American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

Ah the weekend! A time to relax! A time to work on the home to-do list! A time to hurry up because according to some country's schedules you might only get one day!

The weekends on Saturday and Sunday were my favorite days of the week because I'd get to hang out with family or friends and usually visit my grandparents and go out for dinner. It was fabulous being able to stay up later on Friday night and again on Saturday night since you could sleep in the next morning. The dreaded early to bed Sunday though was disappointing for me. I'd wait impatiently all week for beautiful Friday to come. Friday's are always exciting. The last day you have to take everyone's crap in school or at work or anywhere. The day before you get a break was just as fun as the days where you were on your break. Plans were quickly made about the evening's activities.

Later after school finished my weekends were spent visiting my fiance and then later looking for jobs. An interesting thing happened though to ease my transition of what i viewed as weekends. I got a job at a movie theater and their busiest times were the weekends so weekends meant more work (longer hours) and weekdays meant I could relax more. My day off was usually a Tuesday or Wednesday. And I only got one day off (gotta keep hours up to pay rent).

Soon thereafter I was able to finally go to Lebanon where I had to get used to a whole new schedule. The Lebanese tend to retreat from the humidity of Beirut to their cool mountains for the summer months. I had just gotten there at the beginning of July so I figured we had only one month in the mountains until my younger sis in law's school started. I got way thrown off because their schools don't start until the middle of September. It felt like a super long summer vacation. Once we were living back in Beirut I had to get used to another change of schedule. On Fridays and Sundays were weekends. That means on Friday everyone gets off and closes for Jummah Prayer then most businesses open again but schools stay closed. Then Saturday everyone has to go back to their places of tedium until Sunday when they get another day off. Most Fridays were spent around town while saving Sundays for family get together and visiting out of town.
Next came U.A.E. where depending on the company and city is a different weekend schedule. Pretty much EVERYONE gets Friday off here for prayers. Friday (Jummah) being the Muslims' weekly holiday. Much like Sunday's Church day or Saturday's Sabbath day. Then depending on individual work places and ratio of christian workers, many places give Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday off in conjunction to Friday.
Schools get Fri, Sat off though. So for me when Sunday rolls around I still feel like it's a weekend though its a workday. And come Thursday I suddenly get excited that it's "Friday night" and tomorrow there is no work. But for me personally I only get a one day weekend though all in total it feels like a four day weekend sometimes. But going out means really crowded places since many people only get one day like me.
So what's your weekend like?