dry winter

Ever since I was a boy I always associate winter with snow, snowfall, snowman, and people wearing thick clothes complete with gloves and head gears. Then my mother would tell us stories of Santa Claus in a winter setting with elves and children playing on a white snowy field. As a kid, I often ask my father why is it there was no snow fall in the Philippines. He uniquely explain using child terminologies that it is simply not possible. He would guide us to our old Fridge and explain that unless the temperature drops below zero, snow would not be possible.

That simple explanation stuck into my coconut shell for a long period of time. Even when I traveled to places and experience snowy winter, I always thought that snow falls when the temperature drops below zero. Not for long though. After I traveled in the land of the our Arab brethren, I experience a different kind of winter. A dry winter, where temperature drops below zero with bone chilling winds but no snowfalls. Instead of snowfalls, you'll experience nosebleed inducing sandstorm and nauseating headaches.

That is exactly what we experienced today. Temperature in Riyadh according to Yahoo News was registered at negative2 deg C and feels like negative 4 deg C when chilling winds are factored in. Huh! Cold? Brrr... yeah, really cold. Personally, I could say that it even feels colder than the neg 10 deg C in Toronto. There, you'll seldom experience nose bleeding but here, ugh, you will most of the time. My guess is because of the microscopic sand in the air that irritates our nostrils.

I didn't get out of the house today. I don't have work so I'll just stay in my room and .... sleep! Hehehe... I guess I gained an extra pound today.