Wacky Weather
Today, as I am checking the blog, I see that the Weather Underground sticker I have shows the weather in Kuwait as being 39°F / 4°C . . . .
I am guessing it is around 107°F . . . but sometimes these statistics go a little whacky.
Searing Heat Vetos Doha Olympics
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Chicago was among the four cities picked as finalists Wednesday for the 2016 Summer Olympics, setting the stage for a high-profile bidding contest between candidates from the United States, Europe and Asia. Also making the IOC shortlist were Madrid, Spain; Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Eliminated from the race were Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan.
Doha, capital of a tiny but wealthy Arab Gulf country of about 1 million people, had loomed as the wild card as it sought to bring the Olympics to the Middle East for the first time. It cited its hosting of the 2006 Asian Games as evidence that it can handle the Olympics. Due to Qatar’s searing summer heat, Doha proposed holding the games in October, outside the IOC’s preferred time frame of July or August.
Light Blowing Dust
Usually when the weather report says “light blowing dust” or “light haze” we are totally socked in, with a visibility of like 100 – 200 meters. Today, I can see almost all the way to the horizon, there is a stiff breeze out of the north creating some white-cap action, the temperature is only 95°F / 35°C and I can imagine people walking happily on the beach, collecting seashells.
White Hot
I’ve overslept the sunrise for the last two mornings (thanks be to God) as I re-adjust to local time. I thank God to have the time and space for it; my sleep/wake schedule has been chaotic.
I was in the Co-op at nine the other morning – usually NO ONE is there but me and the stockers, but this day, everyone was there, and they were pushing me out of the way. As I stood in line, women (women!) would bring their very full baskets and stand sort of angled to get in front of me. Finally, I made friends with the woman in front of me and stuck to her like glue, and got through the check out line. It’s the very first time, ever, I have encountered this in the Co-op, usually everyone is so polite. I can’t imagine what was going on, except that it was very crowded – maybe women trying to get their shopping done before the big heat hit later in the morning.
Ah! I do have a clue! I think it has to do with the current exam schedule. I don’t know how it relates, but as I left, people were picking up their children from school, something that usually happens hours later.
All in all, however, the crowding, the pushing, combined with the jet lag – I felt actually fluttery. I felt mildly disoriented, mildly short of breath, and I really really felt sleepy. As soon as I got home, got all the veggies washed and everything put away, I laid down with the paper – and three hours later I had to force myself out of a drool-sleep, make myself get up and drink some coffee and get started again.
When AdventureMan called, late in the afternoon, I had the computer on. He was complaining about the heat. I checked Weather Underground for Kuwait and it was 117°F / 44°C. It actually hit 118° from 4:00 pm to 5 pm. It is white hot, and I can’t imagine anyone having to work outside in such searing heat – but they do. Street cleaners, construction workers, truckers – they all work in the heat. Officially, work stops at 50°C / 122°F.
Here is what our day in Kuwait looks like this morning:
Sunrise 2 June 2008
This morning the sun had a terrible time breaking through the clouds – and I am happy for it. The clouds may keep the temperatures out of the brutal range – ah well, we can hope, can’t we?
On the balcony this morning at 0400, it was warm, but comfortable. The temperature is already 91°F / 33° at 0600 with a high for today forecast at 111°F / 44°C.
My New Buddy
Just days before Sporty Diamond’s wedding, Big Diamond introduced me to a new friend – a Lumix, a Panasonic camera with a Leica lens.
It hardly felt like a real camera. I have lugged around Nikons most of my life, Nikons and their lenses and a variety of super films to capture that special moment. The Lumix felt like a toy.
“Just try it,” she laughed confidently.
Within minutes, she was in on her phone and computer, ordering the same model for Sporty Diamond and myself. That was five years ago.
In January, as I was doing one of the sunrise series, something whirred and clicked and jammed, never to work again. I didn’t worry too much, I had a smaller model of the same camera I bought to use in my purse. I knew I would need another one, but I had time.
When she visited, Little Diamond mentioned that exactly the same thing had happened with Big Diamond’s camera, and we figure maybe it is some kind of planned obsolescence.
Or an excuse to buy the newest model!
While back in the USA, I picked up the newest telephoto model of the Lumix. Without any additional lenses, this little camera goes from 18mm – 574mm. The zoom is so powerful that I can’t always hold the camera steady enough without a tripod, but it also has all the latest shake-reduction technologies. Actually, it has technologies I haven’t begun to master. I thought I would know it all, having had the same camera, but so much has been added in the last couple years, I still have a severe learning curve in front of me.
My sister has the same exact camera, so we can help each other out when we figure out some new capability.
I am not one of your more serious photographers. I don’t bracket my shots; I don’t do a lot of planning before I shoot. Most of my shots are shots of convenience – I even have the camera out on the seat while I am driving, in case I see something at a stoplight. Certainly in case I have a road problem, or in case some idiot drives next to me in the emergency land. I need a camera mostly for family moments, for our African adventures, for my daily Kuwait experiences and for those odd moments that capture my attention.
I am more of a documentary photographer. I grab whatever shot I can get, and delete delete delete all the excess photos. I do love getting to know the camera, and finding out what it can do. What I love the most about this camera is the great big huge zoom, the tiny, light body, and the bright, clear photos it takes under the worst conditions.
I have another buddy, a good friend who has really been there for me while I am jet lagging. The first morning – she knows I am up early – she called me and said she was on her way to the store, did I want to come? I was already getting dressed to go to the store, so I said yes. The truth is, when you are ten time zones out of whack, you are probably better off not driving a whole lot.
Yesterday, once again, she helped me run a couple of significant errands, things I really needed to do and she sacrificed a morning with her husband to help me out. That is a friend, indeed. Not only is she a lot of fun to be running errands with, but when I grabbed my camera and said “that’s a shot I’ve wanted and never been able to take because I am always driving!” she slowed down and let me have the time to take the shot. She didn’t even mind. Now THAT is a friend, indeed!
Nowhere else have I seen bulldozers up in buildings. I can’t imagine the building being destroyed was constructed with specifications supporting the weight of a bulldozer in mind. I can’t imagine what the bulldozer operator must have in terms of life insurance – or, well, too bad, I can imagine he considers himself lucky to have a job that allows him to send some money back home. At least this bulldozer is only three stories above ground – the last one I saw was eight stories above ground. And the driver didn’t even have a construction helmet on.
It is blazing-white-hot in Kuwait right now, but thanks be to God, there is no dust today, and the humidity is relatively low.
Sunrise, First of June, 2008
While we don’t have that seriously dark brown band of, hmmm. . . . something . . . on the horizon, there is a band of thick haze. The sun gets above the horizon, lights the clouds above, but it is fully minutes before it can get through the low lying haze for a visible sunrise.
This is what I think is ACTUAL sunrise:
Here, minutes later, we can see the sun over the thick haze on the horizon:
At 5 in the morning, it is a mere 84°F / 29°C out on my balcony, very comfortable, just a tiny soft breeze, me and all the laborers the only ones up and about so early. Well, maybe Ansam, who gets an early start on her day. 😉
Sunrise: Wait Five Minutes
Continuing to jet lag, wide awake for the first call to prayer. Suddenly, there are more calls to prayer in my neighborhood. I don’t see any additional mosques, but maybe they are upping the volume on the calls to prayer. It isn’t loud, it is only that I used to only hear one, and now I can hear several. Maybe an atmospheric thing. Maybe I am not often awake at that time of the morning!
This is what the real sunrise looked like, barely able to break through the clouds:
But an hour later, as I am finishing up my e-mails, everything changes (don’t you just love clouds? They change everything!):
Just when I think it is all together, ready for a post, it changes again:
When I saw this photo, I though I had photographed through a dirty spot on the window, but no, it is the shadow of clouds from sky down across the water.
Wait five minutes and a totally new photo appears. What a great day!
It’s 90°F/ 32°C at 0600, heading for a high today of 109°F / 43°C. 😦
Sunrise May 30, 2008
As we approach the Summer solstice you have to be up early to catch the sunrise. I am up so early, with my jet lag, that I am waiting for the sun to rise!
It is a beautiful day. That hideous humidity that plagued Kuwait along with the dust when I arrived is gone. The night air is sweet, there is a breeze off the sea this morning – it would be a perfect morning to be out fishing.
There is a thin band of clouds just above the horizon, but nothing like those thick bands of pollution that give us headaches – and worse. The temperature today is only expected to reach 104°F / 40°C.
I hope you enjoy your Friday, my friends, and have a sweet day of rest and relaxation.
Sunrise 29 May 2008
Holy Smokes – where did May go? 2008 is slipping through my fingers; I have so many plans and ideas and I don’t know how much will l really get done?
AdventureMan kept me busy and talking until I collapsed around nine last night, and did not sleep all that well. I finally gave up around 4:30 ayem and ended up getting some very Turneresque pre-dawn shots. Had to go out on the balcony to take them because my windows are all smogged with the humidity and smeared with the dust and rain from yesterday.
Going out to take a photo on the balcony requires feeding the Qatteri Cat back in his room, then running to the kitchen and shutting the door, then opening the balcony door. We know QC knows there is fresh air out that door, but we don’t want him to discover the balcony and all the dangers it represents to a logic-challenged cat.
Well, it’s not really dramatic enough for Turner but it has those dramatic elements of opalescent sky, translucent waters and hazy horizon that reminded me of Turner:
Moments later, we had sunrise:
And even some surf this morning:
We have a break in the weather today – only 109° instead of the 111’s and 112’s predicted for later on:
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