Long nights of Ramadan

Everything slows down...including my brain. I'm beginning to see flying carpet,magic lamp, forty thieves, genie...and a magic ring! About the ring later..
The fasting month of Ramadan is nothing new to me. Back home, we have a muslim community that constitutes 15% of the total population. During this period, non muslims like myself are watchful of our conduct in front of muslim friends...especially with regard to food consumption.
Anyway, coming back to the magic ring...i lied to get your attention. In fact, in Iraq.. because of the long nights during Ramadan...they play an interesting game called the Mahabis...

"..so the game is often played outdoors, traditionally during the long nights of Ramadan. The object is to find a hidden mahbas, or signet ring. Two teams, each numbering from 50 to 250 and seated in rows, face each other, taking turns to conceal the ring. The team leader, or sheikh, starts an innings by passing in front of his own team. With a blanket covering his hands, he stops in front of each player. When the pass is done, all players remain seated with closed fists in their lap, but only one holds the ring.

The fun begins when the rival sheikh approaches to scour the faces of his opponents. The sheikh can eliminate as many players as he wants, but he has only one chance to pick the exact hand that is holding the mahbas. If he chooses wrongly, his team loses a point and the ring stays with the successfully deceitful team for another round. The first team to lose 20 points loses the whole thing. Simple as the game sounds, the sheikh's task requires skill, cunning, a penetrating knowledge of human nature and immense powers of observation."



Wonder anyone is playing this intriguing game in Dubai? should be very interesting...:)