One of the curses (or joys, depending on how you look at it) of living in the UAE is that the weather is varying degrees of sunny and hot. We Brits love the weather – when the sun’s shining we have to race outside and soak up every ray before it is cruelly snatched away. When it’s cold and miserable, just as much joy can be had from complaining about it. So imagine my excitement at moving to Abu Dhabi in the middle of August and finding myself with not only the option of soaking up the sun by the pool, but also the option of complaining about the face-melting heat every time I strayed too far from said pool.
The problem is, however, that a few months into my new life I found I’d adjusted to the heat. So when temperatures ‘plummeted’ to the city’s equivalent of winter – about 24°C – I felt somewhat short-changed. Suddenly finding myself feeling the cold when everyone else was enjoying the break from the scorching summer temperatures was not a good position to be in. However, it was hardly snowman-building conditions, so how could I complain about what would basically be a nice summer’s day in Wales? Thankfully, ‘winter’ is almost over now; the rainy season (two days of light drizzle) is behind us. How do I know? Well, on stepping out of my apartment on the way to work last week I was suddenly blinded. Panic gripped me – had I suddenly developed cataracts in both eyes? No, nothing so dramatic. Turned out the humidity had steamed up my sunglasses.
And it’s not just the humidity – the temperatures have suddenly spiked. After a Saturday spent trekking around the city’s malls shopping for a summer wardrobe, I returned home with a desperate craving for a refreshing cold shower. Unfortunately, this is now impossible. Sun-warmed pipes mean the only option is a slightly less hot shower. No matter how much shouting and complaining you do. And just try brushing your teeth with lukewarm water – it’s not a refreshing wake-up. Then there’s the diet. Toast for breakfast? I just can’t face it – it’s much too warm. But imagine my embarrassment when my flatmate caught me eating an ice lolly at 8am. And then again at noon. A nonchalant expression and a refusal to make eye contact was the only way to save face.
Yes, it seems things are finally returning to the scorching temperatures I’m used to. I can’t wait until the weekend to start enjoying some poolside sun once more. I’ll be the one complaining about it.
