Vacation irony

A sandlander, in my case a European resident in the United Arab Emirates, typically looks forward to his annual leave. Strange that Gulf English uses the military term in preference to holiday or vacation; but Gulf English will be the topic of inevitable future posts.

As July and August loom with clammy days in the mid-forties a few weeks in temperate Europe may be anticipated with pleasure. But this year is far from temperate. The bungalow I have rented, a few steps from the lapping waves of the Mediterranean, will allow me to claim that "life is a beach".

And it will be; the bungalow will not be air-conditioned. The overnight low temperatures are running at about twenty-five degrees. Sweet irony! I shall miss my flat in Abu Dhabi with its climate controlled eighteen degrees ensuring the comfort of my slumbers.

I may well return absolutely exhausted and ready for, yes, a holiday.