikka is doing internship, classes and some other planned activities from NWCCI program.

 For Dikka, Ramadan away from home is a bit challenging because Muslim is minority here in the U.S. She does not feel the real atmosphere of Ramadan like she does back home. On the other hand, she enjoys all her activities during Ramadan and is really excited to go back to Indonesia.

 “Even though it is longer here like 17 hours of fasting, I am already accustomed with it. I am taking a 5 credit class, Introduction to Sociology, and I am doing 20 hours every week for my internships both at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) and the Tacoma Community House (TCH). I do all my activities like in regular days and sometimes I forget that I am fasting because I am not hungry at all”, Dikka shared her feeling.

  Dikka is about to finish her one year certificate program at Pierce College. She is happy that she has chance to experience Ramadan far away from family. “It is not about where I am doing it, but the most important thing is how Ramadan teaches me to be a better person personally and religiously,” She added.