This Sunday was the Muslim festival of Eid to mark the end of the month of fasting. Unlike Christmas, it does not have a fixed date but is based on the lunar calender so moves each year. Fortunately for me it was Sunday which meant I did not have to take time off school which was due to begin on Monday. 

The prayers were due to start at 9.30am and I live more than an hour away. Still jet lagged having arrived back Friday night my sleep cycles still had me getting up at 5am so I was easily able to make it on time 

 
 
Daegu's main mosque is north of Jukjeon metro station, but there is another Pakistani mosque by Bukbu Bus Terminal and an Indonesian Mosque further west in the city. 

Because of the large attendance to these special prayers they were using the adjacent public school gymnasium. It rapidly filled and became quite an oven in the 30+ heat. 

The Imam giving the sermon in Urdu was Pakistani, but the attendance was mixed with many Uzbeks, some Africans, and even Korean converts. The Indonesians have a separate gathering near their mosque. 

After prayers we headed out to the school playground where people were handing out free bowls of kheer. This is a pakistani sweet milk and rice dish like rice pudding 



Last year several Uzbeks were selling meat and cake products, so I ate a light breakfast expecting the same but this time there was nothing except the kheer. Hungrily I bought an ice cream from a store outside. 

I often wonder where all these people come from as I never see them on the streets and why dont we have more muslim stores and restaurants if there are this many people? Some of them are university students but there cant be this many and this old. 

Coming back on the bus a Pakistani guy got on and started talking with me. He said they are factory workers who live outside the city. Koreans hire foreign labourers as there is too much work for the locals to do and they dont all want to do it. 

They get paid about $1500 which includes shared or private housing provided by the factory.  Thats still a good salary by pakistani standards. 

The next Eid to co-incide with the Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca will be in two months time but I dont know what day of the week that will be and whether I will be able to attend prayers or not, as it is based on lunar sightings. 

See also my interview with The Korea Herald on Muslim life in Korea
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/londone7/1/1335353258/tpod.html