News Brief 8 - Sand in My Ears

Dear Everyone:

Learning to deal with and accommodate various conditions related to weather and geography is one of the opportunities and challenges of living in a new place. Weather has been a major player here in Al Ain during March and it, combined with the geography, made for some surprises and adjustments.

One event was a vigorous wind storm. The wind blew constantly and with gusto. Of course that meant a sand storm because we are in a desert surrounded by sand, including lovely high sand dunes. The wind picks up sand and takes it along for the ride wherever it is going, usually directly across Al Ain.

The library’s cleaner couldn’t keep up with the sand that came in through cracks and crevices and ended up on book shelves, books, desks, the floor – everywhere. More sand was swept into the library every time the front door opened because, as fate would have it, the front door is directly in the path of the wind, which obligingly enters along with library patrons, bringing the sand with it.

During the first day, the wind was so intense that I was glad I wear glasses because it helped protect my eyes from the assault as I walked directly into the wind to get from the library to my car at the end of the work day. It was a relief to get home and inside my flat to be away from the battering. It wasn’t until the next morning when I was getting ready for work that I realized an unexpected side effect of the storm. Sand was in my ears! Since I don’t routinely wash my ears at night, I didn’t discover it sooner. But now I know I need either to add washing my ears to my nightly routine or – even better – when I get inside from an onslaught of wind and sand – wash my face AND my ears!

The days of wind were followed by three days of pouring rain. I mean, I live in a desert because I prefer to encounter rain only a few times a year and only in hour-long (max) storms at a time. (Let it fall and get it over with quick is my motto for rain!) I was having my weekly phone conversation with my daughter’s family when I happened to look out the majlis window toward the courtyard. It was dark so I couldn’t see anything until suddenly a huge explosion of light seemed to rise from the courtyard heading skyward. My first brief thought was that here had been an explosion and then there was an earthshaking boom, a pause, and then more shaking as the heavens opened and dumped rain on Al Ain. The rainfall lasted three days.

On the morning after the rain ceased, I had to drive to the university’s Human Resources office. I’d been there only one time since it had moved to new quarters and then I had gone by taxi, so I wasn’t sure exactly how to get there. I was driving around near the place trying to find the road I needed and ended up, much like Noah’s Ark, plowing through massive pools of standing water on the roadways. At times, the car sent up huge sprays of water if I went more than a few kilometers per hour while at other times it nearly floated. I reached HR without major incident, although much of the parking lot was also covered by deep standing water. I chose a drier route when I left.

Yesterday was a mini-repeat of the above weather pattern. A little-sister version of the wind storm took place until about 3:00 PM, followed by a brief lull and then bam! the rain started to fall. It sounded loud and clear on the roof of the library, right during an intense discussion between some of the staff and me. Since rain always cheers up the Nationals and non-Western expats, it provided a nice little distraction before we went back to the discussion.

And so it was. Wind, rain, sand and explosive thunder and lightning, all right here in the Arabian Desert.

I will say this in closing. I’ll take this kind of occasional weather any day over the snow storms that have plagued much of the US over the winter!

Enjoy whatever weather you’ve chosen to live in!

Pat