I have probably mentioned that the past few years have succeeded in turning me into a winter person who’d rather freeze in the dark than burn in the sun. Maybe this whole climate change has turned summer into this annoyingly unbearable season rather than a lovely sunny time in which you can do anything at all!

Anyway, I’ve been in Dubai since March, I was prepared for summer all along the year, although I knew winter will -eventually- come to this city; maybe not the winter I used to experience in Jordan, Europe, or Tunisia, but it still gets “somehow” cold with occasional rain showers, that’s what I was told, mainly similar to the winter I knew growing up in Kuwait. And here were are, 9 months later, and winter is finally here.

Temperatures started to drop a few days ago, it started raining, and after the streets became clean, beautifully wet and shiny, and the weather became chilly and refreshing, we woke up today to flooded streets, horrible traffic, many closed streets and a lot of accidents. It’s still raining, no sign of the sun anywhere, clouds, thunder, and wind… things I’ve missed like crazy, and am enjoying more than anyone in Dubai I guess; I actually keep going out to the balcony, stretch out my arm to feel the rain against my skin… how I miss rain! The only thing I’m hating is the car accidents and the loss of TV transmission, and losing electricity in the building -outside the apartment_ because this means elevators wont work, and of course I’ll have to use the stairs to go anywhere… and let me tell you, going up and down 15 extremely dark floors in less than 15 minutes is no joke! it SUCKS! especially if you had to carry a sleeping child all the way up… just what I hat to go through 30 minutes ago.

What I find really ironic is that few days ago, I was making fun of some people who were wearing real winter clothes, as in wool turtle-neck tops, leather jackets, long winter boots, wool hats and gloves, although it was only 22 degrees… and now that I had to finally wear a jacket, close the windows, I can’t but feel thrilled, I never imagined that the simple decrease in temperature and the simple act of putting on a jacket would make me that happy, and I kind of understood why people in Dubai rush into wearing their winter clothes… we all long for change, we all get bored of long-lasting seasons, no matter how much others might envy us for those long boring sunny days.

Anyway, have to go get the laundry, that is already wet. Drive safely everyone, and enjoy the cold weather as it lasts… but be realistic please; Dubai is no place for woolen garments or turtle-necks