Doha has scarce rains, may be 5 days rains
throughout the year and even less. If there are not more than five rainy days then
other 360 days would be all sunny. The six months starting from mid-April to mid-October
remain hot. Watching temperature figures, June to August, the daytime heat is around
45C or 113F being normal. Occasionally heat would still go as high as 50C or 122F.
Starting from mid-August to September, though the temperature goes down slowly would
mean it is not searing but merely roasting and humidity level increases that people
are not comfortable again.
Traditionally there are way-outs for fighting
humid climate. One way that is very practical is to avoid going out and using air
conditioners at homes, malls, offices and cars. Alternative way is to make arrangements
to Enjoy Doha during summer that visits each year by default. Going out in humidity is
tough and walking is still tougher but walking keeps one fit. One can visit the
places he has never visited before and get a feeling of knowing the place better
instead of avoiding the place but that asks for being little bit tough.
One can be invited to walk out and see
the animals around Doha, capturing some random pictures, looking at their details
but sweating profusely from head to toe enjoying the weather.
Be like
a camel
You could be a regular driver traveling
in Doha here and there but for sure you must have not been to visit some camel paddock
on back-side of Souq Waqif. The specific place is not visible from the road while
driving. These camels are special available to ride on occasions for ceremonies
by Uniformed police people. Such police are special and high ranking and their position
in Doha is like Royal Horse Guards in London.
Tip 1: You would see
these camels are covered with light blanket cover. The cover is made to
shape having a hole in between to accommodate the camel hump. Traditionally the
bag would be of maroon fabric matching with national flag.
Tip 2: Keep your own
head cool as those camels do. Wear a good wide-brimmed hat. You
can take it off when in shade only. When you visit drinking fountains to quench
your thirst, do soak your hat using water. This keeps your head cool for some fifteen
to twenty minutes till it gets dry. The Cold rivulets going down to neck and even
back are quite refreshing and the rising steam cloud in heat looks very cool.
Some use baseball caps but that is no protection
to your back of the neck. If you wear back to front, you expose your own face to
sun and that drops your IQ drops minimum by 14 points. Baseball caps are not a good
wear even during baseball as they give only half protection in desert area like
Qatar. In Qatar, baseball caps are a sure recipe for sun stroke.
A fort
by any other name
As you travel along the road for about
15 minutes further from those camels is one of the larger city center electricity
substations. Keeping a walking speed, you can have time to look at the magnificent
construction of that wall. For all its Arab rich architecture, it's a simple protection
place. There are several of vertical pillars having slotted edges, having H-section.
The large massive prefab concrete made panels are simply inserted in using a crane
and the structure would withstand a head on ram-raid assault done even by a fully
laden Heavy Goods Vehicle. The structure can be removed or opened just in case an
transformer or a machine part is to be replaced. Qatar government takes civil defense
very seriously. After all Qatar is in open sea and the land border aligns with Saudi
Arabian soil. In all cases security and safety has its importance.
Tip 3: Use of sun block is just for fashion
while it is just for the beach when you purposely expose your face to sun. Better
use a decent hat to be completely safe from sun. Do not skip full sleeves shirt
and pair of shorts till all is turned into a sort of chemical slurry. You must get
that in your own eyes till you'll know all well.
Some Asian girls living in Qatar, from
Asian countries like China and Philippines use large hats sunshades and even umbrellas
for safety from sun. They look stylishly smart and cheerful using these gadgets.
Tip 4: Safety on Roads. While we walk in
such extreme heat, our reactions are likely to be slower than expected especially
when one is dehydrated or under fatigue. At such a time people walking on roads
should be careful about those stupid rich kids who just keep their high powered
cars ‘flying on roads’ as they are in a special mental frame and avoid watching
who is on the road. Minimum we can write is that they are bad guys but keeping yourself
at a distance seems your own responsibility. For such a group, driving stands have
many exceptions while in general these standards are very low for everybody. Police authorities tried to resort to some cartoons too. These cartoons
along road sides are a great way to remind about law and care on roads but interestingly
these are metallic cutouts within physical reach of those who passerby. The edges
are sharp enough to injure anybody who is not watching – keep watching before you
are injured by a cartoon.
It is not related to heat or humidity.
It is about the sign boards in Qatar. Shops and cafeterias usually use two languages-Arabic
and English. I first wondered how English stands first but it dawned on me that
English is written from left and Arabic from right. So writing both is a winning
situation for both, placing each first.
Tip 5: About the underwear garments. Simply
do not wear these in extreme heat as these are notoriously uncomfortable when body
sweats profusely and a painful companion when these are a bit tight for any reason.
Though using underwear in just a personal choice and people might have different
experience. So try having your own decision in hot and especially in humid weather.
When we consider underwear, we may consider bras for ladies. They too, may decide
at their own- should they or shouldn’t they. Suggested way is to ask the locals,
how they manage it by tradition.
Wearing
in feet
At hot places, people use open, airy and
light sandals or slippers. Typical exercise shoes and running and training shoes
are probably designed from cold places. They are too warm for a place like Qatar.
Tradition for some thousand years is to wear sandals for walking. Try using the
lightweight flip-flops that Lee Cooper makes and offers at quite a low price too.
Every pair lasts for six months, so keep buying and keep changing.
Dental
care
Qatar has various angles for dental care.
There are in general no rules. These are like any other shop, without getting any
registration or legal formalities. When you need dental care, just pick a dentist
and walk into the clinic. There are some names, I picked randomly, among those are:
1. Dr Mahmoud Abbas, he is President of Palestinian group and Fatah/PLO
2. Dr Susan George, he relocated as his place was demolished in the inner
city.
Drinking
water and sweating
37 Celsius is the standard body temperature
but different rules apply to different people. What temperature is outside, you
feel accordingly. Remember to take water with you as you go out. If it is humid,
you would definitely sweat. You will sweat more with exertion but as you walk, you
will know that every place sweats except your watch and sunglasses. What really
helps in humid weather is a proper sunshade using a hat but sunstroke always comes
in if you do not care. The only recipe for sunstroke is to walk at a moderate speed
and do not drink cold water, choose warm water instead. Remember to avoid
cold water as chilled water may cause stomach spasms.
Tip 6: While in
Qatar, you must use a drinking fountain as you pass by one. Take little water
at a time and take it too often. Every mosque has well placed drinking fountains
and many large houses are benevolent enough to arrange a drinking fountain
fixed to their outer wall for the people who walk around being a gesture of hospitality
for the passing strangers.
Tip 7: As you
reach home, change your sweat soaked clothes and use a bath towel instead. Try
to warm down yourself while drinking lot of water and take snacks etc of your
choice to regain your energy. Avoid laying down till you are rehydrated and
regain your vigour.
About
the toast
Conventionally speaking humid days
would mean going out in early morning or when sun goes down to avoid heat during
the day. I have different opinion, though I do not get up early too while I
find that evenings carry more of humidity. My logic is that like making a
toast, you expose the bread to heat and same thing happens when people tend to
do sunbath. They lay flat in sun but this is different for a walker, walker
should not expose himself or herself to heat directly.
Tip 8: Just
remember that from 11 am during the next two hours, the sun is right over the
heads. The hat and the umbrella would serve the best saving whole of the body.
When sun is slightly down, it reaches more of your body chasing every part of
it. The slanting rays the keep beating on your body mercilessly. Remember that afternoon
is the worst part because the outside air temperature does lag behind the sun
for a few hours.
Now
the last word
Every place has its own tough season, may
be that north or south or along the equator. But do not avoid weather by
locking yourself indoors. Learn from your ancestors who loved nomadic life and
loved hunting for living. We are made to walk. So we prepare ourselves for
walking in open with knowledge and little determination and handle various life
elements with care and caution. If you stay indoors, you won’t build anything.
Opt to go out to live life and enjoy living with others.
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