min dae* Dubai
We have had an interesting couple of days. We had so much rain overnight last Wednesday that the schools were closed early on Thursday due to the water standing everywhere, and the resulting traffic chaos and leaking roofs no doubt. I went down to Sharjah on Friday and the place was a mess, great big ponds of water standing on the highway – it took me over 2 hours to get home again as traffic was at a standstill, not helped by dumb drivers going too fast and changing lanes at the last second as they do here – not really the recommended way to drive on wet roads but there you go. We have a had a cool and overcast weekend which I am loving I must say although poor Stu had to get up at 1am this morning to head off again on another business trip, the last for the year Insha’Allah.
 makes parking tricky |
 A very wet highway… |
in store for the UAE in 2013
Are you a New Year’s Resolutions person? I’m not. I used to dutifully complete my list of intentions for the new year, but they didn’t last much past the 10th of the month really, so now I don’t even go through the charade. And whilst its common for people to make (and of course break) New Year’s resolutions are they an option for other entities, like countries for example?
Well in yesterday’s paper there were several previews, plans and various stories on changes in the UAE for the coming year – maybe not resolutions exactly – but close enough in my opinion. These are the ones I really like.
thanks to emirates247.com
the Suhail star
There is an article in the paper today that has made me very hopeful indeed. The sighting of a bright light in the night sky just before sunrise at this time of year traditionally signals the end of the summer heat and a return to more moderate weather.
Visible due south in the early hours before sunrise, Suhail, also known as Canopus, is part of the Vela constellation and is the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius. This astral body has always held a great significance to the people of the Middle East, it’s rise marks the start of the farmer’s agricultural calendar or droror, which begins with the star’s sighting and is then measured in 10 or 13 day micro-seasons known as dir. In addition it traditionally marks the start of the hunting season. As hunters had to endure days of travelling through the desert they presumably would have used this signal to know cooler weather was on the way and therefore a good time to head out.
[source: clipartpal]
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