Baltaç
Finally, I went on a trip to the village, visited my relatives, and used the bathhouse. If I remember correctly, the last time I visited them was during the New Year holidays. It was approximately two months ago, and at that time there wasn’t much snow. So today, when I arrived for the first time in a long time, I was a bit surprised because the streets were covered with snow. It was impossible for two cars to pass each other.
However, the main road before the village had been cleared well enough, although it was still snowy and a bit icy. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I liked that road. It felt comfortably soft and quiet, and the car just glided along without any noise.
I woke up earlier than usual, around 4:10 a.m., before the fast began. However, it didn’t feel very comfortable because I had to rush through my routine. Fortunately, it was easier than the first day. I realized that if I want to manage everything without rushing, I should wake up no later than 4 a.m.
I also need to keep in mind the main rule of Ramadan: each day the fasting time begins slightly earlier than the previous day. For example, if today’s fasting time is 4:48 a.m., tomorrow it will be 4:46 a.m. The same applies to the time when the fast ends. If today it ends at 4:59 p.m., tomorrow it will be 5:01 p.m. This is because the fasting schedule depends on sunrise and sunset, and those times change a little every day.
As usual, after finishing work, I took a walk through the quiet streets of the city center. It felt particularly refreshing since I had spent the entire day at home, sitting at my desk with almost no physical movement. Thankfully, the weather was mild and quite pleasant, which made the walk even more enjoyable.
Today marks the beginning of the sacred month of Ramadan for Muslims. During this month, every healthy adult Muslim is required to fast from dawn until sunset. However, those who suffer from health conditions or are traveling long distances are permitted to postpone their fast and make it up later.
Many people assume that fasting is simply about abstaining from food and drink. However, this understanding is incomplete. Ramadan is not only about physical discipline — it is also about spiritual purification and self-control. Muslims are expected to guard their thoughts, control their emotions, maintain good behavior, and avoid physical intimacy during fasting hours. Therefore, fasting represents not merely physical restriction, but a deeper commitment to moral and spiritual growth.
My Wednesday started a bit unusually. The weather was sunny but freezing — around -12 to -14 degrees. When I woke up and opened my eyes, bright sunlight filled the room and made me squint. I rushed to the window to look outside. Everything was shining. The snow was glittering under the sun, and despite the cold temperature, the view felt warm and positive. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy this beautiful winter scene for long. I quickly went through my morning routine and started my workday.
The day began with warm weather and a peaceful morning. When I woke up and looked out the window, everything was calm and white. The blizzard had ended, and only the wind gently moved the snow between the trees, as if it were playing with it and enjoying itself. All the roads and sidewalks were buried under snow — including the parking spot where I left my car. Some residents had already cleared their parking spaces and marked them as their own. Honestly, this situation makes me feel a bit sad. It has always bothered me. Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to claim something only for themselves.
This was me during my evening walk — wrapped in my blue parka, moving slowly through the heavy blizzard as snowflakes covered the streets
My morning started with a strange dream that left an uneasy feeling behind. Throughout the day, I struggled with my work assignments and found it incredibly difficult to focus. I felt irritated for no clear reason. Maybe that strange dream subtly affected my mood and, as a result, influenced my workflow. I genuinely tried to push myself to stay productive, but everything seemed to go in the wrong direction. At one point, I couldn’t even understand how to properly begin reviewing my task. It felt like a typical dull Monday — heavy, silent, and unmotivating.
My weekend morning started a bit late—I slept until 10 AM. After waking up, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed and starting my routine. My bed seemed to pull me in like a magnet, or maybe I had just put down roots during the night. So instead of getting up, I stayed in bed, enjoying the quiet time. I kept promising myself I would get up in ten minutes, over and over again, until finally, around 11 AM, I got up.
Today I drove to Kazan for a dental check-up. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a rather unproductive trip. I spent nearly three hours on the road, while the appointment itself lasted no more than ten minutes. The dentist simply checked my implants, asked how I was feeling, and confirmed that everything was fine.
To be honest, I already knew that. I haven’t experienced any discomfort, and the surgery area has fully healed. So I couldn’t help but feel slightly confused — was it really worth spending so much time on the road for such a brief visit?
My health condition is much better now. Finally, I started feeling more comfortable today, and overall I feel quite good. I don’t have any serious symptoms that bother me anymore. However, I still feel a bit of discomfort in my head. When I cough or shake my head, I feel a strange sensation — almost like something shifts slightly inside my head — followed by a mild pain. Of course, I understand that my brain isn’t actually moving, and I don’t think it’s anything serious. I experienced something similar two or three years ago after being sick, and the symptoms disappeared after a few days. I hope this discomfort will also go away soon.
Yesterday evening didn’t go well. I actually have two possible explanations for why I got sick. First, it could have been food poisoning. Second, it might just be the flu. I suspect food poisoning because during dinner I ate some seaweed that wasn’t very fresh. I had opened it on Tuesday and didn’t finish it at the time. Later, after my evening walk, I came back home and decided to drink some water and have a few cookies. One of the cookies tasted slightly strange. It wasn’t terrible, just a bit different from the first one. I didn’t pay much attention to it and continued eating.
The weather was wild. The temperature had dropped to -12 degrees, and the wind was blowing fiercely. Even though -12 doesn’t always sound dramatic on paper, the wind made it feel bitterly cold and almost unbearable. After just twenty minutes outside, I gave up. I simply walked around my neighborhood once and headed back home.
But that short walk wasn’t completely ordinary. There he was — Santa Claus — still hanging on the wall as if the New Year holidays had never ended. It seemed they had forgotten to take him down. I had noticed him before, but I didn’t manage to take a photo. This time, however, I finally decided to capture the moment.
During the first part of the day, I was basically free. My team lead went on vacation, and the colleague who temporarily replaced him couldn’t find any tasks for me. He only asked me to check my previous tasks that were on hold. I reviewed them, but I didn’t find anything that really needed fixing. Most of those tasks only had questions for the team lead, and some of them were no longer relevant. As a result, the first part of my day was quite relaxing.