It's TOO DANG HOT!

Misconceptions of living in a hot climate

When I first moved to Oman, I had no idea that what 115 degrees felt like. When I watched the movies with people parched, dragging their feet and dehydrated, I had no conception, sympathy or empathy. And once I moved to Oman, I thought I would get used it, acclimate and eventually appreciate it. In some ways I did.

(on the right: Mom and I at the beach)

Walking outside of the airplane onto the tarmac the air stood still. It was 10 pm dark, humid and about 95 degrees. The heat hit me like I was walking into sauna. Jet lagged and disoriented I was told to sit with the other new teachers to await our visas. All of us sat in silence staring, smiling slightly, I knew the others felt the same. It was too hot outside for it to be 10 pm with the sun down. What was it going to feel like at noon?

It took a year for my body not to react adversely to the constant dehydration. One late morning i decided to go shopping and soon found out why the majority of the Omani population and Indian immigrants shop at night. I wandered around the store dazed, looking for my oasis. Dragging my feet. When I got home only two hours later, I was exhausted. I gladly sat in my living room watching TV with the lights out and the air on 18 degrees Celsius. I had joined a running club and we ran in the evenings when the sun went down. You know the saying, “The fog was as thick as pea soup?” I could see clearly, but the air was thick like trying to breath through pea soup. Once again I dragged my feet, coming in last in the group. A few weeks later, the training seemed to pay off. I got my best 5 k time! But then suffered from systems of dehydration for the next few days, not fun. Time to invest in the sports drink. Ahhh, the sports drink. Trainers will tell you never to drink that sugary chemical drink, but I will take that over two days of dehydration!

The following year I discovered why people seek shade from the midday sun. The heat from the sun is so intense, you can feel your skin burning only after 5 minutes. The shade is only a few degrees cooler, but relief from the direct light is crucial. Hence the shopping at night. drivers park their cars under “trees” (you might call them dying shrubs) and will bl

ock in other cars just to park in the shade. Hardly anyone walks during the day. Those who have to use umbrellas or newspapers to block the sun. I have invested in some large framed sunglasses so that my eyes are completely covered. I rarely walk anywhere.

(On the right: It was probably close to 80 degrees in this picture...I was cold)

Acclimation comes on quietly. I woke up one morning and it was overcast just after the storm. A rain day was called at school, so we didn’t have to go. I chuckle at rain days, but seriously people can’t get to work when it rains. Between the flooding and the traffic, most people look outside and stay home. My friend from Bombay laughs at the intolerance towards rain and flooding. She is accustomed to a city that keeps running rain, shine or flood. i suppose it is all a matter of perspective and determination. When it snows 5 or more inches in Colfax, CA, school is called off. Most people stay home instead of braving the roads. The roads become dangerous to drive on. But by noon the snow has melted.

But I was talking about heat! I walk out it had just rained and it felt chilly. My friend and I were discussing if we should go grab a sweater or not. Then we go into our friends’ car and the thermometer read 80 degrees. Oh...no sweater needed. I guess I am acclimatized. It is all a matter of perspective.

This year is my third year. As I right this, I have survived another two weeks of heat. Working out in 95 degree weather with humidity, getting into a car when the temp is 112 degrees. Burning my feet on the hot sand while waking to my car after church. This year, I was done with it. It is just too dang hot!

(To the left: Students seeking shade in one of the largest trees I have seen in Oman. Note that it is February and I think it was 90 degrees that day.)