Always A First-Time…

Today was a day of firsts for me: I witnessed and walked in my first sandstorm; experienced 46 degrees Celcius midday temperature, and I ate at a traditional restaurant.

July is the hottest month in the Middle East and above human body temperature is common. The air feels like a Swedish dry sauna, and the high sand count in the air can make your eyes watery. You can barely see beyond a kilometer into the distance as the frequent sandstorm (mild to furious) can either make it hard to walk or drive. It is not uncommon for drivers to stop their cars by the roadside to sit out the powdery rain.

After teaching day one of a two-day workshop, I proceeded to the gym and rode on the stationary-bike, doing high-cadence spinning for an hour, while watching the ‘live’ telecast of the Tour de France. Today’s ride was long and involved lots of climbing, and some serious falls. One team abandoned its ride after its main rider crashed and suffered serious injuries. My ride was a first for me, and it felt like riding on a simulator bike with a programmed video with copious sweating. I was glad that my post-marathon legs still had some ‘juice’ in them, and I hope to run well at next weekend’s half-marathon.

My former-student, Yasser brought me to his favourite eating haunt, which involved sitting on the floor in a carpeted enclosure. We began with coffee brewed with saffron, followed by a huge plate of stewed lamb rice (higher-end bryani) and salad, and finished with honey-sweet dates and the remaining coffee (small cups). We caught up on music, films and F1; we found out that we did our respective Spanish vacations four weeks apart of each other. He attended the F1 race in Valencia, followed by a visit to Madrid and then Barcelona. We both agreed that Barcelona was overwhelmed with tourists; he was duped into playing the con-game of the Three Shell Game, and lost 10 Euros – he felt cheated, as he ‘knew’ where the pea was. Grifters or con-artists still ply this illegal trade throughout Europe, replacing walnuts with large match-boxes and small balls.


Linkin Park will be playing at the Singtel F1 Night Race in Singapore. I am looking forward to the louder decibels afforded by this popular band, as well as other yet-to-be announced musical acts. $198 affords you a 3-day pass, that covers the race and concerts - standing-room only.

*****

I am watching the 5,000m outdoor race of the Samsung Diamond League in Birmingham. The race was won through a fast and furious last 800m, achieved with experience and race rabbits. Rabbits are professional runners who are paid sacrificial lambs who race at a blistering pace, so that race favourites have a better chance at breaking the meet or world record. The race does not always go to the faster of the first few laps, but with the patient few who are the fastest and have something ‘left in the tank’. No record today, however the top-three finishers blazed home a speedy trail.