Hot hot heat

It's been slowly heating up over here in Qatar. Temperatures have starting hitting the mid to high 30s on a regular basis, which isn't too uncomfortable as long as you're not out in it for too long. The nights are in the pleasant low 20s, making it ideal for evening walks along the Corniche or trips to the golf club.

Even if, like me, you don't leave your air-conditioned apartment for days on end, there's one tell-tale sign that it's heating up outside - the lack of cold water. It's got to the stage where the cold water storage tanks have heated up and never really cool down. Brushing your teeth in tepid water is minging!

And the mercury's going to keep on rising over the next few months, probably another 10 to 15 degrees (though officially never above 50 as everyone has to stop working then, so we've been told). It wont be long before the cold water is warm enough to heat up the metal toilet flush handles and create a warm waft of air on your buttocks when ever you sit on the loo.

Add in the very high humidity to come along as well and there are other things to look forward to, including; your sun glasses steaming up as soon as you step outside, your nostrils burning when you breathe in, and breaking into a sweat just from standing in the sun. Basically, you only go outside if you really have to - i.e. when you have to walk to your air-conditioned car.