Abu Dhabi weather watch

It was 41 degrees Celsius today The weather forecast said "Extremely hot. Sunny. Dry."

I mention this because 41 degrees Celsius is bound to feel hot. (And it does) But it's become a bit of an obsession here among those of us who don't know, trying to reckon (that's me being British - is it annoying or charming?) just how another nine or 10 degrees will feel. Because that's summer in the desert, the kind of heat you hear about but just can't quite imagine. I can't imagine two more degrees, let alone 10.

Everyone talks about it. It feels like we all have this sense of collective doom. Especially the cab drivers, who make me feel that it's going to be a bit like living on Mars. (But then again, they can be overly dramatic to impress, just like the rest of us.) I do find I'm already going outside less. When I get a coffee, before work, I have to set it down on the curb while hailing a cab. It's too hot to hold. I'm looking for smaller sunglasses, because the ones I've got melt my makeup. I consider five minutes exposure to the sun "tanning." I actually avoid drinking cold water, because an Egyptian pharmacist here who gave me antibiotics for a throat infection told me it's just too much of a shock to a Westerner's system. A couple more degrees and I am going to start carrying an umbrella around with me.

And I am really, really looking forward to the new ice-skating rink opening up at the Marina Mall next month.