For the last two mornings I have woken up with a start at 5 a.m. It takes me a minute to orient myself and realise I am back in Ipoh and what has woken me is the amplified sound of one of the local mosques. And then I remember with a pang that I am no longer in Auckland. Why 5 a.m. today when the official time for the first call to prayer is 5.47 a.m? I have asked some of my neighbours why this particular muezzin begins at 5 a.m, which is at least 45 minutes before the required time, but have received no coherent answer. By the time the other two mosques within hearing range start their calls, I am wide awake and thinking about my first cup of coffee.  I guess I’ll become accustomed to it and sleep through as I did before my recent trip home.