Sandier Pastures

The weather forecast says it will be hot, humid and hazy for days with a lot of dust. In Dubai resident’s term, sick time is here. The air around us is so dirty and dusty that in the mornings, I could not even see buildings around us clearly. Gust winds have picked up fine sand and dust and hurled it into the air to powder us this summer.

Ick.

We are all sick at home, except for mother who should be called superwoman. It’s the first time I’m sick since the New Year. The babe had been taking meds but still sneezing and coughing, worse every morning when she wakes up, M had been absent yesterday because of chest pains due to coughing and I am so ready to throw in the towel and stay in bed too but can’t. I was busy with some work so I kept the sickening feeling aside and took the comfort of Strepsils with me. I finally went to the doctor this morning.

I miss the blue skies and crisp air during the winter. All we got right now is heat, a humidity that’s steadily climbing everyday (it’s about 50% humidity and 38C-42C now - will rise to near 100% in August/September!) and really polluted air. Just outside my office are diggings and heaps of dug up sand for the construction of Dubai’s first railway system, so it makes the pollution worse.

Counting down, it’s 55 days until my vacation. Fifty and five long days until I’ll breath fresh air in rural Japan again. 

View of Japan Northern Alps in Nagano Prefecture - a view I see everyday on my way to work and from the backside of our house in Japan.

Just the sight of this picture makes me want to take in all the deliciously pure, clean air!