Every town, everywhere in Islamic countries, you can hear the adhaan, the call to prayer, sung live, 5 times a day, through giant distorted speakers, high atop the mosque tower. It sounds like a singing poem or live poetry and rings throughout the entire town like a distant police car siren… each town has its own “muezzin” (the singer) who, 5 times a day, climbs the stairs to the top of the mosque and sings the call, starting with “Allahuakbar” (God is great)…. it’s sort of like the Catholic or Christian bell chiming… (apparently, around the time they were trying to decide how to get this message to the people, some dude told Muhammad he saw it in a dream that they should sing it to everyone).

I can’t understand a single Arabic word but I get hypnotized by the melody and haunting beauty every time (which is pretty much how I fall for any song). It is no longer the jolting novelty when I first got here, but has become a soothing comfort and instant reminder of where I am… and it gets me every time…

I think if we had the same thing at home, 5 times a day, interrupting the hustle of daily thieving stress, making everyone stand still for say, 60 seconds, anytime they heard it, like a forced moment of silence… it would be a happier day every day.