Sandier Pastures

Extremely hot and humid temperature continues today. I can’t imagine how it is to walk for more than 2 minutes outside. Imagine how it would be for my mother and my young daughter to be spending time at home with this heat - without a/c!!!

No, my mom didn’t turn the a/c off deliberately. There was an inexplicable power shutdown of some sorts in our area or just in our building(?) this morning.

My mother sent me an sms to tell me that they are on the building ground floor because they could not bear the heat inside our flat. We have no electric fans and completely reliant on the centralized airconditioning of the building.

Goodness, they can’t even escape the heat inside the building by going out. They’d be toasted outside.

She sent the first sms at 7:38 a.m….and the time I discovered it? Just a few minutes ago and it is already nearing 12 noon (hottest time of the day)!! What have I done!

Damn this Nokia phone I have! The incoming messages were not getting through because my freakin’ mailbox is full. Full as in what, 30 messages?? I hate this phone or at least I hate the low class Nokia phone. Frankly I am not used to using my own phone and so not used to being concious of mailbox capacity as my previous phone’s capacity is almost limitless. Too bad I can’t use the unit here.

M will be picking up my mom and Pristine from our building and send them to some place temperature controlled. Duh, where else but to the mall!!

I was right.

Yesterday was just extremely hot. So unbelievably hot, it have been fantastic if I can share to the world just how hot it can be here. But I can’t do that with words, can I?

Damn, pictures can be posted for the world to see but don’t you just wish you can extend your hand to your desktop ala-Stargate style and feel what is on the other side?

Most parts of the UAE was scorcher than ever with temperatures climbing up to nearly 45C in Dubai and reaching even higher in Al Ain. Easterly winds brought warm air from the desert that raised the meteorologists comfort index to six, which represents “very uncomfortable” conditions.

Top to that, winds whipped up sand and dust to combine a really disgusting sandstorm. No lip-gloss for me yesterday!

A senior meteorologist said the current hot spell was not unusual for this time of the year. He added that it would continue, sometimes becoming sever, because of a heat cyclone developing in the Empty Quarter - a desert area bordering the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Are we just doomed or what!?

To best feel what it feels here right now, well, outside this dead cold office anyway: Turn on your hair dryer and direct it to your face. Remember to keep not more than 5 centimeters of space from your face and the mouth of the dryer.