UAE Dust Storm

One of the things that we expect living in the UAE is that it will be hot in the summer, after all it is the desert. I have talked about the insane heat we get many times on this blog like here and here but something I don't talk about often is another phenomenon we (people living in the desert) have also grown to expect. The Dust Storm (dum dum duuuuummmm)

Some people call them sand storms and others call them dust storms. I like to use this terms almost as if they are classifications of severity of, well, particles flying in the air that will land on everything.

Days after I moved to Dubai we got this insane sand storm that took over everything. It didn't last long but the winds were strong and there was sand everywhere. It was piled up on windshields and ledges like it had just snowed (Portland style not North Dakota style). My new friends and I were chatting while eating lunch at a food court and all the sudden there was no visibility outside. I looked at my friend Nadia and said something along the lines of "Whoa. What is going on?" And she proceeded to calmly tell me that we get these kind of storms a few times a year. "Excuse me? What kind of storm?" as all my new friend chuckled she replied "Sand storms, Lindsay." suppressing her own laugh

We got tired of waiting out the storm so we ran back to our rooms.... I was surprised at how much the sand hurt as it whipped into our faces and also how it managed to get into my eyes even though I was wearing sun glasses. I was dusting sand out of all kinds of places for days. That was a Sand Storm (at least in my book)

The dust storms are more dirty and just annoying. Blocking out our never ending sunshine to give us a brown glowy horizon instead. The dust storms don't hurt and visibility for driving and stuff is still good enough that it doesn't slow you down day to day. They stick around for a day or two and then they are on their way to go create a haze over somewhere else for a while.

After three years in the UAE I have grown accustom to these storms. They come then they go. It's that simple. We endure heavy, dirty air for a couple days then the skies clear up and we dust our selves off (literally) and enjoy the beauty of Dubai again.

So it was no shock that a day or so after Husband and I landed from our trip to the States that a dust storm rolled in. It hasn't been a particularly bad storm really it's just that it won't leave! We have been home for over three weeks now and we still have this dust storm hanging over our heads (again literally). I have been complaining to family and friends back home who have no sympathy for me as they are battling their own heat wave. Which I guess is fair because I was giving no sympathy in return. Seriously we're at 114 degrees and that is cool for this time of year because said dust storm is blocking ALL THE SUN!

I finally ran across this photo (isn't it cool?) of the dust storm we are stuck in the middle (well actually lower middle to right hand corner-ish)... oh yeah it has covered us AND an entire sea! The upside is it looks like we aren't getting the worst of it

Photo courtesy of NASA

Anyways I thought you would enjoy a little glimpse into life in the desert. Plus maybe it will cheer you up about your own excessive heat. Except when y'all have some crazy snow/ice storm this winter and we have perfect 80 degree weather this dust storm will be a distant memory

city life

i did something today that i have not done in a very long time. something that for a while had only been a distant memory... a memory so distant that i was starting wonder if it had only been a dream. but it wasn't a dream and today i reminded my self

i walked outside. in the city. that's right people, i walked. i walked around in Abu Dhabi city visiting multiple retailers that were not under the same roof. i parked my car and got out(!) and it was fantastic.

it all started when while we were on the way to the mall my hubby had to go to work un-expectantly (which is never good -but that's for a whole other post) so i dropped him off and decided that instead of going to the mall i would go to the Green Branch (on Electra Street). this was perfect because i wanted to see if they had gotten in any new knitting supplies and also to check out buttons (which for .60 - 1.50 AED is a steal!) and well my husband doesn't really look forward to my knitting shopping although he hardly ever complains about going with me...

when i was a block away from the Green Branch i spotted a Starbucks and then a plan was born. i parked my car in the block between the two streets and i got out and walked!!! i know, it's was fantastic. it wasn't too hot and it wasn't dark yet. it was just right. i headed to Starbucks first and got the best coffee (dopio on ice) i have had in a long time. i sat on one of the comfy couches drinking my coffee and reading my book ( i always always keep one in my purse) for about a half hour and then i got up and walked the block to the Green Branch.

at the Green Branch i was able to shop leisurely (with out my husband asking if i really NEEDED another skein of yarn... HA!) and look at all the tons and tons of buttons they had packed away on the back shelf. about the time i had gathered all my goodies to go and purchase them he called and said he was ready. after i purchased everything i walked back to my car and headed for the hubby.

really i forgot how good it felt not only to be outside but to be walking around a city with all the sounds and smells (although not all of them good) and the people walking along. it's been way too hot here in Abu Dhabi for that kind of walking for the last 3 months and finally we are at a place (weather wise) where it is enjoyable again. and i sure do plan on enjoying it over the next few months.

it's a vicious vicious cycle

this time last year i was just starting my brand new job and i was so excited to be working again. it had been nearly 6 months of no work and no school and i was going insane with all the extra time on my hands. i was knitting constantly and finishing a book nearly every day. i was tired of being along in a new town all day by myself while my (then) fiance went off to work and had important meetings and phone calls to make. i would drive the poor guy insane with phone calls and talking every day
also no work meant no money. i had all the time in the world to go shopping but to spend money on something not necessary (books and knitting materials not included) such as clothes, make up and purses.
today i have the job and i'm trying to remind my self of how unhappy i was with out one! now i have too much work... too many meetings! too many responsibilities (not to mention the hours) and now i have NO time to knit and every night, when i go to bed, i'm lucky if i can get through 5 pages of my book with out falling asleep! however, while i'm not rolling in excess money, i can splurge on something special (COACH COACH) if i have the time to shop and find something i like on the same day!
:::sigh:::
don't get my wrong i really do love my job and i have an exceptionally good boss so it's not the actual job that is the problem.... it's all the knitting and reading time that work is cutting in to! hehehe ; )

can you believe i'm looking in to a masters program? i'll be lucky if i'll be able knit one scarf a year! with size 15 needles even!

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side note.... it was 52 degrees in portland today and (get this) 105 degrees in dubai. we were OVER 2 times hotter!!!! TWO TIMES! honestly i need to just stop looking at the temperature gage.

it's that special time of year again

so my husband and i had "the talk". anyone residing in the uae (or anywhere in the gulf) knows exactly what i'm talking about because they have the same conversation with their significant others... this is the conversation where you formally decide to no longer turn on the water heater because the water coming from out side is plenty hot enough. we are now at 44 C (111F) 44! forty four!!! and it isn't even officially summer yet! this is why our water heaters have light switches.

water heater on

and now water heater off

it is literally SO hot outside that we don't need to waist energy on heating more water. in fact the water heater will now act as a water cooler. yup, you read me right. the water heater, when turned off, actually keeps the water cooler than the water outside because well it's not in direct sunlight and we keep the house at a cooler temperature thus cooling the water

everything is becoming unbearable... the thought of walking outside in the afternoon is just painful. it's immediately burning hot and you start to sweat (which is just oh so lovely). in fact check out what happend to my husband's concert pass when he left it in the car for a couple days

see the one on the top? it's all melted and wrinkled, while the one on the bottom is what they started out looking like.

the bonus of the heat however, is that the sea is warm... like a nice warm (but not too hot) bath tub and you really cant argue with how blue the water is. the other day i saw 4 crab swimming together in the water! who knew they could swim? i just thought they wandered around the bottom